socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

One of the most recently graduates of the DreamIt Ventures accelerator in Philadelphia--which is holding its Demo Day today--is none other than Los Angeles company NinjaThat. The startup operates an online marketplace that allows businesses and individuals to hire students "on-demand" to accomplish tasks for them. The startup, headed by Atif Siddiqi, said the company came out of a desire to help recent graduates, and to help them build an "employment graph" so they can leave college with more ex

Los Angeles 252

Los Angeles Demand Startup Help 252

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 3, 2012

This article previously appeared in Forbes. If Steve Blank and Eric Reis, two of the Founding Fathers of the Lean Startup Movement formed a band, they would produce music like the Kingsmen's Louie, Louie. The song is akin to a lean startup's minimally viable product (MVP). In less than an hour and at the cost of $50, the Kingsmen created an international hit and established garage rock as a mainstream musical genre.

Startup 217

Startup RSS Marketing Sales 217

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 6, 2012

How often do you take the time to rate your employee-associates? Is it really worth the time and effort when measured from the perspective of the company and of the employee? First, like any important process, the metrics used to measure effectiveness and progress are so important to a successful outcome, that a good manager will spend time reviewing those metrics used by others and create an appropriate set of measurements for your company that reflect the most important attributes of the empl

Metrics 153

Metrics Email Pricing Tool 153

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 -- Social Curation Summit. Leverage the Effects of Curated Commerce and Consumption Discover how brands and retailers across a wide range of business verticals can use curated stories, pictures, and videos to highlight creativity and innovation.

Commerce 150

Commerce 150

Advertiser: Aggregage

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

Company

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

What's the best way to meet new people and friends? Supperking ([link] a newly launched startup, is hoping that one of those ways will be over a home cooked meal you discover over the phone's iPhone application. We spoke with CEO Kai Stubble to hear about how SupperKing is looking to create a service--inspired by collaborative consumption sites like Airbnb--which will let people host meals in their homes for strangers, to get to meet new people, show off your cooking skills, and hopefully make n

Platform 250

Platform Mobile UCLA Sites 250

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2012

We can all dream about what it takes to make our startup a success. From recent survey feedback, it seems evident that the urban legends leading to success are wrong. The average entrepreneur is not the one who dumped a promising career, sketched his idea on the back of a napkin, and accepted millions from an investor to make billions of his own. I was just perusing an older but still very relevant report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship, titled “ Making of a Succes

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Tips Education Ideas 111

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012 -- StartupSB Holiday Happy Hour. Holiday happy hour for StartupSB, Santa Barbara's largest Startup focused group. Come have a drink, socialize with the community, and hear from Startup Weekend Santa Barbara 1 and 2 teams.

Santa Barbara 124

Santa Barbara Startup 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

What's the best way to meet new people and friends? Supperking ([link] a newly launched startup, is hoping that one of those ways will be over a home cooked meal you discover over the phone's iPhone application. We spoke with CEO Kai Stubbe to hear about how SupperKing is looking to create a service--inspired by collaborative consumption sites like Airbnb--which will let people host meals in their homes for strangers, to get to meet new people, show off your cooking skills, and hopefully make ne

Platform 247

Platform Mobile UCLA Sites 247

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2012

I’ve noticed that most young entrepreneurs are more socially conscious today than ever before, which is a great trend. Unfortunately, some are so focused on this principle that they forget that every business, even non-profits, have to practice the basic principals of capitalism (build a business model to make money) to cover their costs to do good things another day.

Capital 99

Capital Entrepreneur Guide Startup 99

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 6, 2012

You and your best friend build this app that is solving amazing problems in your community, you have billions of users downloading and using it, it never crashes. You get awesome media coverage and have become celebrities overnight. You have security wherever you go because you have become big entrepreneurs and are giving talks all over to up and coming entrepreneurs and app developers.

Template 82

Template Social Media Media Research 82

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012 -- An Evening with Brad Feld. An evening with venture capitalist Brad Feld to discuss his new book Startup Communities. You'd be hard pressed to find an individual who has made as big a contribution to startup culture and thought leadership as Venture Capitalist and blogger, Brad Feld. Join us at Cross Campus for a discussion with Brad as he takes us through his new book, Startup Communities.

Press 124

Press Startup Entrepreneur 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Lynda.com , the site which helps people learn software and other skills from online videos, has been recognized for its job creation, the firm said Friday, ranking number 1 in job creation in education by Inc. magazine. The company said it filled nearly 200 jobs from 2008 to 2011, tops in the Education industry. Lynda.com's online site offers up instructional courses on everything from software like Photoshop to Wordpress, and Excel to AutoCAD.

