SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. However, I’ve now begun questioning how and what an early-stage / startup CTO should be. What worries me a bit is how often I read that startups should hire a developer / hands-on lead developer. What technology research is required?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

socalTECH

JANUARY 30, 2013

StartEngine , the startup accelerator headed by Howard Marks, is launching its newest class of startups today in a private event in Santa Monica. The eight startups are pitching their investors to startups at CrossCampus in Santa Monica this afternoon. READ MORE>>.

Santa Monica 178

Santa Monica Startup Activision Commerce 178

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2010

The group--which was started by Richard Koffler and John Morris , two well known investors in Los Angeles--has been trying to help connect CEOs with interesting university and other technology projects. If an existing company is not interested in licensing, and a researcher is not an entrepreneurial spirit, those projects go no where.

Networking 215

Networking Research Startup USC 215

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2014

However, too often, entrepreneurs allow their non-work friendships to wither, as they struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with their family while nurturing their startups. 3) Friendship is based on mutual admiration and reciprocity, causing people to live up to their friends’ high regard. Be a mentor. Make a friend.

Mentor 220

Mentor Study Entrepreneur Startup 220

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

” Let’s start with “oversight.” ” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make. Next I’d research every VC in the country and find people who grew up in or near KC. “ Startup Advice'

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). I was telling him that it was much easier when I started because there were fewer deals, life was less public and somehow the world seemed to be spinning more slowly. I don’t.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

socalTECH

OCTOBER 27, 2011

Last week, a group of four angel investors here announced their plans to create a new, accelerator program to spur the creation of an entrepreneurial community in the area around new startups. We spoke with two of the founder of K5Launch, Amir Banifatemi and Kai Tao, to learn more about their efforts to start up its accelerator here.

Orange County 192

Orange County Southern California Startup Class 192

socalTECH

OCTOBER 24, 2011

One of the biggest complaints you hear from both entrepreneurs and investors in Los Angeles, is the lack of a credible, visible startup accelerator in the Los Angeles area. We caught up with Erik to hear more about MuckerLab, and its efforts to grow the Los Angeles technology ecosystem. Erik, thanks for the time.

Technical Advisors 176

Technical Advisors Startup Southern California Los Angeles 176

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Perhaps sparked by the recent pandemic, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Problems will occur in every startup, simply because you are stepping into uncharted territory.

Startup 135

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review 135

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

For today's interview, we spoke to Dave Eastman, the Director of the Viterbi Startup Garage, a startup incubator that is run by the University of Southern California, out of its location in Marina Del Rey. What is Viterbi Startup Garage? The Startup Garage is located physically in Marina Del Rey, in the twin tower on Admiralty.

Marina Del Rey 150

Marina Del Rey Startup USC Incubator 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

An underutilized, but valuable resource, every startup should investigate is a formal or informal connection to your alma mater, including any local university. Start by contacting the university outreach liaison, or a professor in your area of interest or expertise. Product research and prototype development. Building a team.

Incubator 172

Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2021

The challenge is to retain the same sense of urgency, energy, commitment, and readiness in a mature company that you felt during the startup stage. The best leaders are mentors to their team, and they are stewards of a company’s assets and vision. Set-up for success and don’t set-up for failure. Marty Zwilling.

Tips 170

Tips Startup Mentor Press 170

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. How did you start blogging? “My In 2004 / 2005 I was starting to get intrigued with user-generated content. was starting. You still need the presentation to back that up. Brad’s start in Venture Capital. Or, as always, summary notes available below.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

socalTECH

JUNE 7, 2010

USC said that the program aims to identify the "most exciting and game-changing ideas imagined in the minds of USC researchers." The Institute said the program will provide both funding and mentoring to student and faculty teams, with the aim of getting those teams investment funding within a year or so.

USC 207

USC Southern California Guide Ideas 207

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2015

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 108

Startup Social Network Mentor Entrepreneur 108

socalTECH

JANUARY 26, 2017

The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator Powered by Techstars has announced the next class of startups to join the healthcare accelerator, saying this morning that it has added eight startups to what will be the second class for the program. READ MORE>>.

