Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

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Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2014

We’ve been dying to tell you all for a while that we had raised a new venture capital fund and of course given SEC filing requirements the story was somewhat already scooped by the always-in-the-know Dan Primack a few weeks ago. Wait, didn’t you just raise a fund? We raised $280 million.

Venture Capital 396

Venture Capital Funding Technical Review Startup 396

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. Funding sources for this stage extend from grants to large private fund incubators, such as the IBM Watson initiative a while back. Thus the best entrepreneur strategy for funding is to build solutions, not technology.

Resource 102

Resource Ideas Funding Research 102

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. What happened? People were building.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

I have to say that I didn’t take the question to mean that convertible debt had won for the entire market, but either way it’s clear that convertible debt has become an increasing trend. Clearly this is is a trend and a topic that is interesting entrepreneurs. In fact, in some ways can be worse for the entrepreneur.

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. The average amount per startup has been $23,000, usually in the form of a convertible loan, rather than an equity investment.

Funding 138

Funding Startup Equity Invest 138

socalTECH

OCTOBER 21, 2019

Pasadena-based MobLab , a new startup which develops personalized learning software for the education market, has scored a round of funding, the company said today. The funding came from the Andrew Nikou Foundation (ANF), which is the foundation of entrepreneur Andrew Nikou.

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Funding Education Pasadena Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2020

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

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Funding Startup Equity Venture Capital 123

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

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Funding Startup Satisfaction Venture Capital 107

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

If you are one of the thousands of entrepreneurs who need equity funding to get your startup going (no loans to repay), you are probably overwhelmed at the prospect of finding, contacting and pitching to the huge number of qualified angels and investment groups around the country. Recruit a team with complementary skills.

Platform 94

Platform Equity Invest Technical Advisors 94

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

So, to help other female entrepreneurs, they founded TuesdayNights (www.tuesdaynights.org), a group in LA which helps female entrepreneurs connect with capital and each other to improve their access to capital. What is the most difficult challenge that women entrepreneurs face?

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Help Entrepreneur Capital Startup 224

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs, like online web sites and smart phone apps. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow. Solicit funds from friends and family.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how how on Earth could the venture capital market stand still? One of the most common questions I’m asked by people intrigued by but also scared by venture capital and technology markets is some variant of, “Aren’t technology markets way overvalued?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. People who believe the former believe that you should see the market demand before too many people know you’re “in market.”

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Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. That’s not as high as the failure rate with professional investors, but it should convince entrepreneurs that crowdfunding is still no panacea for funding.

Equity 80

Equity Platform Entrepreneur Statistics 80

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor. Consider the need for multiple rounds of funding.

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Funding Startup Platform Examples 119

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

The road to becoming an entrepreneur is a journey , and it’s not a short trip. Every entrepreneur starts by accepting the reality that you have a rare mindset of joy of discovery, with an intense curiosity about how certain things or people work, or why a new technology hasn’t yet been accepted.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

Irvine-based Kajabi, which develops online tools that helps entrepreneurs and creators with marketing and selling their products and services, says it has tapped Sean Kim, the former Head of Product at TikTok as its new President and Chief Product Officer.

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Product Tool Equity Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2020

None normally work for or provide funds for early-stage startups. That would be almost any bank that provides checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market accounts to businesses, and also makes loans to businesses. Many investment banks even call themselves “boutiques.” Commercial banking is also known as business banking.

Invest 144

Invest Entrepreneur Venture Capital Funding 144

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

the most counter-intuitive fund-raising advice you’ll ever get I’m about to offer you some fund-raising advice that flies directly in the face of what most conventional wisdom will tell you. Let me start out with my premise: “Data rooms are where fund-raising processes go to die.” I have to back up and give you more context.

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Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Berkonomics

MAY 1, 2014

I sometimes counsel CEOs to consider consulting to their prospective customers or in their industry while they are simultaneously developing their product for market. Strategic partnerships with suppliers, customers and others sometimes are an attractive way to share the risk and fund an operation. Email readers, continue here.]

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Funding Outsource Development Equity Customer 204

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

“Hi [entrepreneur], I hope all is well. I’m an investor at [Big Name, Large Fund VC] and recently came across [Your Company]. I know the firm well and I know the entrepreneur & his business well. Many of the growth equity firms have had outbound dialing programs for years. Classic boiler room stuff.

Venture Capital 294

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 16, 2020

Over their longtime personal and professional relationship, the two Los Angeles-based serial entrepreneurs have invested in each other’s companies and investment firms, but never worked together until now. These opportunities are creating an opening for Watertower Ventures in markets far beyond the Hollywood hills.

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Funding Southern California Los Angeles Invest 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Funding or rollout stage. Growth and exit stage.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Funding Incubator Startup 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain, such as online web sites and smart phone apps, that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows. Solicit funds from friends and family.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2019

Los Angeles-based Camino Financial , a fintech startup offering up small business loans to Latinx businesses, announced an $8M funding round this morning, its Series A. According to the company, the funding was led by Credito Real, the Mexican financial services company. Camino Financial is led by CEO Sean Salas. READ MORE>>.

Artificial Inteligence 100

Artificial Inteligence Equity Entrepreneur Los Angeles 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Use social media for early marketing.

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Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. But safely seeking equity investments from the crowd via the Jobs Act of 2012 is problematic and has still not been defined.

Funding 101

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Invest 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

As an advisor to young entrepreneurs, I find that many are a bit naïve about how the investment process really works. In my first working session with this entrepreneur, I suggested ways to break this request into stages or tranches, based on showing traction, with the first amount in a more affordable range of $50 thousand or less.

Tips 86

Tips Funding Startup Entrepreneur 86

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Boulevard , a spa management and payment platform, has raised $27 million in a new round of funding despite a business slowdown caused by the COVID0-19 pandemic. million in funding. Investors have taken a run at the spa market in the past, with company’s like MindBody valued at over $1 billion for its software services.

Software 323

Software Beverly Hills Los Angeles Equity 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2015

Image via Flickr by Jupiter Labs Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. The average amount per startup was $23,000, usually in the form of a convertible loan, rather than an equity investment.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Invest 106

Berkonomics

JANUARY 25, 2024

Entrepreneurs will have a relative willing to devote time, a school friend with business experience, professionals who charge for the service, investors with a reason to promote your success and more. How do you pay a coach? His average percentage of a company was 5% in return for spending a day a week as I recall.

Coach 156

Coach Organization Resource Equity 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Funding or rollout stage. Growth and exit stage.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2015

If you didn’t notice that the stock markets in the US dropped nearly 4% today (after falling last Thursday and Friday) then you were probably completely off-the-grid and on vacation. And by this I assume he meant that “market prognosticator twitter” was vomitous. It was a nerve racking morning. Neither do I.

Marketing 150

Marketing Venture Capital Startup Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

I thought I’d try to look at it from a different lens, that of the entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur you should assume that. What is their market traction? Convertible or equity? When I was fund raising for my second company we had agreed a company-wide deal with Salesforce.com to use our product.

Pricing 292

Pricing Entrepreneur Technical Review Venture Capital 292

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2014

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

Funding 101

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 101