SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2012

I promised I would write this post with some thoughts and ideas on the topic. Tech Events / Meetups - In Los Angeles, There are lots of Networking Events in Los Angeles and Southern California that are techie oriented. I've recently received several emails from people looking for a technical cofounder for their startup.

CTO Hire 211

CTO Hire CTO Coach Startup Equity 211

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

When an entrepreneur takes on investors who take equity (i.e. The board is where large equity investors get their representation. you can build that with your personal peer network. I really like it when independent directors write a check into the company. But if they could even write $2,500?—?money

Startup 187

Startup Writing Venture Capital Oracle 187

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2020

Just because you want to start a business doesn’t mean you are entitled to outside equity, loans, or crowdfunding. Understand and write down every expense, and budget for required costs, especially initial inventory and accounts receivable delays. Don’t forget to do continuous marketing and networking. Details are important.

Customer 125

Customer Custom Tool Writing 125

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Robertson is the founder of Influence , a networking tool for influencers that’s expected to announce its Series A financing in the coming weeks. The startup has already secured a seed investment from Maveron and CRV, TechCrunch has learned, and will receive another $150,000 in exchange for 7% equity upon entering YC next year.

Platform 170

Platform Marketing Tool Venture Capital 170

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2015

Every investor in your startup, even friends and family, normally expects a share of your company (equity), which means your return for all your effort goes down quickly. This is at least double the time required for most equity investments, and may be a delay you can’t afford in keeping up with the market and your competitors.

Pricing 100

Pricing Equity Technical Review Research 100

socalTECH

MARCH 12, 2013

What is it about the content delivery network market which has enabled Santa Monica-based EdgeCast to go from startup to over $100M in revenues in only a few, short years? We serve up four to five percent of the global Internet on our network. We're privately funded today, with some equity from Menlo Ventures and Steamboat Ventures.

CTO Hire 248

CTO Hire Content Networking Web 248

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

We now serve many large clients like Dish Networks, Dignity Health, and U.S. We not only have our Series A funds that can write $500k?—?$15 If you invest early and then pull back in the next 3 rounds your multiples on cash invested are much higher than if you keep writing checks. VCs have different views and strategies on this.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

As a business advisor and advocate for entrepreneurs, I find myself almost always talking and writing about change. Networking effectiveness is a measure of your potential. Productive networking traffic does not happen by default. Networking relationships still drive most promotions, jobs, and new clients.

Startup 93

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 93

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 22, 2018

Founded by Steve Poizner last year to accelerate the growth of a startup entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern California, The Alliance is building a network of investors, entrepreneurs and universities to provide ballast in the south to the dominance of the Northern California tech industry.

Southern California 224

Southern California Dollar Shave Club SoCal Develop 224

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Yesterdays’ equity round of $1.6 25 Years of Writing Code. Adam Sroka, an agile software innovator, is a self-taught programmer with 25 years of writing code and previously combined his coding skills with his knowledge of agile and lean management techniques as a coach and technical trainer. million Raised.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Software Review Bertelsmann Technology 88

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

If you know, VCs end up writing sizable checks into their own funds, which is important in better aligning interests. Therefore of course they need to be more selection when writing checks and can’t spread their bets across 75 deals. million round I might write $1.8 – 2.2 Angels have additional networks.

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. More importantly, start cultivating networks of friends who have a sense of pulse on the frontiers of the economy. We get at least a dozen at the TC offices every week, which is why we write about books so often around here these days.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well. Networked and connected. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Listens before answering questions. Values intellectual property. Not in a heated rush.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2012

…” I’ll write soon on my views of why I believe Instagram took off as a social network and what I think comes next. Instagram happens to be one of the few social networks I regularly use along with Twitter. You are either bought for stock or for equity. Think about it. Just checked their balance sheet.

Venture Capital 316

Venture Capital Pricing Social Network Acquisition 316

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well. Networked and connected. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Listens before answering questions. Values intellectual property. Not in a heated rush.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 12, 2010

We had a special edition of This Week in Venture Capital this week shooting out of the Next New Networks offices in New York. We both felt that the critical reasoning skills and writing skills were critical to our career development. Social network app developer and ad network. Our guest was Mo Koyfman of Spark Capital.

Venture Capital 217

Venture Capital Capital Metrics Competition 217

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

” It was meant both as a call to those writing angel checks into other people’s companies that they ought to think about putting that capital toward themselves either by becoming a startup founder or (and this was my real point) by taking an under-market salary in a company where they can learn the right skills to do it in the future.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

I get paid to network – I love meeting people. I get to network with angels, VCs, entrepreneurs, lawyers, etc. The upside for entrepreneurs is the equity in their business. I’ll write about that in a couple of weeks. Writing this bl0g – This blog is a huge creative outlet for me. I love it.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

socalTECH

JUNE 18, 2009

Our interview today is with Santa Monica-based OneCubicle (www.onecubicle.com), a new startup we ran across recently, which is looking to provide a more professional social networking site for younger people. Gregg Champion: OneCubicle.com is a social business network for people on their first, second, and third jobs.

