Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined some time ago from a funding perspective. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Sometimes these will ask for 5%-15% of your equity for their support services.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2022

Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as “ accredited ” investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. These requirements for equity investing have been relaxed only a bit, with caveats, with relevant crowdfunding changes. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust.

Startup 120

Startup Invest Equity Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. I offer these pragmatic recommendations: Buffer your funding requirements. Consider both the money you need before funding, and the size of investor funding requests. Make marketing and sales a priority.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

By way of a definition, a business or startup incubator is a company, university, or other organization which provides resources to nurture young companies, usually for a share of the equity, hoping to capitalize on their success, or at least strengthen the local economy. Initial funding. Expert mentoring and training.

Incubator 146

Incubator Technical Review Entrepreneur Mentor 146

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined a long time ago from a funding perspective. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Sometimes these will ask for 5%-15% of your equity for their support services.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. Crowdfunding is rapidly becoming the major source of funding for seed-stage startups. These funders often offer convertible notes, rather than the traditional priced equity.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue.”

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

Most of our mentors are people who have been successful entrepreneurs and investors, who have been there, and understand how to get a company to the next sage. We charge zero, and take no equity, and really there are very small operational costs for us to support startups. We do that by galvanizing the community to help out.

Startup 172

Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Thus, in my role as mentor to young entrepreneurs, I always recommend that you first take a hard look at your own values and priorities, before jumping into any new startup, as the founder, or even as a side hustle. You need complementary skills for marketing, financials, and operations. A business is never a solo operation.

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

In a bid to change that, there are a few groups working on helping women entrepreneurs, investors, and others, including the Pipeline Fellowship (www.pipelinefellowship.com), which recently launched itself into the Los Angeles market. My participation has been on the impact investing and education side, where I''ve been involved as a mentor.

Angel 276

Angel Invest Mentor Technical Review 276

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

There was no monetary reward for those who participated (and Startup Boost does not take fees or equity from the companies that we help). We continue to have a steady stream of industry and thought leaders raising their hands to be mentors for our upcoming cohorts. Yet they turned-out each and every week of our six-week programs.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often feel the frustration of someone trying to build a startup in the wrong place and time, and wrongly attributing their struggle to personal limitations. You need partners, mentors, and investors who can complement your own resources to make it a win-win for all involved.

Resource 131

Resource Startup Capital Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2014

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue.”

Startup 93

Startup Funding Venture Capital Ideas 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

An occasional discussion with a mentor won’t do it. Building a business requires funding – for inventory, marketing, and operations. Maybe you are more comfortable going slow, with limited resources, or aiming high and giving up equity. The test – iterate and pivot, based on market feedback.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as “ accredited ” investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. These requirements for equity investing have been relaxed only a bit, with caveats, with recent crowdfunding changes. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust.

Invest 89

Invest Entrepreneur Startup Equity 89

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

Dave Eastman: For one thing, although we're not completely unique in this, is we don't take equity. Plus, I'm also direction of the Innovation node here in Los Angeles, as well as the Managing Director fo the Viterbi Venture Fund, which is a fairly small fund, which makes passive investments in teams that are affiliated with USC.

Marina Del Rey 150

Marina Del Rey Startup USC Incubator 150

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. It was really just something built for the community to help support entrepreneurs.

Class 261

Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

On the other hand, if you can qualify for membership in a top-ranked accelerator , such as 500 Startups , AngelPad or TechStars , you will get a rigorous development program, top-quality professional guidance, and some seed funding to move you ahead of the crowd. Direction, mentoring and resources required. No surprises in this advice.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2016

That’s not as high as the failure rate with professional investors, but it should convince entrepreneurs that crowdfunding has been no panacea for funding. Granted, all the experience so far has been without the most anticipated feature of the JOBS Act – Equity Crowdfunding (Title III) , effective a few days ago with 685 pages of rules.

Equity 54

Equity Platform Entrepreneur Demand 54

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2018

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue.”

Startup 73

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 73

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

The debt market has pretty much shut down for people, though there is some money coming out of the SBAs that have been somewhat helpful. And, the equity markets are certainly a more challenging environment. The venture capitalists we look at to fund our deals are certainly tightening down, there's no question about that.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined some time ago from a funding perspective. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Sometimes these will ask for 5%-15% of your equity for their support services.

Organization 93

Organization Startup Incubator Ideas 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as “ accredited ” investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust. Some of these groups also offer you the option of putting your money into a multiple-startup fund to spread your risk.

Invest 73

Invest Startup Equity Incubator 73

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 13, 2012

When companies come into our incubator, we take no equity, we take no stake in the company, it's completely free for the participant. They've provided a completely free facility, furniture, Internet access, mentoring, sponsorship--all of those things are provided for free. That's through the generosity of the Irvine Company.

Incubator 212

Incubator San Diego Technical Review Development Team Review 212

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2014

By way of a definition, a business or startup incubator is a company, university, or other organization which provides resources to nurture young companies, usually for a share of the equity, hoping to capitalize on their success, or at least strengthen the local economy. Initial funding. Expert mentoring and training.

Incubator 103

Incubator Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2013

By way of a definition, a business or startup incubator is a company, university, or other organization which provides resources to nurture young companies, usually for a share of the equity, hoping to capitalize on their success, or at least strengthen the local economy. Initial funding. Expert mentoring and training.

Incubator 115

Incubator Help Startup Technical Review 115

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 7, 2013

If you use the mentor-driven model that we pioneered at TechStars, you get entrepreneurs who are deeply connected with the broader entrepreneurial landscape. For early stage entrepreneurs seeking funding, building their product and formulating their product / market fit, an Accelerator is a great alternative.

Incubator 238

Incubator Startup News Entrepreneur 238

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2016

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue.”

Startup 67

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 67

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 2, 2011

I was thinking back to a few previous “insider baseball&# blog debates that raged for several weeks: AngelGate (aka Bin38 secret cabal), convertible debt vs. equity, bubble vs. not, and now the AngelList discussion. They don’t have market power. Just look at what happened with Yuri & Ron funding the YC deals.

Email 287

Email Blogging Venture Capital Writing 287