SoCal CTO

MARCH 11, 2013

Yes, the investor may literally have said to you: "That is something I'd seriously think about investing in when you have your product built." If you do build the MVP and show it to them, they will ask you about your metrics. They really want metrics, not a product. " But the reality is that they don't mean that.

Metrics 264

Metrics Venture Capital News Product 264

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Jackson, CEO and co-founder of CapLinked (www.caplinked.com), which is developing tools to help entrepreneurs and investors connect. Eric is an experienced entrepreneur, and was a very, very early employee at PayPal, where he was recruited by Peter Thiel. Jackson: It's actually two audiences, both the entrepreneur and investor.

Southern California 243

Southern California Entrepreneur Software Review Yammer 243

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Let me start by saying that Clayton is one of the most influential people on my thoughts about markets that led to both the concept behind my first startup and my main theses in investing. We talked about how business school historically hasn’t positioned entrepreneurs well for success. Some money out of every investment.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Every entrepreneur knows that good demand generation marketing is the key to growth these days, but very few have the discipline or know-how to measure return in a world of a thousand tools and techniques. Return on investment for demand generation. Lead-stage content performance. Nurturing stage email performance.

Metrics 101

Metrics Marketing Demand Paramount 101

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Investors have to look behind the plan and at the entrepreneur and his or her team, knowing that, over time, most of us have come to the conclusion that it is the execution of the ever-changing plan, not the plan itself that makes a company a success. Anyone can build a good – or great – plan.

Startup 245

Startup Summary Metrics Class 245

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 19, 2013

In the process of raising funds to create and develop a business, entrepreneurs make many statements to those they seek to attract as investors. Email readers, continue here.] Metrics and management: What might be the first indication the company will not be able to achieve its goals and objectives? By: Arthur Lipper.

Invest 264

Invest Metrics Funding Entrepreneur 264

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

In a funding round with 1 or 2 VCs and 15-20 angels or 4-6 seed funds if you gave every investor you financial information and performance metrics your proprietary information would increase in its probability of leaking out. If you don’t mind investing in dishonest people perhaps there is still room for you in their round?

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Back when we were all trying to figure out the real value of traffic on the web, investors – and acquiring companies – got a bit crazy with metrics used to value acquisitions and investments. Bringing us to today – Viewers or profit? Great revenue projections from a small user base lead to worries over sustainability.

Metrics 296

Metrics Sites Advertising Web 296

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

The VC industry has different segments in it that have different fund sizes, different investment amounts and different risk / return expectations. These days that’s not the case and it’s a great outcome for entrepreneurs and for innovation. If you invest it in startups you’re a VC professional money manager.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Training Startup Entrepreneur 308

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

As a small business and startup advisor, I find that entrepreneurs often love to talk about their latest idea, but not their execution. For example, Elon Musk is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur, but his fortune and his impact has come from the great companies he has built, including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. Bigger organizations should invest in the new “big data” tools. Subjectively measuring employee engagement.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

Hamet Watt is a longtime serial entrepreneur, who just recently join LA''s Upfront Ventures (www.upfront.com) as a Venture Partner. Hamet was previously co-founder at bLife and MoviePass, founded NextMedium, and was Entrepreneur-in-Residence with True Ventures, among other experience. Congrats on the new position.

Startup 191

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Capital 191

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Greathouse: Your collective experiences have clearly made bootstrapping a viable option for you, more so than might be the case for a typical, younger entrepreneur who needs more direction, doesn’t have cash discipline, etc. We both made personal investments in the company. I’m not claiming that bootstrapping has been easy.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. Find the right tools to analyze the ROI.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2020

As an angel investor in startups, I’m a believer that smart investors invest more in you as the entrepreneur than the next billion dollar solution you are pitching. Certainly, investors want to see a financially attractive opportunity and return projection, but also want entrepreneurs who can take it to the next level.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Examples Metrics 124

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

I have conversations with entrepreneurs and other VCs on a daily basis about fund raising, the prices of deals, how much companies should raise, etc. If you invested in the first angel round of a startup company it is usually very hard to sell your stock – usually for many years if ever at all. They are pretty illiquid.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but using no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return and build a self-sustaining business. Solo entrepreneurs, with a team of helpers, will be assumed to be a hobby rather than a business.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

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

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. If you have a market lead then raising capital and making investments now will help you as others enter the market.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2010

As startup entrepreneurs we all want to work with them because having their name as reference clients makes it so much easier for marketing, PR, selling to other customers, fund raising and even recruiting. If a company wants to invest in your company and you haven’t read that post please do. How Should You Structure Them?

