Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2014

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Thus investing in startups should always be approached as a low odds game.

Invest 111

Invest Angel Funding Startup 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

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. These should not be seen as two separate efforts.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Investors invest in the jockey, more than the horse.

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Technical Review Statistics Startup 119

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2020

Indeed, while the rules and technologies for lead generation have changed, Forrester and other experts still see it as the most effective way for businesses with limited budgets to maximize their return on marketing investment (ROMI). Technology and consumer feedback have indeed changed the landscape. Cold calling.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2013

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. Therefore, the least you can do is take advantage of some of the self-assessment tools and guides around, like “ The Entrepreneur Equation ,” by Carol Roth, which highlights personal characteristics and skills required.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Guide 114

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Investors invest in the jockey, more than the horse.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

Invoca is now doing 10s of millions in recurring revenue and is growing > 75% year-over-year but it took the first 3 years to really build out the technology and acquire our initial enterprise clients. We have invested in every round and as a result our ownership has actually gone up over time.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2017

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Rose, according to his latest book, “ Angel Investing.” All startups always need more money.

Startup 76

Startup Angel Funding .Net 76

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2015

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Rose, according to his recent book, “ Angel Investing.” billion collected in 2014.

Startup 106

Startup Angel .Net Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2022

Startup investors tell me they invest in a new venture with a higher caliber of people, rather than the product or service, and I agree. Of course, it’s no surprise that most entrepreneurs don’t have a background in hiring teams, and don’t have a budget for training or human resource consultants.

Training 135

Training Case Study Resource Statistics 135

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. These should not be seen as two separate efforts.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2020

For example, Lyft and Uber were able to capitalize on the current ride-sharing trend worldwide by tracking statistics that indicated reduced interest in car ownership by millennials, lack of parking spaces, and auto ownership costs moving up rapidly. Spend more time outside the business, looking for trends.

Startup 124

Startup Customer Custom Statistics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Investors invest in the jockey, more than the horse.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Most investors won’t touch a first-time entrepreneur at this stage. Yet, they often provide similar small seed investments, similar to those of accelerators. A seed-stage “super angel.”

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Dirk Ahlborn: We are coming out of the nonprofit incubator, the Girvan Institute of Technology, which has been around since 2002, and is funded by NASA Ames. We offer up those ideas and patents to any user on the Internet, and they can sign up on the site to work with the entrepreneur on the idea. How do entrepreneurs get involved?

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

InfoChachkie

JUNE 9, 2011

Value Prop Twitter Style : “Ranker is a social site/platform for ranking anything, powered by semantic technology that aggregates opinions into ‘wisdom of crowds’ rankings”. However, from my understanding you might actually be the largest consumer website using "semantic web" technology – can you explain how that works? “In

Google 264

Google Organic Search Sites Startup 264

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

Next year, we''ll also be competing in a lot of other areas, and will be announcing some interesting new technology in the coming months. I think we''re simply too small and too new of a service to have any kind of statistical base we could extrapolate. More recently, we found the technology wasn''t really appropriate for mobile.

Startup 237

Startup Services Advertising Content 237

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2017

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. These should not be seen as two separate efforts.

Tool 53

Tool Entrepreneur Statistics Metrics 53

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

Funding 57

Funding Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2015

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Investors invest in the jockey, more than the horse.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Statistics 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2018

Indeed, while the rules and technologies for lead generation have changed, Forrester and other experts still see it as the most effective way for businesses with limited budgets to maximize their return on marketing investment (ROMI). Technology and consumer feedback have indeed changed the landscape. Cold calling.

Social Media 55

Social Media SEM Startup Advertising 55

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Richards--a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in a number of technology companies here, including NTI Group (sold to Blackboard), Internships.com, MP3.com, Statistically, you are 10x more likely to get hired through a referral by an employee than a non-referral. com, and Vivendi Universal Net USA, where he was also CEO.

Content 193

Content Social Network Coach Help 193

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2017

I was influenced heavily before my career even began because in my undergraduate work I took a ton of statistics classes that showed how easily we human brains fall prey to easy biases and slights of data and try to draw conclusions that don’t exist. Coming back with an empty chamber for the third battle is much worse than not coming back.

