Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2016

That should make you wonder - how do you measure traction in a metric? If it’s so important to investors, perhaps you should be using traction to measure your own progress, independent of a need for additional funding. Growth constraints would include staffing shortages, funding needs, quality problems, and sales coverage.

Metrics 57

Metrics Funding Startup Customer 57

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

If you are a passionate technologist , it’s easy to forget that marketing is required to sell even the most compelling solution, to cut through the information overload everyone sees today on the internet. If marketing is not your thing, then you need to find a partner or outside expert to help you.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. Growth markets have a way of fooling us all. When markets start to turn shelfware companies are the quickest to die.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

But LA-based performance marketing agency MuteSix didn’t wait that long to build its business around scaling DTC brands. If you have growth marketing agencies or freelancers to recommend, please fill out our survey !). Why do you think that performance marketing is the right fit for DTC?

Commerce 211

Commerce Content Marketing Startup 211

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I Know Everybody Told You to Send Your Fund-Raising Decks as a Link. Here’s Why You Should Just Send the Deck I know you have your document sending tool to send your fund-raising deck to VCs and track who read your deck, which pages they read and how much time they spend on each page. frankly I’d be surprised if they weren’t.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. Every business and brand has unique requirements to fit into their market environment. Leadership brand development.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how how on Earth could the venture capital market stand still? One of the most common questions I’m asked by people intrigued by but also scared by venture capital and technology markets is some variant of, “Aren’t technology markets way overvalued?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

in a funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by Okapi Venture Capital, and also included Serra Ventures, Cove Fund II, 1855 Capital, and Mooring Ventures LLC. San Diego-based Daasity , a startup working on data analytics for direct-to-consumer retailers, has raised $2.3M

Metrics 113

Metrics San Diego Venture Capital Commerce 113

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 18, 2022

Elder told TechCrunch that the company raised $7 million in a seed round, touting it as “one of the highest seed-stage valuations in its category” — he declined to divulge the number — to give the company nearly $10 million in total funding to date. This includes a $2 million pre-seed round from 2021.

Software Review 187

Software Review Metrics Startup Technical Review 187

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

First you need to take consolation from the fact that you are not alone, and more importantly you need to implement an active growth and marketing plan to include the following initiatives: Ramp-up visibility and strategic alliances. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Real growth always requires real marketing.

Startup 134

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

the most counter-intuitive fund-raising advice you’ll ever get I’m about to offer you some fund-raising advice that flies directly in the face of what most conventional wisdom will tell you. Let me start out with my premise: “Data rooms are where fund-raising processes go to die.” I mean, in a real fund-raising process?

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

To keep you out of this statistic, I recommend the following steps to all aspiring business owners as they step into this new and exciting world of managing your own business: Solidify your funding plan before you start spending. The remainder use outside funding, including crowdfunding, friends and family, banks, and investors.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

VC funding. Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles. Here’s what I believe, but won’t claim to “know” because every time I think I know something the market seems to do something entirely different. Money when you find product / market fit is an extreme differentiator.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” Market penetration. What does traction really mean to investors, and how much is enough? First of all, a definition. Customer acquisition cost.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 121

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

If the customer need is obvious and large, the calculated risk is in the quality of your solution, your team, and marketing. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. I like marketing plans that come from both inside and outside the box, but have milestones and measurements.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based Image Metrics (www.image-metrics.com) recently landed a $6.5M, Series B funding round for the firm's facial animation products. I was introduced to Image Metrics a year before I joined, and was helping them along. Editor's note: you can see Image Metrics "Emily" demo on their web site ).

Metrics 100

Metrics Startup Sales Newsletter 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2022

The challenge is that the future is much harder to quantify than existing competitor markets. Don’t let all the data you now have on the past keep you from listening for changes in the market. Sometimes you have to be willing to jeopardize current revenue streams to penetrate new markets or technologies.

Startup 154

Startup Artificial Inteligence Metrics Netflix 154

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2022

After many years in business, I’m convinced that none of us has the strengths and interest in all the areas needed for success, including solution changes, finance, marketing, and operations. Idea people often don’t get funded as entrepreneurs, because a new business is all about results, not just ideas.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

The global meat substitute market was valued at $4.51 Growing up with a father who was a food marketer, Boyd Myers said she saw firsthand what eating a diet of fast-food can do to a person and was always looking for more healthy food options that also had a positive benefit for the planet. AKUA co-founder and CEO Courtney Boyd Myers.

