Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Some people even believe that entrepreneurs must be born with the right genes, and no element of education is relevant. In my view, the most effective entrepreneurs are those with a background of an array of real-life experiences, both positive and negative, as well as good academic and coaching activities. Get real experience early.

Startup 97

Startup Writing Coach Incubator 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Perhaps sparked by the recent recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Whether you are charting new territory for pricing models or technology, there is rarely a perfect solution.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2016

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in anticipating change today. Either they are never really ready to commit, study an opportunity until it has passed, or fail with tools and techniques from a bygone business era.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Education 61

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.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

Some people even believe that entrepreneurs must be born with the right genes, and no element of education is relevant. In my view, the most effective entrepreneurs are those with a background of an array of real-life experiences, both positive and negative, as well as good academic and coaching activities. Get real experience early.

Writing 111

Writing Coach Incubator Entrepreneur 111

InfoChachkie

JUNE 11, 2012

For many entrepreneurs, college has little appeal. Academia’s arbitrary, bureaucratic structure, combined with its predominant focus on theoretical issues, causes many entrepreneurs to depart college early. Entrepreneurs are misfits. Entrepreneurs are often societal rejects.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Education Entrepreneur 279

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

We started hanging out a bit and discussing technology and entrepreneurship. After seeing Chamillionaire interact with several entrepreneurs both at events and as an investor I started introducing him to startups in an advisory capacity. We’ve been debating various business concepts he has and what it would take to build them.

Conference 150

Conference Slides Social Media Summary 150

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

Although many are entertaining, most fail to provide entrepreneurs with a sufficient return on their time investment. Unfortunately, most business books do not offer entrepreneurs an adequate payoff. At the beginning of the index, Guy writes, “I hope Robert Cialdini checks this index.” No doubt, he did. Ask For Mentoring.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

There have been many studies done on the topic including looking at twins raised in separate families. There have been studies of adopted children to their natural parents versus the parents that raised them. I have also seen studies on “birth order.&#. I’m an ex entrepreneur. I suspect he’s not.

Startup 289

Startup Statistics Entrepreneur Study 289

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2012

Publish a regular blog, contribute to relevant social networks, and write a “white paper” on your technology. Studies have shown that consumers gauge credibility in large part based on the appeal of the overall visual design, including layout, typography, font size, color schemes, no broken links, and correct language usage.

Search Engine Optimization 96

Search Engine Optimization Entrepreneur Sites Advertising 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Unless you are a serial entrepreneur with a string of successes behind you, you need a business plan to convince investors that you can build a business out of the dream that has been driving your passion to change the world. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. First Principles. Steve Blank , January 25, 2010 10 Tips for Adding Game Mechanics to a Non-Gaming Service - ReadWriteStart , September 21, 2010 Startups & VCs: Learn How to Design, Market, & Eat Your Own. -

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Coach 378

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Perhaps sparked by the recession recovery, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Real entrepreneurs always look ahead and learn from problems resolved.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

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.

Tips 275

Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Real entrepreneurs always look ahead and learn from problems resolved.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. In the original version of his post, Andy writes. The best VCs don’t try to help entrepreneurs. I read Andy’s post with a knowing smile on my face.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2017

The challenge, as with all new technologies, is to make it work effectively, and avoid wasted effort and expensive mistakes. Studying other people’s blogs will help you identify what you like and don’t like, and how you want yours to look and feel. An informal writing style is generally recommended. Conversational style.

Blogging 69

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Web Writing 69

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Jim Armstrong: It's broadly technology, from consumer Internet, to marketplaces, from Internet infrastructure to enterprise software. I think there are a lot of opportunities across all of these areas of technology, especially as it relates to Southern California. It's all about the entrepreneur.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. My initial desire to blog came from something that’s always been my approach to investing – I’m a nerd and I love to play with the technology and part of my approach has really been to understand things both at a user level and at a reasonably deep tentacle level. Brad on blogging.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

I’ve been meaning to write this post since September of last year when Brad Feld first wrote about the The Founders Visa Movement. I commented briefly on his blog and made a mental note to write a blog post. But it turns out I met a bunch of really interesting entrepreneurs. But TWTFelipe is an entrepreneur.

Technical Review 282

Technical Review Startup High Tech Software Review 282

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2013

Publish a regular blog, contribute to relevant social networks, and write a “white paper” on your technology. Studies have shown that consumers gauge credibility in large part based on the appeal of the overall visual design, including layout, typography, font size, color schemes, no broken links, and correct language usage.

