Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. Yet the process is eerily realistic, and every entrepreneur can glean some important lessons. Investors invest in people, more than ideas.

Entrepreneur 127

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2020

As an aspiring entrepreneur, one of the most important things you need is a memorable “ elevator pitch ,” to communicate your startup value proposition and leave a great first impression on friends, investors, employees, and future customers. Customers still buy from people, and investors invest in you and your team, more than the solution.

Sample 127

Sample Summary Startup Slides 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

The hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. Here is just a sampling of the latest terminology and lingo that I gleaned from Dave, and from some additional research on the Internet, that I think every entrepreneur should know, who may be looking for funding now, or down the road: Micro-VCs.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Seed Funding Incubator 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. A sample agreement is available for free download from my website. Later, good intellectual property can be worth millions when your company valuation is set for investment purposes, or when the company is acquired or sold.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2010

Most entrepreneurs tend to avoid this area of the business, and as a result are badly surprised by cost realities, and investor expectations. Secondarily, it will be required by potential investors to validate how much money you need to get started, and how much return they can expect on their investment. Marty Zwilling.

Invest 71

Invest Startup Sample Summary 71

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

In my Twitter bio is says that I’m “ looking to invest in passionate entrepreneurs ,” which almost sounds like I was just looking for a cliché soundbite to describe myself. Passion is also the featured heavily in nearly every presentation I give to entrepreneurs or on college campuses or in talks with MBA students.

Startup 419

Startup Entrepreneur Design Product 419

socalTECH

JULY 23, 2012

There's been a surge in startup accelerator activity in Los Angeles in the last year, as interest in starting a company in the region has grown, and a wide range of experienced entrepreneurs and investors have pitched in to help companies get to the next level. Of that, $97.47 in companies associated with digital studio Science Inc.

Los Angeles 234

Los Angeles Angel Report Startup 234

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. But safely seeking equity investments from the crowd via the Jobs Act of 2012 is problematic and has still not been defined.

Funding 101

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Invest 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2013

Too many entrepreneurs still believe the urban myth that you can sketch your idea on a napkin, and investors will throw money at you. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. entrepreneur startup business plan business' Marty Zwilling.

Sample 92

Sample Writing Summary Startup 92

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. The Case Foundation invests in people and ideas that can change the world. In five short years, they’ve helped build 52 companies, raised 25 million in investments and reached over 2000 founders. “[It] The Case Foundation (Washington, DC).

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

InfoChachkie

MAY 9, 2011

This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. Entrepreneurs should never agree to the following provisions when negotiating with a BDC, no matter how lucrative the potential relationship. Kiss of Death ConTraps.

Outsource Development 170

Outsource Development Entrepreneur Press Technical Review 170

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2019

In my work with new and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most struggle with putting together a written business plan, often pointing out that someone they know started a business without anything written down. There are plenty of guidelines and sample models available on the Internet, so don’t be intimidated by the terminology.

Ideas 126

Ideas Slides Sample Examples 126

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Their primary intended reader is a “first-time entrepreneur”, but clearly other stakeholders within the startup universe can also benefit from the book’s hands-on advice. They are both former entrepreneurs and current Partners at Foundry Group , a highly successful, early stage venture firm. The Magicians Tells Their Secrets.

Venture Capital 205

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Writing Guide 205

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2013

Most entrepreneurs tend to avoid this area of the business, and as a result are badly surprised by cost realities, and investor expectations. Secondarily, it will be required by potential investors to validate how much money you need to get started, and how much return they can expect on their investment. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 101

Startup Sample Summary Pricing 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2012

Too many entrepreneurs still believe the urban myth that you can sketch your idea on a napkin, and investors will throw money at you. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. Every investor I know is frustrated with the poor quality of the business plans they get.

Sample 96

Sample Writing Summary Startup 96

InfoChachkie

MAY 9, 2011

This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. Entrepreneurs should never agree to the following provisions when negotiating with a BDC, no matter how lucrative the potential relationship. Kiss of Death ConTraps.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Entrepreneur Press Technical Review 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2013

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. But safely seeking equity investments from the crowd via the Jobs Act of 2012 is problematic and has still not been defined.

Funding 106

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Sample 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2014

Services entrepreneurs can more easily capitalize on the trend to treat each customer personally, whether entrepreneurs be interior designers working from home, marketing consultants, or offering Angie’s List to find the best local handyman. Here is just a sampling to give you the idea: Software as a service (SaaS).