Class 100

Class Startup Seed Funding Mentor 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often feel the frustration of someone trying to build a startup in the wrong place and time, and wrongly attributing their struggle to personal limitations. I saw these addressed well in a new book, “ The Startup Community Way ,” by Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway.

Resource 131

Resource Startup Capital Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

As an angel investor in early-stage startups, I’ve long noticed my peers apparent bias toward the strength and character of the founding entrepreneurs, often overriding a strong solution to a painful problem with a big opportunity. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

Entrepreneur 165

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to learn about business change, and the opportunities that may spring up at any moment.

Startup 142

Startup Case Study Course Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2019

In fact, according to the latest Index of Startup Activity by the Kauffman Foundation and recent press reports , these Baby Boomers are actually driving a new entrepreneurship boom. With longer life expectancies and greater health in later life, older generations are moving to start new firms -- and mentor young entrepreneurs.

Startup 119

Startup Technical Review Technical Support Entrepreneur 119

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

I think newer associates are surprised by how blunt we are with each other but I’ll always remember the words of my mentor our founding partner, Yves Sisteron, who said, “reciprocity makes for terrible investment decisions.” Sometimes this feedback is sufficient to start to erode his confidence in pursuing the deal.

Startup 150

Startup Venture Capital Invest Framework 150

Berkonomics

JANUARY 16, 2014

community in many ways, including his weekly Internet TV program on entrepreneurism, and participation in several mentoring programs. . Example: percent of ownership, officer/operational, director/board member… What are the parties willing to give up in return for the prospect of business success? Depending upon others Ignition!

Technical Review 204

Technical Review Startup Examples Metrics 204

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2015

Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to learn about business change, and the opportunities that may spring up at any moment.

Startup 103

Startup Case Study Entrepreneur Class 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

An underutilized, but valuable resource, every startup should investigate is a formal or informal connection to your alma mater, including any local university. Start by contacting the university outreach liaison, or a professor in your area of interest or expertise. Product research and prototype development. Building a team.

Startup 95

Startup Incubator Resource Mentor 95

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 16, 2013

Today’s startup innovators come from about six hours south of Silicon Valley. Fun Fact: One of the most prominent figures from their firm, Mark Suster t, runs a blog startups follow religiously. By bringing startup companies together with modern facilities and tools, Amplify LA is the engine that powers the cutting edge.

Startup 111

Startup Snapchat Venice Social Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Even though the color of their money is always green, all startup investors are not the same. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

One startup, SwoopThat (www.swoopthat.com)--started by a recent college grad Jonathan Simkin --has made it much easier to buy books for student, by pulling up books based on a student's schedule. You've got to find each one, and research them online. How did you come up with the web site?

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2010

The competition is set up to award $50,000 to the best team each year, and is also tied to a class on entrepreneurship for engineering students. What I thought we would do instead, was to try to come up with a business plan competition for only engineers and innovators that came through the engineering school.

Competition 154

Competition Southern California Mentor USC 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

As a startup advisor and investor, living in an area with several local universities, I’m continually surprised by how little many entrepreneurs know about the resources available from these institutions. Access to intellectual property and current research. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2010

A little known, but valuable resource, every startup should investigate is a formal or informal connection to your local university. Universities are brimming with new ideas from their students, their professors, and their own research, but need entrepreneurs from the real world to decide which ones are viable in the marketplace.

Help 94

Help Startup Mentor Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2012

These indicate that the correct icon for an entrepreneur may now have gray hair, rather than the warm glow of youth: The number of Baby Boomers starting a business from 1996 to 2011 rose nearly 7 percent, while the start-up rate by those aged 20 to 44 fell about 5 percent.

Startup 112

Startup Technical Review Technical Support Study 112

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2012

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 97

Startup Tips Social Network Mentor 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

I’ve extracted here some key ones relevant to startups entering the growth stage: Communication clarity is essential. Most startups begin first, and think about organization later. Delegation doesn’t work when you are creating your startup. They should voluntarily bow out early, to start another business.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2021

In my role as mentor to many of you aspiring entrepreneurs, I often find you convinced that all you need to start is a unique innovation or idea , and now you are ready to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride. Remember that being an entrepreneur is all about starting and running a business, after the initial invention.

Satisfaction 135

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 135