Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

As a business advisor, I have to recommend even to established companies that they review and revamp their competitive strategy now, even if it appears to be working today. The old approaches of controlling distribution channels, saturating retail, and methodically scaling your brand awareness don’t protect you anymore.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Custom 142

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

We have members from all walks of life – from nurses to lawyers, software developers, police officers, makeup artists, fashion designers, dog walkers, interior designers and more.”. “We think about it in the context of a lifestyle,” said Michael Broukhim.

Electronic Arts 232

Electronic Arts Netflix Los Angeles Technical Review 232

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2017

Just over a year ago I wrote about how MakeSpace had raised $17.5 years of software development. We have built route management software so that drivers have productive routes and can cluster pick-ups and drop-offs. If you have a storage need in one of these cities please consider checking out MakeSpace.

Technical Review 268

Technical Review Funding Software Review Artificial Inteligence 268

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

A while back I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ For a Startup, Two Heads are Always Better Than One ”. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Complementary skills. Passion for what they do.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

TechEmpower

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

If you're grappling with this issue, identifying the specific cause can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a software background. This is where a technical review can be useful!) Before we review the symptoms, though, please bear this in mind: If your team shows these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re weak.

Development Team Review 260

Development Team Review Develop Development Software Review 260

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Dat told us about the issues with valuation, how his experience in a Big 4 accounting firm led to starting the company, and where the company is going next. Dat Do: We produce valuation software that solves a lot of complex valuation issues for privately held companies, backed by venture capital and private equity. How to price it.

Software Review 193

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Software 193

SoCal CTO

APRIL 9, 2013

I''ve written before about finding Web Development Firms in Los Angeles. What I didn''t discuss was how you should go about selecting the right company. You are looking for someone who cares about the look, but you are hiring the development firm for it''s development skills not its graphic design skills.

Web Development 204

Web Development Web Develop Development 204

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2016

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe.

Outsource Development 53

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 53

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

A while back I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ For a Startup, Two Heads are Always Better Than One.” If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Complementary skills. Passion for what they do.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. Founder Developer Gap I’m assuming that the founders understand what they generally want to do with the business and where the product should be going. How will we find and interview developers?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

It has also brought about my favorite new term – Ramen Profitable. So, definition: when I talk about a business plan I’m not talking about a 40-page Word document outlining your market approach. That died with waterfall software development. I’m talking about your financial spreadsheet.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 6, 2013

TechZulu caught up with co-founder Calvin Schemanski chat about their upcoming launch, their product and why Long reviews suck. myfab5 is a platform that reinvents the restaurant review. Unlike typical review sites, our platform does not use star ratings or long reviews. What is myfab5?

Software Review 79

Software Review Technical Review Writing Startup 79

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2011

A while back I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ Ten Steps in Choosing the Right Startup Partner ”. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Complementary skills. Passion for what they do.

Software Review 96

Software Review CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

Even though investors, like myself, have long made it clear that we invest in people, not ideas, new venture owners insist on talking about their latest “ million dollar idea ,” rather than their “ million dollar team.” The power is in the people, their business relationships, and their connections.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2010

A week ago I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ How to Select an Ideal Startup Co-Founder ”. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. This is probably the best place to apply your “gut” feeling.

Software Review 92

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 92

Tech.Co

JULY 24, 2017

But how do you go about pitching your friends? If you hired an outstanding front-end software engineer, chances are they are friends with other outstanding software developers. Then make sure your employees have the information they need to talk about your company’s mission, product and impact.

Networking 82

Networking Startup Software Review Conference 82

SoCal CTO

APRIL 27, 2011

And I've talked about lots of things you can listen for as a non-technical person to determine if this will be a good CTO candidate. There are a bunch of questions in Startup Software Development – Do Your Homework Before You Develop Anything , Startup Founder Developer Gap , and in Startup CTO or Developer.

CTO Hire 282

CTO Hire CTO Coach Technical Review Startup 282

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2017

Our interview this morning is with Jonathan Zweig , the CEO of Los Angeles-based AppOnboard (www.apponboard.com), which has created software which allows mobile app developers--and in particular, mobile game developers--to create demos of those games which can be played without having to download and install those apps.

Startup 113

Startup Southern California UCLA Technical Review 113

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 18, 2015

No one likes to talk about it, but the odds of an individual startup making it are pretty daunting. If you haven’t legally assigned the property rights to your company, you don’t own the IP even if your co-founder developed it while working on your business. Want to know more about avoiding startup killers? Startup Killers.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Software Review Startup IP 40

SoCal CTO

APRIL 27, 2011

And I've talked about lots of things you can listen for as a non-technical person to determine if this will be a good CTO candidate. There are a bunch of questions in Startup Software Development – Do Your Homework Before You Develop Anything , Startup Founder Developer Gap , and in Startup CTO or Developer.

