Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. It starts as a debt instrument (e.g. But I used to jokingly refer to bridge loans as “pier&# loans. From pragmatic risk taking to risk aversion.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

We’ve grown accustomed to a professionalism where we know when a work issue comes up we can count on each other for a quick Sunday call between family time. And that person has almost certainly chosen specifically to be a startup lawyer over serving other types of customers because he or she enjoys working with entrepreneurs.

Startup 363

Startup Venture Capital Coach Press 363

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2010

This is part of my ongoing series on Startup Advice. As startup entrepreneurs we all want to work with them because having their name as reference clients makes it so much easier for marketing, PR, selling to other customers, fund raising and even recruiting. Large companies can be strange sometimes. Sometimes it actually does.

Startup 298

Startup Sales Slides Metrics 298

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2015

It has become so synonymous with Internet companies that the French have invented a disdainful term including Amazon: “les GAFA,” which they refer to as Google-Apple-Facebook-Amazon to talk about American dominance of the Internet. ” Let’s start with some basics. MakeSpace set out to reinvent the whole category.

Ideas 364

Ideas Startup Technical Review Pricing 364

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 6, 2010

doing a reference call on a prospective employee. We started presenting our company and talking about our views of the industry. I chalked this up as both a sign of nervousness, a certain social awkwardness / lack of confidence and a basic lack of interviewing skills. He started opening up. It was golden.

Startup 311

Startup Invest Course Research 311

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

Almost every day I'm talking to early stage startup founders (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ) about what they plan to do. Before I jump into the 28 questions, let me start with 14 questions that I will want to go through first so I know a bit more about what we are talking about. SEO for Startups )? Wireframes?

Develop 396

Develop Development Startup SEO 396

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

But should you actually write one if you’re a startup, an industry figure (lawyer, banker) or VC? People often ask me why I started blogging. It really started simply enough. Not only would it be less authentic but if you’re a startup it’s not immediately clear that other startup CEOs are your target market.

Blogging 373

Blogging Startup Writing Venture Capital 373

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

Almost every day I'm talking to early stage startup founders (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ) about what they plan to do. Before I jump into the 28 questions, let me start with 14 questions that I will want to go through first so I know a bit more about what we are talking about. SEO for Startups )? Wireframes?

Develop 384

Develop Development Startup SEO 384

SoCal CTO

APRIL 27, 2011

Several people have recently come to me to help them source and/or hire full-time CTOs for their startup having found me through my post that looks at: Startup CTO Salary and Equity Data. The first thing I do is suggest they explore if they really need to hire a full-time CTO for their startup and if so, what kind of CTO they need.

CTO Hire 282

CTO Hire CTO Coach Technical Review Startup 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2015

There is not a single case I’ve been involved with in any of the startups I’ve backed that has even a small bit of merit. So why exactly have lawsuits (anecdotally) picked up so much in the past 5 years? I started writing about problems when founding a startup years ago but the problem has gotten worse.

Startup 352

Startup IP Writing Ideas 352

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

We all like to think of startups as “non hierarchic&# organizations and to some extent that should be true. I see two common mistakes in companies (not just in startups, in fact). By going on sales calls you pick up directly the feedback of what customers want and also what they’re telling you about competition.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

TechEmpower

JULY 31, 2023

When talking to startup founders or other innovators, we always ask questions to better understand their business as a core. Start by building just enough of your product to get early CAC and CLV signals (they won’t be perfect). Conclusion Startup metrics are an invaluable tool for founders and innovators.

Metrics 260

Metrics Startup Slides Technical Review 260

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2010

It’s a conversation that creeps up from time-to-time. For a combination of reasons I didn’t end up talking with the CEO in time and the company quickly became over subscribed. They might want you to start lean. This post was prompted by an email exchange I had with a young entrepreneur. That’s OK, too.

Startup 360

Startup Venture Capital Invest Slides 360

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

Decisions by indecision are those where having not made up your mind early enough your options are constrained or gone altogether. You make too many reference calls or want to see three more candidates before you decide. So you make four more reference calls. It affects us all in everyday life. Avoid deciding through indecision.

Startup 299

Startup Entrepreneur Resource Venture Capital 299

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 22, 2010

This is part of my startup advice series. It’s still important advice for startup founders and something that I’m passionate about. Tools like Identified.com haven’t existed for me to do this in an automated way as they are starting to emerge. Yes, if you were a startup CEO I would probably cut you some slack.

Startup 392

Startup Geni Google IBM 392

socalTECH

AUGUST 7, 2014

Los Angeles has been in the midst of a technology boom over the last few years, with many of high profile startups growing in the area. We spoke with Bryce Maddock , founder of TaskUs, about the company and how it has been providing the manpower behind a lot of LA''s technology startups. So, what is TaskUs?

Startup 231

Startup Technology Outsource Santa Monica 231

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

My favorite two quotes of the weekend were: “Never trade your cat for somebody else’s dog” (referring to selling your company for stock to another privately held company – quote was from Alan. Get your product/market fit working before you ramp up your costs (or raise too much money). I’m going to save that for a future blog post.

Startup 279

Startup Venture Capital Tips Custom Development 279

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

Andrew & Petri posed a question to me, “If Walt Disney were starting his company today, what kind of company would he build? They had all of their character development started (they showed up mock-ups) and the basic gameplay for Game 1 was through through (but not yet built).

