Sat.May 22, 2010 - Fri.May 28, 2010

article thumbnail

You Can’t Look for a Job from a Remote Location – It Doesn’t Work

Both Sides of the Table

I’ve had this conversation so many times it’s painful. A friend calls me up from “you name it&# city: Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and says, “I’m thinking about moving to Los Angeles (or SF, NY, etc) and I’d love to start interviewing. Let me know if you hear of anything interesting.&#. I guess when I hear things like this I revert back to my shock jock instincts and say, “Don’t bother.

Startup 326
article thumbnail

The Convergence of Social Media & Traditional Radio

Eric Greenspan

As I prepare for my role as emcee in June for Convergence 2010 , I began to look back at how I got involved in radio. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started buying live endorsement radio ads back in 2005. I spent a lot of money on Mark Germain (Mr. K), Leo Laporte and Jeff Levy, to name a few. Today, we don’t buy radio, we make it and we don’t just make it, we make it work.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Ad.ly Responds To Twitter Ad Ban

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Twitter advertising firm Ad.ly , which appears to have been caught this morning by Twitter's declaration that it would no longer allow third party advertising in Twitter streams, has responded to the announcement. Sean Rad, the firm's founder, told socalTECH this afternoon that Ad.ly supports Twitter's effort to "create standards around in-stream advertising," explaining "Since inception, Ad.ly has, and still is operating under Twitter's approved guidelines and terms of service

article thumbnail

Startup Founder Developer Gap

SoCal CTO

I was just interviewed by Frank Peters - Tony Karrer and the Founder-Developer Gap. It was a lot of fun for me. I’ve listened to Frank’s show for several years. And I always recommend it to people involved in early stage startups. I received a follow-up question from an early-stage startup about the Founder Developer Gap that I’ve described before and that was part of the interview with Frank.

CTO Hire 170
article thumbnail

Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

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.

article thumbnail

Startups and VCs Should Avoid “Pier” Funding

Both Sides of the Table

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. This happens when the company has been making steady progress but hasn’t built enough “ proof &# to raise its next round of financing from external investors. The traditional way that this type of financing is offered is what is known as “convertible debt.&# This means that the investment does not have

Startup 290
article thumbnail

Cash is only ONE measure of employee happiness.

Berkonomics

In 1981, Herb Cohen published “ You Can Negotiate Anything ”, an excellent guide to great negotiating. I’ve read and reread the book a number of times and find myself using the techniques often in many areas of my life. One of his lessons remains clearly on my mind and is a variant of the old “You name the price and I’ll name the terms” challenge that works so well in negotiation. .

Guide 136

More Trending

article thumbnail

Kindergarten Financing

Tech Coast Venture Network

Kindergarten Financing. According to Robert Fulghum and his bestselling book “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten,&# I should have learned how to finance a start up business in kindergarten – when I learned to share everything, play fair, and not to hit people (well, 2 out of 3’s not bad)! However, if you think about it, we innately do things as children that we stop doing as adults (e.g. being completely and totally honest once we learn the repercussions).

Startup 124
article thumbnail

An Investors View on Twitter’s Announcements – I’m not Abandoning the Ecosystem

Both Sides of the Table

I have read much commentary on my Twitter stream (ironically) and in the press about how investors are going to abandon investments in the Twitter ecosystem because they seem to appear hostile to ecosystem partners. Let me be the first to say that I don’t agree with this notion. Let me explain. 1. Regarding protecting the quality of the stream from an influx of low quality advertising, I emphatically agree with (what I perceive to be**) Twitter’s positioning.

article thumbnail

Women in Cleantech: Creating Environmental Impact

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 3, 2010 -- Women in Cleantech: Creating Environmental Impact. Creating Environmental Impact Through Investment, Enterprise Growth, Regulation and Legislation. Speakers include: SENATOR FRAN PAVLEY 23rd State Senate District, CA; CINDY ARONBERG Deputy State Controller for the Environment and Housing, CA; DIANA SCHULZ Chief Executive Officer, Cyber-Rain; JAIME NACK President, Three Squares Inc.; Moderator: FRAN SEEGULL Venture Partner, Funk Ventures.

