SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. What are the biggest areas of technical risk? What technology research is required? What technologies will we use? What specific technical innovations might make sense?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

Google , for example, was not the first Internet search provider (think Yahoo!, AltaVista, InfoSeek and others), but according to Investopedia , Google was the first to really monetize search. As a result, Google has become a verb, and the company is a tech giant with record growth rates and a revenue of $74.5

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

The law of large numbers, platforms that can make your company blow up unexpectedly and the trendy nature of tech markets can be deceiving. It’s ok to live-and-die by Google early. Or app companies that went viral due to spammy friend requests to download in an app store only to have a community backlash and subsequent crash.

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

Most business metrics I see compare current performance to your own previous experience, rather than your performance compared to industry standards and competitors. You may be continually improving, yet falling behind due to higher rates of growth by new competitors. Look for other unsolved problems for a new legacy.

Metrics 71

Metrics Training Netflix Resource 71

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

The Dashboard offers a bird's-eye view of projects, letting you see key metrics such as due dates, assigned cards, and cards-per-list so bottlenecks can be prevented before they begin. The Calendar displays start dates, due dates, and advanced checklist items at-a-glance so you can see exactly what needs doing and when.

Software Review 149

Software Review Guide Technical Review Class 149

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

I found another name for this low-tech form of long distance TV show sharing in the New York Times: “sync-watching.” Beyond a simple phone call, far-flung friends are using any technical means possible—like Skype and live tweeting—to duplicate that cozy experience of sitting in front of the same TV together. See how it works here.).

Technical Review 40

Technical Review News Social Media Startup 40

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

It’s the only site aside from Google I go to every single day so that I don’t miss out on an incredible offer. To prove that point, tonight I had the privilege of hearing him speak at Lean LA , a Los Angeles group that helps high tech start-ups build great companies on a budget. Noah has what I believe he called “Thank You metrics”.

Metrics 87

Metrics Email Startup Technical Review 87

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 13, 2013

The nuts and bolts of our tech company is that CMS in the middle, the connection engine. When I went full-time, I did not have the full-time support on the tech side I wanted. So, I have no tech support right now. Which I have shown to do, but anybody who invests in tech, invests in team. It’s a huge challenge for me.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Mobile Startup Los Angeles 87

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 115

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2014

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Startup 108

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 108

Jason Nazar

MAY 1, 2016

I’ve been a part of dozens (maybe hundreds) of product launches And in each of these cases I ask my team to put together a simple dashboard of a small set of metrics for our paid and free products that let me know the success of our efforts. For startup entrepreneurs, you can also track these metrics with Google analytics.

Marketing 40

Marketing CPC Metrics .Net 40

Jason Nazar

NOVEMBER 1, 2015

I’ve been a part of dozens (maybe hundreds) of product launches And in each of these cases I ask my team to put together a simple dashboard of a small set of metrics for our paid and free products that let me know the success of our efforts. For startup entrepreneurs, you can also track these metrics with Google analytics.

Marketing 40

Marketing CPC Metrics .Net 40

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Startup 113

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Resource 64

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 64

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2013

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Startup 101

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2017

Of course, nobody really knows all of what tomorrow will bring, in terms of globalization, digital technology, or demographic shifts, but most experts agree that certain elements are already obvious, and things must be done today to get your business ready in time. Data technology facilitates more fact-based decisions.

Company 55

Company Companies Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 55

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Include planned measurements and metrics. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Include planned measurements and metrics. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. While Google and Facebook will buy “acquihires” (at least as of Dec 2011), many acquirers hate the idea of buying companies that aren’t profitable. You may have leverage when you DO need to fund raise.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Include planned measurements and metrics. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process.

Tips 93

Tips Search Engine Optimization Summary Startup 93

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 29, 2014

Using transactional business data like simple website traffic, sales metrics, social interactions, ad conversions, and employee performance statistics, Freshplum helps firms forecast demand, optimize the timing of supply shipments, and cut prizes among others resulting into revenue growth. This is just a small subset of the data provided.

Sales 77

Sales Statistics IBM IBM 77

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

Recent reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Include planned measurements and metrics. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Search Engine Optimization Summary 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. It depends on the business, people, technologies, etc. Each situation is just a bit different.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. The metrics were good but we wondered how much better they would be when we expanded our product.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2008

You can link profiles together, rate and review companies, and reach outside companies with links. It's just a matter of time--when someone goes to Google and searches for a ball bearing, that search will be dominated by our content. in angel capital from the Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels, and other unaffiliated angels.

SEO 100

SEO Advertising Gogii Tech Coast Angels 100

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

It is what is commonly referred to as “vanity metrics” as in, “Look at how many more followers I got us! But until recently we had not made these tools available to non-technical people – namely marketers who want to control their campaigns without necessarily wanting to call in the IT team to implement tools.

Marketing 307

Marketing Technical Review Startup Tool 307

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us. This world of local meets retail meets digital advertising portends to technology disruption and with it VC opportunities.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Capital Technical Review Startup 347