CTO Hire 225

CTO Hire CTO Coach Technical Review Startup 225

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 20, 2015

The lowercase “c” was eventually capitalized after nearly 10 years, due to the confusion the small “c” created when the company was referenced in print. Cisco” is descriptive of nothing, offering no hint as to the company’s initial router design and development proficiency. Some of my favorites are listed HERE. a farm credit bank).

Custom 100

Custom Customer Technical Review Software Review 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2008

in a venture round for the firm's software recommendation startup. We caught up with co-founder and CEO Darrius Thompson--who was also a co-founder at DivX--to learn more about the startup, the saga behind how the company started, and the funding. Darrius Thomspn: We got together at the beginning of the year to talk about concepts.

Software Review 100

Software Review Software Startup Examples 100

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

Old School Software Distribution Is Doomed. On December 10th, 1993, a small group of software developers in Shreveport, Louisiana changed the software world. id Software’s first-person shooter game, entitled simply DOOM, could be downloaded free, allowing gamers to play the first nine levels.

Entrepreneur 230

Entrepreneur Software Review Allegis Metrics 230

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

We talked with him on why he decided to head up this startup, and what 15desks is all about. Zareh Baghdasarian: 15desks is all about managing your educational lifestyle, all the way from early education to your graduate work. Can you talk about some concrete examples of what you're managing? Talk about your background?

Education 124

Education Startup Course Tool 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

As a rule, you need to review your burn rate every month, and manage it every day. If you don’t have any income, the job is even simpler, be ruthless about controlling expenses. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy.

Startup 92

Startup Outsource Development Development Team Review Equity 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2012

Most employers, due to fear of lawsuits, will only confirm employment data and give you positive feedback over the phone. Ask the candidate about things they have built on their own, and what they do to challenge themselves. Interview former employers, more than the candidate. Sometimes brain teasers are a good start.

Technical Review 92

Technical Review Technology Startup Outsource Development 92

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

I did a presentation this week at Coloft that looked at how Non-Technical Founders can go about getting their MVP built. Purpose of an MVP and Defining the Right MVP I've really not talked as much about this in my blog even though its hugely important. It had a passionate group of 50 people attending. WordPress is pretty easy to hack.

Technical Review 338

Technical Review CTO Hire CTO Coach Software Review 338

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2011

As a rule, you need to review your burn rate every month, and manage it every day. If you don’t have any income, the job is even simpler, be ruthless about controlling expenses. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy.

Startup 92

Startup Outsource Development Development Team Review Equity 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2011

Most employers, due to fear of lawsuits, will only confirm employment data and give you positive feedback over the phone. Ask the candidate about things they have built on their own, and what they do to challenge themselves. Interview former employers, more than the candidate. Sometimes brain teasers are a good start.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Entrepreneur Outsource Development Outsource 94

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

But this still leaves me with lots of questions about the interplay between these tools, so Id ask people who author a blog, use LinkedIn (or other social networking), and participate in discussion groups, how do you use these tools. . * Ive not found that much use for LinkedIn to help my blogging, but Im starting to think about this.

Blogging 150

Blogging CTO Coach CTO Hire Southern California 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2010

As a rule, you need to review your burn rate every month, and manage it every day. If you don’t have any income, the job is even simpler, be ruthless about controlling expenses. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy.

Startup 48

Startup Outsource Development Development Team Review Equity 48

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2010

It makes no sense to meet in August or December due to travel schedules of most investors. But that isn’t what this post is about. This post is about what happens BETWEEN board meetings. For the record, this is not a secret, coded messages to companies for which I am on the board! You can do calls if need be.

Startup 301

Startup Venture Capital Software Review Email 301

SoCal CTO

JULY 23, 2012

I've previously addressed the role of a CTO in early-stages in my post Startup CTO or Developer. It specifically answers the first questions about role and how it changes as the company matures. for a Lead Developer: How much will it cost to build what we need to build? How will we find and interview developers?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2011

I will talk much more about Internet TV in a future post. I’ve talked before about problems I see with the US education system in both my post about Peter Thiel’s 20-under-20 initiative and also my review of Waiting for Superman. You’ll have to ask him about his work policies.

Invest 295

Invest Carson Technical Review Education 295

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Sometime around 2003/04 my technology team turned me on to “Spolsky on Software&# a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software, a maker of bug-tracking software. Blogs weren’t popularized yet so it was an oddity for me to read the founder of a software company spewing out advice.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software Blogging Startup 285