SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 17, 2019

LAVA is extremely pleased to announce its next First Time Entrepreneur training program. Saturday, June 22, 2019 -- LAVA First Time Entrepreneur Workshop. The program is open to entrepreneurs that are starting companies in areas that are likely to draw venture capital investment. The program is not open to service providers.

LAVA 100

LAVA Entrepreneur Screening Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

Remember the transportation transitions from horses to autos to trains to airplanes. Here are some of the key ones: Patent protection in place as a barrier to entry. Competition for your new hydrogen fuel auto engine is not limited to other hydrogen auto engine offerings, or even other autos.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

The value is tied to infrastructure outside your control, such as a pervasive network of fuel stations, trained service facilities, and new government regulations. A long-term advantage usually also requires intellectual property, such as a patent, trade secret, or trademark. You need a viable business model and customers.

Technical Review 156

Technical Review Funding Patents Ideas 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

It can come from experience, or from training in a prior company, and it can even be self-taught from the Internet by smart entrepreneurs, just like they learned the skill of establishing a company, negotiating a contract, or filing a patent. It means not only hiring, but training and measuring performance.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

In fact, our education and training to logically associate related concepts reduces our ability to add the creative side, even though we were all born without that bias. If you study the Amazon 1-click patent long enough, you’ll likely find something of your own worth patenting. You cannot will a new idea.

Ideas 109

Ideas Entrepreneur Patents Training 109

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes. These days, you can find existing patents and trademarks through Google and the US Patent Office online site without spending thousands of dollars with your favorite patent attorney. Check for intellectual property barriers in your way.

Ideas 106

Ideas Entrepreneur Technical Review Patents 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2023

Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes. These days, you can find existing patents and trademarks through Google and the US Patent Office online site without spending thousands of dollars with your favorite patent attorney. Check for intellectual property barriers in your way.

Ideas 106

Ideas Technical Review Patents Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Enthusiastic startup founders may try to deflect or minimize these questions in true media-training style, so you need to be patient, calm, and persistent to get the whole story. Before you invest your life savings, or bet your career on this startup, you need to know how much of a barrier to entry the brand and patents are projected to be.

Technical Review 174

Technical Review Startup Invest Patents 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

A good answer might be “We have several patents on the base technology, which is so robust that we expect to roll out new products every year for the next ten years, always staying a step ahead of our competitors.” Remember that cars compete with trains, so alternative solutions, or doing nothing, are real competition. “We

Patents 90

Patents Competition IBM IBM 90

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2010

A good answer might be “We have several patents on the base technology, which is so robust that we expect to roll out new products every year for the next ten years, always staying a step ahead of our competitors.” Remember that cars compete with trains, so alternative solutions, or doing nothing, are competition. “We

Competition 89

Competition Patents IBM IBM 89

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2013

In fact, our education and training to logically associate related concepts reduces our ability to add the creative side, even though we were all born without that bias. If you study the Amazon 1-click patent long enough, you’ll likely find something of your own worth patenting. You cannot will a new idea.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Patents Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the kay to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. Training and coaching. Business risks are not just development risks. Value creation. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Accountability.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You don’t have enough hours in a day, or trained people, to succeed with lower margins in a services startup.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the kay to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. Training and coaching. Business risks are not just development risks. Value creation. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Accountability.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

Whether you are in manufacturing or software, you need experienced writers who can document your latest technology, write patents, and efficiently manage the multitude of data formats required by printing companies and advertisers. Information specialists. Maybe it’s the incentive you need to jump on the entrepreneurial bandwagon.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Services Search Engine Optimization Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You don’t have enough hours in a day, or trained people, to succeed with lower margins in a services startup.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2011

Don’t define your scope so narrowly that you would not consider airplanes to be competitive with your new train, or you will suffer their fate. We can all argue the shortcomings and non-defensibility of patents, but these are still your best competitive protection, sustainable for twenty years. Dramatic cost improvement for cause.

Competition 102

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2022

Be prepared to create and train a dedicated support group that can keep up with your now large and growing install base of demanding customers. You may think you have the market locked up with your unique process, trade secret, or patent, but there are always ways for new players to grab your potential customers, or put the brakes on growth.

Marketing 110

Marketing Pricing Startup Customer 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2023

Mashup probably reminds senior leaders of a train wreck, and social networking is still seen by some business executives as a frivolous waste of time. You need to address these concerns early, by highlighting patents, encryption capability, or other features which mitigate these risks and costs. Payback on investment.

Social Network 108

Social Network Training Startup Technology 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2012

Don’t define your scope so narrowly that you would not consider airplanes to be competitive with your new train, or you will suffer their fate. We can all argue the shortcomings and non-defensibility of patents, but these are still your best competitive protection, sustainable for twenty years. Dramatic cost improvement for cause.

