Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Even bigger is the desire to stick one’s middle finger up at all of the people who doubted you all along. We checked patents. She has never given up despite setbacks. Could you withstand the public scrutiny every day of being a young tech founder and show up every morning filled with enthusiasm? I was not fried.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Like Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and Larry Ellison, he is one of the few startup Founders who remained at the helm of their respective companies throughout their entire maturation process. Great Startup Ideas Come From Everywhere. "At One Of The Most Important Startup Skills. "The " [Tweet this quote].

Tips 275

Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

One of the readers asked my opinion around sharing your startup concept: My first question has always been - how do you protect your idea while shopping around for feedback, partners, developers, etc.? Especially if the idea could be whipped-up by a few 24-year olds in a few weeks? Lots of thoughts here.

Startup 198

Startup IP Ideas Patents 198

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Are you the 19-year old founder of a startup? Cyborg Industries said yesterday that it has launched a "revolutionary, patented data transfer technology" called the Spectrocable, developed by 14-year old high school sophomore Nicolas Dupont. cyborg industries techweek angeles startup high school' You''re over the hill.

Startup 214

Startup Patents Los Angeles Conference 214

socalTECH

MARCH 19, 2018

Los Angeles-based dating app developer Tinder 's parent company, Match Group , has sued Tinder competitor Bumble in the Texas Western District Court oer patent infringement, alleging that Bumble is virtually identical to Tinder. it is suing Bumble over both patent infringement and stealing trade secrets.

Patents 113

Patents Startup Los Angeles Report 113

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio. You need all these before you start looking for funding. Remember that ideas cannot be patented, only novel implementations. Trademarks.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. The default answer, to keep peace in the family, is to split everything equally, but that’s a terrible answer, since now no one is in control, and startups need a clear leader. Now comes the reality check.

Startup 174

Startup Equity Patents CTO Hire 174

socalTECH

AUGUST 22, 2013

A new, Los Angeles area startup launched this morning, hoping to use the power of the crowd to help take ideas to launch. The startup--headed by Dirk Ahlborn--has created a system which lets the crowd provide feedback, ideas, and even crowdfunding to take ideas and research to market. READ MORE>>.

Research 193

Research El Segundo Incubator Startup 193

InfoChachkie

MARCH 1, 2012

Some of the examples are patently obvious (e.g., (i) Some of the examples are patently obvious (e.g., (i) In the list below, I have compiled some of my favorite lessons from Come Together , combined them with a few of my own Beatles inspired startup tips. I can sum it up in a two words, “keep innovating.” What’s Your B7?

Tips 259

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Product 259

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

We were super excited by their offering – they had patented technology in a field that we believe will continue to grow massively. When companies start to make huge sums of money it’s always easy for the media to question the integrity of the company. any guesses what the image is from?).

Technical Review 284

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Funding 284

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

I’m fully convinced that both inspiration and perspiration are always required in a startup. Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. Starting a business may be fun, but it’s not easy. Start even before the product is ready.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 6, 2014

An invalidated patent or one deemed to infringe the rights of another party can devastate a startup. Defensible Claims - Some companies take pride in the number of patents they own. However, there is not a direct correlation between a patent portfolio’s value and the number of patents which comprise the portfolio.

IP 210

IP Patents Journal Equity 210

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. Did anybody hold patents that would prevent us from using this technology? I seldom hire patent attorneys during due diligence but this was too important.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

Some great content around the intersection of startups and being a Startup CTO in June this year. This continues my series of posts: Top 29 Startup Posts May 2010 Startup CTO Top 30 Posts for April 16 Great Startup Posts from March There was some really great content in June. It shows a lack of interest.

Startup 175

Startup Venture Capital Slides Blogging 175

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. This patent holding company has charged infringement and demanded royalties from every app developer for the iPhone and Android, for a feature most agree has been in apps for many years.

Patents 100

Patents Software Review Software Technical Advisors 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2012

Recently, an interesting project popped up on the site--a a 2D to 3D conversion project , from the inventor of the original, LCD projector, Gene Dolgoff. Since Dolgoff is raising money for his 2D-to-3D startup via Fundable, we thought it would be interesting to hear about the project, and how he ended up turning to Fundable.

Startup 252

Startup Sites Patents Outsource Development 252

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Thus, based on my experience as an entrepreneur as well as a startup investor, there are indeed situations where a non-disclosure is highly recommended, and others where the potential good far outweighs the risk. Disclosures relative to patents. Product details in the public domain can never be patented. Sharing trade secrets.