Calabasas 245

Calabasas Education Sites Course 245

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2012

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Yet it is the one element that too many entrepreneurs focus on only as an afterthought. Everyone assumes their product or service is so great that “word-of-mouth” will carry the day for them. Even great products need great marketing “content” to fuel the ascent of their online message.

Content 99

Content Startup Newsletter Writing 99

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Gimme – Local businesses can offer exclusive deals on their receipts. Ever looked at a grocery store receipt and saw a coupon? We all have. But how often have we actually used those coupons? Probably never. Most times the discounted products have nothing to do with our interests. Gimme enables our favorite store to give us coupons relevant to our interests.

Tool 71

Tool Help Organization Customer 71

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012 -- ACG 101 Holiday Party. After all the challenges and turmoil of 2012, let?s relax and socialize with friends and colleagues at the ACG 101 Holiday Party the evening of Thursday, December 13, at the Westlake Village Inn. It will be a time for all of us to unwind with great food, drink and conversation, and to network with old friends and meet new ones.

ACG 124

ACG Westlake Village Networking 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2012

It's surprising how often we run into rapidly growing companies that not many people have heard of, here in Southern California, but that's the case with El Segundo-based. NEOGOV , which has quietly built an enterprise software company supplying human resources software to the government and public sector. The firm recently showed up as one of the fastest growing companies in LA as part of the Deloitte Fast 500 rankings.

Software Review 243

Software Review SaaS Startup Technical Review 243

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2012

Managing and motivating a team in a startup is more than just using the right interpersonal skills. It’s more than providing recognition, tangible incentives, and clear work goals. A key influencer of satisfaction and motivation, top-ranked by employees, is positive progress and the completion of meaningful work. Sometimes you have to manage progress, not people.

Startup 96

Startup Satisfaction Examples Activity 96

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 4, 2012

Next SoundCloud has launched to the public in a move that will allow lovers of music across the world to discover and connect with the largest community of music and audio creators online. The world’s leading social sound platform said Next SoundCloud is out in private beta and open for public use as the world’s only platform of the kind. Only Platform Of Its Kind.

Platform 71

Platform Mobile News Help 71

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012 -- The Power of Collaborative Philanthropy. Broads Circle. Panelists: JACQUELINE JACOBS CASTER, Founder, Everychild Foundation; JUDY PATRICK, President and CEO, Women's Foundation of California; GAEL SYLVIA PULLEN, CEO, Sylvia Global and Member of Women Moving Millions. Keynote Speaker: JOCELYN TETEL, Vice President of Advancement, Skirball Cultural Center; Moderator: CHERYL CALHOUN, Managing Director, Tax and Business Management, CBIZ MHM, LLC.

113

113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Santa Monica-based videogame developer Activision Publishing , which is a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, reports that its newly launched title, Call of Duty: Black Ops II , just crossed the $1 billion mark in retail sales. Activision said it reached that retail sales mark just fifteen days after launch. Activision said the numbers came via Chart-Track retail customer sell-through information and internal company estimates.

Activision 239

Activision Sales Santa Monica Report 239

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2012

When you have been on the startup firing line, you quickly learn that any insight from experts and entrepreneurs who have been there before you can make the difference between failure and success. Yet, many new entrepreneurs brazenly assume they are bulletproof, and march blindly into the fray. The result is that half or more of startups fail in the first two years.

Startup 94

Startup Entrepreneur Summary Activity 94

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 3, 2012

News Corp has announced it will cease publication of its standalone publication of The Daily iPad app December 15, 2012 and embed its technology and staff into the The Post. According to Mr. Murdoch The Daily was a bold experiment in digital publishing and an amazing vehicle for innovation since its launch but the firm could not find a large enough audience to make the paper’s business model sustainable.

News 69

News Journal Entertainment Media 69

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 -- Digital Family Reunion. For the fifth year running, we'll celebrate the connectedness of our vibrant digital media industry in Southern California at the Digital Family Reunion. Whether you were there at the beginning, lived through the dot-com era, emerged after the crash or started your career in digital yesterday, you are a part of the Digital Family.

Southern California 113

Southern California Entertainment Media Technology 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2012

Have you ever been in a new city, and wish you could get to know your neighbors and the locals better? A new startup, launching today, called SupperKing , is looking to help with that, by bringing together friends and neighbors over home cooked meals, via a new, peer-to-peer marketplace. The Los Angeles startup--founded by Kai Stubble--said this morning that it has launched its i Phone app, which lets people host other people at their homes to share food.

