socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

So do you think the environment still tough for startups? Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. Mike Napoli: We've revised the way we review companies at the prescreening stage.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Mentor 154

Mentor Technical Review Coach Slides 154

Berkonomics

JANUARY 16, 2014

community in many ways, including his weekly Internet TV program on entrepreneurism, and participation in several mentoring programs. . Access to new technologies. Are each set of goals consistent with the other’s including for example personal wealth, business success, and autonomy? Addition of new services or product lines.

Technical Review 204

Technical Review Startup Examples Metrics 204

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Kara said “no” because she wanted to start her own company, which she did and I backed. In any job you either find leadership opportunities for your best people BEFORE they ask or other people start asking them to become leaders somewhere else. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. Don''t go to Wharton or Harvard.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. The reality is that starting a business, as well is working an existing business, has always required perseverance.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. For example, I believe Bill Gates would have failed without his partners Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

For example, TOMS shoes inspired everyone by highlighting and effectively communicating a higher purpose from founder Blake Mycoskie of helping the needy by donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. Challenge yourself to delivering a technical innovation. Driven to reduce personal hardship and suffering.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Coach Mentor Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

As an investor in startups, I most often see entrepreneurs who are technologists, or at least have a real passion for a specific product. Here is my list of key drivers that I find critical to thriving in big businesses, as well as startups: Networking to build and maintain key relationships.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Consistently review and respond to relevant online feedback. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Most of us have blind spots in our ability to build a business, due to lack of experience, too much ego, over-confidence, or unjustified faith in a subordinate. It’s fair to start with what people think they know, as long as you use that to zero in on corroborating evidence and real examples.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Activity Mentor Entrepreneur 127

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

I often wonder how many more startups would succeed if their founders could master the art and science of delegation. In my role as mentor and advisor to many founders, I consistently fail in convincing them of the power in wise delegation. You need to divide and conquer. Not trusting key team members to get required results.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 96

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

We thought today for our interview, that we'd get an update on the angel investment environment here in Southern California from Scott Sangster , the incoming President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tech Coast Angels , the biggest angel investment group in Southern California.

Tech Coast Angels 182

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 182

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea how dramatically your own role has to evolve as you develop a solution, start a business, and expect it to scale into a successful self-managed company. For example, I knew Bill Gates back in the early startup days of Microsoft. The team must handle daily tasks.

Company 99

Company Companies Technical Review Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Product 99

Product Mentor Startup Technical Review 99

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. In any business, accountability ideally starts at the top. In any business, accountability ideally starts at the top. Don’t pretend or actually be the victim.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2016

140,000 new startup companies are reportedly launched every day. While the epicenter of tech innovation is undeniably Silicon Valley, a tide of new hubs emerging across the globe are gaining recognition. The “ real gold ” of Silicon Valley reportedly lies in its mentors. Startups previously needed a partner that was local.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Startup Incubator Media 40

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. I will summarize these here, with my insights, for your review and implementation: Physical health. Environmental safety. Intellectual stimulation.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

It really is possible for an introvert to succeed as an entrepreneur, even though you can’t expect to start and build a business alone. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help. For example, you may be good at active listening, analyzing data, and making logical decisions.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

I have been writing a series on how startup boards get selected, who sits on them and what to avoid. I will also delve into how to prepare for them, how to make the meeting effective and how to best follow up to make sure people take action. A good board member cares enough to weigh in BEFORE the meeting starts.

Startup 251

Startup Help Technical Review Writing 251

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2018

For example, according to recent research from Bain & Company , Apple, Netflix, Google, and Dell employees are 40 percent more productive than the average, even though they are no smarter or more experienced. He ignored my advice and ultimately lost several key executives, and then his own health, due to stress and workload.

Technical Review 51

Technical Review Startup Training Netflix 51

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2018

As the rate of change continues to increase in business and technology, the more I’m convinced that marketing is the primary key to success for a new venture. Yet I find that many technical founders don’t feel they need it at all, or at best point to one person on the team who is marketing.

Marketing 71

Marketing Tips Technical Review Social Media 71

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

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. Problems will occur in every startup, simply because you are stepping into uncharted territory.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

The Founder Institute (www.founderinstitute.com), an entrepreneurial training program that originally launched by Adeo Ressi in Silicon Valley, recently announced that it is setting up shop in Southern California, with branches both in San Diego and Los Angeles. What role do the mentors play? The mentors at the L.A.

Mentor 185

Mentor Class Entertainment Technical Review 185

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

You can review all the specifics of this approach in a book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur''s Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. It’s time for a new startup model. How far behind is your startup? Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Customer 113

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2013

There''s been a lot of activity over the past two years in the Southern California accelerator/incubator market, with numerous groups (Amplify, EvoNexus, K5, LaunchpadLA, MediaCamp, Science, StartEngine, and many, many others) looking to help entrepreneurs start and fund their companies. where we totalled up $33.85M in funding.

Southern California 222

Southern California Incubator Report Startup 222

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2015

Great technology leads to innovative solutions that are possible, but not necessarily great businesses. For example, hydrogen-fueled engines were invented over a century ago, with a continuing promise of breathing air and exhaling pure water vapor and having over 200 companies active in the hydrogen sector today.

Technical Review 54

Technical Review Product Activity Technology 54

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2012

One of the most original, subscription startups to come out of Southern California's tech accelerator boom emerged last week, looking to disrupt not just another retail sector or e-commerce category, but something else entirely: the airline industry. How did this all start? We take your application and review it.

Startup 240

Startup Mentor Technical Review Santa Barbara 240

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2017

As an advisor to startups, and a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m still surprised at the number who are determined to go it alone. They don’t realize that these only increase their workload, due to training and management, rather than offloading real work. A startup has enough unknowns, without ignorance of the basics.

Help 66

Help Startup Course Technical Review 66

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 64

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 64

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. How did you start blogging? “My In 2004 / 2005 I was starting to get intrigued with user-generated content. was starting. You still need the presentation to back that up. Brad’s start in Venture Capital. Or, as always, summary notes available below.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC. We slowly realized that Microsoft’s value went far beyond his technical contributions, due to his connections with key software developers and relationships with hardware manufacturers who could make the PC revolution universal.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Berkonomics

JANUARY 9, 2014

He is Director of the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurism and Business Ethics, and Chairman Emeritus of the Tech Coast Angels, the largest angel group in the United States. Let’s start with confidence, since this is about you rather than your partner. Find someone with technology, operations, manufacturing, or finance experience.

Technical Review 286

Technical Review Tech Coast Angels Entrepreneur Coach 286

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2012

Every startup faces a myriad of challenges that are well beyond the scope of any founder, so you need a few guiding lights to illuminate the road ahead. I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. Once your company is past the startup stage, you do need a board of directors.

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

You can review all the specifics of this approach in a recent book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 118

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 118