Ideas 159

Ideas Tips Technical Review Patents 159

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

I’m convinced that this “me too” or incremental thinking is one of the key reasons that ninety percent of new startups fail, and most of the investors I know won’t sign non-disclosure forms, since they claim to hear the same startup ideas over and over again. Collaborate with experts and people with experience.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2011

At the time when you did a search on Lycos, Alta Vista or similar for a category such as Cars you ended up getting 9 spam results and 1 proper website to meet your needs. He came up to Bill after the event and said, “clever idea, we should do that with you.&# The idea actually came to him from the Yellow Pages business.

Competition 350

Competition Idealab Product CitySearch 350

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Every startup and every new business needs a unique selling proposition (USP) to get people’s attention these days, and make it stand out in the information overload we all see. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days. Do include some quantification.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

These things outside your control do happen, but based on my years of experience as a startup advisor and angel investor, I still see too many strategies leading to failure that are inside the entrepreneur decision realm. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time.

Startup 124

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 124

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 22, 2018

Founded by Steve Poizner last year to accelerate the growth of a startup entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern California, The Alliance is building a network of investors, entrepreneurs and universities to provide ballast in the south to the dominance of the Northern California tech industry.

Southern California 224

Southern California Dollar Shave Club SoCal Develop 224

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. Given how efficient markets are when a large market like LA starts to blossom it attracts capital pretty quickly. LA By The Numbers. But even this is changing.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup.

Technical Review 174

Technical Review Startup Invest Patents 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2020

In my experience, consummate entrepreneurs tend come up with more startup ideas than they can ever implement, and some of the ideas may not even make business sense. Passion, optimism, and determination are necessary but not sufficient to assure a successful startup. Check for intellectual property barriers in your way.

Technical Review 173

Technical Review Ideas Patents Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

These things outside your control do happen, but based on my years of experience as a startup advisor and angel investor, I still see too many strategies leading to failure that are inside the entrepreneur decision realm. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2011

Los Angeles area entrepreneurs, investors, and startups have gotten to know Paige Craig fairly well over the last few years, as he's made many investments in the local ecosystem. What drove you move from investing to starting up BetterWorks? There's a fairly complex platform we've patented.

Startup 216

Startup Technical Review Software Review Platform 216

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2019

To better understand exactly where EV technology is today, we caught up with Caradoc Ehrenhalt , the CEO and founder of a Los Angeles startup, EV Safe Charge (www.evsafecharge.com), to chat a bit about his view of where EV charging technology today. Caradoc Ehrenhalt: EV Safe started when I got an electric vehicle, for the environment.

Startup 243

Startup Customer Custom Entrepreneur 243

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Thus I often recommend that before you kick off your own business, you join another startup or existing business to see how things really work. It starts with documenting and communicating a real purpose and mission in terms everyone can get excited about. Even the best college degree is not a substitute.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2013

One of the startups to come out of that 3D printing revolution is Deka Sounds (www.dekasounds.com), which is based in Orange County. We caught up with founder and CEO Erik Adams to hear more about what is startup is up to, and how it''s trying to use the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo to raise money for its startup.

Startup 241

Startup Slides Orange County Design 241

socalTECH

JUNE 19, 2014

We caught up with Jeff Overall , the founder of PolarPro, to better understand the company--plus the popularity of accessories specifically for GoPro cameras. Jeff Overall: It all started back in 2011, when I was going to the University of Santa Barbara. This was when GoPro was just getting started, and becoming real popular.

Startup 196

Startup Van Nuys Patents Santa Barbara 196

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Typo , the Los Angeles startup backed by Ryan Seacrest which is developing a BlackBerry-like keyboard for the iPhone, has struck back against the patent lawsuit filed against the firm by BlackBerry. typo angeles startup patent infringement lawsuit blackberry keyboard legal intellectual property court' READ MORE>>.

Patents 147

Patents Los Angeles Report Sales 147

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. Almost anyone can start a company today on a shoestring budget, following these cost-cutting recommendations: Establish a solid legal structure for your business.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Outsource Development 162

socalTECH

MARCH 15, 2013

Nils Forsblom is not new to the startup world -- in fact, his last startup, Fruugo, raised an astounding $48M in funding, and became one of the most heralded-- and controversial --startups in Finland. What we do, is I identify things and start defining features around ideas. How did you end up here in Southern California?

Mobile 233

Mobile Southern California Startup Outsource Development 233

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

An excellent example is the initiative by Elon Musk and Tesla Motors a few years ago to give away their battery patents, to infrastructure and competitive car providers, without transactional agreements. A partnership was announced with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC's startup ecosystem.

Startup 124

Startup IBM IBM Examples 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2012

The startup--which has the backing of such high profile investors as Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary's A-Grade Investments, Dreamworks, and Live Nation--also has some major partnership with entertainers like Madonna and No Doubt to create crowdsourced videos of their events. To supplement my income, I started a software business.

Startup 235

Startup Entertainment Los Angeles Ideas 235