Competition 97

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2014

The value is tied to infrastructure outside your control, such as a pervasive network of fuel stations, trained service facilities and new government regulations. A long-term advantage usually also requires intellectual property, such as a patent, trade secret or trademark. You need a viable business model and customers.

Ideas 106

Ideas Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2021

Most entrepreneurs are not born with the knowledge to run a successful business, so the right place to start is some business training in school, or some practical work experience in a business of your interest, prior to starting your own company. Assets include the obvious equipment, accounts receivable, and cash.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes. These days, you can find existing patents and trademarks through Google and the US Patent Office online site without spending thousands of dollars with your favorite patent attorney. Check for intellectual property barriers in your way.

Ideas 83

Ideas Technical Review Patents Startup 83

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Registered patents and other intellectual property. There is no substitute for experience and trained skills in the business area you are attacking. They seek to establish win-win relationships with all partners, including investors, and treat them all as trusted advisors, rather than win-loss opportunities.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2023

Despite some recent advances, there are still some cultures which have less regard for patents and other intellectual property. Visit the contract location, investigate their skill level, training, and quality of their facilities. Keep intellectual property keys in-house.

Software Review 114

Software Review Technical Review Outsource Development Outsource 114

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2012

David King Lassman: I actually trained to be a musician, and went to music college. We've built an expansive piece of technology in our app, put it out to the public in the middle of July, and the movies that have been generated have been absolutely fantastic. What's your background? To supplement my income, I started a software business.

Startup 235

Startup Entertainment Los Angeles Ideas 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2020

Patents and trade secrets are more powerful advantages than missing competitive features, which might be quickly filled in as you gain traction. Show that you have thought about indirect competitors and alternative solutions, like airplane technology versus a better train. Emphasize intellectual property and dynamic product line.

Competition 125

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 125

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

Competitor resources include larger cash assets, trained staffs, an existing customers, and a known brand in the market. Patents are a good place for you to start. Unfortunately, startups with an innovative product but no protection are quickly overrun by larger competitors with more resources.

Funding 132

Funding Template Resource Competition 132

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2014

Mashup probably reminds senior leaders of a train wreck, and social networking is still seen by many business executives as a frivolous waste of time. You need to address these concerns early by highlighting patents, encryption capability or other features that mitigate these risks and costs. Reduce litigation risks and support costs.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Technology Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2011

Whether you are in manufacturing or software, you need experienced writers who can document your latest technology, write patents, and efficiently manage the multitude of data formats required by printing companies and advertisers. Information specialists. Maybe it’s the incentive you need to jump on the entrepreneurial bandwagon.

Entrepreneur 89

Entrepreneur Services Product Search Engine Optimization 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2022

For example, Elon Musk, who owns many battery patents , normally kept for a competitive edge, decided to open them all to any competitors in an effort to expand the market for his electric vehicles. Plus you can challenge yourself to keep abreast of technology advancements in related industries, looking for a fit in your own.

Competition 139

Competition Examples Customer Custom 139

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 13, 2017

VentureWell, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that supports science and technology entrepreneurs, has selected a medical simulation startup founded by University of Maine students to receive funding and training. The company, Zephyrus Simulation LLC, was spun off from a product developed by a group of bioengineering students at UMaine.

Startup 70

Startup Funding Training Ideas 70

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

A while back, I wrote about the importance of a “ sustainable competitive advantage ,” and outlined the business plan value and limitations of patents and competitor feature comparisons. Train every employee to be a customer service champion. Find out everything you can about how to deliver great customer service.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Services Startup 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2011

It can come from experience, or from training in a prior company, and it can even be self-taught from the Internet by smart entrepreneurs, just like they learned the skill of establishing a company, negotiating a contract, or filing a patent. It means not only hiring, but training and measuring performance.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Organization Training 111

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage. NewCo has filed a patent on one of their software tool algorithms, which is very positive, and puts them several steps ahead of others who may be venturing into the same area. All principals and employees add value.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2020

On the other hand, if you have a new technology, with patent applied for, maybe you more time to get it right. Don’t wait for anyone to pay your way to class, or give you time off for training. Some startup ideas are dependent on a rapidly emerging fad, or have many competitors fighting for a limited market. It won’t happen.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Metrics 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Many writers have outlined the critical success factors for product companies, like sell every unit at a profit, patent the design, and continuous product improvement. Every partner and employee can kill your success potential in a heartbeat, so don’t take shortcuts on your hiring and training practices.

Product 91

Product Services Satisfaction Patents 91