Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. In this context, there are at least six stages often included in the scope of R&D to narrow your focus: Search for new technologies. Technology pilots. Technology pilots.

Help 165

Help Research Startup Funding 165

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Jennifer Schwab, the founder and CEO of Entity, has built the business since 2016 on virtually no outside funding, but said that this latest financing is a precursor to the company working on its first, more traditional VC-led equity round. That number is expected to double to 500 next year, Schwab said.

Mentor 297

Mentor Training Startup Course 297

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the movers and shakers in Southern California's technology ecosystem. In 2016, our Santa Monica office more than doubled market share of early-stage companies. What's your favorite technology gadget, device, or innovation you ran across this year?

Santa Monica 124

Santa Monica Southern California Venture Capital SoCalTech 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. In today’s fast moving technology world, that may give your competitor the edge, or your startup may wither and die waiting. Professional help costs money. Pursue grants and investors in parallel. Extend your networking.

Equity 92

Equity Startup High Tech Research 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. There is always time later for your next startup, using that disruptive technology of your dreams.

Startup 65

Startup Social Media Study Research 65

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2019

We invest in life sciences, medical devices, but we're also a generalist investing in SaaS technologies and real estate, as well. What we are looking for is platformable, scalable technologies. On the medical device side, we're looking to be growth equity, like a company on a 510K pathway. Where did you do your postdoc?

Venture Capital 113

Venture Capital Invest SaaS Entrepreneur 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2015

Today, we have the thoughts of Jeb Spencer of TVC Capital (www.tvccapital.com), a software focused growth equity fund which just raised a new fund, and has had some great success in the market. Jeb Spencer: For TVC, closing on our new $115 million software focused growth equity fund at the end of last year made for an exciting 2015.

Capital 100

Capital Beverly Hills Artificial Inteligence Equity 100

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. 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. - First Principles.

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Coach 378

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

Marketing is free or cheap because of social media. Determining the perfect moment to enter the startup market, whether by creating a company or joining an ongoing venture, is akin to timing the financial markets. At the end of the period studied, 94.5% People are free or cheap because of the recession.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

Instead of equity, the company is aimed at profiting profitable small businesses with business debt funding from investors, to help those businesses grow and get to the next level. Why did you decide to focus on debt, not equity? I studied finance, and worked on Wall Street as a credit analyst, so I understand debt better.

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2017

Until the recession a few years ago, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. More recently, the desire for extra income has become the key driver in new startups, according to a 2015 study.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 69

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. In this context, there are at least six stages often included in the scope of R&D to narrow your focus: Search for new technologies. Technology pilots. Technology pilots.

Develop 102

Develop Development Product Funding 102

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

We had been looking at the landscape of the mobile videogame market, and Epic games launched Infinity Blade 2, which was the best looking game we'd ever seen, let alone the best game for a small mobile device like the iPhone. Jonathan LaCour: I studied finance in law school, and did lots of structured finance and investments.

Startup 217

Startup Mobile Venture Capital Resource 217

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

Lita Nelsen has seen it up close—and played a part in its evolution—from her studies there in the 1960s, to her business-school fellowship in the late 1970s, to her 30 years working in MIT’s Technology Licensing Office. MIT’s approach to nurturing entrepreneurship has changed a lot over the past 50 years.

Startup 67

Startup Compton Research Technology 67

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Until the recent recession, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. Since 2008, the desire for profits has trumped passion in 54 percent of new startups, according to a more recent study.

Startup 92

Startup Entrepreneur Equity Course 92

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

Since its inception more than nine years ago, Xconomy has focused its coverage on the business of high technology—across information technology, life sciences, healthcare, energy, robotics, and much more. It asked leading Xconomists the question: What should students be studying now to prepare for 10 years from now?

Education 40

Education Newsletter Training High Tech 40

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 2, 2014

For example, a startup may hire you as an accountant, but you may also be asked to do social media marketing content gearing towards finance for the company blog. By ownership I don’t mean equity, I mean the feeling of ownership when you become one of a few people to help something real get made and used.