Startup 298

Startup Sales Slides Metrics 298

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2013

At Rincon Venture Partners , we have invested in several female entrepreneurs(so far), including Tracy DiNunzio, Founder and CEO of Tradesy. which serves to further diminish the perceived number of accomplished women entrepreneurs. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!

Custom 185

Custom Customer Study Metrics 185

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Back when we were all trying to figure out the real value of traffic on the web, we investors – and acquiring companies – got a bit crazy with metrics used to value acquisitions and investments. That is the quandary which entrepreneurs face today in building models for new companies around a web presence.

Metrics 207

Metrics Sites Advertising Web 207

SoCal CTO

MARCH 1, 2007

skip to main | skip to sidebar SoCal CTO Thursday, March 1, 2007 Entreprenuer Network Great post by Ben Kuo - The Importance of the “Network&# to Entrepreneurs - the informal connections between people in the technology industry here who have a vested interest in helping entrepreneurs take their companies to the next level.

Networking 150

Networking CTO Coach Southern California CTO Hire 150

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2013

Media Design Group and Convertro haven''t discussed the financial details behind their relationship, but the two said they have been using Convertro''s platform to analyze traffic, behavior, and conversion metrics associated with individual TV spots. READ MORE>>.

Dollar Shave Club 171

Dollar Shave Club Advertising Media Design 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2013

One of the first harsh realities that every entrepreneur has to learn is that most of the things that are critical to startup success are outside of their direct control. In my experience, trust is the most powerful tool that an entrepreneur can wield, both inside and outside of his own realm of control. Under commit and over deliver.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Metrics Writing 106

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2011

When I described to people why I initially invested my calls went something like this, “He’s taken kicks to the face for nearly 2 years and is still standing. Jody didn’t exactly have an easy time fund raising because he’s not one of the prototypical Silicon Valley funded entrepreneurs.

Startup 292

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Summary 292

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

His work in social media, e-Learning and Performance Support has won awards and has led him into engagements at many Fortune 500 companies including Credit Suisse, Royal Bank of Canada, Citibank, Lexus, Microsoft, Nissan, Universal, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Fidelity Investments, Symbol Technologies and SHL Systemhouse.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Guide CTO Coach Southern California 150

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

Investors have to look behind the plan and at the entrepreneur and his or her team, knowing that, over time, most of us have come to the conclusion that it is the execution of the ever-changing plan, not the plan itself that makes a company a success. Anyone can build a good – or great – plan. A personal story of a pivot – Tyson style.

Summary 156

Summary Metrics Class Email 156

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Announcing EIGHT new mini-books and eBooks by Master Entrepreneur, Dave Berkus , just released by The Berkus Press. Creating metrics. Finding sources of investment. New forms of metrics for your business. The role of investment bankers. Setting goals. Creating strategies. Developing your vision. 2 RAISING MONEY.

eBook 168

eBook Press Metrics Startup 168

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

As discussed in Hiring Entrepreneurs, the impact of each new hire during your startup’s early days is tremendous. As noted in Optimistically Pessimistic , successful entrepreneurs are indifferent as to the specific tactics they must employ to accomplish their fervently held strategic objectives.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Framework Custom 279

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2013

Entrepreneurs are now measured against the “triple bottom line” (TBL or 3BL) of people, planet, and profit. How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Many young entrepreneurs seem to think that capitalism and making profit are dirty words.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Examples Satisfaction 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2013

On a regular basis, I am approached by entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like a recent BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this NY Times article. A business plan may be a small investment to get a shot at that opportunity. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Technical Review Writing Slides 100

Berkonomics

JANUARY 30, 2014

What happens to careful planning, sure-fire metrics, quality test scenarios, market research, a good business plan – all in place before pulling the trigger of a new opportunity. So why do so many business-book authors stress the opposite behavior? Ready, FIRE, aim. And who is right here? Email readers, continue here.]

Artificial Inteligence 189

Artificial Inteligence Startup Metrics Ideas 189

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

The fund--started by Brian Garrett and Rick Smith --has been focused on digital media investments, and so far has made investments in six companies. What do you invest in? We spent six plus years at a local firm, Palomar Ventures, doing Series A and Series B investments. Let's start with an overview of the fund.

Southern California 153

Southern California Startup Palomar Rustic Canyon 153

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2009

I like to say to first-time entrepreneurs, picking a VC is more permanent than marriage. Keeping a blog has been great because so many entrepreneurs have written me with questions about their companies and I’ve gotten to know many of you personally through the process. I guarantee this is a bad VC. There are many great VCs.

Venture Capital 297

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 297

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

If you are an entrepreneur these days, or trying to grow an existing business, everyone is telling you that you need to use social media. But very few are talking about how to measure your results and return on investment (ROI), and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127