Startup 191

Startup Los Angeles Sample Funding 191

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Here are some basic principles from my own experience that will improve your odds and keep you on the right track: Recognize that you are not the market. Marketing is everything these days. On the average, it takes as long to build marketing momentum as it does to build the solution. Start selling it before you build it.

Customer 109

Customer Custom Satisfaction Sales 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. 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. Use social media for early marketing.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

For a new business, you can provide unique ingredients, but the preparation steps in your business plan must follow a tried and true recipe for startup success: Identify a market with a real need. You need a good cook, good marketing, and first-class service. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market.

Startup 112

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 112

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2020

Difficulty in securing and protecting funding. Even in the best of times, funding for change initiatives can become a tempting target. You need to maintain explicit C-suite and Board buy-in for constant transformation through effective communication, highlighting the struggles of peer businesses, and establishing the right metrics.

Metrics 122

Metrics Training Satisfaction IBM 122

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

After many years in business, working in large companies as well as startups, I’m no longer surprised at why mature and successful companies struggle with introducing innovative new ventures as the market and environment changes. Commit a source of internal or external seed funding. Assemble an engaged new venture advisory board.

Incubator 143

Incubator Seed Funding Metrics Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

They don’t realize that these are still rare, require a large risk, and may not be the best way to keep up with change in the market. As an alternative, I usually recommend more incremental innovation , derived from recognized market changes, done on a regular basis, without the big-bang expectation.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Los Angeles-based Signal Sciences (www.signalsciences.com), which develops web application firewall software, just inked a big, $35M series C funding round a few weeks ago, and now has plans to dramatically expand its hiring in Los Angeles. Were really focused on funding go-to-market and scaling out our marketing efforts.

Startup 113

Startup Funding Technical Review Software Review 113

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 16, 2008

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 -- Funding Early Stage Tech Companies. How will the stock market and possible recession impact early-stage company financing? What are the metrics investors look for today? Pasadena Angels. What companies and deals are most attractive to investors? Can you build a high growth startup inexpensively?

Company 100

Company Companies Funding Pasadena Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

If the customer need is obvious and large, the calculated risk is in the quality of your solution, your team, and marketing. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. I like marketing plans that come from both inside and outside the box, but have milestones and measurements.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 24, 2023

The focus at this level, primarily in companies that have a long history of success, usually in very stable markets, is to continue sustaining and exploiting existing advantages. I see this often in highly regulated markets, and ones driven by bureaucrats. Sustained executive sponsorship with funding.

Organization 111

Organization Activity Resource Examples 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Here are some basic principles from my own experience that will improve your odds and keep you on the right track: Recognize that you are not the market. Marketing is everything these days. On the average, it takes as long to build marketing momentum as it does to build the solution. Start selling it before you build it.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

First you need to take consolation from the fact that you are not alone, and more importantly you need to implement an active growth and marketing plan to include the following initiatives: Ramp-up visibility and strategic alliances. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Real growth always requires real marketing.

Search Engine Optimization 131

Search Engine Optimization Startup Social Media Metrics 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

get the attention of the market they choose. For example, if you are working on a great social networking idea to replace Facebook, and need funding, you probably won’t find any interested and focused VCs or angel investors in Arizona, where I live. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

For a new business, you can provide unique ingredients, but the preparation steps in your business plan must follow a tried and true recipe for startup success: Identify a market with a real need. You need a good cook, good marketing, and first-class service. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market.

Startup 156

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

When you are starting a new business, every resource is precious, including time, funding, and people. Some chaos is normal in every new business, but many wait far too long before they install metrics based on “best practices,” and fail to attack obvious bottlenecks with a vengeance. Ineffective and expensive marketing campaigns.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 25, 2015

Last night I wrote a post about how the fall in the stock market over a 3-day period may affect the venture capital markets. This morning the US stock markets are rallying. Let me give you the quick summary of what I said yesterday: Public markets affect venture funding. So now what? Equally importantly.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Summary 150