Los Angeles 214

Los Angeles Pricing Sites Services 214

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2012

As I visit the websites of many startups, as well as more mature businesses, I still too often see a “contact” page offering nothing but a sterile form for customers to submit, never to be heard from again. Social media connections, if they exist, are buried elsewhere or reserved for monitoring purposes only. Social media is here, and is the preferred mode of communication by a large segment of your customers, so make it a positive differentiator for your business.

Social Media 91

Social Media Customer Custom Media 91

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Netflix Inc and The Walt Disney Company have joined hands to give US film lovers high quality animated and live action films. According to Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, “Disney and Netflix have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship and this deal will bring to our subscribers, in the first pay TV window, some of the highest-quality, most imaginative family films being made today.” Sarandos added, “It’s a bold leap forward for Internet telev

Netflix 68

Netflix Entertainment Demand Content 68

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Monday, December 10, 2012 -- BioScience Alliance Workforce Development Interest Group. WDIG seeks to work closely with the 101 Corridor life science industry to identify its short and long term technical and management needs; convey those critical needs to the region's educational institutions, who can then develop courses and programs to develop the skills to meet the needs of the 101 Corridor life science industry in the coming years.

Develop 113

Develop Development Education Course 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2012

A new report issued today, detailing technology jobs employment concentration in the United States, shines some light on where the highest concentrations of tech jobs are in the region. According to the report , issued by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, three areas in Southern California ranked among the top 25 metro areas for high-tech employment concentration.

Report 203

Report Santa Barbara Technology Southern California 203

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2012

The popular view of a real entrepreneur is someone with a big vision, and a stubborn determination to charge straight ahead through any obstacle and make it happen. The vision part is fine, but successful entrepreneurs have found that the extreme uncertainty of a new product or service usually requires many course corrections, or “pivots” to find a successful formula.

Course 109

Course Startup Platform Entrepreneur 109

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 3, 2012

GraphDat – Troubleshoot application and server performance. After developing a website, web application or software the last thing we want is for our golden users that were so tough to attract in the first place to have a sluggish experience. GraphDat helps streamline the process of maintaining quick and reliable server performance. SnapCrowd – Cloud storage to see media in real time on any device.

Web Development 65

Web Development Content Tool Help 65

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012 -- Introducing Advanced BioCatalytics Corporation. The December PortTech Forum will introduce and feature a presentation from Advanced BioCatalytics Corporation (ABC), an industrial biotechnology company focusing its "green chemistry solution" for cleaners, oil spill cleanup, wastewater treatment, environmental remediation and other applications.

Company 113

Company Companies 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

How much is Korean pop star Psy making with his viral " Gangnam Style " video on YouTube? Based on recent figures from a number of Southern California's online video companies, anything from $870,000 to $1.7M. Two recent reports--one in New York Magazine, using figures from Mahalo 's Jason Calanis--and another from the AP, quoting the folks at TubeMogul , have tried to decode the economics behind the viral music video from Psy.

Southern California 197

Southern California Mahalo SoCal Company 197

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Are you a small business owner, wishing you had a person on call who you could call to ask questions about marketing, legal human resources, accounting, or other topics? A new service called ExpertCircle , run by Santa Monica's DocStoc, has just launched into beta, allowing business owners to call and get expert advice on all of their business questions.

Santa Monica 196

Santa Monica Resource Services Marketing 196

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2012

A new, Santa Monica-based startup, PaeDae launched today, saying that it has created a white-label, software prize network which helps developers offer up real world prizes for their online and mobile games. PaeDae said it has launched a software development kit (SDK) which allows developers to easily offer up prizes in their titles. Those prizes are supplied by advertisers and brands, including Omaha Steaks, StyleMint, SoleSociety, P&G, and others.

Mobile 196

Mobile Santa Monica Advertising Software Development 196

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Edison Jr. , the gadget startup headed by Jamie Siminoff, has a new pitch for you: the DoorBot , a wireless, video-enabled doorbell that connects directly to your smartphone or tablet, wherever you are. Edison Jr. said it has started raising $250,000 to bring its product to life, via a crowdfunding effort. The idea behind DoorBot is to allow residents to communicate with whoever is at their door, whether they are home or not, by sending video via Wi-Fi connected to a smartphone app.

Ideas 187

Ideas Product Startup 187

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2012

How often do you run into a top tier, Silicon Valley-backed grilled cheese sandwich shop in LA? Well, visitors to Hollywood's Sunset and Vine are about to see just that, with the expansion of The Melt , a Silicon Valley, venture-backed grilled cheese shop founded by Flip video CEO Jonathan Kaplan. The Melt apparently is opening up a new location in Hollywood, as it expands beyond its roots in San Francisco.

Hollywood 187

Hollywood Capital Product Develop 187