Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

conversation literally every week with startups. It is a truism that with more capital you will hire people more quickly and spend more liberally whether it’s on external contractors, PR firms, attending events, doing legal work (trademarks, patents) or whatever. million and in my second company we raised only $500,000 by choice.

Startup 292

Startup Software Review Pricing Entrepreneur 292

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

My advice with Elephants was that you need to take them head on in your first VC meeting because the VC is already thinking about the issue whether you bring it up or not. They are issues, though, that your VC would certainly find out during due diligence or at a minimum you’d be ethically obliged to tell them.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Examples 311

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2013

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Most technologists have little interest in the mechanics of starting and building a business. I usually envision a 50-50 ownership split for their efforts, but every engineer believes the technology side deserves the majority share. Fabulous solutions require great technology. New technology is so exciting it sells itself.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Angel 102

Angel Funding Slides Technical Review 102

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2017

As a starting point the board is intended to have legal and financial responsibilities to a few key constituencies: shareholders, debt holders, creditors, employees, government and major parties with whom the business operates. And of course we help with business development introductions and with fund raising events.

Startup 217

Startup Technical Review Equity Report 217

socalTECH

AUGUST 18, 2017

Last week, Pasadena-based Ocular Data Systems (www.oculardatasystems.com) announced a funding round from the Pasadena Angels, for its camera-based systems used by law enforcement to capture evidence in drunk or drugged driving cases. For the first time, in a long time, traffic deaths and crashes are rising, due to drunk and drugged driving.

Pasadena Angels 100

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Technical Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

They also look for entrepreneurs they know from past experience and warm introductions, or for evidence that you have previously built a successful startup, and sold your last one for maybe $800 million. Every pitch should start with a concise statement of the problem and your innovative solution.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

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. are eliminated during due diligence. Line up an experienced team. Build a prototype product.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2018

They also look for entrepreneurs they know from past experience and warm introductions, or for evidence that you have previously built a successful startup, and sold your last one for maybe $800 million. Every pitch should start with a concise statement of the problem and your innovative solution.

Funding 62

Funding Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 62

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

A friend recently asked me to give his startup-minded daughter some advice to help her vet undergraduate entrepreneurial programs. In my role as a Professor of Practice within UC Santa Barbara’s entrepreneurial Technology Management Program (TMP), I have worked with approximately 8,000 students over a ten year period.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Class Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype.

Technical Review 95

Technical Review Startup Equity Entrepreneur 95

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Too Techie - Tone down emphasis on the technology underlying your venture; an interested investor will perform tech diligence at the appropriate time. No VC Fit - Match your venture with appropriate funding source. Patents and Trademarks. Follow my startup-oriented Twitter feed here: @johngreathouse.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Summary Technical Review Template 211

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Slides 105

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Angel investors are still the lifeblood of early-stage startups, despite the surge of activity in crowdfunding and an increasing early interest from venture capitalists. Contrary to a popular myth, angels don’t fund dreams. A business needs technical, marketing, financial and many other skills.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

socalTECH

MAY 14, 2010

Clearly, 2009 was not a good year, from the perspective of the technology innovation ecosystem. That was primarily driven by the economy; when the economy is down, investments are down, and it is increasingly difficult to d a startup. For OCTANe to be successful, we want to see our technology ecosystem grow.

OCTANE 174

OCTANE Orange County Technical Review Southern California 174

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 3, 2015

I often write about the best strategies for startup fundraising or how to manage startup financing and optimize for growth. Equally important, is an area many startup founders don’t always prioritize: choosing the right service providers and understanding the value they can bring, especially to early-stage startups.

Startup 40

Startup Outsource Development IP Outsource 40

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 18, 2015

No one likes to talk about it, but the odds of an individual startup making it are pretty daunting. Startup Killers. This might be tough to stomach, but founders themselves pose the greatest threats to the viability of their startups. Protect your IP : Patents are the gold standard. Choosing the wrong co-founder (s).

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Software Review Startup IP 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Equity 102

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

On December 2nd, 2006 I wrote the blog post published later in this post when I was CEO of startup Koral about my experiences in pitching VCs. This blog post ended up on Valleywag (which had much bigger presence back then). Anyway, the starting point for this blog entry is a cartoon I remember reading in the New Yorker.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2016

In fact, investors recognize that founders usually learn more from mistakes than from success, so a well-explained startup failure can improve their odds of funding the next time around. As an active angel investor and startup advisor, I’ve seen many of the same stumbling blocks repeated all too many times.

Startup 59

Startup Training Entrepreneur Customer 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

Skip the fuzzy marketing terms, such as "easier to use," "lower cost" and "disruptive technology." " 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.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

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. are eliminated during due diligence. Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners. Allows sufficient time to find capital, including due diligence time for investors. Values intellectual property.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2012

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Tips 97

Tips Slides Technical Review Startup 97

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2014

We caught up with one of the local teams competing in that competition, VOXearch (www.voxearch.com), to learn more about the prize as well as their specific approach to the competition. Mike Outmesguine: We''re one of about thirty teams left in the challenge, out of more than 300 that signed up last August.

Startup 262

Startup Competition Software Review UCLA 262

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Aspiring entrepreneurs often ask me what to do first when starting a business. In fact, ideas are a commodity and by themselves won’t generate any funding interest, outside the context of a leader who can execute. Start with the simplest legal entity, to minimize liability and taxes.

Entrepreneur 59

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Ideas 59

socalTECH

AUGUST 18, 2009

In the recent surge in interest in the clean technology and energy investment area, we're constantly surprised by the number of startups in the area focused on some aspect of the industry. Let's start on the technology side--can you tell us about the technology, and its origins?

UCLA 159

UCLA Technical Review El Monte Startup 159

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 4, 2014

It’s almost been a work week since Techzulu and Gadget Review’s REACH | The Connected Future and we’re still reeling with excitement. Today, the conversation on Cleantech with a panel of entreprenurs, doing work as local VC’s, university, incubators, and startups. Technology Drives Carbon Reduction.

UCLA 99

UCLA Technical Review Software Review Incubator 99

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 25, 2011

The round was led by Don Walerstein, founding partner of entertainment law firm Rohner & Walerstein, and included Los Angeles investor Bradley Maryman, founder and president of international security and technical consulting firm Maryman & Associates.

Twiistup 45

Twiistup Angel Technical Review Software Review 45

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners. Allows sufficient time to find capital, including due diligence time for investors. Values intellectual property.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2013

In the world of mobile app and Internet startups, it''s not that often that you see companies who touch the hardware side of the world get funding nowadays. The firm recently raised a $15M series C funding, and we caught up with Kevin to learn more about why its customers, and investors, are interested in its technology.

Technical Review 213

Technical Review Software Review Networking Technology 213

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2011

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Slides 95

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 95

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2009

A few weeks ago, we were surprised to run into a new launch of a semiconductor startup. For starters, let's talk about your technology. We've kept under the radar, primarily because for the first twenty months of the company's life, I funded the company myself. We're now funded by a bunch of angels.

Patents 100

Patents Sample Technical Review Pricing 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners. Allows sufficient time to find capital, including due diligence time for investors. Values intellectual property.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. Later he posted about his experience in Challenges of Startups.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170