Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. Survival requires regular updates.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Thus smart business professionals are rapidly becoming the new entrepreneurs. Of course, entrepreneurs delivering services have existed for some time, including business consultant, independent contractor, and freelancer titles. For existing trained professionals, it’s an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

Startup 106

Startup Social Media Course Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Too many founders have learned that passion and free beta products do not imply a sustainable business. Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Start selling it before you build it. Marketing is everything these days.

Customer 109

Customer Custom Satisfaction Sales 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2023

I recommend that every entrepreneur and small business investigate and implement as many as possible of his seven new business force multipliers that I will paraphrase here: Information sharing through social media networks. Every team member needs to constantly seek forces that can multiply their impact and productivity.

Social Media 106

Social Media Software Review Course Networking 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2021

To build a startup, entrepreneurs need a laser focus on providing an innovative solution to a real problem. Most entrepreneurs dream of achieving the exponential expansion of a Google or Amazon, but few investor pitches I see outline any strategy beyond simple marketing to make this happen. Deliver edgy product demonstrations.

Search Engine Optimization 158

Search Engine Optimization Artificial Inteligence Organization Social Media 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2020

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. There is real value in doing the key things yourself, before your startup is even started: Demonstrate thought leadership before selling a product. Entrepreneurs who wait to be found are destined to spend a lot of time alone.

Ideas 124

Ideas Tips Marketing Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2020

Thus smart business professionals are rapidly becoming the new entrepreneurs. Of course, entrepreneurs delivering services have existed for some time, including business consultant, independent contractor, and freelancer titles. For existing trained professionals, it’s an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

Startup 164

Startup Social Media Course Entrepreneur 164

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

On why you should be an entrepreneur, “A lot of people do what they have to do. Last night I co-hosted a dinner at Soho House in Los Angeles with some of the most senior people in the media industry with executives from Disney, Fox, Warner, media agencies and many promising tech & media startup CEO’s.

Entrepreneur 356

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Email 356

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2014

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. There is real value in doing the key things yourself, before your startup is even started: Demonstrate thought leadership before selling a product. Entrepreneurs who wait to be found are destined to spend a lot of time alone.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Blogging 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

The recent pandemic was a strong signal for change, and I see most of you entrepreneurs and business owners responding to the business changes required and new opportunities presented. Scan for unmet needs to match new products. Investigate broader implications of disruptive events.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

Social Media Week (SMW) is finally here and is set to be one amazing week filled with panels, discussions, networking, and much more. If you are just hearing about this event, or if you already heard about it but just wanted to know exactly what is going to be happening this week, then this is for you. You are in Luck!

Social Media 65

Social Media Media Tech Coast Angels Orange County 65

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2015

Thus smart business professionals are rapidly becoming the new entrepreneurs. Of course, entrepreneurs delivering services have existed for some time, including business consultant, independent contractor, and freelancer titles. For existing trained professionals, it’s an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Social Media 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Every aspiring entrepreneur I know is talking about the fact that there are over 2,000 billionaires in the world today, and how their innovative idea could make them one of the next ones. Becoming an entrepreneur is actually a commitment to a new lifestyle, certainly very exciting, but also facing many unknowns and risks.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Now, even the earliest stage startup can rise to visibility or be forever lost by their first media spotlight, so it behooves us all to know the rules early. Most entrepreneurs I know admit to a poor first media interaction, and many are still waiting for the instant replay. How to respond to media in a crisis.

Training 93

Training Media Entrepreneur Social Media 93

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 19, 2010

TechZulu and Schmoozd have joined forces to bring you Startup Demo during Social Media Week. We are selecting 10 startups to demo during the event and the lucky chosen get to do so completely free! Each startup will also gain access to the TechZulu Startup Corner during the event. What: A Startup Demo event.

Social Media 71

Social Media Media Startup Mixergy 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. I’m a technologist, so I always love to learn about the product, but every investor needs to make sure you have a business, as well as a product.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Too many founders have learned that passion and free beta products do not imply a sustainable business. Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Start selling it before you build it. Marketing is everything these days.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 15, 2009

Steve Gilison worked as a market researcher and product manager at a startup where my company, TechEmpower , did the software / web development. I have about 11 years in the technology sector including roles doing market research, sales and product development. My focus has been marketing strategy and product development.

