SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 24, 2016

Thursday, June 30, 2016 -- Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources. Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities.

Startup 100

Startup Resource LAVA Seed Funding 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 17, 2016

Thursday, June 23, 2016 -- Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources. Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities.

Startup 100

Startup Resource LAVA Seed Funding 100

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

In the VC insider baseball world a discussion has gone on about “VC platforms” over the past 5 or so years. While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

I became a VC 12 years ago in 2007 when the pace of deals was much slower. As I was trying to figure out the role I wanted to play in the VC world I decided I wanted to focus on businesses that were building deeply technical products to solve problems for business users. VCs have different views and strategies on this.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

However, most often, these funds are solicited by a well-meaning entrepreneur from investors who are not qualified as accredited investors under the law (currently requiring a proved income of $200,000 a year or $1 million in net worth for an individual investor). Professional angels: This is the arena where I work and play.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2010

They had received a term sheet from a VC and were wondering whether to work with this firm. I often tell people that raising venture capital is more difficult than getting married. Not so in venture capital. You’re tied at the hip to your VC. But what was the VC like when the chips were down?

Venture Capital 298

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Capital Help 298

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. The road to business success is filled with challenges and frustrations that most aspiring entrepreneurs never even imagined.

Entrepreneur 174

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 174

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Venture capitalists sometimes make an error in directing their portfolio company CEOs to push resources to the limit and scale the business to immense size quickly, all to seize market share. Many, many companies accepting venture capital lost it all following this instruction. Here’s a lesson from experience. But beware.

Venture Capital 156

Venture Capital Social Media Invest Marketing 156

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 4, 2010

I’m not anti VC. But there are a lot of things that become norms in the VC industry that always drove me crazy from entrepreneur’s side of the table. One of them is when VCs say, “I’d like to ‘noodle’ on that for a while.&#. I’d love it if VCs gave more honest and direct feedback.

Entrepreneur 297

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Java 297

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2020

Two, Los Angeles-area venture capital investment funds have gotten backing from PayPal , as part of a new effort by PayPal to support Black and Latinx-led venture capital funds. led by Austin Clements and Ajay Relan; and VamosVentures , led by Marcos C. Slauson & Co.

Funding 113

Funding Venture Capital Los Angeles Invest 113

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Nearly every entrepreneur has heard the refrain, "Get back to me when you have some traction,” while seeking funding. However, when uttered by most Venture Capitalists (VCs) it conveys a desire to obtain validation of your venture's value proposition from dispassionate, objective third parties. Triangle Of Evidence.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital RSS Customer Custom 265

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

An underutilized, but valuable resource, every startup should investigate is a formal or informal connection to your alma mater, including any local university. Here is a short list of the areas where you should be able to find help, whether you are a student or an independent entrepreneur: Exploring hot ideas. Early-stage funding.

Incubator 172

Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

Builders VC led the round, which included participation from Celtic, Newfund and Wish co-founder Danny Zhang. There’s all these individual contractors out there and even though they are very affordable, it’s very hard for them to get to the homeowners, as they don’t have much resources,” Wu, a Chinese immigrant, told TechCrunch. “So

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185

Berkonomics

JANUARY 25, 2024

Entrepreneurs will have a relative willing to devote time, a school friend with business experience, professionals who charge for the service, investors with a reason to promote your success and more. We had no term for such work in those days and created the phrase “resource capitalist” to describe the person and process.

Coach 156

Coach Organization Resource Equity 156

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Greathouse: Your collective experiences have clearly made bootstrapping a viable option for you, more so than might be the case for a typical, younger entrepreneur who needs more direction, doesn’t have cash discipline, etc. I think in the end it’s helped us build a better product because we are resource-constrained. I’ve been there.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” They just aren’t prepared for the life they want, and are really asking me how to learn to be an entrepreneur. Help entrepreneurs with constant learning. Learning doesn’t have to be all work.

Entrepreneur 137

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Education 137

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

My primary role was “chief psychologist&# and as I’ve learned over the past few years the same has been true as a VC. Some entrepreneurs make the mistake of never devolving power. He wanted more resources allocated to him and he would begin wondering whether he might rise in the organization.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Startup Sales Customer 319

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2010

Had a great chat with Jim Armstrong who is a General Partner at Clearstone Venture Partners today on TWiVC. It was especially fun for me because we got the chance to talk about the VC industry and how entrepreneurs should think about the VC industry in addition to discussing deals. Now Google is a VC.