Invest 100
article thumbnail

TweetUp Formally Launches Twitter Keywords Bidding Play

socalTECH

Pasadena-based Tweetup , the Internet advertising play of Idealab's Bill Gross, said today that it has formally launched the site. The firm told its members that they are now able to login to the site, and that user profiles are eligible to be displayed as a search result. Tweetup allows Twitter users to bid for the prominence of their tweets in search results on such sites as TechCrunch, Business Insider, and search functionality within Twitter clients such as Seesmic, Tweetdeck, and Twidroid.

Idealab 189
article thumbnail

Investors Fund People First, Plan Second, Idea Last

Startup Professionals Musings

Investors are people too. They evaluate you like you should assess a possible co-founder or first employee. What are your credentials? What have you done that would convince me that my money is safe in your hands? Only after they’re sold on you, do they want to see your plan and hear your idea, not the other way around. Even with great credentials, it is all too possible for an entrepreneur to come across as a high risk investment.

Ideas 96
article thumbnail

Off and Away: A Luxurious Stay Is But A Bid Away

Tech Zulu Event

Summer time is approaching and vacation times are just aching to be used. Since you already need to book a room why not give Off and Away a chance to book you a room in luxury. And to boot you might even score it at up to 90% off the regular price. The basic concept of “the highest bidder when the auction ends wins” and it is all done in real time.

Startup 40
article thumbnail

Licensing Fundamentals for the Business Executive

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 3, 2010 -- Licensing Fundamentals for the Business Executive. CONNECT. What is a license? What are the most commonly negotiated provisions by the business team? How do you prepare to negotiate a licensing agreement? What are the pitfalls to watch out for? What questions do youas licensor or licenseeneed to ask to ensure that your needs are met?

IP 100
article thumbnail

Darwin Dimensions Ties With 3D Software Firm

socalTECH

Aliso Viejo-based Darwin Dimensions , developer of the Evolver web-based tool for building 3D avatars, said this week that it has linked with Dassault Systemes and its 3DVIA software. The firm said it is powering the 3DVIA website, powering a feature which allows users to create their own, 3D character models. The site is aimed at creative professionals, casual game developers and 3D enthusiasts.

Software 176
article thumbnail

Good Entrepreneurs Spend More Time Listening

Startup Professionals Musings

When you are not presenting to investors or your team, try to spend more time listening than talking. You can’t learn anything new while you’re talking, but many entrepreneurs seem to never stop. It’s a sad spiral, since the more you talk, the less people really hear, meaning they don’t learn anything either. If someone left this article on your desk, read extra carefully.

article thumbnail

MyWeboo: File Management For Your Internet Self

Tech Zulu Event

If you are like me and have pictures, videos and other information all over the web but then forget where you uploaded what, then MyWeboo might be something worth checking out. MyWeboo is a file management system that centralizes all of your networks like Facebook , Myspace , Youtube , Flickr , Delicious and even your PC (not Mac compatible yet) for ease of access.

article thumbnail

The Israel Conference

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 3, 2010 -- The Israel Conference is an interactive forum to bring Israel-facing companies together to increase business and investment opportunities between Israel and California in High Tech / Clean Tech / Medical Tech / Media / Consumer Products. The Israel Conference showcases leaders of significant businesses that were founded in Israel / have RandD in Israel / do business in Israel / and investors in Israeli companies.

article thumbnail

Twitter Takes Aim At Ad.ly, Bans In-Stream Ads

socalTECH

Micro-messaging service Twitter said this morning that it is banning third-party advertising in its stream, taking direct aim at Los Angeles-based Twitter advertising service Ad.ly. According to a post this morning from Twitter, the firm "will not allow any third party to inject paid tweets into a timeline on any service that leverages the Twitter API," essentially blocking automated advertising through Twitter streams by companies such as Ad.ly.

