Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

The world around us is being disrupted by the acceleration of technology into more industries and more consumer applications. Technology solutions are now used by authoritarians to monitor and control populations, to stymie an individual company’s economic prospects or to foment chaos through demagoguery. Are we in a bubble?”

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. “There’s something going on in LA.”

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2020

In my work with new startups, I often find people who believe that the terms “ entrepreneur ” and “ inventor ” are interchangeable. Yet I find a big difference between “starting a new business” and “creating a new product.” In fact, many customers have an inherent fear of new technology and the complexity it often brings.

Startup 124

Startup Entrepreneur Customer Custom 124

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 13, 2020

Every radical turn in technology history has its great entrepreneur, and for space that person is SpaceX founder Elon Musk. In 2018 alone, venture investments in space topped $2 billion for the first time, and 187 investors wrote checks to 90 startups, according to Bryce Space and Technology. Air Force and more. .

SpaceX 150

SpaceX Los Angeles Tips Pricing 150

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

.” – Elon Musk, Founder Tesla Motors and SpaceX. MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. I too have taken shots at MBA’s, describing why they are not typically well suited for startup life in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs. My contrarian nature sparked, I began researching MBA led startups.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Allegis Startup Competition 113

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2021

The ultimate compliment that any entrepreneur can get is that they can “see around corners.” This is a statement that they are willing and able (and successful) at projecting market and technology turns, not just straight-line innovations. For real entrepreneurs, crazy is a compliment, and the new market may be just around the corner.

Marketing 157

Marketing Design Entrepreneur Ideas 157

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2023

In reality, based on my experience as a startup advisor and investor, these constraints lead the best entrepreneurs to the most innovative solutions and new markets otherwise overlooked by their peers and competitors. I’m often asked for the secret to this attribute in developing a team culture.

Resource 111

Resource Competition Outsource Development Startup 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

You can’t win as an entrepreneur or business owner without full confidence in your own ability, as well as in your solution and business model. As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Use acceptance, forgiveness, and compassion, to keep up your confidence.

Startup 141

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction Ideas 141

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Last week a company we enthusiastically backed, uBeam , led by a very special entrepreneur, 25-year-old Meredith Perry , announced a $10 million round of financing. Here I make the case that entrepreneurs must stay focused on the prize, not the doubters. Entrepreneurs. ” **. It can be one of the strongest motivators.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

socalTECH

JULY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Matt Kozlov , the Managing Director of the new Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator , which just got started in Los Angeles. It's an incredible mix of commercial, military, and vicil organizations to support all kind of the innovative technology that we can grow really quickly.

Southern California 124

Southern California Startup Entrepreneur Los Angeles 124

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2012

The Giving Pledge looks to sign up billionaires to publicly pledge to give away a significant chunk of their wealth, and to spur philanthropy among the super-rich. The Giving Pledge added twelve billionaires Thursday at a private, hosted dinner in Southern California yesterday with Buffett. The group now has 81 members on their list.

Southern California 159

Southern California SpaceX Hawthorne Startup 159

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

As a small business and startup advisor, I find that entrepreneurs often love to talk about their latest idea, but not their execution. For example, Elon Musk is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur, but his fortune and his impact has come from the great companies he has built, including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Are there any technology innovations, gadgets, devices, software, that you found most interesting in 2018? READ MORE>>.

Riot Games 133

Riot Games Southern California Startup Santa Monica 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. The idea or technology was easy for you to learn.

Satisfaction 145

Satisfaction Ideas Entrepreneur Activity 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Whether you are a business professional in a big company, or an entrepreneur with a startup, innovation is a key strategy. Look for technologies to adapt from other domains. Insights from these technologies are often not seen by the original inventor industries. Be willing to share technology to promote standards.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Our interview this morning is with James Borow , the co-founder of Pepper Financial (www.trypepper.com), a startup which is creating a new set of tools to help businesses grow smarter. Tell us a little bit about what you're up to now? We all left together fairly recently to start this business, and have raised $5.6M.

Snapchat 113

Snapchat Startup SpaceX Los Angeles 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. The idea or technology was easy for you to learn.

