Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs. In the first 5 minutes you’ll realize that she’s a classic entrepreneur. More on that later. That may soon change.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2020

As I was watching the investor show, Shark Tank , on TV the other night, I was struck by how quickly and how extensively the sharks focused on the background and character of the entrepreneurs, compared to time spent evaluating their products. Recognize natural leaders and seeks help from them.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Mentor Metrics Customer 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

As an angel investor in early-stage startups, I’ve long noticed my peers apparent bias toward the strength and character of the founding entrepreneurs, often overriding a strong solution to a painful problem with a big opportunity. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

Entrepreneur 165

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

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

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

A continuing question I hear from young entrepreneurs is whether a university degree is important to startup success, or just a distraction in achieving their purpose in the world. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. School mentors, professors, and peers will give you the critical feedback without passing judgment.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

The message I hear publicly from most entrepreneurs is that you have to think outside the box and take big risks to ever beat the odds and be among the less than ten percent that experience real success. Serious entrepreneurs will privately admit the business is first, and the family second. All risks are not the same.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. It was really just something built for the community to help support entrepreneurs.

Class 261

Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

and of course a relentless pursuit of helping founders succeed. She took an operating role helping run Citysearch and Urbanspoon. On paper she’s more qualified than Yves or myself so with that out of the way can we now just focus on her skills and how you help me recruit her?” She had all of the skills and traits we sought?—?leadership,

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

InfoChachkie

MARCH 5, 2012

"I think there is a fundamental difference between an incubator and an accelerator… (this) distinction helps people understand why, (even though) … there is a saturation point, but we are nowhere close to it. But it’s people that tend to be entrepreneurs who are early on their company and entrepreneurial arc.

Startup 270

Startup Incubator Doc Mentor 270

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2022

If an entrepreneur doesn’t find themselves in over their head at least 20% of the time, they are probably not pushing the limits, not taking enough risk, and probably not working on an idea that’s worth doing. The challenge in to know when and how to ask for help, and not let bravado and ego mask anxieties. Seek help or get out.

Help 131

Help Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2022

Every entrepreneur can learn from a mentor, no matter how confident or successful they have been to date. Yet most entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to work with a mentor. Some of the best mentoring relationships don’t involve monetary compensation, but none are free. Agree on specific objectives and time frames.

Mentor 101

Mentor Develop Development Startup 101

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Hamet came up with this idea after 3 years consulting for Nielsen Media helping them to figure out the value of branded integration and trying to define ways to measure efficacy of the unit. At every entrepreneur event I through between 2008-2012 I invite Hamet because he was a great mentor for entrepreneurs.

Invest 340

Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

socalTECH

JANUARY 31, 2013

It was standing room only at StartEngine 's Demo Day Wednesday afternoon, held at Santa Monica's Cross Campus , as the startup accelerator launched eight of its latest startups into the world, after a 90 day process of mentoring, honing their business model, and heads down development. Standing room only crowd at StartEngine). It's unclear.

Startup 256

Startup Commerce Santa Monica Mentor 256

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2012

In recent months, a dozen accelerators and incubators have emerged in the Southern California area, looking to help take the new generation of technology startups to funding and beyond. which programs are--and aren't--worth looking at has become very difficult, if not impossible, for startup entrepreneurs.

Southern California 246

Southern California Incubator Guide Startup 246

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

We have significant VC commitments (listed below) – every entering company will get $50,000 in funding, mentorship from top VCs and successful entrepreneurs plus free office space. One senior mentor to Launchpad LA recently said, “I got more out of Launchpad LA than I even put in. For the past 2.5

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2014

It is common sense that entrepreneurs should cultivate friends outside of work. However, too often, entrepreneurs allow their non-work friendships to wither, as they struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with their family while nurturing their startups. Healthy adult friendships have an element of mutual mentoring.

Mentor 220

Mentor Study Entrepreneur Startup 220

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

I think startup communities being simple cheerleaders doesn’t help anyone. I then got my MBA at University of Chicago so I secretly pull for local entrepreneurs as long as they don’t make me visit in the Winter any more. Local mentors matter. But the dinner discussion included too much denial for my liking.

Company 369

Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You can’t win as an entrepreneur working alone. I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2021

Knowing all too well how hard it is to start a single new business, I’ve always wondered how several well-known entrepreneurs, including Richard Branson and Elon Musk , have managed to successfully lead dozens of startups to success, and thrive on the process. Serial entrepreneurs embrace the risk, gather the relevant facts, and move forward.

