Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. I realized that he and I see several common patterns that account for a large percentage of new venture failures.

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Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC. In a very real sense, we funded him, and he superseded even IBM. Bill Gates , for example, shared a common curiosity and mentoring relationship with Warren Buffet, although their business domains were quite different.

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IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2022

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10 percent of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Startup 120

Startup Invest Equity Incubator 120

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 11, 2011

Co-creator of the Lotus Share platform, which powers the new Lotus Connections Files and Wikis components at IBM. There will be technical and product mentors there to help. Technical and product mentors are provided roaming across the entire place. Early designer of Paypal. Josh Woods: Senior Engineer at BetterWorks.

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Santa Monica Yammer Geni Southern California 72

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2022

Thus, ever after years as an executive in IBM and other companies, I’m still looking for the magic. We all wish it could be boiled down to a short list of actions, but we continue to be surprised and frustrated by new situations that seem to be beyond our thinking.

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Framework Organization IBM IBM 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10% of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Invest Incubator 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10 percent of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Invest 89

Invest Entrepreneur Startup Equity 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2019

Image via Pixabay Everyone has heard about the big potential for using artificial intelligence (AI) to expand your business, but many of the small businesses I mentor are still wary of embracing it, because they don’t understand how it works, and fear losing control and unintended consequences. The value of a human life cannot be compromised.

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Artificial Inteligence Help Examples Customer 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2010

Their goal is to gain career-critical experience while satisfying the predisposition to “create” in a small-team environment – something they can’t obtain interning for IBM or General Motors.

Competition 96

Competition Startup Technical Review IBM 96

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10% of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Startup 87

Startup Invest Incubator Ideas 87

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10% of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Startup 91

Startup Invest Incubator Ideas 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

Since there are no bellwethers like Apple or IBM in the startup arena, your best bet is to pick one in a business area you know well. Participate as a mentor in local startup incubators. Begin with perhaps 5-10% of your total investment base, and be prepared to lose it all. Start in a business domain you know well.

Invest 73

Invest Startup Equity Incubator 73

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

Their mission is designed to lead with a pay-if-forward model by providing expert coaching, pitch competition support, and a private community where entrepreneurs can meet mentors and connect with valuable resources. They also align with companies such as Amazon web services, IBM, and many others.

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Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 137

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2018

In one of my own stints as an executive in IBM, I found that putting a high-potential employee on my own staff for a few weeks was highly motivating and taught me the realities of senior management responsibilities better than any class could. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and most of us as managers focus only on weaknesses.

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Mentor IBM IBM Social Media 52

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Use mentoring to help people develop as your business develops. In one of my own positions as an executive in IBM, I found that putting a high-potential employee on my own staff for a few weeks was more effective, both short-term and long-term, in gaining me some work relief than any training class I could imagine.

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Resource Examples Design Entrepreneur 60

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2018

I made the jump myself from IBM several years ago, and now have a satisfying startup advising small businesses and mentoring entrepreneurs. I’ve accepted the challenge of being a bit more positive on how you can make the leap and enjoy it.

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Startup Technical Advisors Entrepreneur IBM 52

LATechDigest

JUNE 6, 2016

JJ Abrams Drops by AMPLIFY for a Mentor Talk ( link ). IBM WATSON Came to General Assembly. USC VITERBI Brings STEM to Underprivileged Students ( link ). ARENA VC Leads $1.5 Seed for Skyfit ( link ). MOBY Releases 4 Hour Ambient Music for Yoga, Meditation ( link ). SMASHD Hosted BossWomen in Venture. pic.twitter.com/yayenzrXDt.

Snapchat 40

Snapchat Pasadena Santa Monica LMU 40

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

[ Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories examining entrepreneurship on MIT’s campus and beyond. ]. MIT’s approach to nurturing entrepreneurship has changed a lot over the past 50 years.

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Startup Compton Research Technology 67

Eric Greenspan

APRIL 25, 2015

I put myself through college, landed a job with IBM, and learned about life. A friend I am mentoring who is in the beginning stages of building and hosting a TEDx event told me, “You’ve already done Chapter 7, so call it Chapter 8.” I was unstoppable and I achieved much. Found the 2 dogs great homes.

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Company Companies Writing Startup 213

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2013

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. Competing with IBM, Microsoft, and other large companies is a very difficult task. At the other extreme, too much confidence or arrogance can kill you just as fast.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network IBM 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” Competing with IBM, Microsoft, and other large companies is a very difficult task. Some startups think business plans are only for investors.

Startup 95

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2011

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. Competing with IBM, Microsoft, and other large companies is a very difficult task. At the other extreme, too much confidence or arrogance can kill you just as fast.

Startup 98

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2010

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” Competing with IBM, Microsoft, and other large companies is a very difficult task. Some startups think business plans are only for investors.

Startup 52

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 52