Services 101

Services Startup Outsource Technical Support 101

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

The problem of amplification: The problem got worse as the data flowed out to the “bulge bracket&# investment banks. They got the data feed either from the research company or from the investment bank. Here are some examples: - You ask a small sample set so that data isn’t statistically significant. How is it skewed?

Statistics 415

Statistics Startup Report Research 415

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Most entrepreneurs tend to avoid this area of the business, and as a result are badly surprised by cost realities, and investor expectations. Secondarily, it will be required by potential investors to validate how much money you need to get started, and how much return they can expect on their investment.

Startup 91

Startup Sample Summary Pricing 91

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2010

Too many entrepreneurs still believe the urban myth that you can sketch your idea on a napkin, and investors will throw money at you. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. Every investor I know is frustrated with the poor quality of the business plans they get.

Startup 91

Startup Funding Sample Writing 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2016

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. Yet the process is eerily realistic, and every entrepreneur can glean some important lessons. Investors invest in people, more than ideas.

Startup 57

Startup Entrepreneur Sample Ideas 57

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2012

I had been trading emails & Tweets with venture capitalist John Frankel and we were to meet in person in March 2011 at SxSW to talk about Klout and other investments he had made. Other people were convinced including Kleiner Perkins who lead their $30 million fund raising in 2012 (they had previously also invested in 2011).

Cornerstone OnDemand 303

Cornerstone OnDemand Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup 303

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2011

Most entrepreneurs tend to avoid this area of the business, and as a result are badly surprised by cost realities, and investor expectations. Secondarily, it will be required by potential investors to validate how much money you need to get started, and how much return they can expect on their investment.

Startup 94

Startup Sample Summary Pricing 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2011

Crowd-pitching is an offline event, but logically similar, which give several candidates an opportunity to pitch to a crowd of interested people for a couple of minutes, after which the crowd “votes” with some play-money to pick the best candidate, who then wins some nominal investment amount or services. Intellectual property is jeopardized.

Funding 92

Funding Startup Social Media Sample 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2013

Entrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. non-disclosure entrepreneur investor CDA business'

Ideas 92

Ideas Demand Patents Entrepreneur 92

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 3, 2010

This was really a fun week at TWiVC because we decided to have an entrepreneur come and talk about raising capital rather than having a VC come on. It’s always such a pleasure for me to spend time with Farb because he has all of the enthusiasm and energy you love to see in entrepreneurs. He’s also candid, humble and helpful.

Venture Capital 214

Venture Capital Startup Design S3 214

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. A sample agreement is available for free download from my website. Later, good intellectual property can be worth millions when your company valuation is set for investment purposes, or when the company is acquired or sold. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 103

Startup Patents IP Social Media 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2012

Entrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. Who is right? Prior to patent application.

Startup 97

Startup Patents Sample Ideas 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2011

The good news is that he is all about helping early-stage startups, the hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. These are emerging group of professional investors (venture capitalists, ala VCs), who are investing from a fund of other people’s money, with a particular focus on seed-stage startup opportunities.

Startup 92

Startup Funding Seed Funding Incubator 92

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 30, 2016

Here’s a short sample of what we now do. I wanted to encourage more of our Limited Partner (LPs, or the people who invest in VC funds) to attend our annual meeting in person. I imagined that if I could run an event like this I might be able to persuade some LPs who hadn’t invested in our fund to come to Los Angeles.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Course Funding 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2018

Unfortunately, most of the entrepreneurs who contact me for guidance only seem to work on strategic issues when they are in a crisis, such as losing a major distributor or being swamped with customer complaints. I recommend that every entrepreneur and business owner carve out some time every week for proactively work on strategy.

Tips 51

Tips Metrics Sample Statistics 51

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

How do the sample Series Seed financing documents differ from typical Series A financing documents? The Exit Disconnect - Ask the Angels , March 25, 2010 I’ll admit to having a bias towards exits and focus my review of a potential investment on the exit potential. In response he sent me a competitive analysis. And it made me sad.

Startup 150

Startup Software Review Competition SoCal 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2017

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. A sample agreement is available for free download from my website. Later, good intellectual property can be worth millions when your company valuation is set for investment purposes, or when the company is acquired or sold.

Startup 69

Startup Patents IP Social Media 69