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Let me start by saying that Clayton is one of the most influential people on my thoughts about markets that led to both the concept behind my first startup and my main theses in investing. Startup Grind was a truly awesome conference and Derek the consumate host. .” Who else does Clayton pray for? Freemium.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

Startups are hard. You join teams that got good write-ups on TechCrunch, have great VCs, have star CEO’s, whatever. We tell startup stories. When you’re hiring most reference checkers focus on the person’s former bosses. Our founder, Yves Sisteron, was my mentor and board member at my first startup.

CTO Hire 321

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 321

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. Meredith Perry came up with the idea for uBeam while still in college at University of Pennsylvania and like many great inventors won her school’s business plan competition.

Technical Review 419

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 419

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

He had joined a young startup in LA called HauteLook and was interested in getting to know the local tech community. So I started introducing him to portfolio companies. When I think about what defines us as a VC I think: Operationally knowledgeable / strong startup competence. I made some reference calls. Approachable.

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

TechEmpower

MARCH 27, 2013

I'll do my best to keep this document up to date. Static method reference: String::valueOf. Non-static method reference: Object::toString. Capturing method reference: x::toString. Constructor reference: ArrayList::new. The method reference forms are shorthand for the other forms. Method reference.

Java 560

Java Class Software Review Examples 560

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 10, 2015

You can detect how your messages are received and pick up sarcasm, skepticism, anger, frustration, happiness and sorrow. So my appeal to those in confrontational situations is to pick up the phone – even if it makes you uncomfortable. ” Pick up the phone. I always follow important emails with a call. Or Twitter.

Startup 319

Startup Email Writing Course 319

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

I recommend starting with a brief overview of you, your company and your solution. After a brief overview of you, your company and your solution I recommend putting up some example clients you’ve worked with, although you obviously need their approval first. These references make for great discussions with customers.

Sales 367

Sales Slides Startup Customer 367

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

We’ve hung out periodically over the past few years and I have enjoyed debating many startup topics. They switched to a flat rate model and sharing went up immediately. to $12 conversion went up! there was no frame of reference for the value. there was no frame of reference for the value. Gregg says at $9.99

Startup 303

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Writing 303

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

And a key point is that when it comes down to “negotiations&# you need to turn up your personal heat and dial back the middle man. Let me start with an example. She told me, “start with the price you want but the move in date he wants.&#. I said, “If I start with your position I have nowhere to go but down.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Outsource 319

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

And of course you could add up impressions by counting your the followers of everybody who had retweeted plus your own. It is what is commonly referred to as “vanity metrics” as in, “Look at how many more followers I got us! Startup Advice' End of story. Which followers drove your RTs that drove your clicks.

Marketing 307

Marketing Technical Review Startup Tool 307

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

This is part of my series on Startup Advice. I love working with Aussies because their outlook on life seems very similar to what I grew up with in California. I recommend starting the meeting with a VERY brief introduction of your company, your background and why it’s relevant to the job you currently have.

Sales 314

Sales Startup Venture Capital Customer 314

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 25, 2013

Many first-time entrepreneurs have grown up digital natives so have a really good intuitive feel for technology & design but don’t yet have the business basics down. . You can start informally with banter - If I’m calling somebody I know a bit I usually try to start with a little friendly banter. Phone calls.

Startup 364

Startup Writing Help Email 364

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2021

These days I see a surge of new startups as businesses seem to be recovering from the pandemic. If you are not starting one yourself, the next best thing is joining one as a partner, or as an early employee. He and I believe that these next few months are the perfect time, especially with the pandemic, for starting a new career.

Tips 168

Tips Startup Coach Networking 168

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Everyone seems to be in such a rush to get shacked up these days. I have no reference point from which to judge whether you were higher on the y-axis 3 months ago or lower. Swing by their offices to make it easy for them to say yes and promise not to take up more than 30 minutes for the update (and stick to it).

Invest 411

Invest Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 411

socalTECH

JULY 3, 2020

For today's Insights and Opinions section, we have an article on Navigating Turbulent Business Seas: Personal Liability Risks of Directors of Financially Stressed Start-Ups from Michael Sherman, Neil Elan and Karine Akopchikyan at Stubbs, Alderton, and Markiles LLP (www.stubbsalderton.com). earlier this year. READ MORE>>

Startup 100

Startup Capital Company Companies 100

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2012

More likely they either end up finding an excuse not to meet, delaying a meeting indefinitely or in most cases actually taking a meeting. If I do it to them twice it may start to affect our relationship or at least their willingness to take more meetings from me. Over-introducers also consume a lot of personal time in making intros.

Email 359

Email Venture Capital Startup Technical Review 359

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. My first startup was no different. I’ve started writing up some of those sales & marketing lessons and I plan to continue to build that section out over time. Startups are the art of the possible.

Sales 317

Sales Startup Pricing Customer 317

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2014

Steve Benson, Founder and CEO of Bay Area Badger Maps , intends to hire so many interns this summer that he will effectively double the size of his startup. According to Steve, "Startups are, by their nature, a great place for interns, because there are more essential things that must get done than there are people to complete them.

Startup 257

Startup Santa Barbara Competition Class 257

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined a long time ago from a funding perspective. Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171