Idealab 173
article thumbnail

Ten Attributes of Your Ideal Business Partner

Startup Professionals Musings

A week ago I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ How to Select an Ideal Startup Co-Founder ”. The feedback was good, but some readers asked me to be a bit more specific on attributes that might indicate an ideal business partner. Even if you are looking in all the right places, it helps to know what you are looking for. In this article, I’m broadening the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.

article thumbnail

Audioo: Share Your Voicemail Publicly

Tech Zulu Event

A "Blippy for Voicemail" is how CEO Ryan Born describes Audioo. Allowing you to share your voicemail's, something which most people feel is extremely private, to the world. Audioo has made it really easy for you to upload your voicemail. The easiest being, if you have a Google Voice account, the Firefox add-on. Simply click "Upload to Audioo" from Google Voice and off they go.

Google 40
article thumbnail

I've Got An App For That!

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 3, 2010 -- CommNexus Presents:I've Got an App for That! Successful App to Market Strategies. What are the ingredients of a successful wireless application? This joint LBS and Mobile Carrier SIG event will present a roundtable discussion on what works and what doesnt in the world of Apps. Erich Hasselmann of Sprint will moderate an expert panel comprised of a carrier branded solution, app store solutions, a billion dollar company and a garage startup.

Mobile 100
article thumbnail

Vizio Gets Favorable Ruling In Patent Dispute

socalTECH

Irvine-based Vizio , a maker of HDTV and other consumer electronics, reported late Thursday that the firm has received a favorable ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. The firm said that the ruling, which covers a patent dispute with Funai Electric Co., found that certain "work-around" versions of Vizio's digital television products do not infringe upon a patent held by Funai Electri Co., Ltd.

Patents 168
article thumbnail

Ten Tips for Business Traction to Attract Investors

Startup Professionals Musings

Every investor expects to see some traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have been working 20 hours a day, and spent your last dollar, but have no results to show, investors will be sympathetic, but will probably tell you that your dream vehicle doesn’t have wheels. Traction means forward progress. I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start.

Tips 88
article thumbnail

YWaiter: Let Your Phone Be the Waiter

Tech Zulu Event

If you like to take your time to order food, like me, or even if you don't and already know what you want when you are seated YWaiter may be the iPhone app for you. Ywaiter allows you to dine-in or take-out orders directly from your phone. For restaurants that want to they are able to offer exclusive discounts through YWaiter similar to Foursquare "Special Offers", saving you money and making me happy.

Tips 40
article thumbnail

Best Practices in Sustainable Product Development

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 -- Best Practices in Sustainable Product Development. PDMA Los Angeles Chapter. Are you: Developing new products? An inventor or entrepreneur? Wondering how to make your products more sustainable and profitable? Concerned about negative market perceptions your product may have? Interested in networking with other product development or product design professionals?

Develop 100
article thumbnail

Geni Extends Distribution Of Family Tree Posters

socalTECH

West Hollywood-based Geni.com , the online family tree and genealogy site, told its users Tuesday evening that it is now distributing its recently released family tree posters internationally. The poster service--which takes data from Geni.com's service and turn it into printed, 16x20 posters--was originally announced on May 10th. Geni is venture backed by Charles River Ventures and the Founders Fund, and was started by ex-PayPal founder David Sacks.

Geni 168
article thumbnail

“Failure to Communicate” Lesson For Entrepreneurs

Startup Professionals Musings

Paul Newman wasn’t the last person to suffer from a “failure to communicate” ( Cool Hand Luke, 1967 ). I see it happen almost every day with startups trying to sell investors and business leaders, mostly of another generation, on the value of a new product or service. Presenting an idea as an employee to an executive, or presenting your startup as a founder to an investor, requires that you effectively communicate, or “translate”, the value proposition into terms that the receiver can fully unde

article thumbnail

Is WebEx “Dead Man Walking?”

