Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

I called an (ex) LP to tell him about her and my goals for her. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up. Or, maybe it’s just about getting out of the way and watching what they can achieve. Wait, What About Yves? She’s empathetic and brings great humor to her work as well.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

In other news we announced the closing of $61 million in funding at Maker Studios , which I’ll talk publicly about soon. But as sweet as that success has been (we invested pre-revenue in a small team) today my even more important news was the further expansion of our partner ranks. I wrote about that decision here.

Invest 340

Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Kevin O'Connor , a longtime investor and serial entrepreneur, who is now running venture capital investment firm ScOp Venture Capital. Tell us a little bit about the firm? Tell us a little bit about the firm? What types of companies are you making investments in?

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. So a better question than asking about the quality of an idea, is asking about the quality of your plan to implement the idea.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

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. The right culture is the key.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Even though I’m a big proponent of becoming an entrepreneur, it is definitely not for everyone. In my view, entrepreneur roles need to be planned carefully rather than made on the spur of the moment. Adopt the Silicon Valley entrepreneur family model. Test your entrepreneur instincts through crowdfunding.

Sample 126

Sample Entrepreneur Ideas Startup 126

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

There has long been a big debate about the best approach to starting a new business. On the other hand, I just finished a classic book, “ The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job ,” by Patrick J. The early entrepreneur lifestyle is not much fun.

Startup 128

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction News 128

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 1, 2019

Defy , the early-stage venture investment firm founded by Neil Sequeira and Trae Vassallo, is putting a new twist on the venture partner model as it brings Brian Lee and Sujal Patel on board to help out with investing and guiding companies in the firm’s portfolio. Just don’t call them venture partners. million round.

Invest 109

Invest Legalzoom Los Angeles Blogging 109

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2013

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness.

Mentor 102

Mentor Startup Coach Entrepreneur 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2018

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them almost ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Think of these strategies as an investment in your own future, as well as theirs.

Mentor 60

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 60

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I’m super excited to announce that GRP Partners led the investment in Ethan Anderson’s new company MyTime (link has LA-based merchants but will give you a good feel for the product). When Ethan was considering leaving Google we talked about it. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2012

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness.

Mentor 94

Mentor Coach Entrepreneur Press 94

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2017

This has worked out tremendously well for us as I still have my mentor guiding the firm and he gets to look for deals that can have a massive impact on society and on returns for our LPs. It’s what creates opportunities for the entrepreneurs and it’s what helps them produce great returns for the LPs. Maybe that’s USV, too.

Venture Capital 161

Venture Capital Funding Capital Startup 161

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them over ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Think of these strategies as an investment in your own future, as well as theirs.

Mentor 134

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 134

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

I recently sat down with Troy Carter to talk about what he does and why he believes it is applicable to venture capital. Troy represents what I believe the best magic of Los Angeles is – the merging together of creative talent with technical talent and he brings the lessons learned from these two fields into investments nationally.

Mentor 150

Mentor Venture Capital Marketing Product 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I challenge them to think beyond what I call linear extensions to a current trend, such as another “easier-to-use” app for smartphones, a new dating site for pets, or another niche social network. Great social entrepreneurs are rare. Do you have the resources to build a business?

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Invest your time in networking online, as well as offline. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

He eventually founded and sold consumer health firm ViSalus to a public company and is now back making investments, in technology companies, as a venture capitalist here at Los Angeles-based HashtagOne (www.hashtagone.com). What's the theme of your investments? That's why we have investments in Heal, Saucey, and FragMob.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 100

InfoChachkie

JULY 21, 2016

The reality television show Shark Tank makes for entertaining content but many of its underlying messages are potentially detrimental to tech entrepreneurs. Thus, emerging entrepreneurs should parse fact from fantasy by watching the show with an experienced business pro. It is also an inspirational alter call to entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Entertainment Technical Review Ideas 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. Just not the kind you would initially read about on TechCrunch. And that’s what I love about her narrative. It represents the great majority of entrepreneurship and eschews the fairytale rags-to-VC-riches stories we so often read about in the press. She never gave up.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2014

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are living on Ramen noodles. The successful ones then invest their time and money in furthering their knowledge base. Read entrepreneur stories. Adopt a mentor.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Case Study 102

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. I hear it right after people have decided to come by for a few days to “check out what all the fuss is about.” Stuff you may not know about LA? . “There’s something going on in LA.”

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. Identify customer executives who need your solution.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2023

Everyone knows and admires the leaders , including Google and Zappos, but most entrepreneurs have only a fuzzy idea of what to do to get there. He cites eight leadership actions, which I also recommend, from a non-scientific perspective, as a mentor to entrepreneurs. Share more information about the business.

Claremont 101

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 101

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2013

Despite a growing technology industry here in Southern California, local investors and entrepreneurs tell us there''s still a shortage of local, venture capital. How did the new fund come about? Explain what kinds of investments TenOneTen makes or hopes to make? What''s the best way for entrepreneurs to approach you?

Invest 159

Invest Technology Startup Venture Capital 159

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them nearly ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Think of these strategies as an investment in your own future, as well as theirs.

Tips 127

Tips Mentor Coach Guide 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2023

There has long been a big debate about the best approach to starting a new business. On the other hand, I remember a classic book, “ The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job ,” by Patrick J. The early entrepreneur lifestyle is not much fun. I’m definitely a proponent of this latter approach.

Startup 102

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur News 102

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

As an investor in startups, I most often see entrepreneurs who are technologists, or at least have a real passion for a specific product. Maintaining an insatiable curiosity about change. They mentor each other, and seek out experts in domains outside their current expertise and experience.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 17, 2012

What are some of the more common mistakes entrepreneurs make when raising capital? But entrepreneurs often make the process harder on themselves by committing several common mistakes. An entrepreneurs connections are his greatest asset, and 4 out of 5 leads typically come from his extended network. Not asking for introductions.

Manhattan Beach 145

Manhattan Beach Capital Entrepreneur Mentor 145

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. Identify customer executives who need your solution.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2016

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of those demanding angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. Have you ever wondered what professional startup investors think about all this? Lack of checks and balances on startup valuations.

Equity 54

Equity Platform Entrepreneur Demand 54

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Everyone knows and admires the leaders , including Google and Zappos, but most entrepreneurs have only a fuzzy idea of what to do to get there. He cites eight leadership actions, which I also recommend, from a non-scientific perspective, as a mentor to entrepreneurs. Share more information about the business.

Claremont 172

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 172

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. Workship - Mentor. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 91

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

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

JANUARY 9, 2021

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173