Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2023

Senior business leaders, for example, are unlikely to relate when you pitch your latest web app, highlighting the mashup technology, which you derived from early online social networking applications. Reduce litigation risks and support costs. Skip the acronyms and implementation details. Payback on investment.

Social Network 108

Social Network Training Startup Technology 108

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

He posted on several social networking sites the following message: If you know of a startup company that could benefit from the knowledge, experience, professional network and reputation of a globally recognized technology and innovation leader.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2013

So sites have to invest heavily in viral marketing to achieve critical mass, which competes with current social networks, while users expect to join both for free. It’s hard to invent and patent more “scientific” methods on how to match people. Social networks. Intellectual property is tough. So are customers.

Sites 86

Sites Social Network Networking Patents 86

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I challenge them to think beyond what I call linear extensions to a current trend, such as another “easier-to-use” app for smartphones, a new dating site for pets, or another niche social network. The difference relates to how you expect to get funding.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2011

So sites have to invest heavily in viral marketing to achieve critical mass, which competes with current social networks, while users expect to join both for free. It’s hard to invent and patent more “scientific” methods on how to match people. Social networks. Intellectual property is tough. So are customers.

Sites 91

Sites Social Network Competition Patents 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

I offer these pragmatic recommendations: Buffer your funding requirements. Consider both the money you need before funding, and the size of investor funding requests. Reserve the same names on the leading social networks and blogs. You should buffer the first by 50%, and the second by 25%.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2014

Senior business leaders, for example, are unlikely to relate when you pitch your latest web app that mashes up existing technology derived from early social-networking applications. Mashup probably reminds senior leaders of a train wreck, and social networking is still seen by many business executives as a frivolous waste of time.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Technology Startup 98

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

SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Senior business leaders, for example, are unlikely to relate when you pitch your latest web app, highlighting the mashup technology, which you derived from early online social networking applications. Reduce litigation risks and support costs. Skip the acronyms and implementation details. Payback on investment.

Social Network 91

Social Network Training Startup Technology 91

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2012

I offer these pragmatic recommendations: Buffer your funding requirements. Consider both the money you need before funding, and the size of investor funding requests. Reserve the same names on the leading social networks and blogs. You should buffer the first by 50%, and the second by 25%.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Social Network Startup Patents 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from Gust (formerly AngelSoft), only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2010

I offer these pragmatic recommendations: Buffer your funding requirements. Consider both the money you need before funding, and the size of investor funding requests. Reserve the same names on the leading social networks and blogs. You should buffer the first by 50%, and the second by 25%.

Guide 92

Guide Startup Social Network Patents 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

I offer these pragmatic recommendations: Buffer your funding requirements. Consider both the money you need before funding, and the size of investor funding requests. Reserve the same names on the leading social networks and blogs. You should buffer the first by 50%, and the second by 25%.

Tips 102

Tips Help Startup Blogging 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2012

Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. On the Internet, I would add new social networking sites, and new matchmaking sites. Financial risk. Very few businesses can be started without money. Operational risk. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Examples Social Network Marketing 108

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2010

It was funded in 2006 with about $8M in investments, and we were fortunate to have the benefit of that investment in the development of the intellectual property. We also assumed over 50 pending patents, from ten different patent families. Social networking sites, and even the general enterprise has need for this.

Technology 124

Technology Web Sites Orange County 124

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 11, 2012

At the point of payment or point of purchase, people should be able to connect to any payment instrument that allows them to call their preferred funding source and make a payment on any device, anywhere in the world, and choose to share that experience with the people they care and trust the most.

Software Review 92

Software Review Social Network Platform Technical Review 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2013

Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. On the Internet, I would add new social networking sites, and new matchmaking sites. Financial risk. Very few businesses can be started without money. Operational risk. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have neither, and choose to approach an investor, you will get no attention, and probably never again get a shot at funding with that investor. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Startup 104

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have neither, and choose to approach an investor, you will get no attention, and probably never again get a shot at funding with that investor. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Startup 101

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 101

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2010

We raised funding in September of 2009, about six months ago, raising $500,000 from private angel investors. Dave Waldman: While creating our email product, we'd done quite a bit of work on patenting the processes we were going through, and liked the concept of private messaging. How long has Bccthis been around?

Email 185

Email Startup Mobile Ideas 185

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010

Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. On the Internet, I would add new social networking sites, and new matchmaking sites. Financial risk. Very few businesses can be started without money. Operational risk. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 89

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

Every investor expects to see some traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have neither, and choose to approach an investor, you will get no attention, and probably never again get a shot at funding with that investor. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Tips 88

Tips Startup CTO Hire Press 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2016

Senior business leaders, for example, are unlikely to relate when you pitch your latest web app, highlighting the mashup technology, which you derived from early online social networking applications. Reduce litigation risks and support costs. Skip the acronyms and implementation details. Payback on investment.

Social Network 58

Social Network Startup Training Technology 58

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2010

So please don’t send me any more business plans along these lines, looking for investor funding, with no marketing budget, and promising huge returns. So sites have to invest heavily in viral marketing to achieve critical mass, which competes with current social networks, while users expect to join both for free.

Sites 49

Sites Social Network Statistics Patents 49

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2008

The firm's technology--which creates a 3D, virtual avatar from digital photos--was originally developed at the University of Southern California for the CIA, and was spun out into a venture funded company targeting the consumer market. For those not familiar with BigStage, tell us what the company is doing with your avatar technology?

Entertainment 100

Entertainment Clearstone Venture Capital Media 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. they released a new 2.0

Startup 248

Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

There was no viral social networking products back then like Twitter where people could easily discover your content. I had intended to talk about how bad the process could become, not to name-and-shame anybody (and The Funded was not yet around). I hadn’t thought about the fact that he would become aware of my link.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Startup 171

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2013

According to a recent MIT study , only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Startup 105

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 105

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Startup 103

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2023

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2012

According to a recent MIT study , only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Competition 94

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2018

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Guide 95

Guide Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 95

SoCal Delicious

MAY 6, 2012

Otis Chandler built Goodreads in 2006 because he believed in social networking and wanted to see what his friends were reading. Goodreads raised a Series A round of funding from True Ventures in the summer of 2009. The site has since grown to nearly 7.5 Brian Norgard – Co-founder of Chill. Julie Austin – Inventor of Swiggies.

Los Angeles 78

Los Angeles Entrepreneur Angel Fractional CTO 78

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2013

The hot term these days is “viral marketing”, meaning we won’t do any marketing, but our product is so great that everyone will know about us anyway by word of mouth and through Internet social networks. Your funding request will likely go into the circular file. No need to risk my own funds. We have no competitors.”

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network IBM 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The hot term these days is “viral marketing”, meaning we won’t do any marketing, but our product is so great that everyone will know about us anyway by word of mouth and through Internet social networks. Your funding request will likely go into the circular file. No need to risk my own funds. We have no competitors.”

Startup 95

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2011

The hot term these days is “viral marketing”, meaning we won’t do any marketing, but our product is so great that everyone will know about us anyway by word of mouth and through Internet social networks. Your funding request will likely go into the circular file. No need to risk my own funds. We have no competitors.”

Startup 98

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 98