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Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One

SoCal CTO

But what was interesting to me was that I found myself recommending that each of them should have a technical adviser. Review the code being built. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm doing as a Part-Time CTO or Technical Advisor for startups. There are two kinds of advisors that are commonly needed.

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Acting CTO Role in a Start-up

SoCal CTO

My role is to work as part of the team to (1) understand related technologies and technical opportunities, (2) understand and help drive alignment around a vision of where the business should go, and (3) mesh those together to help make disciplined, proactive technical decisions. Then, we come to an agreement on terms.

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6 Ways To Make You An Entrepreneur Before The Product

Startup Professionals Musings

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Consistently review and respond to relevant online feedback. Reach out to friends and supporters for positive mentions.

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Some Career Advice for Aspiring Tech CEOs

Both Sides of the Table

For some aspiring to be tech entrepreneurs, I often suggest a two-step process, as I argued in this post that “ The First Startup Founder You Need to Invest in Is You.” He or she has worked at some very successful big technology or media companies and went to a great school. I saved my main point for last.

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Interview with Julie Novack, PartySlate

socalTECH

Unlike Yelp and listings sites that are focused on user-generated reviews or things like that, we're really a portfolio sharing site, and a tool of professionals. He and I connected, and walked through PartySlate and what we were doing, and he immediately said he wanted to invest and become an advisor to the company.

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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Software Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. Even after your application is accepted, the issuing process takes a lifetime in today’s technology (4-5 years). Software technology changes rapidly. Patents have become a tax on innovation.

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Tech Giants’ Partnership To Explore Ethics, Societal Impacts of AI

Xconomy

With public interest in artificial intelligence technologies on the rise, five of the world’s largest corporations—vying against each other in so many spheres—are banding together to support research on the ethical and societal issues raised by machines with increasingly human-like capabilities.