Both Sides of the Table

This week I was preparing for my weekly This Week in Venture Capital web show and was researching some of the deals that were announced for the week. One of the companies that just announced $10 million in funding was a company I had never heard of called Huddle. I wanted to look at what they actually did so in looking at their website I saw this positioning. “Huddle helps businesses connect, share and work better together.

Screening 266
article thumbnail

17th Annual TechAmerica OC High-Tech Innovation Awards

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 -- 17th Annual TechAmerica OC High-Tech Innovation Awards. The 17th Annual TechAmerica High-Tech Innovation Awards is one of Orange County's most prestigious and longest standing business functions. The awards program recognizes outstanding achievements and innovation by Orange County's technology leaders. Awards are given in several categories, including Greg Ross Community Service; Innovation In Education, Outstanding Company, Outstanding CEO, Outstanding Product (w. su

High Tech 100
article thumbnail

Rubicon Project Buys SiteScout

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Rubicon Project , the online advertising optimization firm backed by Clearstone, Mayfield, IDG, and Peacock Equity Fund, announced this morning that it has acquired SiteScout , a Seattle-based firm providing malware security technology. Financial terms of the buy were not announced. Rubicon said it would use the acquisiton to provide its premium publishers with protection against "malvertising"--the use of online ads to spread malware.

article thumbnail

Ten Tips To Survive Your Startup Workload

Startup Professionals Musings

One of the most common complaints I hear from entrepreneurs is that they are overwhelmed by the workload and stress of starting their company. Then there are the additional challenges of balancing the demands of family and friends. Having too much on your plate can turn your dream into a nightmare. Some people will tell you to just get a bigger plate, meaning hire some help.

Tips 55
article thumbnail

Zumbox Gets Stay In Patent Lawsuit

socalTECH

Westlake Village-based Zumbox , a startup developing a system to allow for paperless delivery of mail based on physical postal addresses, said today that it has been granted a Motion to Stay in a patent infringement suit brought against the firm by Pitney Bowes. Zumbox said the stay came as a result of the start of a re-examination by the US Patent and Trademark Office of the patents cited by Pitney Bowes in the lawsuit.

Zumbox 162
article thumbnail

Move Networks Raises $3.0M, Sets Up Shop In Irvine

socalTECH

Move Networks , a developer of adaptive streaming technology used to stream high definition television over the Internet, has raised $3.0M in a funding round, part of what appears to be a $20M targeted fundraising effort, and also set up its corporate headquarters in Irvine. The firm, which was previously based in American Fork, Utah, has not yet announced the funding or details of the new corporate headquarters.

article thumbnail

Two LA Residents Arrested In Craigslist Software Piracy Probe

socalTECH

The Software & Information Industry Association , the industry group which works to reduce software piracy on behalf of software publishers, reported this week that it has helped to get two, Los Angeles residents arrested for selling pirated and counterfeit software on Craigslist. The group said that its efforts have led to the arrest of Duong Tran and Huy Nguyen by the LAPD Tuesday, for allegedly distributing counterfeit Adobe, Rosetta Stone, Autodesk, Solidworks, and other software product

Software 160
article thumbnail

Zeebo Lands $8M More

socalTECH

San Diego-based Zeebo , a developer of a wireless gaming console, has raised another $8M in funding, according to a regulatory filing by the firm. No details on the funding have been announced by the company. Zeebo has previously scored funding from Qualcomm and Tectoy S.A., and was founded by former Qualcomm employee Mike Yuen and gamer and entrepreneur Reinaldo Normand.

San Diego 160
article thumbnail

Warner Bros. Names Games Exec

socalTECH

Burbank-based Warner Bros. Home Entertainment said yesterday that it has named Jeff Junge as Senior Vice President, Online Games and Digital Games Platforms for Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. interactive Entertainment, the studio's digital games business. Warner said that Junge was most recently in charge of the studio's acquisition of Turbine.

Burbank 157