Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. And there’s conferences. Web Summit.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

If you are one of the new age of entrepreneurs who hates the thought of doing a business plan as a first step in starting your new venture you will love this message. Don’t be totally driven by your own passions, the emotional enthusiasm of friends, or even third-party research. No entrepreneur can survive as an island.

Writing 102

Writing Startup Entrepreneur Capital 102

InfoChachkie

JUNE 11, 2012

The primary stipulation is that each Thiel Fellow must drop out of college, for at least two years, and pursue their “entrepreneurial ventures, research and self-education.”. For many entrepreneurs, college has little appeal. Entrepreneurs are misfits. Entrepreneurs are often societal rejects.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Education Entrepreneur 279

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You can’t win as an entrepreneur working alone. I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

As a courtesy if you enjoyed his write-up please check out his startup company, ChannelStack. Howard Morgan earned a PhD in Operations Research/Computer Science in 1968. Through his research he helped bring ARPANET to Philadelphia in 1973. Office Hours – Two or three partners post a sign-up sheet to meet with entrepreneurs.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 284

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2013

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Course Education 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2021

In my role as mentor to many of you aspiring entrepreneurs, I often find you convinced that all you need to start is a unique innovation or idea , and now you are ready to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride. Remember that being an entrepreneur is all about starting and running a business, after the initial invention.

Satisfaction 135

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 135

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 17, 2009

I often talk with entrepreneurs who are kicking around their next idea. If you live somewhere where this is the case you’re better off discussing with your employer that you may from time-to-time work on private projects outside of work hours and you want their clearance in writing that this is OK. Research your market.

Startup 365

Startup Technical Advisors IP Ideas 365

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Course Education 105

Berkonomics

JULY 3, 2024

With newfound freedom to make independent decisions about finding a company name, where to locate the company, whether to lease an office or start from home, how to engage talent, even whether to provide free coffee to employees, The newly minted entrepreneur can only think of positive thoughts and great outcomes.

Startup 156

Startup Hollywood Writing Press 156

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 22, 2018

Founded by Steve Poizner last year to accelerate the growth of a startup entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern California, The Alliance is building a network of investors, entrepreneurs and universities to provide ballast in the south to the dominance of the Northern California tech industry.

Southern California 224

Southern California Dollar Shave Club SoCal Develop 224

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

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

You’re writing a freaking blog post! I do what I wish all entrepreneurs would do. It’s an entrepreneur with whom I’ve been wanting to work for 6 years. It was a young, first-time entrepreneur who wanted to meet. I never get grumpy that people write. If you do randomly write me I have advice.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

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

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 23, 2020

“ This will also help dealerships increase sales and bring needed sales tax revenues to local and state governments,” Peterson writes. “Startups and small businesses are the engine of every local and regional economy,” writes Peterson. There’s $25 billion in money set aside for public transit and $12.5

Southern California 261

Southern California Los Angeles Rosemead Incubator 261

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

In my bones I’m convinced that entrepreneurs are more nature than nurture although I know both are involved. I wasn’t going to write about it since he had just covered the topic and echoed my point of view. I have recently written extensively on what I believe the 12 characteristics of an entrepreneur are.

Startup 289

Startup Statistics Entrepreneur Study 289

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2010

This experience made me want to dig into my archives, re-write & publish this piece. Get a reference list - Most entrepreneurs do almost no reference checks or at least do them very informally. Focus on the companies that went through tough times – For some reason most entrepreneurs do. Don’t let that be you.

Venture Capital 298

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Capital Help 298

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. Communication and writing skills are required. ROI entrepreneur startup metrics social media business' But, contrary to what most people preach, it isn’t entirely free. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2016

Litan, former VP of research at the Kauffman Foundation, that these are exceptions to the rule, rather than a model to emulate. Some people even believe that entrepreneurs must be born with the right genes, and no element of education is relevant. Don’t forget business writing and communication. I agree with Robert E.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Tips Writing Coach 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2013

You can’t win as an entrepreneur working alone. I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Social Network 108

Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

In the creation of a new enterprise, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. So it is important for the entrepreneur to identify, address and mitigate each of these in order to increase valuation and decrease the risk of ultimate loss of the business. Second: Market risk.

