Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

As a mentor to many business professionals and owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find a wealth of innovative ideas, but often less insight on what it really takes to transform ideas into an income stream that can excite new customers into long-term business success. Investors expect this step to be proven successful before funding.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs I know are just waiting for that unique idea to strike them that will kickstart their new venture, put them in control of their lifestyle, achieve financial independence, and maybe even change the world. Your legacy may be that of a serial entrepreneur, or an industry giant and world-wide leader.

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2017

Most people agree that entrepreneurs have to think differently and take risks to have much chance of building a successful business. In the classic book “ The Entrepreneur Mind ,” from serial entrepreneur Kevin D. Johnson, he outlines 100 essential beliefs, insights, and habits of serious entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 71

Entrepreneur Startup Custom Customer 71

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

Most people agree that entrepreneurs have to think differently and take risks to have much chance of building a successful business. In his book from a while back “ The Entrepreneur Mind ,” by serial entrepreneur Kevin D. Johnson, he outlines 100 essential beliefs, insights, and habits of serious entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Startup Custom Customer 107

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. Most of these scenarios involve attracting outside investors, strategic partners, or key team members: You are the team and you don’t need outside funding.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2013

Most people agree that entrepreneurs have to think differently and take risks to have much chance of building a successful business. In his new book “ The Entrepreneur Mind ,” by serial entrepreneur Kevin D. Johnson, he outlines 100 essential beliefs, insights, and habits of serious entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Custom Customer 105

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Huddlewoo a live video platform set to launch early 2013 to give people the ability to access extraordinary people for one-on-one conversations and mentoring. Will Zell (CEO) is based in Columbus, OH, and is an Empact100 entrepreneur who was honored at The White House in 2011. Any funding yet? What do you do and Why?

Mentor 94

Mentor Platform Social Network Chief Technology Officer 94

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

I’ve spoken before about our desire at Upfront Ventures to fund really big ideas that solve hard problems, are science led and if successful will both have a positive effect on people’s lives as well as make great financial returns. We’re not Pollyannaish about this. In short, we’re after venture returns. They have raised $14 million to date.

Company 207

Company Companies CTO Coach Funding 207

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2013

There''s been a lot of activity over the past two years in the Southern California accelerator/incubator market, with numerous groups (Amplify, EvoNexus, K5, LaunchpadLA, MediaCamp, Science, StartEngine, and many, many others) looking to help entrepreneurs start and fund their companies. where we totalled up $33.85M in funding.

Southern California 222

Southern California Incubator Report Startup 222

Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Our focus is on helping entrepreneurs build businesses that focus on social and environmental challenges. We have a Startup Studio and Early Stage Investment Fund. After 20+ years of building my own businesses from scratch, I finally figured out that I love helping entrepreneurs build their businesses! In a big way!

Startup 105

Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2019

Most people agree that entrepreneurs have to think differently and take risks to have much chance of building a successful business. In the classic book “ The Entrepreneur Mind ,” from serial entrepreneur Kevin D. Johnson, he outlines 100 essential beliefs, insights, and habits of serious entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Startup Custom Customer 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2017

I found this perspective validated in a new book, “ Plan Commit Win: 90 Days to Creating a Fundable Startup ,” by serial entrepreneur and strategic consultant Patrick Henry. The result is a win-win-win situation for investors, entrepreneurs, and customers alike. Develop the right mentoring relationships.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Startup Mentor Study 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2015

Based on my experience as an investor and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, one of the quickest ways to kill your credibility and your startup is to offer a poorly written business plan, or none at all. An entrepreneur who can’t manage a plan, probably won’t be able to manage the new business.

Startup 109

Startup Writing Mentor Sample 109

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. Most top tier VCs return about 3x invested capital and outlier funds (the best of a vintage) might return 6-8x. Yet their next fund had Facebook in it.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Our focus is on helping entrepreneurs build businesses that focus on social and environmental challenges. We have a Startup Studio and Early Stage Investment Fund. After 20+ years of building my own businesses from scratch, I finally figured out that I love helping entrepreneurs build their businesses! In a big way!

Startup 52

Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 52

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like the BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this Forbes article. You need funding, and plan to get it from friends and family.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Unless you are a serial entrepreneur with a string of successes behind you, you need a business plan to convince investors that you can build a business out of the dream that has been driving your passion to change the world. If you are not willing to set targets for yourself, don’t expect investors to commit their funds.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2012

That same summer, Richard Branson actually sent out a note looking for people to nominate young entrepreneurs doing exciting things in their field. Both have been great mentors ever since. The whole getting funding and everything made me realize we had to be on this full time. Whta were you studying before the startup?