Entrepreneur 144

Entrepreneur Mentor Startup Course 144

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2021

Many years ago, John Hamm published some definitive work on this subject in " Why Entrepreneurs Don't Scale " in the Harvard Business Review. This is generally a required quality for a successful entrepreneur, but it can turn into an unhealthy stubbornness during the scaling stage. Trusting your gut at this stage isn’t good enough.

Entrepreneur 169

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Mentor 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2023

Over my many years of mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals, I often hear a desire to start a new business, with a big hesitation while waiting for that perfect idea and perfect alignment of the stars. Know yourself and find help to fill in the gaps. Success requires a great amount of hard work.

Technical Review 149

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Software Review 149

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

But a couple of people replied with responses of such lack of comprehension that I thought it was worth expanding on for first-time entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs achieve much through their personal leadership traits that inspire others to do great things with them – sure. Not possible. ” Or there was this one.

Startup 363

Startup Venture Capital Coach Press 363

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2019

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” Many people with great ideas never make it as entrepreneurs, and true entrepreneurs can make a business out of anything. Are you confident and disciplined in facing tough challenges?

Entrepreneur 135

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Writing 135

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Most bosses are too busy to put in the real effort to help you. You won’t really have a mentor unless lightening strikes. But if you seek one out, most talented employees would gladly become your informal mentor. How can I best help you? Many just ask you to fill out the forms for them. Whom should I emulate?

Writing 414

Writing Mentor Blogging Tips 414

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

If I can help you avoid some of my first-time mistakes it would be a victory. I actually like finding entrepreneurs who are more circumspect, less braggadocios and generally more planned about their actions. Where Stealth is Bad – I do meet entrepreneurs who clearly fall on the other side of spectrum and are totally closed.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

In a bid to change that, there are a few groups working on helping women entrepreneurs, investors, and others, including the Pipeline Fellowship (www.pipelinefellowship.com), which recently launched itself into the Los Angeles market. The program helps them learn the tools to become angel investors in female led enterprises.

Angel 276

Angel Invest Mentor Technical Review 276

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

Anyone who works with entrepreneurs will tell you that all are different. I’ve always wondered if there was some way that I could quickly deduce a new entrepreneur’s “sweet spot,” and optimize my mentoring to those strengths and weaknesses, maybe similar to the Myers-Briggs type indicator for business professionals. Specialist.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

Working with early-stage teams : coaching, mentoring, setting strategy, rolling up sleeves: 9/10. Helping companies get to next financing round successfully: I was just beginning this phase in Sept 2010 and said so. “I think the best VCs help drive exits alongside their entrepreneurs. Since then? None have exited.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

The “what” is well known in LA circles – Troy discovered a little known young singer named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta aka Lady Gaga and helped her launch her career. That is PRECISELY what Shep Gordon said he did to help Alice Cooper break out two decades before. And he said it so elequently.

Mentor 150

Mentor Venture Capital Marketing Product 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

These resources are definitely not limited to students, since every university seeks out and needs the real world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs who already are active in the real world marketplace. Connections to a mentor. Product research and prototype development. Business plan assistance. Early-stage funding.

Incubator 172

Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

The feedback was always universal, “that was the most helpful marketing meeting I’ve every had.” He co-founded a prominent accelerator in Los Angeles called MuckerLab , that has produced a number of impressive companies and he mentored more than 20 of them. Natural mentors – a desire to help.

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

He had an idea for a startup that would help consumers better book service jobs and would take on Service Magic, which he believed had a business model that could be disrupted. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. When Ethan was considering leaving Google we talked about it. The company was called Red Beacon.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Even if you ignore all the hype around crowdfunding, there can be no doubt that it is a real alternative for entrepreneurs to achieve visibility and funding today. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return. Product pre-order model.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, one of the most common requests I get is for an evaluation of a next startup idea. The most successful entrepreneurs focus on solving a problem that they personally have experienced, and are convinced they fully understand. If you are not motivated, you won’t succeed. He succeeded well in both.

Ideas 151

Ideas Entrepreneur Resource Knowledge Base 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2022

The answer is a resounding yes today, and I’m convinced that it will be even more true tomorrow, as young idealistic entrepreneurs try to adapt to the long-standing business culture if success is only measured in the money you make for yourself and your business. Focus on practices that help you stay open and have faith, but don’t force it.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction Mentor 153

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2012

We live in an era where the press espouses the entrepreneurs who have five startups. I think it’s been tremendously helpful to us because the founder of Awe.sm ( Jonathan Strauss ) has a mentor who is going through similar issues but is a few years ahead in terms of company development.

Startup 294

Startup Carson Summary Press 294