Berkonomics

APRIL 20, 2017

As a keynote speaker, I often start presentations that start with a short history of innovation in the United States, using the twist of examining innovation through the lens of 150 years of cyclic bursts of bubbles, leading to subsequent recessions and depressions. Commissioner of Patents in 1899. That was Charles H. Duell, U.S.

Artificial Inteligence

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

Other writers, like Guy Kawasaki, have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent over-enthusiasm or over-confidence that can kill your deal. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well.

Entrepreneur

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Let’s dive a little deeper and present some “gray area” scenarios to consider. As long as you did not use patented processes or trade secret material from your previous company, you should be protected, but you might be prepared for a fight. Last week we introduced the subject of non-compete agreements.

Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. business entrepreneur glocalization localization startup'

Entrepreneur

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 27, 2009

IEEE San Fernando Valley Section and Entrepreneurs Consortium of Southern California. Tom O'Toole and Brandon Villery will cover issues on licensing, due diligence, NDA, different types of IP (trade secret, patent, trademark, copyright), etc. They will emphasize IP licensing and IP licensing issues of importance to entrepreneurs.

San Fernando

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2011

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Selectively protect your intellectual property worldwide.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Seed Funding

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Product

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 1, 2009

At this workshop, Intellectual Property attorneys will present on Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks and Non-Disclosure Agreements. They will join those representing the investment community and entrepreneurs on a panel discussion about 'Common mistakes entrepreneurs make regarding intellectual property'.

Case Study

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2011

Based on my own experience and feedback from friends, every investor is approached by at least ten entrepreneurs with a “hot idea” for a new business, for every one who has a real “plan” for a new business. In fact, you can find websites full of ideas, like these “ Free Innovative Ideas ,” by serial entrepreneur Kim E.

Ideas

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Slides

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

The elevator pitch should be the first few paragraphs of your business plan, your executive summary, your investor presentation, and the first page of your web site. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Present a sustainable competitive advantage.

Startup

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2019

We present the best solution for a customer and their needs, and we work with the top EV charger manufacturers and software providers to accomplish that We coordinate everything needed for an event. Caradoc Ehrenhalt: I've been at a startup before, before Avery Dennison, as a serial entrepreneur creating different products and inventions.

Startup

Berkonomics

JANUARY 31, 2019

Let’s dive a little deeper and present some “gray area” scenarios to consider. As long as you did not use patented processes or trade secret material from your previous company, you should be protected, but you might be prepared for a fight. Last week we introduced the subject of non-compete agreements. After the non-compete expires.

Patents

Berkonomics

JANUARY 31, 2019

Let’s dive a little deeper and present some “gray area” scenarios to consider. As long as you did not use patented processes or trade secret material from your previous company, you should be protected, but you might be prepared for a fight. Last week we introduced the subject of non-compete agreements. After the non-compete expires.

Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well.

Technical Review

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

Bitvore is based in Irvine, and is backed by serial entrepreneur Yuri Pikover, as well as other angels. That''s really where the genesis of this comes from, and we have patents around the idea of continually analyzing both structure and semistructured data from a wide variety of sources, simultaneously. That''s pretty efficient.

Orange County

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2020

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. As an investor, I always listen carefully to what an entrepreneur says, and does not say, about competition. Martin Zwilling.

Competition

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. and trademarks.

Product

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2012

The honest answer is that ideas and new technologies are worth nothing, outside the context of a specific entrepreneur and a specific business plan that meets a market need for a fair price. What investors want is a proven entrepreneur, someone who can invent a product, find capital, and find a way of getting the product to market.

Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2015

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. entrepreneur glocalization international local startup'

Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2023

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. As an investor, I always listen carefully to what an entrepreneur says, and does not say, about competition. Martin Zwilling

Competition

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements about them to their own team, investors and even to customers. As an investor, I always listen carefully to what an entrepreneur says, and does not say, about competition.

Competition

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

Just because a product has a patent, deep complexity and an obvious competitive advantage does not mean that it can fly by itself into the market. How-to learn about angel/vc term sheets - Gabriel Weinberg , June 28, 2010 I think every startup entrepreneur (and angel investor) should have a good understanding of financing term sheets.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2011

In fact, if you look at all the "great inventors" championed by history, you'll realize that many weren't great inventors at all, but rather entrepreneurs, who later took credit as the inventors they never were. File a provisional patent as a place holder, a full patent, trademark, copyright, or all of the above.

Technology

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in Angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Software Review

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

It’s the nature of most entrepreneurs, honestly. Another thing entrepreneurs f**k up? I know you want to live in a world in which you can just present your great ideas to a board, you’ll have great value-added discussions and the right answer will emerge. Who is leading your patent filing program?

Outsource Development

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Slides

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

For some reason, too many aspiring entrepreneurs I know seem to focus on “actions” rather than “results.” These are not the entrepreneurs that I want to support, since I’m well aware that running a startup is far more complex, albeit more satisfying, than most conventional roles in established enterprises.

Product

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. At present, no world patents or international patent process really exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Selectively protect your intellectual property worldwide.

Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

As a startup advisor and investor, I’ve heard and seen hundreds of pitches from entrepreneurs, and the majority of founders are convinced that if you will just give them an hour or more time, you will love their business. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2011

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Research your audience before presenting.

Slides

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2012

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Tips