Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like the BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this Forbes article. You need funding, and plan to get it from friends and family.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. Yet I continue to get funding requests that never mention any specific plans or costs to be associated with these elements.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Of the 80 companies that have completed the program since its 2007 inception, 49 have received funding, 8 have been acquired and 8 have ceased operations. Writing a book is very different from writing a blog. One, I wanted to know what it was like to write a book. There were a couple motivations.

Venture Capital 224

Venture Capital Writing Entrepreneur Blogging 224

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

In the original version of his post, Andy writes. Most top tier VCs return about 3x invested capital and outlier funds (the best of a vintage) might return 6-8x. It’s true this was much bigger in the dot com era but I’ve studied the data and know that over the past decade these numbers are right. billion in returns.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 22, 2014

You recently conducted a pilot study. Can you share with us how the learnings of this pilot study impacted your strategy? HV: It was a research study that was conducted through USC, but the sites were at the Oasis Active Adults Community and we also worked with the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing.

USC 104

USC Southern California Activity Study 104

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

As of writing, my twin and I serve as the Co-CEOs and Co-Presidents at LAGbook. Who are your mentors, role models? We don’t have mentors at the moment. Students have to register with their matriculation numbers, and supply upon registration, their course of study, faculty, department, mode of entry, year of entry etc.

Social Network 100

Social Network Networking Advertising Startup 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

The second is that they are usually very experienced operators that can mentor the founding team. I think when you choose an independent board member you should be thinking about somebody who can mentor you. 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

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. a couple of people that worked for Softbank plus me got together and with sponsorships from Softbank created a separate venture fund.”. And that that cycle continues so as the early stage first time entrepreneurs get experience…” “They turn into the mentors for the next generation.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

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. Equally, put away your computer, your iPad or whatever other electronic device you use unless it’s 100% in note-taking mode and you’re using a stylus to write. The thing is?—?no You don’t have to have an opinion on every topic.

Startup 251

Startup Help Technical Review Writing 251

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

Welcome to the Lost Decade (for Entrepreneurs, IPO’s and VC’s) - Steve Blank , July 15, 2010 If you take funding from a venture capital firm or angel investor and want to build a large, enduring company (rather than sell it to the highest bidder), this isn’t the decade to do it. graph consists of a set of nodes connected by edges.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217