Search Engine Optimization 105

Search Engine Optimization Startup Advertising SEO 105

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 22, 2014

We spent a morning talking about the transition from being an engineer to being an entrepreneur, having the distinction of being the first digital health startup to emerge from USC Viterbi’s Startup Garage , and drilling down to what really matters in all of our entrepreneurial efforts – listening to consumers. This was run out of USC?

USC 104

USC Southern California Activity Study 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2012

The challenge, as with all new technologies, is to make it work effectively, and avoid wasted effort and expensive mistakes. Studying other people’s blogs will help you identify what you like and don’t like, and how you want yours to look and feel. An informal writing style is generally recommended. Conversational style.

Blogging 96

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Writing Social Network 96

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund As I outlined last week, trophy angel investors are always looking for trophy entrepreneurs. In many areas, not enough entrepreneurs meet the criteria, so it’s still a buyer’s market. We see many entrepreneurs who grossly over value their company when attempting to obtain outside investment.

Funding 106

Funding Startup Entrepreneur Activity 106

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

In terms of where we offer to our customers, we have 250 different areas, from early childhood to studying for an MCAT or the bar. We're using technology to scale, and use it to be super-efficient, but we're also never going to be entirely hands-off. The second part, is our matching technology.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Beverly Hills Acquisition 113

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. Simply write a great book? My argument is pretty simple. If you have NO network of promotion for your story?

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2011

The challenge, as with all new technologies, is to make it work effectively, and avoid wasted effort and expensive mistakes. Studying other people’s blogs will help you identify what you like and don’t like, and how you want yours to look and feel. An informal writing style is generally recommended. Conversational style.

Blogging 91

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Services Writing 91

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2013

This started as a post in which I was going to write out tips to personal branding and became in stead an essay of my own branding journey. For 1991 I was very technical and also had a lot of practical business implementation experience in technology. When I started my second company I was a serial entrepreneur. We take MBAs.

Technical Advisors 385

Technical Advisors Marketing Startup Venture Capital 385

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2010

I was the guy in high school who didn’t have to study early to do well on tests and that continued into college. I’m a pretty natural public speaker so I can write my presentation the day before and do just fine. Get some seasoned entrepreneurs to come. I couldn’t. I hear it all the time.

Slides 374

Slides Email Entrepreneur Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

He writes with a great perspective and is well worth reading. But in the end we selected David Lin , a superstar who did 4 years at the technology investment banking firm Montgomery & Co and 4 years as Director of Strategy at the comparison shopping site PriceGrabber where he dealt with many operational issues.

Startup 337

Startup Venture Capital Study Course 337

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

If you’re not familiar with the term it’s basically trying to help all of us who are deluged with technology to find ways to cope with the masses of information without having it ruin our lives. Want to take a year pursuing your dream to write a screenplay, travel through Asia, run a triathlon or start your own fashion line?

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

Welcome to the Lost Decade (for Entrepreneurs, IPO’s and VC’s) - Steve Blank , July 15, 2010 If you take funding from a venture capital firm or angel investor and want to build a large, enduring company (rather than sell it to the highest bidder), this isn’t the decade to do it. So I asked her this: “What do I do with my 1,000th post?”.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

9) In Getting The Band Back Together , I write about the power of serial Founding teams. Do you have any words of caution or advice for entrepreneurs who attempt to “Get Their Band Back Together”? “In When assembling a team, I encourage entrepreneurs to seek out the MVPs, and look to build diversity into the teams they assemble.”.

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

socalTECH

JULY 20, 2011

We thought it was a real opportunity to bring in some taste-maker editors, who could write specifically for that audience, and break news. However, it was an idea and concept which had been brewing for awhile, and besides, I had a personal interest in starting my own company and wanting to be an entrepreneur. It was an eye opener.

News 173

News Entertainment Startup Bertelsmann 173

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2010

The challenge, as with all new technologies, is to present it effectively, and avoid wasted effort and expensive mistakes. Studying other people’s blogs will help you identify what you like and don’t like, and how you want yours to look and feel. An informal writing style is generally recommended. Conversational style.

Blogging 48

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Startup Writing 48

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Technology has given us the ability to connect with others like never before, but personal access still remains uncommon. Will Zell (CEO) is based in Columbus, OH, and is an Empact100 entrepreneur who was honored at The White House in 2011. He attended The Ohio State University where he studied business. What do you do and Why?

Mentor 94

Mentor Platform Social Network Chief Technology Officer 94

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

We typically do not ask entrepreneurs to visit our offices in Santa Barbara, but Jeff wanted to meet with Kevin, an investor in our Fund who helped us vet opportunities and occasionally invested alongside of us. Entrepreneurs should realize that VCs’ decisions often involve factors that have nothing to do with their startup.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100