Startup 239

Startup CTO Coach Content Web 239

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2012

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. Even during the recession, the Edelman Good Purpose study found that 68 percent of global consumers would remain loyal to a brand if the organization practiced social responsibility.

Startup 100

Startup Organization Custom Customer 100

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 9, 2012

Through one lens, it looks like a way for aspiring twenty-somethings to raise capital and find mentors that can help them pursue their dreams”. Upstarts create a profile and await its approval, and as they promote their offer, they also review and approve backers who fund them in increments of $1,000 and at times mentorship.

Startup 61

Startup Google Mentor Capital 61

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

There was a lot of consumer internet activity again…resurgence of things, but it was still mysterious, venture capital was still kind of closed, 1st time entrepreneurs had a lot of questions that were unanswered, and there was still some sort of hand waiving around all the financing stuff and so we took it on….”. was starting.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Steve Reich

AUGUST 9, 2012

At a recent accelerator event on the West Side, a friendly young founder told me that he had been coached by his mentor not to talk to Angel groups. The Angel funding process can be arduous. The entrepreneurs in startups are trained to go fast and run lean. As a Pasadena Angel, I wanted to be shocked, but I wasn’t.

Angel 49

Angel Pasadena Angels Venture Capital Pasadena 49

Xconomy

JULY 11, 2016

At the center of the conversation would be the results from the Diana Project, a research study that examined our industry and the stark lack of representation of women investors and funded entrepreneurs. About two years ago, I was asked to join a Babson College panel discussing the gender gap in venture capital.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Startup Capital Mentor 40

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Want to be an entrepreneur? In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine recently included UCSB in its Top 50 Schools For VC Backed Entrepreneurs at number 37. A decent showing, but well below a number of larger schools, as the ranking is based on the number of graduates who secured VC funding. Don''t go to Wharton or Harvard.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

When an entrepreneur takes on investors who take equity (i.e. The second is that they are usually very experienced operators that can mentor the founding team. I think when you choose an independent board member you should be thinking about somebody who can mentor you. Independents are critical to avoiding “VC group think.”

Startup 187

Startup Writing Venture Capital Oracle 187

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 22, 2014

We spent a morning talking about the transition from being an engineer to being an entrepreneur, having the distinction of being the first digital health startup to emerge from USC Viterbi’s Startup Garage , and drilling down to what really matters in all of our entrepreneurial efforts – listening to consumers. This was run out of USC?

USC 104

USC Southern California Activity Study 104

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2011

I concluded that it is an effective tool for leveling the playing field between sophisticated investors and emerging entrepreneurs. I have subsequently recommended the book to number of students as well as emerging entrepreneurs, all of whom expressed positive feedback. . We decided to do it in a way that was accessible.”.

Venture Capital 224

Venture Capital Writing Entrepreneur Blogging 224

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

*. What is the role of a VC for entrepreneurs? I was recently contacted by an entrepreneur who was consider a few different business models for his company. My job isn’t to predict markets but rather to find entrepreneurs who want to create markets through insight and conviction.” Crowd funding now exists.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Course Guide Entrepreneur 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

I started this series in part to help entrepreneurs but also to help newer investors because I’ve know with so many new companies you have so many new board members and many people are trying to figure out there respective roles. You might proactively bring up the company’s cash runway and the need to start fund-raising earlier.

Startup 251

Startup Help Technical Review Writing 251

socalTECH

MAY 10, 2018

Behzad Kianmahd is the co-founder of Los Angeles coworking space Cross Campus , which is one of the major centers of startup activity in Silicon Beachand also involved as co-founder and lead investor in a brand new, venture capital fund, TAU Ventures (www.ideasimmersion.com/tau-ventures/). Behzad Kianmahd: There's a bit of a history there.

El Segundo 100

El Segundo Southern California Startup Santa Monica 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 19, 2017

We raised a bunch of money, and funded training programs for underserved communities for entry level jobs, which would lead to careers in the entertainment industry. Since then, I have worked extensively with mentoring youth, and helping them figure out what's possible in terms of careers.

Help 100

Help Education CTO Coach Startup 100

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Who are your mentors, role models? We don’t have mentors at the moment. Students have to register with their matriculation numbers, and supply upon registration, their course of study, faculty, department, mode of entry, year of entry etc. We also raised fund for CPC advertising, which doubled sign-ups.

Social Network 100

Social Network Networking Advertising Startup 100

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

Welcome to the Lost Decade (for Entrepreneurs, IPO’s and VC’s) - Steve Blank , July 15, 2010 If you take funding from a venture capital firm or angel investor and want to build a large, enduring company (rather than sell it to the highest bidder), this isn’t the decade to do it. graph consists of a set of nodes connected by edges.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217