Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

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. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

In a bear market executives are paid to: consolidate the number of contracts and renegotiate prices. A seed deal hasn’t already been “priced up” to a range where a new investor might be concerned about the valuation relative to performance. Valuations may have changed and “price discovery” in private markets is harder to determine.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. When I meet other VCs I’m constantly asking how they decide which investments to make, when to pass, when to do follow-on rounds, when to sell a company vs. when to go long, etc.

Startup 407

Startup Framework CTO Coach Sales 407

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. With this model, a startup pre-sells their product early, at a cheaper price, in exchange for a pledge. In the U.S.,

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

For example, many investors I know tell me they look for business plans that allocate the largest portion of a requested investment to marketing, but most often see the top “ use of funds ” to be further product or service development. Show customers how you bring more value to them. Seek out people who are already known in your space.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

With the current volatile economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. You may no longer have the option of investing all earnings into growth, or servicing your special corporate cause. What price are you willing and ready to pay for funding?

Funding 104

Funding Summary Entrepreneur Acquisition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2017

I was mentoring some graduate students at a local university recently, and I sensed again that profit seems to be a dirty word these days to many aspiring entrepreneurs. The alternatives range from giving the product away for free (revenue from ads), to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing).

Pricing 66

Pricing Customer Custom Advertising 66

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Get connected to the right mentors and your business may catapult to the next level. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program? Backstopping is when banks feel they are protected by VC’s investing in the company. The answer?

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2019

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. You may no longer have the option of investing all earnings into growth, or servicing your special corporate cause. What price are you willing and ready to pay for funding?

Summary 121

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In the short term you need customers to find you at any price, and in the longer term you need revenue, profit, and return loyalty. In a larger public company, it’s all about making your quarterly numbers, versus investing in strategic growth alternatives that may not pay off until several quarters later.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I’m super excited to announce that GRP Partners led the investment in Ethan Anderson’s new company MyTime (link has LA-based merchants but will give you a good feel for the product). I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. Let me not bury the lede. The company was called Red Beacon.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

This is a relatively new term loosely applied to angels who invest their own money in a portfolio of startups (typically 20 or more) and are willing to lead multiple rounds, usually starting with a seed round. These funders often offer convertible notes, rather than the traditional priced equity. A micro venture capital firm.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

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. For inspiration, I recommend you watch a few episodes of the Shark Tank TV series, where entrepreneurs pitch their wares, looking for an investment and national visibility for their product or service.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2012

As the founder of an accelerator, I'm constantly being approached by ambitious people with big ideas, and generally we invest in 1/100th of what comes to us. This year, we were lucky enough to find 40 great startups to invest in, growing StartEngine immensely. I also think it's going to have legs - it won't be some passing fancy.

Southern California 168

Southern California High Tech SaaS Social Media 168

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. With this model, a startup pre-sells their product early, at a cheaper price, in exchange for a pledge. In the U.S.,

Venture Capital 108

Venture Capital Angel Satisfaction Equity 108

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

Most top tier VCs return about 3x invested capital and outlier funds (the best of a vintage) might return 6-8x. But the larger funds usually have lower returns because they are often investing bigger dollars at later stages with less risk and therefore lower returns. That would mean 6 firms drive $24.5 billion in returns. Yeah, true.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2019

Be willing to invest in effort, before expecting results. Every business owner understands the need for making an investment first, before realizing any return or instant gratification. Your boss will see more value in you, you will learn more, and have more fun. Accept and capitalize on change.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Startup Satisfaction Customer 75

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. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

In essence, as a contractor, you are a consultant who is competing regularly for new work, and you constantly have to differentiate your offering from other candidates, including price. Pick your niche, and continually invest in improving your expertise and keeping up with trends.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Yet, in my experience as a mentor to entrepreneurs, the majority of failures I see are related to starting and growing the business, not developing the solution. A successful business requires focus – define the customer need with a specific solution for a specific price and cost. Treat every business dollar as a personal one.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2013

The issue in these cases was usually not the technology per se, but the bigger business picture of marketable prices, ease of use, and support infrastructures. Even the best have mentors they really use. A mentor is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, while friends and associates often tell you what you want to hear.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Startup 101

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. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

socalTECH

OCTOBER 26, 2015

We have about 350, nationally certified, trainers on the platform, all vetted internally by us, and by our mentor network. Jonathan Kohn: I'm a former investment banker turned personal trainer. The difficulty is convincing people that one on one attention can be had at an affordable price. How did you start the company?

Training 100

Training Startup Orange County Malibu 100

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. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2009

But if you have approached a senior member of your industry and if they’re on 4 advisory boards, have done 3 angel investments and probably have a full time gig themselves – it is hard to really get into the details of your company. At a minimum their angel investments will likely take precedence. Too much effort.

Startup 306

Startup Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 306

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 2, 2011

Let’s be honest – as professional investors we have ALL been to meetings with other groups of investors where we talk about whether there’s a bubble, price creep, etc. They could chat about it with their peers or mentors. Should entrepreneurs have convertible debt or priced equity? Same thing.

Email 287

Email Blogging Venture Capital Writing 287

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2018

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. You may no longer have the option of investing all earnings into growth, or servicing your special corporate cause. What price are you willing and ready to pay for funding?

Summary 79

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 79

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

Bring in expert advisors and mentors to set initial goals, and build recovery plans. No matter how great your solution, it takes real marketing effort, content and investment to get attention these days. Don’t wait for your worst case scenario where no customers show up, and expect that slashing the price will solve the problem.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105

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.” No less than Fred Wilson has credited Carlota’s work with having a major influence on his investment strategy at USV.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Mark Evans , founder of NetPlenish (a 500 Startups company), a price comparison and shopping subscription tool that helps you replenish the items you use on a daily basis. They talked about the day-to-day experiences and overall their biggest value points from their time and money investment.

Incubator 107

Incubator Startup Mentor Entrepreneur 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2015

With the uptick in the economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. You may no longer have the option of investing all earnings into growth, or servicing your special corporate cause. What price are you willing and ready to pay for funding?

Funding 102

Funding Summary Startup Entrepreneur 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2014

With the uptick in the economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. You may no longer have the option of investing all earnings into growth, or servicing your special corporate cause. What price are you willing and ready to pay for funding?

Funding 98

Funding Startup Entrepreneur Summary 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

Many business executives and entrepreneurs I know are convinced that business success is all about having the right solution for the right price. Thus most investors I know claim to invest in the person, rather than the product.

Software Review 57

Software Review Technical Review Startup Press 57