Social Network 100

Social Network Entertainment Startup CTO Coach 100

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

There's also a great network effect happening in the area of industry clouds, and network capitalism, which is not just marketing poof. That network effect is a subtle but has a powerful effect with all this new technology. We can now write $20M, $25M, and $30M checks to existing, breakout companies in our portfolio.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well. Networked and connected. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Listens before answering questions. Values intellectual property. Not in a heated rush.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2013

Consider the non-cash alternatives, like offering team members equity instead of cash and bartering for services. I believe the process of writing the plan is more valuable than the result, because it forces you to think through all the elements, and make sure they fit together and fit you. Do you have a viable plan?

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Funding Training Startup 101

socalTECH

MAY 14, 2013

We also sold one of our largest sites to a private equity firm in the real estate niche, and narrowed our focus down to FamousBirthdays.com. We work with Google to help monetize our traffic, and we''re also working with a variety of other networks. Instead, we build a very good product, get organic traffic, and those networks pay well.

Google 236

Google Sites Startup Web 236

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually have a plan. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2012

I believe the process of writing the plan is more valuable than the result, because it forces you to think through all the elements, and make sure they fit together and fit you. Consider the non-cash alternatives, like offering equity instead of cash and bartering for services. Do you have a viable plan? Just attending doesn't work.

Training 96

Training Ideas Entrepreneur Commerce 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

I believe the process of writing the plan is more valuable than the result, because it forces you to think through all the elements, and make sure they fit together and fit you. Consider the non-cash alternatives, like offering equity instead of cash and bartering for services. Do you have a viable plan? Just attending doesn't work.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Invest Training Ideas 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually have a plan. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Startup 104

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 104

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

Clearly a startup should consult its lawyer before filing or not filing.But the attorneys I relied on to write this piece told me that they’ve done lots of Section 4(2) deals in the past, and would recommend it to clients who had relatively simple financing agreements (not tranched-out, not too many investors, etc.) They also avoid Reg D.

Venture Capital 285

Venture Capital Startup Advertising Redpoint 285

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

I know it’s easier to write “horse race&# stories about who’s signing up more users, raising more funding or who’s “hot&# lately. As you become a large, open network for referral traffic your long-term strategic value goes up. So we value things like &# referral traffic&# much less. Not so open.

Social Media 274

Social Media Google Media Startup 274

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually have a plan. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Startup 101

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 101

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

But it did take Brad as a public spokesman, consummate networker and successful VC to help create legitimacy to let David’s ideas flourish. I don’t write about LA but I write from LA. There is a long tradition of these and it’s what formed the original angel network groups. How do we make that happen?

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2010

I believe the process of writing the plan is more valuable than the result, because it forces you to think through all the elements, and make sure they fit together and fit you. Consider the non-cash alternatives, like offering equity instead of cash and bartering for services. Do you have a viable plan? Just attending doesn't work.

Training 84

Training Entrepreneur Startup Ideas 84

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

In the beginning, when there is nothing, it’s easy to make promises or throw around equity. Write it down…. 5) As an investor, I frankly find it tiresome the degree to which entrepreneurs attempt to hype their companies by integrating “social networks and social media” into their pitches. Question is, ‘How is it used?’

Startup 233

Startup Design Mobile Social Network 233

From the Venture Trenches

MARCH 27, 2013

Yet despite his ability to raise over $1 billion of private equity and to build an organization that is worth $5 billion as of this writing, Mason was shown the door. Groupon raised seven series of private equity before going public. Money raised from friends and family typically come with few constraints and very simple terms.

Venture Capital 45

Venture Capital Capital Anthem Startup 45

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

We spent a lot of time talking about what type of company we wanted to create, how many employees we’d eventually have, whether we would take funding, our lifestyle, and a dozen other things that had nothing to do with writing software. We focus very much on finding employees who are a cultural fit and we share equity when appropriate.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually have a plan. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Tips 88

Tips Startup CTO Hire Press 88

CEO Flow

MARCH 2, 2009

Aaron is also the Program Director for Entretech’s Nitro.la , a non-profit mentoring network in partnership with USC, UCLA and Caltech, to help develop LA’s entrepreneurial community by “getting more companies funded in greater Los Angeles&#. 9:30a – 10a: Network with CEOs from this and the next session.

Santa Monica 40

Santa Monica Los Angeles Finaventures Angel 40