Startup 102

Startup Social Media Writing Google 102

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

A core tenet of Xconomy—and the reason behind our broad coverage across information technology, life sciences, energy, and more—is that the most interesting and important innovations often arise from the intersection of different disciplines. In short, the field is exploding. billion last year , roughly double the 2014 total.

Newsletter 40

Newsletter Research Technology Equity 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Solicit funds from friends and family. Use crowd funding to build reserves. Join a startup incubator.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

In the technology world there are a few websites that most startups track to keep up with the latest financings, acquisitions, product announcements and gossip: BusinessInsider, TechCrunch, Mashable, GigaOm, etc. In the VC & Private Equity world there’s a small number, too, with one of the most respected being PEHub.

Venture Capital 232

Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don''t attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Until the recent recession, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. Since 2008, the desire for profits has trumped passion in 54 percent of new startups, according to a recent study.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

According to my experience and a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

InfoChachkie

JUNE 11, 2012

Facebook had to resolve expensive and time-consuming litigation related to promising early hires senior positions and substantial equity stakes. As Clay Christensen aptly points out in The Innovator’s Dilemma, a large company’s defense of its legacy clouds its ability to appropriately assess the potential impact of disruptive technologies.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Education Entrepreneur 279

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. The market scope for your solution should be quantified in non-technical terms, with data sourced from professionals in the industry, rather than your own opinion. Marketing, sales, and customer experience.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

We caught up with Jim Armstrong to learn more about the new fund, areas of interest, his insights into what makes startups successful, and where he thinks the venture market is today. Jim Armstrong: It's broadly technology, from consumer Internet, to marketplaces, from Internet infrastructure to enterprise software.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2009

One of the industries which has seen a lot of activity lately in Southern California is clean technology, with a large amount of investment activity and new company formation. A hypothetical scenario, is an entrepreneur might be looking for a couple million to commercialize some technology, which takes algae and converts it to biofuel.

Southern California 193

Southern California Startup eHarmony Sites 193

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2014

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. In today’s fast moving technology world, that may give your competitor the edge, or your startup may wither and die waiting. Professional help costs money. Pursue grants and investors in parallel. Extend your networking.

Startup 97

Startup High Tech Research Funding 97

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

It provides tools like the Equity Calculator and curates and vets vendors that service startups. They teamed up with Dr. Julie Edge, who received a grant from The Kauffman Foundation to conduct the first study on cofounder relationships. The online site looks at personality assessments, compatibility, industry, distance, and roles.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Santa Monica Startup CTO Hire 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2011

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. In today’s fast moving technology world, that may give your competitor the edge, or your startup may wither and die waiting. I applaud the initiative, and encourage startups in this direction, but there are costs.

High Tech 88

High Tech Startup Research Entrepreneur 88

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 7, 2010

How can marketers interact real-time with the hard-to-reach youth demographic? Where should marketers and investors place their bets? And how does the mobile ecosystem compare with the early days of interactive marketing via PCs? Checkout this amazing lineup of keynotes, panels, and talks during this high-level full day event.

Mobile 40

Mobile Media Case Study Advertising 40

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 29, 2015

The growing equity gives homeowners more economic self-assurance — and more freedom to shop. The study also found that 66% of retailers will be increasing their digital budgets in the coming year, focusing on mobile technology, faster delivery options, and easier purchase methods (e.g., Big Picture Trends.

Commerce 40

Commerce Sales Pricing Study 40

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 3, 2015

It’s been a fascinating sociology study starting with the first panel of all female executives I heard during a conference on the Santa Monica Pier all the way up until now. When Roxy approached them there was “authentic core-synergies in how each brand approached the market.” Novel concept.

Conference 40

Conference Entertainment Startup Digital Hollywood 40

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 13, 2010

Branding / Marketing / Publicity marketing, PR, publicity. . Why cater to a market that makes you eat ramen when you can slap on a suit and get budget for sushi? Bootstrapping enterprise, marketing, Sales. . How to create a technology start-up inside a large organization - based on how we are doing it right.

Guide 69

Guide Startup Venture Capital Entrepreneur 69