Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

There are lots of resources available for the challenge of that activity, including the Internet and mentors like me. Some dreams sound great, but may not yet be viable or proven with today’s technology. Any startup with no patents, trade secrets, or other secret sauce is very high risk today.

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Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

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. Examples I have seen include atomic battery technology, or how marine algae could help feed the world.

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Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

I’m a total believer in servant leadership and mentoring others, but nobody wins when you are in charge as an entrepreneur, and the business fails because you didn’t do your job. Use technology and tools, but don’t let them sink you. Prioritize your tasks ahead of helping others with theirs.

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Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

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Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” I hear it when I visit LPs (the people who invest in VCs) all across the country, “Yeah, I haven’t been out there for a few years but I keep hearing that something is going on there.” billion in venture capital to LA’s technology startups and 2014 will shatter that figure. acquired Overture for $1.63

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Look hard at the technology for feasibility and risk. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks.

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Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

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. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost.

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Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Look hard at the technology for feasibility and risk. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks.

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Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Finally I realized that Venture Capital and Angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Look hard at the technology for feasibility and risk. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks.

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

Lita Nelsen has seen it up close—and played a part in its evolution—from her studies there in the 1960s, to her business-school fellowship in the late 1970s, to her 30 years working in MIT’s Technology Licensing Office. Now, her career has come to a close. LN: Right, he came on a sabbatical year.

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Startup Compton Research Technology 67

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2012

In college at the California Institute of Technology, he patented a new loudspeaker design and formed GNP Loudspeakers, Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology and of the Art Center College of Design. in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Idealab 84

Idealab Tech Coast Angels CalTech Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2020

In my experience as a business mentor, one of the biggest challenges I see is a failure to focus. Here are the key elements that I look for as an entrepreneur mentor, as indications of a top level of focus: Willing to share your personal story to build credibility. Demonstrate real knowledge of your market and competitors.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Startup Patents Resource 126

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

The interview was wide ranging and discussed everything from USVs investment thesis over the past 10 years to what some emerging themes are around blockchain and artificial intelligence. The founding partner of Upfront, Yves Sisteron, has been a mentor for me since 1999 and was on the board of my first company.

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Venture Capital Artificial Inteligence Invest Funding 150

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. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurs who utter this line are kidding themselves.

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.” Another variation on this theme is the person who creates a “solution” from technology, and then makes up a “problem” that it will solve.

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. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurs who utter this line are kidding themselves.

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.” Another variation on this theme is the person who creates a “solution” from technology, and then makes up a “problem” that it will solve.

Startup 52

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 52