Outsource Development 200

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2012

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. Every young entrepreneur knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Of course, a real entrepreneur always takes a failure as a milestone on the road to success. How can you improve your odds?

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Statistics 109

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

I know because many entrepreneurs I spend time with I can tell are in their own brains when we’re meeting rather than trying to understand what my position is. You’re in sales mode. Prepare for your meetings by doing research before you go. That stuck with me long before I was ever a CEO (aka chief salesman).

Sales 314

Sales Startup Venture Capital Customer 314

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

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

"The best way to prepare [to be a programmer] is to write programs, and to study great programs that other people have written. Mark noted that even if an entrepreneur does not become a master developer, by simply understanding the software development process, they will be a more effective startup leader. " [Tweet this quote].

Tips 275

Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

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.

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. So we can say no based on geography, we can say no based on it doesn’t fit in our themes.“… “Then we engage with the product and the entrepreneur and because we know these areas very well we don’t have to spend a lot of time understanding the market or understanding the customer.”.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

Market research. Skip the acronyms, write at an eighth-grade level, and talk in terms of “benefits” rather than “features.” Market research and competition. I realize that many of you entrepreneurs are technical types, and you feel certain that an exciting product plan will highlight an exciting business opportunity.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2009

I write this post as a warning to pick your VC’s carefully. I like to say to first-time entrepreneurs, picking a VC is more permanent than marriage. Trust your instincts – they will serve you well as an entrepreneur. And many of these people are money managers rather than people like Gus who inspire entrepreneurs.

Venture Capital 297

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 297

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. Communication and writing skills are required. But, contrary to what most people preach, it isn’t entirely free. Heavy texting experience is not a qualification for communicating via social media.

Social Media 93

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Platform 93

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 26, 2011

With newfound freedom to make independent decisions about finding a company name, where to locate the company, whether to lease an office or start from home, how to engage talent, even whether to provide free coffee to employees, the newly minted entrepreneur can only think of positive thoughts and great outcomes.

Press 149

Press Hollywood Writing Startup 149

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

I even had some reservations about writing this blog post this because I have no desire to p**s off other investors or great entrepreneurs. As Ivan points out, what if somebody was researching “How to come out to my parents” or “how to cope with cancer” or anything similar.

Blogging 328

Blogging Content Press Startup 328

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2010

But I use this all of the time as a metaphor when talking with entrepreneurs in person and I’ve found it to be a useful way of explaining to entrepreneurs what is going in in the VC’s life. I have no idea why, but that’s always how it always felt to me when I was an entrepreneur raising money.

Venture Capital 275

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Capital Ideas 275

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Are you an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurs don't like to write business plans, but how do you know if there is real potential for you idea? What type of market research should you conduct? Thursday, October 6, 2011 -- EFactor presents: 7 Steps to a Successful Startup. Do you have a great idea? See [link] (more)

TechEmpower 100

TechEmpower Startup Tips Writing 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2009

I know you’re thinking that you have your head on straight but I promise you the experience of finding yourself in this maelstrom will leave any first time entrepreneur spinning. Gartner, Forrester, Jupiter and AMR Research all had good things to say about us. Just don’t believe what they write about you.

Startup 310

Startup Venture Capital Press Journal 310

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

As discussed in Personal Pitch , entrepreneurs must cultivate the help of Donors during the early days of their adVenture. In most instances, the Donor’s compensation comes from the satisfaction of helping a fellow entrepreneur who is on the front end of her career. Entrepreneurs are action oriented and not highly contemplative.

Entrepreneur 210

Entrepreneur Help Networking Startup 210