Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. What you don’t realize is these famous investors only deal with entrepreneurs who sold their last company for a $100M dollars or more.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I use George Bush vs. Al Gore as allegory and I’ve been using it with entrepreneurs for years to sink in a simple point about how to communicate with the market. This does not mean you shouldn’t solve big, complex problems or write complex code. Most Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs I know are more like Al Gore.

Entrepreneur 370

Entrepreneur Startup Press Venture Capital 370

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

There are large sums of money to be invested and if investors can get comfortable with “downside protections” they’ll still write checks. But when a fund writes checks into a portfolio company it typically “reserves” money to invest in future rounds. Not anywhere nearly as hard as being an entrepreneur.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 19, 2010

The researchers taped 29 hours of people working in a typical office, and found that they were interrupted on average four times each hour. He also write a nice post on limiting email and managing on the important / urgent matrix from the perspective on a recovering ex investment banker. Sounds like a day at most offices.

Product 301

Product Writing Email Tool 301

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2013

The most successful entrepreneurs and executives I have seen are savvy business people first, and experts in their field second. It still amazes me how many entrepreneurs can fathom the physics of gyroscopes, but fail to comprehend the big picture requirements for positive cash flow and profit. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Startup 101

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

The best entrepreneurs in our industry focus on it year-round as opposed to just once every 18 months. Once you accept that lemons ripen early I hope you’ll realize the following about fund raising Fund raising can be a numbers game so you really need to do research and have a long list of potential VCs in case the earliest ones don’t bite.

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Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

They have totally changed the way you run a VC firm, investing heavily in systems & events for their founders that are pushing the boundaries of the way our industry works. As a courtesy if you enjoyed his write-up please check out his startup company, ChannelStack. Investing Strategy. and Half.com.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 284

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

Especially if you are in the early stage of growing a business, these five risks can and often do derail entrepreneurs before realizing the riches of a great exit. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon their comfort with each. So, let’s examine them and mitigate them.

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

As of today, I will have published an article here for entrepreneurs and startups every day for the last 1001 days, since I started Startup Professionals Musings near the close of 2008. Here are ten key messages that I would like to leave you with: I continue to gain respect for entrepreneurs. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Blogging Social Media 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2011

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 93

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Platform 93

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2018

I was recently with an entrepreneur and talking with him about his fund raising process. link] Another entrepreneur was recently in my office. We have consultants who do research for super big funds who invest in VCs and they have checklists they want you to fill out in order for them to do their work. Want to read more?

Funding 217

Funding Newsletter Venture Capital Email 217

Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

In the creation of a new enterprise, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon comfort with each. Second: Market risk. Are you ahead or behind the market with your product or service?

Outsource Development 200

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Real entrepreneurs always look ahead and learn from problems resolved.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2015

they can visit the directory of government grant alternatives, which is searchable and features more than a thousand federal programs, or more locally the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), with opportunities for high technology startups. This requires heavy research and lots of time. In the U.S.

Pricing 100

Pricing Equity Technical Review Research 100

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

Limited Partners or LPs (the people who invest into VC funds) have taken notice as 2014 is by all accounts the busiest year for LPs since the Great Recession began. Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.” Why is this?

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

I’m writing this post to make sure you’re all on that same playing field. In data analysis you want to look for “primary&# research, which means the person who initially gathered the data. The problem of amplification: The problem got worse as the data flowed out to the “bulge bracket&# investment banks.

Statistics 415

Statistics Startup Report Research 415

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2017

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 always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 66

Social Media Media Tips Platform 66

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

This has led VC & entrepreneur bloggers alike to similar conclusions: start raising capital early and be careful about having too high of a burn rate because that lessens the amount of runway you have until you need more cash. I’m surprised how few entrepreneurs have this open conversation with their investors.

Startup 150

Startup Capital Funding Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. If you don’t believe in your bones that you’re amazing then it’s no wonder you don’t want to sell them on making the investment.” Same with VC.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2010

By Mahesh Raj Mohan Writing a business plan can be a difficult process. you still have to write the plan for a particular audience. Your business plan’s writing style should take their preferences into account. So what writing styles should you use for these very different audiences? Hi, I’m writing this plan because.”

Writing 97

Writing Summary Ideas Research 97

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea. I suggest you use social media, blogging, crowdfunding, or documented research to quantify a real demand from people who can afford it, and don’t have a better alternative already out there.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2: As expected at least one person accused me of writing this post because I want to see lower valuations. 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. I acknowledged this in the article. I’m just making the commentary.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand.

Sales 150

Sales Startup Venture Capital Funding 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. 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. “My Brad on blogging.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

You’re writing a freaking blog post! I do what I wish all entrepreneurs would do. I had a pre breakfast with a CEO of a company in which I invested talking about his next fund raising round. It’s an entrepreneur with whom I’ve been wanting to work for 6 years. “But WAIT !!! Operations.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2010

I’m writing this series because if you better understand how VC firms work you can better target which firms make sense for you to speak with. I’m writing this post to explain to entrepreneurs what you should be thinking about in terms of the VC’s you approach and the size and stage of their funds.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Funding Invest GRP Partners 269

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2011

What that did, is it helped us to expand the service to help publishers do the following: identify what content to write, how to distribute that content to various mediums, and how to monetize that content. Journalists are notorious for not wanting to write based on revenues or commercial intersts, or having anyone tell them what to write.

Marketing 232

Marketing Funding Content Writing 232

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2010

This experience made me want to dig into my archives, re-write & publish this piece. I wrote a post about how to build relationships with VCs over time and about investing in lines & not dots (which cuts both ways). Get a reference list - Most entrepreneurs do almost no reference checks or at least do them very informally.

Venture Capital 298

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Capital Help 298

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2012

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 95

Social Media Media Startup Platform 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2017

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 to be hard hitting – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

Social Media 58

Social Media Media Platform Tool 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2010

These resources are definitely are not limited to students, since every university wants and needs the real world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs who already have credibility in the marketplace. Research and development. Tags: universities entrepreneur startups business. < Business plan creation. Marty Zwilling.

Help 94

Help Startup Mentor Incubator 94

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

In most cases if you can’t get a prototype done you’re probably not an entrepreneur. Go research it. Professional angels / former entrepreneurs / seed funds – In Silicon Valley there are people like Ron Conway, Jeff Clavier, Mike Maples and many more. They know that the money they invest may be lost.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2017

Search the Internet for blogs in your industry and do a little research before you start. An informal writing style is generally recommended. Finally, if you don’t have the time, energy, or skills to write a blog, it may be a good investment to hire a ghost writer, or hand the job over to your marketing executive.

Blogging 69

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Web Writing 69

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. She did a bunch of research on it and finally found a small number of safe brands. Through this process he raised $2 million. I know this guy is a money maker.

Startup 292

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Summary 292

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2010

We built the website The Numbers, which tracks daily and weekly box office grosses and DVD sales, and we also provider consulting services--primarily to independent filmmakers, or anybody in the industry who needs to get financial data in order to support their business plan or to make investment decisions. Pricing starts at $19.00

Beverly Hills 164

Beverly Hills Research Hollywood Sites 164

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2018

Many people will write the history on why Ring became an enormously successful company and why it became a real-world unicorn in a world when many startups are anointed that merely on paper. It is an LA-based company that was recently acquired by Amazon, which you can read more about in this incredibly well-researched article.

Startup 247

Startup Pricing Product Marketing 247

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

We started looking at the landscape, and as I was getting my MBA at the time, ended up writing the business plan for ConsumerTrack. We are constantly learning, doing research, and networking with other entrepreneurs, and people in our business who are the best at what they do.

Startup 239

Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239