Clearstone 236

Clearstone Venture Capital ReachLocal Google 236

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 23, 2012

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -- Maverick Angels Open Evening for Entrepreneurs. The Open Evening is an event geared towards familiarizing entrepreneurs with: Angel and Venture Capital investing strategies; Maverick Angels unique investment process; Entrepreneur resource networks; Navigating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Angel Venture Capital Resource 113

InfoChachkie

MAY 6, 2013

The nasty and brutish deaths of the unfortunate turtles are disquieting , but the process ensures that the survivors are (on average) strong, healthy and able to capitalize on the ecosystem''s resources. There is a similar Darwinian aspect to venture capital investing. In addition, be on alert for camouflaged fees.

Entrepreneur 246

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Capital 246

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2013

It's one of the questions every startup entrepreneur faces: should I start hitting the venture capital circuit for my company, or just bootstrap my company and get on with building my company? Also, without VC funds, you will have less resources to focus on product development. To self-fund or to raise funds?

Venture Capital 170

Venture Capital Startup Resource Entrepreneur 170

SoCal Tech Calendar

NOVEMBER 22, 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 -- Open Evening for Entrepreneurs - Los Angeles. Fellow Mavericks and Friends of our Network: Come prepared with your questions for our "Ask the Angels" panel, at the next Maverick Angels Open Evening for Entrepreneurs on Wednesday, November 28, 2012. Maverick Angels. See [link] (more)

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Angel Venture Capital Resource 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2010

In today’s post I want to talk about the concept of a VC flightpath. This is my description of a VC process, not one I’ve heard from other VCs so don’t expect it to be accepted nomenclature. 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

Xconomy

JUNE 16, 2016

Put a half-dozen entry-level tech entrepreneurs together anywhere outside of the Bay Area, and it won’t take long before they start listing the local market deficiencies. In San Diego, the complaints often focus on the relative scarcity of venture capital and hometown VC firms.

Venture Capital 49

Venture Capital San Diego Truecar Web 49

Xconomy

APRIL 29, 2019

Successful management of any new enterprise, regardless of industry, is a process demanding of concerted effort to realize opportunity with a finite set of resources.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Demand Resource 103

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2018

In a study which belies the opt-cited preference for "young" entrepreneurs in the startup and venture capital industry, a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology find that the mean age of the founders of the 1,000 fastest growing new ventures in the U.S. is actually 45.0. READ MORE>>.

Study 147

Study Venture Capital Resource Sales 147

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. OTHER DEALS: 1. BlockChalk.

Venture Capital 214

Venture Capital Startup Design S3 214

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 20, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 -- The Halo Effect: How Angels can Bridge the Entrepreneur Funding Gap. You are invited to attend the next Maverick Angels Open Evening for Entrepreneurs at the University of Southern California. Maverick Angels. See [link] (more)

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Angel Southern California Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

However, most often, these funds are solicited by a well-meaning entrepreneur from investors who are not qualified as accredited investors under the law (currently requiring a proved income of $200,000 a year or $1 million in net worth for an individual investor). Dave’s book and ebook on raising money available on Amazon.com.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

My friend and fellow SoCal venture capitalist Peter Lee wrote a post about the different roles within a VC and spent much time on the role of an associate. These are the permanent members of a VC. The process for raising money from a VC is a sales process and as such much of what is taught in enterprise sales can be applied.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Sales Entrepreneur Startup 308

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Equally, I encouraged entrepreneurs to spend time getting to know their future VCs early because getting a feel for your chemistry is far more important than how the VC is ranked in some survey. I felt the exact same way when I was an entrepreneur. Lines vs. Dots is all about people. Market Opportunity. Let me explain.

Entrepreneur 330

Entrepreneur Marketing Venture Capital Hulu 330

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

And there’s none that makes me happier than to announce that Jordan Hudson has been promoted to a Principal at Upfront Ventures. What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? ” Associates have different functions at different VCs. VC firm admin. Portfolio community building.

Help 365

Help Invest Venture Capital Technical Review 365

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million-dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones.

Startup 122

Startup Funding Organization Incubator 122

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. For the rest of us, the following suggestions will help you survive the valley of death: Accumulate some resources before you start.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 8, 2013

is one of the most common questions I hear from early-stage entrepreneurs. To new entrepreneurs, this can seem like one of those vicious cycles: “I don’t have any connections to VCs so therefore I can’t make any connections.”. Once you have your list, talk to other entrepreneurs to get their impressions and feedback.

Venture Capital 86

Venture Capital Tips Incubator Startup 86

Berkonomics

AUGUST 13, 2020

In fact, many angel investors or venture capitalists look for and respect the lessons learned by entrepreneurs that have survived a failed business. The key question is: Why did an entrepreneur fail? A successful entrepreneur who has seen the movie before is even more valued. You will have “seen the movie before”.

Startup 156

Startup Entrepreneur Venture Capital Course 156