Los Angeles 179

Los Angeles Product Angel Startup 179

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

In their passion and excitement about a new product or service, entrepreneurs tend to continually narrow the scope of potential competitors, and often claim to have no direct competitors. Order-of-magnitude cost reduction or productivity increase. Clear product differentiation and a singular focus.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2020

I recommend that every entrepreneur and small business investigate and implement as many as possible of his seven new business force multipliers that I will paraphrase here: Information sharing through social media networks. Every team member needs to constantly seek forces that can multiply their impact and productivity.

Tips 124

Tips Social Media Software Review Course 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2021

In today’s world, it seems that emotion, not logic, sparks the new trends that become culture, and drives our devotion or disappointment in new products and brands. How does an entrepreneur best deal with that environment? The days of a new website and product with no personalization are gone. Timing is everything.

Marketing 127

Marketing Social Media Technical Review Product 127

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 1, 2013

This month, SMCLA and TechZulu are partnering to celebrate “United We Share, a month long celebration of 7th anniversary of the founding of the international Social Media Club and it’s amazing members. Social media has transformed the way books are marketed and sold. Cheese, Etak, ByVideo, Axlon, uWink.

Social Media 101

Social Media eBook .Net Media 101

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

skip to main | skip to sidebar SoCal CTO Friday, February 23, 2007 Events and Networking in Los Angeles One of the issues I discussed in Innovation and Geography was that the geography and traffic in Los Angeles generally makes it more difficult for networking. They are tied to and influence the strategy/direction of the business.

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Networking CTO Coach Angel 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2020

Too many entrepreneurs I meet in my role as a business advisor still seem to believe networking is all about selling and convincing everyone that what you have will change the world. People remember positive personal stories, and these will make you unique from the many other people met at most networking events.

Networking 126

Networking Social Media Startup Media 126

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2015

If an entrepreneur can’t build a culture of excitement and commitment at a startup, the chances of long-term success are negligible. As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked what you can do to build the right culture. Entrepreneurs who are too busy for people never get the culture they envision. Every investor knows this.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Training 102

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2018

San Diego-based Wildfire Systems , led by startup veteran Jordan Glazier , has developed software which product referrals and automatically transform them into trackable links across email, text messaging, chat, and social messaging. Jordan Glazier: Wildfire has developed a platform for monetizing social messaging.

San Diego 159

San Diego Social Media Commerce Snapchat 159

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2016

Thus smart business professionals are rapidly becoming the new entrepreneurs. Of course, entrepreneurs delivering services have existed for some time, including business consultant, independent contractor, and freelancer titles. For existing trained professionals, it’s an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Services Startup Social Media 56

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Make your focus and priorities clear.

Tips 91

Tips Funding Startup Invest 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. A passionate entrepreneur I met a while back had found that a certain algae could be grown cheaply, and could end world hunger.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2020

But customers today are fickle, instantly aware of every new alternative, due to the Internet and social media, and not afraid to change. They don’t realize how much it costs in time and money to get there, and only one out of a hundred large consumer product companies around the world have ever made it.

Customer 136

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

For example, it has long been widely accepted that one of the primary causes for entrepreneur failure in new startups is that many give up too soon. It takes effort and homework to find productive relationship channels, such as industry conferences, connections to experts, and key customer relationships. Find what works for you.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2016

To build a startup, entrepreneurs need a laser focus on providing an innovative solution to a real problem. Most entrepreneurs dream of achieving the exponential expansion of a Google or Amazon, but few investor pitches I see outline any strategy beyond simple marketing to make this happen. Deliver edgy product demonstrations.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Artificial Inteligence Organization 55

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

I saw him on stage at the event talking about how he used social media to engage audiences. I reached out after the event to learn more. After seeing Chamillionaire interact with several entrepreneurs both at events and as an investor I started introducing him to startups in an advisory capacity.

Conference 150

Conference Slides Social Media Summary 150

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

I began our discussion by asking Guy, “Why should entrepreneurs read your latest book, Enchantment?”. The reason why an entrepreneur should be interested in this book is because entrepreneurs have to overcome resistance. An entrepreneur, in particular, has to be likeable and trustworthy AND have a great product.

Santa Barbara 262

Santa Barbara Technical Review Social Media Startup 262