Venture Capital 182

Venture Capital Statistics Writing Report 182

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2012

If you are an entrepreneur starting a business for the first time, I recommend that you find a product concept that is already accepted and improve on it, rather than tackling that ultimate disruptive technology. Good imitators actively look for a new country or market as the innovation, rather than a new technology.

Patents 84

Patents Startup Statistics Course 84

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

Bitvore is based in Irvine, and is backed by serial entrepreneur Yuri Pikover, as well as other angels. Tell me about Bitvore - what''s your technology used for? Where did all of that technology come from? Jeff Curie: It is a very advanced piece of technology. That''s the unique nature of this technology.

Orange County 245

Orange County Startup News IBM 245

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2018

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Investors invest in the jockey, more than the horse.

Funding 62

Funding Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 62

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2016

Therefore, the least you can do is take advantage of some of the self-assessment tools and guides around, like the classic book “ The Entrepreneur Equation ,” by Carol Roth, which highlights personal characteristics and skills required. Are you bored, wanting to be free of a boss, or eager to showcase a hot technology?

Startup 71

Startup Statistics Guide Entrepreneur 71

socalTECH

MARCH 10, 2010

One of the more successful serial entrepreneurs here in Southern California has been Robin D. We spoke to Robin about the new startup, his executive team, as well as his angel investing activity here. Robin Richards: Yes, I'm investing in smart young companies that are solving a need. com, and managing director at Tickets.com.

Startup 223

Startup Content Sites CTO Coach 223

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2011

If you are an entrepreneur starting a business for the first time, I recommend that you find a product concept that is already accepted and improve on it, rather than tackling that ultimate disruptive technology. Good imitators actively look for a new country or market as the innovation, rather than a new technology.

Startup 91

Startup Patents Statistics Course 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2019

Image via Max Pixel Startup investors tell me they invest in a new venture with a higher caliber of people, rather than the product or service, and I agree. Of course, it’s no surprise that most entrepreneurs don’t have a background in hiring teams, and don’t have a budget for training or human resource consultants.

Training 73

Training Case Study Resource Statistics 73

socalTECH

OCTOBER 2, 2012

Southern California's technology community--despite all of the recent excitement around Silicon Beach--continues to be underserved in terms of capital, with a lack of venture capital funds (with money), and other private technology investors. Jeb Spencer: We consider ourselves a private equity firm.

Acquisition 168

Acquisition Software Review Technical Review Equity 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2014

Sponsored by VISA Business With all the new technology available today for video conferencing, interactive social media, and webinars, you may think that travel is no longer a requirement for starting a small business. It’s amazing how much more you can learn face-to-face, compared to an analysis of aging statistics alone.

Startup 100

Startup Tips Mentor Conference 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Most of the guidance you see for entrepreneurs is aimed at those who are selling a product (Apple, Tesla, Xiaomi), or selling a service (Uber, Airbnb, Snapchat). The “product” value is difficult to quantify, the costs are nebulous, and entrepreneurs have to clone themselves to scale the business. Don’t forget seminars and events.

Social Media 56

Social Media Pricing Technical Review Demand 56

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

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

When venture capitalists scale back investing activities it can be very swift and leave many companies that are in the process of fund raising hung out to dry. But any entrepreneurs raising capital should keep in mind that this opening of the markets could possibly be temporary. Why did the VC markets freeze so quickly?

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Startup Invest Funding 263

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2012

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. Are you bored, wanting to be free of a boss, or eager to showcase a hot technology? Statistics say that the failure rate for new businesses within the first 5 years is as high as 90 percent. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 100

Startup Statistics Entrepreneur Guide 100

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

A look around technology industry, perhaps the heart of the global revolution, shows a happily working international community all pushing for the common goal of innovation. or purely invest in established U.S. Attracting business investment. An E visa is meant for foreign investors looking to start a business in the U.S.

Technical Review 77

Technical Review Startup Offshore Entrepreneur 77