Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 98

Software Review Funding Seed Funding Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Investors learned this a long time ago, so most will tell you that they invest in people, not ideas. Make ‘em want it bad (pitch it).

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from AngelSoft , only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Over half of the survivors remaining are eliminated during live presentations, and another 6.5%

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Professional investors normally like to invest only in billion dollar opportunities, with double-digit growth rates. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Professional investors normally like to invest only in billion dollar opportunities, with double-digit growth rates. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

There are complex processes, like filing a patent, and financial tools that may be new to you, including Excel and Quickbooks. In my experience as an angel investor, it was an accepted axiom that we invested in people, even more than the product. Remember, as an entrepreneur you don’t get paid (or funded) by how many hours you work.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2019

We've helped entrepreneurs raise over $225M in early stage, venture funding. They are looking for early-stage companies, which have an advantage with IP, or some sort of patent, or sensibility from the technical perspective. percent of funds going to female founded businesses. How long have you been active in Los Angeles?

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Metrics Los Angeles Help 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

According to the Angel Capital Association , at least 300,000 people have made angel investments in the last two years, totaling $24 billion in the U.S. Contrary to a popular myth, angels don’t fund dreams. They expect to see at least a prototype solution, funded from your own resources, or friends and family or a grant.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 93

Slides Competition Sample Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

" Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology. Patents or other intellectual property are a real competitive advantage for a startup, but first to market and working harder are not sustainable.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Here is my list of top ten action items to best prepare you for success in achieving a funding event with Angels: Incorporate the business now. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.”

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. In the business, this is commonly called “fire in the belly.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. In the business, this is commonly called “fire in the belly.”

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2010

Yesterday I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 95

Software Review Startup Seed Funding Funding 95

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Both conclusions will kill your credibility, and usually preclude any further funding interest. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Remember that investors invest in people first. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 100

Startup Competition Patents Training 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” I hear it when I visit LPs (the people who invest in VCs) all across the country, “Yeah, I haven’t been out there for a few years but I keep hearing that something is going on there.” When you begin to peel back the onion some surprising data presents itself. LA By The Numbers. acquired Overture for $1.63

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

Both conclusions will kill your credibility, and usually preclude any further funding interest. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Remember that investors invest in people first. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 102

Startup Competition Patents Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Investors learned this a long time ago, so most will tell you that they invest in people, not ideas. Make ‘em want it bad (pitch it).

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. In the business, this is commonly called “fire in the belly.”

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Investors learned this a long time ago, so most will tell you that they invest in people, not ideas. Make ‘em want it bad (pitch it).

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Investors learned this a long time ago, so most will tell you that they invest in people, not ideas. Make ‘em want it bad (pitch it).

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2010

Both conclusions will kill your credibility, and usually preclude any further funding interest. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Remember that investors invest in people first. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 89

Startup Competition Patents Entrepreneur 89

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 4, 2014

And of course, we’d like to thank our amazing panels of speakers for pouring their knowledge into the mental chalices of our present and virtual attendees. Tom Soto – Managing Director/Investment Committee Member, TCW/Craton. Tom comments on the state of affairs as someone in the trenches, investing real dollars.

UCLA 99

UCLA Technical Review Software Review Incubator 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2017

Professional investors normally like to invest only in billion dollar opportunities, with double-digit growth rates. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup 58

Startup Education Ideas Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2016

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Product 55

Product Startup Summary Entrepreneur 55

socalTECH

MAY 14, 2010

That was primarily driven by the economy; when the economy is down, investments are down, and it is increasingly difficult to d a startup. Matthew Jenusaitis: In the year going forward, clearly the biggest issues is investment dollars. Clearly, 2009 was not a good year, from the perspective of the technology innovation ecosystem.

OCTANE 174

OCTANE Orange County Technical Review Southern California 174

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 18, 2013

Okuno has been investing in Los Angeles startups for the past three years after selling his own company E-Z Data. Okuno said, “I have invested in over 40 startups almost always in the six-figure range.” He is looking to find more. After the presentations were revealed, the crowd started to place their bets on their favorites.

Class 100

Class Startup Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach 100

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

He’d been working at a well-funded startup for about a year and had come to terms with the fact that the startup was really a pretty dumb idea. Why Lawyers Don’t Run Startups - Steve Blank , May 27, 2010 Startups need to have a great lawyer, accountant, patent attorney, etc. I Be specific. It's a great talk. Here’s why. I know I do.

Startup 248

Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2010

Have you patented it? How much investment capital will you need to pull this off? As you work your way through your plan, watch out for the common mistakes described in our article, Why Business Plans Don’t Get Funded. How does it work, and how does it solve the problem? What are the features and benefits?

Startup 91

Startup Oracle Entrepreneur Ideas 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Thus I offer the following outline for how to organize and present your business plan, with specific examples: Start with outlining the customer problem, and your solution. For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 11, 2012

ABSA Jewish Entrepreneur of the Year – WINNER (This award was actually presented by Gill Marcus) – (Annex.13). Omidyar Networks – head of investment. We actually enable banks to attract new customers as well as securely port their services to existing users, using our patent pending social fraud algorithms.

Software Review 92

Software Review Social Network Platform Technical Review 92

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

For a well-funded seed company I have controversially recommended hiring a great office manager that doubles as an administrative assistant. For a well-funded A or B round company I have recommended “ leveling up ,” which entails many things but in summary I tell people to “act your stage.” That’s fantasy.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 150