Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2014

It’s not hard to find people willing to write the narrative that “venture capital is not an asset class” or “venture capital has performed terribly.” I hope to publish that deck and a full write up in the next 10 days in partnership with Dan Primack at Fortune (if my write up doesn’t suck, I guess ;-)).

Venture Capital 362

Venture Capital Capital Startup Writing 362

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

Burstly, a Santa Monica based company, provides an open and free ad management platform that helps mobile application developers better monetize their inventory. As I naturally get asked all the time why we invested in Company A or Company B, I thought I’d just put forth my thesis in writing. The world is going mobile.

Mobile 282

Mobile Invest Company Companies 282

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

The SPAC attack began in September when an electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint struck a deal to merge with special-purpose acquisition company Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation, with a market valuation of $2.4 “The writing is on the wall and the investors have to take the time.

Company 363

Company Companies Acquisition Equity 363

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

15 years ago we were at the peak of Internet hype with the launch of many over-capitalized businesses with a market size & opportunity was limited. Always-on connectivity of mobile (164m US smartphone users). The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). Where are we today?

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

Value Prop Twitter Style : “Ringrevenue’s call performance marketing platform enables ad networks, agencies, advertisers & publishers to generate more inbound sales calls.”. In today’s market, so much focus is placed on transacting business online. 10) Rob, why does the world need RingRevenue? . “In

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 23, 2020

Popular programs like Opportunity Zones, New Market Tax Credits and Community Development Finance Institutions could be used to boost the government’s commitment with private capital, the plan’s authors argue. “Startups and small businesses are the engine of every local and regional economy,” writes Peterson.

Southern California 261

Southern California Los Angeles Rosemead Incubator 261

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 19, 2012

“The rise of couponing in late 2008 coincided with the recession of the late 2000s;” this factor combined with an increased consumer interest in mobile technology and devices led to an unprecedented decline in print media. Due to the combination of these factors, marketers began to more heavily fund digital platforms.

Mobile 85

Mobile Software Review Statistics Technical Review 85

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

This is a post I’ve been dying to write for 18 months. I invested in LA-based Gogii , one of the fastest growing, most exciting mobile social networking companies you’ve never heard of and maker of a product called textPlus. OK, that sounds like an interesting business, but nothing to write a freakin’ blog post about?

Gogii 310

Gogii Invest Blogging Startup 310

TechCrunch LA

MAY 17, 2019

Ficto is bringing to market adaptations of bestselling books and original productions which will be released with theatrical films and has plans in the pipeline for other forms of scripted and unscripted entertainment. Both Quibi and Ficto see short form as a way to break through with a new kind of storytelling built for mobile media first.

Services 167

Services Report Netflix Content 167

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

We spoke with one of those companies-- El Segundo-based ConsumerTrack (www.consumertrack.com)--which is a $30M, bootstrapped an online marketing company which is driving millions of customers to big name, financial customers. Brett Rossman: ConsumerTrack is a performance-based, online marketing company. What is ConsumerTrack all about?

Startup 239

Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 14, 2014

All the data actually suggests with the growth of mobile, inbound sales calls will double from 30 billion to 60 billion in 3 years (source: Kelsey). In fact 61% of all mobile searches where a customer contacts a business it is via a phone call (source: Google). Calls are changing but not dying. Much more data in the full post.

Email 339

Email SaaS Venture Capital Google 339

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2019

For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive. A balance of conventional and social communication and marketing is always advised. Communication and writing skills are required. Attracting key stakeholders requires sensitivity.

Social Media 79

Social Media Media Invest Platform 79

socalTECH

OCTOBER 23, 2013

To hear about how the company decided to expand into the market, we caught up with CEO Loren Bendele to learn more about its new grocery store coupon app, Favado (www.favado.com). loren bendele savings mobile favado coupon grocery shopping shopper bargain couponing' Explain what Favado is all about? more) READ MORE>>.

Mobile 140

Mobile Sales Startup Sites 140

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know that you can use an email system with this to track my open rate, whether I forwarded the email, the IP address where I read it, whether I was on a mobile device or a wired computer and you can tell who else read the document. Competition isn’t won or lost by your marketing decks?—?it’s What should be in your deck?

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

So why is online video such an attractive market to build a startup? These markets represent about $600 billion of total spend between them, leaving tons of opportunities for startups to disrupt and grow large. And ironically many consumer mobile apps are more of hits-driven businesses than video is today.

Company 339

Company Companies Technical Review Content 339

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

Go Trexx (www.gotrexx.com), which is based in Mission Viejo, think it's by engaging kids with mobile applications which provide background information, helps to build excitement, and gets kids involved in traveling to different destinations. Samantha Lurey: Our first product shipped in May, and we now have five towns in the market.

Guide 232

Guide Framework Mobile Startup 232

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2013

For those who still don’t know the origins, the Harlem Shake started as a small skit from a YouTuber named Filthy Frank (10 million views as of this writing) on January 30, 2013. As of this writing nearly 50,000 versions have been created and uploaded and watched by some 200,000,000 people. I repeat – free marketing.

Startup 380

Startup Media Content Platform 380

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2017

For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive. A balance of conventional and social communication and marketing is always advised. Communication and writing skills are required. Attracting key stakeholders requires sensitivity.