Ideas 78

Ideas Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 78

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Everyone who starts or owns a business expects to be the best of breed, but only a few achieve that status. As a startup mentor and advisor, I often contemplate what makes the difference between winners and losers. Stop dreaming about your passion and start acting on it. I believe the best make their own luck.

Startup 121

Startup Mentor Coach SpaceX 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2016

Have you noticed that the really big startup wins in the last couple of decades have come from creating and dominating new market categories, more than just new solutions? Bold entrepreneurs put more effort into communicating the new market ecosystem value, and their natural product fit. Overtly design the ecosystem as well as product.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Marketing Design SpaceX 61

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. The idea or technology was easy for you to learn.

Entrepreneur 62

Entrepreneur Tips Ideas Satisfaction 62

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

The magazine turned its attention this month towards the Los Angeles innovation and technology economy in a section guest edited by StartEngine co-founder Howard Marks , including a reception held Wednesday evening at the Viceroy in Santa Monica. (Big Big disclaimer: the author and editor was one of the honorees at the event).

Ventura 182

Ventura Santa Monica Idealab High Tech 182

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2016

There are a few entrepreneurs who seem to always be ahead of the rest, and are able to sense where the market is going tomorrow. Investors reverently call this the ability to “see around the next technology corner,” and fight for a place in line to put their money down. So what does one have to do to get on the list?

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Marketing Design Satisfaction 56

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2015

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2014

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 114

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 25, 2021

Their unified understanding of technology, media, entertainment, and government, along with a successful track record of investing, give them deep insights into burgeoning shifts in culture and behavior.”. “We look at all verticals.

Venture Capital 225

Venture Capital Capital Los Angeles Invest 225

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2022

I’m sure you will agree that not all business leaders are created equal, starting from the CEO on down. As an example, Elon Musk , while best known for his success with Tesla electric vehicles, continues to make forays into other transportation alternatives, with SpaceX, Hyperloop, and others.

Template 109

Template Demand Social Media Summary 109

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2017

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 56

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2017

During the holiday season, our tradition over the last few years has been to post reflections on the past year and some predictions from Southern California's "movers and shakers" in the technology industry. We also started offering Factory Tour Workshops to entrepreneurs, with nearly 100 applying for the pilots.

USC 113

USC Startup News Entrepreneur 113

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

socalTECH

DECEMBER 21, 2010

We asked the same five questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next two weeks. In your opinion, what events, companies, or people made the biggest impact on the technology world in 2010?

Truecar 203

Truecar Southern California High Tech Startup 203

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Most technologists have little interest in the mechanics of starting and building a business. I usually envision a 50-50 ownership split for their efforts, but every engineer believes the technology side deserves the majority share. Fabulous solutions require great technology. New technology is so exciting it sells itself.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur Customer 101

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Pasadena has a long history as a center of the technology and innovation world�all the way back to first American experiments with rocket launches in 1936�Southern California's first foray into the rocket business (sorry, SpaceX)--through the Internet boom with Idealab, to today. They've filled up pretty quickly.

Pasadena 100

Pasadena Orange County Idealab CalTech 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2019

Having a breakthrough idea or technology alone does not assure business success. “ If we build it, they will come ” may have worked as a movie theme for Kevin Costner, but as an investor, I tell entrepreneurs a great solution is not enough. If not, now you know the places to start.

Product 93

Product Ideas Resource Capital 93

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2013

Chris Johnson and his partner Tarek Pertew were once startup guys who founded a software company in New York, but within one year they lost their CTO three times. What we recognized is that startups by their very nature cannot be very good at recruiting because they simply don’t have the staff, “ said Chris Johnson. “And

Startup 76

Startup UCLA Los Angeles SpaceX 76

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

In my work with entrepreneurs, I have concluded that finding and communicating that purpose is often more important than the solution offered. Many technologists have a passion for a new technology, but only a few are able to communicate the value in terms of future impact on society. Driven to reduce personal hardship and suffering.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Coach Mentor Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Every business owner and entrepreneur I meet in my consulting rounds dreams of finding that “ disruptive ” innovation that will supercharge their business and move it into the ranks of business unicorns (billion-dollar valuations), such as SpaceX and Apple. Before you act, shut up and listen to employees, customers, and futurists.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2019

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Resource 97

Resource Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX 97