Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

Very few people fund individuals. In most cases if you can’t get a prototype done you’re probably not an entrepreneur. If you can’t get product released and validated then do user studies. Existing tech or industry executives - Do you have strong relationships in your industry? Team: You need a team.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

Any SoCal entrepreneur raising early-stage money should put Rincon on their short list. The book is a layman’s guide to understanding how we as humans make decisions and is underpinned by data-oriented studies to prove his claims. Before booking a hotel I always check out Trip Advisor and read reviews. You should, too. (no,

Guide 293

Guide Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 293

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2017

Even the most diligent investors are often surprised by apparently solid business startups that fail, while others succeed, despite the odds. 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.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Startup Mentor Study 60

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

Entrepreneurs seeking funding should emulate Addie''s efficient and focused pursuit of perfection. When securing funding, entrepreneurs must balance the desire for perfection with the urgent need to ensure the process is efficient. Google x Facebook x Amazon) + (Universal Reviews). One-liners. But better.

Product 208

Product Yammer Technical Review Google 208

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

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

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund As I outlined last week, trophy angel investors are always looking for trophy entrepreneurs. In many areas, not enough entrepreneurs meet the criteria, so it’s still a buyer’s market. It consists of eight major criteria, which we call the “Eight P’s for Successful Funding”.

Funding 106

Funding Startup Entrepreneur Activity 106

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

For a high-volume seed fund that adds many portfolio companies every year (such as our friends at 500 Startups who invest in over 100 distinct companies annually), the cost of a bad affirmative decision (a false positive) is quite low, since it accounts for a relatively small portion of their total fund. Unicornless.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

That would mean that the increased number of new business startups will lead to a “funding gap&# of deals that can’t get financed. I believe that huge financial, productivity and technical gains come from new innovation rather than derivative thinking. I’ve lived through two tech market corrections at close range.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

Instead of equity, the company is aimed at profiting profitable small businesses with business debt funding from investors, to help those businesses grow and get to the next level. I studied finance, and worked on Wall Street as a credit analyst, so I understand debt better. What is Dealstruck?

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

InfoChachkie

JUNE 11, 2012

For many entrepreneurs, college has little appeal. Academia’s arbitrary, bureaucratic structure, combined with its predominant focus on theoretical issues, causes many entrepreneurs to depart college early. Entrepreneurs are misfits. Others, such as Walt Disney and Richard Branson never even enroll. We just want to do it.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Education Entrepreneur 279

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. 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.

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

My initial desire to blog came from something that’s always been my approach to investing – I’m a nerd and I love to play with the technology and part of my approach has really been to understand things both at a user level and at a reasonably deep tentacle level. Brad on blogging. How did you start blogging? “My was starting.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

In the technology world there are a few websites that most startups track to keep up with the latest financings, acquisitions, product announcements and gossip: BusinessInsider, TechCrunch, Mashable, GigaOm, etc. Dan believed that consumer internet entrepreneurs have a choice now: traditional VC vs. super seed investors.

Venture Capital 232

Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

According to my experience and a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2016

Many entrepreneurs assume that everyone will love their solution as much as they do, so they tune their marketing focus based on their own needs and wants. Update your technology to reach new customer segments. Update your technology to reach new customer segments. Today’s customers want to be mobile and location sensitive.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 55

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2019

Conventional business wisdom tells us that entrepreneurs are today’s main source of innovation. In fact, a Wharton Business School study in this decade of the “Top 30 Innovations of the Last 30 Years,” concluded that only eight were first conceived by entrepreneurs, and twenty-two were conceived by employees.

IBM 53

IBM IBM Java Google 53

socalTECH

MARCH 19, 2019

Ryan Disraeli: I was studying business with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. So you were able to fund your growth just from customer? We were quite profitable, quite quickly, which enabled us to self fund and grow. Ryan Disraeli: I was actually in school at the time. What were you majoring in? I was about 19 at the time.

Marina Del Rey 113

Marina Del Rey Software Review Startup Incubator 113

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. The perfect competitors are the ones where they unable to respond due to The Innovator’s Dilemma.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2017

No one has ever been able to execute on that from a technology standpoint before. We are a technology company, not an ad agency, and we are really just a bunch of nerds who believe we can turn this thing upside down, and let people try those apps out before downloading. The basic premise, is try before you buy.

Startup 113

Startup Southern California UCLA Technical Review 113

Xconomy

AUGUST 12, 2016

government’s Precision Medicine Initiative is an ambitious effort to collect the genomic data of 1 million Americans, and tech giant Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG ) is deeply involved. That story and the rest of the week’s biotech headlines below. —The U.S. —David H. In the U.S.,

Google 40

Google Technical Review News Research 40

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 15, 2013

I studied a Business Science with Honours in Marketing at University of Cape Town. We have numerous candidates in various stages of the interview process including a number reviewing offers. Bootstrapping or seed funded? He told TechZulu,”I figured the market could do with some alternatives.” Tell us about yourself?

Startup 71

Startup Incubator Marketing Seed Funding 71

Xconomy

JULY 15, 2016

Our San Diego editor Bruce Bigelow penned a personal goodbye to entrepreneur Larry Bock, who died last week of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. After last week’s revelation of three patient deaths in its leading cancer immunotherapy trial, the FDA suspended the study. million in funding, according to a regulatory filing.

News 40

News Technical Review San Diego Startup 40

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 9, 2012

Upstart approaches risk capital differently, investing in youth as they wait to fuel the next generation of entrepreneurs our economy so desperately needs with their future earnings as security not the project or idea or firm as they chase their dream career in whichever field they want. Upstart received a $ 1.75

Startup 61

Startup Google Mentor Capital 61

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. Another example is proactively reviewing executive compensation.

Startup 251

Startup Help Technical Review Writing 251

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 28, 2011

You do a startup and decide you want somebody to step in and run the company so you can focus on technical excellence. These are the skills I look for in entrepreneurs and leaders. It is the very fabric of what I believe forms the entrepreneur DNA. VCs fund people all the time with no traction. ON SUCCESS. Dig deeper.

CTO Hire 363

CTO Hire Technical Review Startup Demand 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2011

The $30 billion trade surplus in advanced technology products that America enjoyed just one decade ago has now become a $56 billion deficit. Nothhaft has put together a challenging but small list of things we have to do to revitalize our innovation leadership, and I’m supportive: Liberate entrepreneurs from regulatory shackles.

Help 92

Help Technical Review Patents Startup 92

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g. So I agreed to offer my current thinking on the economy and what it portends for the VC industry & fund raising for entrepreneurs. While not 1999 all over again but I am observing first-hand the signs of funding frenzy.

Entrepreneur 298

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 298

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Machine Learning / AI They discussed many topics ranging from protection of the press to what Mark looks for in an entrepreneur to investing outside of Silicon Valley and of course Trump and sports. He said that he believes AI will have a bigger impact than any technology in the last 30 years. Here is the full YouTube interview.

Artificial Inteligence 105

Artificial Inteligence Study Press Netflix 105

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

5 Lessons from 150 startup pitches - A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks , July 11, 2010 I just reviewed several hundred startup pitches for Capital Factory. Wannabe entrepreneur symptoms and cures - Gabriel Weinberg , July 25, 2010 I was once a wannabe entrepreneur. Not that I blame you!

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Sometime around 2003/04 my technology team turned me on to “Spolsky on Software&# a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software, a maker of bug-tracking software. Background: Joel Spolsky studied Computer Science at Yale University (class of 1991). But I loved reading them and so did my team.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software Blogging Startup 285