Social Media 66

Social Media Media Tips Platform 66

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2011

Lahman is also one of the co-founders of JAMDAT Mobile, the immensely successful developer of mobile games, which had an IPO in 2004, and eventually became part of Electronic Arts in 2006. We spoke with Scott about GOGII and textPlus, the shifting mobile market, and also what lessons he's applied to his new startup.

Gogii 200

Gogii Mobile Activision Electronic Arts 200

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Think of web vs. mobile. SEO marketing vs. social marketing. and I realized that without years of experience it is tough to answer this question. Most VCs are book smart. Traditional software vs. SaaS.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 17, 2019

Catch up by reading the first edition here or check out last week’s edition , which offered the gamut of mobility news from Lyft and Bird to Waymo’s laser bears and cybersecurity. Keep it coming. Never heard of TechCrunch’s Transportation Weekly? As I’ve written before, consider this a soft launch.

San Fernando 217

San Fernando Los Angeles Commerce News 217

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

While many of my friends bragged about their 5 condos in Florida I kept talking about how the real estate market was in a bubble – their gains an illusion. above inflation yet in many markets in the US & Europe prices were rising at 10-25% per year. “Yeah, but there is a shortage of supply.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2011

That would also give them one, unified platform for Facebook on the web, mobile tablet platforms, and so on, so that every time they release a new version of their platform it will work on every mobile phone, whether that was Android, Windows, or Blackberry. It seems a logical market to exploit and to try and do something.

Activision 217

Activision Platform Startup Mobile 217

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

Fred has of course been a public mentor to us all with his market-defining terminology that he popularized including “freemium” and “mobile first.” You need to invest in good markets and bad. You can’t time VC investing markets. I remember writing about online video nearly 5 years ago.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive. A balance of conventional and social communication and marketing is always advised. Communication and writing skills are required. Attracting key stakeholders requires sensitivity.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 15, 2012

It is stunning to think about the blind spots that market leaders can develop. For years Palm had such a significant lead in the PDA market it seemed inconceivable that they would be replaced. Mobile email without getting out my laptop and connecting to the Internet? And as market enthusiasts we all want strong competition.

Email 386

Email Startup Marketing Competition 386

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

I think this is a combination of being realists as venture capitalists that outsized returns in our funds must come from taking on bigger, more impactful projects that can move markets. uBeam intends to charge your mobile phones at amazing speeds while you are simply using your phone or setting it down anywhere.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

SoCal CTO

MARCH 18, 2010

In addition to we’re taking GumGum and their very cool advertising opportunities to market. Vince: In addition to my management writing I’ve interview many CEOs and innovators. I’d love to get your thoughts at some point about writing for these publications vs. on your own blog. Example here: [link]. The client has to win.I

Startup 225

Startup Los Angeles Social Network Twiistup 225

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 1, 2011

Synhergy Marketing originally was a company setup to be a full service marketing company for the entertainment industry – the record label, the webzine, everything you would need as an artist. They put together and launched a new website, and Synhergy began opening up their marketing strategies to brands of all kinds.

Social Media 99

Social Media Startup Media Writing 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2017

For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive. A balance of conventional and social communication and marketing is always advised. Use strong communication and writing skills. Attract key stakeholders with sensitivity.

Social Media 58

Social Media Media Platform Tool 58

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2010

The VC’s & executives were then asked to make “commitments&# (in writing) to 3-5 of the companies that they felt they could make some sort of contribution to. They have developed a cloud-based platform for merchants to publish to multiple distribution networks, including social, mobile and email.

Company 276

Company Companies Startup Southern California 276

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

I’m writing this post to make sure you’re all on that same playing field. One of our core tasks was “market analysis,&# which consistent of: market sizing, market forecasts, competitive analysis and then instructing customers on which direction to take. So, where is this all coming from, Mark?

Statistics 415

Statistics Startup Report Research 415

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

We are bridging the gap between casual, self service dating apps, and traditional matchmaking, and doing it for business professionals in the dating market. Right now, there are no real efficient products in the dating market. We've taken matchmaking onto a mobile application, as a modern matchmaking company.

Startup 203

Startup Entrepreneur Southern California Netflix 203

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 19, 2014

Here’s a simple historic lineage of the changing forms of correspondence over time: Writing Letters -> Telegraph (Morse Code) -> Typewriters -> PCs -> Word processors (spell check) -> Email -> SMS (word prediction and error correction) -> IM. Next came mobility: being able to correspond while on the go.

Writing 101

Writing Email Mobile Summary 101

InfoChachkie

APRIL 16, 2012

Steve is also a Stanford Professor and noted marketing entrepreneur. Large companies write business plans, why of course, that’s the organizing document for a startup. Yet we took this document, the business plan, because we knew nothing else and said, ‘Go write one of these.’. That was the implicit statement.

Startup 229

Startup Class Press Custom Development 229

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Are you cynical about their chances in the market just because they seem to be hot in the press and that bugs you? Albert Wenger from Union Square Ventures wrote a great post the other day that reminded me I’ve been meaning to write about this topic. It’s just a fad propped up by the Silicon Valley elite marketing machine.”

Startup 313

Startup Press Writing News 313

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2010

For our interview today, we caught up with Al Eisaian , CEO of Pasadena-based IconApps (www.iconapps.com), which is developing mobile applications for the iPhone market. Al Eisaian: IconApps is built around simplifying people's lives through mobile technology. We caught up with Al recently to hear about his latest startup.

Mobile 168

Mobile .Net Pasadena Software Review 168