Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

Here are my recommendations for training and managing your team to keep their delivery memorable for customers, as well as profitable for your business: Hire team members who enjoy customer interaction. Provide training, tools, and required decision authority. That approach still is meaningful today.

Customer 147

Customer Custom Technical Review Metrics 147

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

Who are the top tech companies to work for in Los Angeles? NastyGal -- which was just about unheard of a year ago -- has rocketed to a over $100M business, driven by women's clothing, shoes, and other products. NastyGal is just one of a number of fashion-meets-technology startups to emerge in Los Angeles, which. RightScale.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Company Companies Southern California 279

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Train them fully, give them authority, make them accountable, and tie their pay to customer satisfaction. Train and coach continuously. Companies with great service routinely spend 3% to 5% of salaries training team members – experienced as well as new. Know your customers intimately. Marty Zwilling

Competition 99

Competition Services Startup Training 99

Tech.Co

OCTOBER 27, 2023

In this guide, you'll learn exactly what Claude is, how it works, and all about its parent company, Anthropic. As part of the latter deal, Amazon employees and cloud customers will get early access to the technology. It is trained on over 137 billion text and code parameters – the same as Meta's Llama 2. What is Claude AI?

ChatGPT 139

ChatGPT Artificial Inteligence Training Startup 139

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2013

I’ve written a lot about recruiting and hiring at startups including my controversial post on whom not to hire and my rapid response to the flame war. I’ve also written extensively on sales and on which sales execs to hire and how to think about the different kinds of sales leaders. It’s too strategic.

Sales 375

Sales Technical Review Organization Case Study 375

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

The event is a 2-day training in.Net, HTML5, Windows 8, Asp.NET MVC and other Microsoft technologies. In addition, world renowned speakers are invited to discuss the latest trends in technology. It’s OK, You Can Create Kick-Ass Web AppsAre you tired of getting verbally beat up about developing web and HTML5 apps?

Training 65

Training Technical Review Technology Software Review 65

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

There was no money train. Nobody cared about our valuations any more. If they didn’t care about him they certainly didn’t care about me or Jason Lemkin or Jason Calacanis or any of us. Almost no financings, many VCs and tech startups cratered for the second time in less than a decade following the dot com bursting.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Train them fully, give them authority, make them accountable, and tie their pay to customer satisfaction. Train and coach continuously. Companies with great service routinely spend 3% to 5% of salaries training team members – experienced as well as new. Know your customers intimately. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 154

Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

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. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment.

Startup 83

Startup Technical Review Invest Patents 83

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 29, 2014

A year ago, I made a promise to myself that somehow I would make it up to San Francisco to experience the ultimate tech paradise. Don’t get me wrong about Los Angeles – L.A. But ever since I started getting involved with the tech scene in Southern California, there’s been a part of me wondering what it might be like to be up there.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Newsletter Startup Southern California 91

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 27, 2020

” After hearing about Nextbite, Softbank actually didn’t take much convincing. We believe Ordermark’s leading technology platform and innovative virtual restaurant concepts are transforming the restaurant industry,” said Jeff Housenbold, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, in a statement.

Funding 263

Funding Los Angeles Technical Review Training 263

Southern California Edison Blog

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

One strategy that can help ensure teams use meeting times efficiently is to notify staff ahead of time about what will be covered in a call so they can prepare ahead of time and waste less time during the meeting trying to get on the same page. Train Your Staff and Offer Skill Improvement Opportunities.

Product 94

Product Training Software Review Technical Review 94

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

I called an (ex) LP to tell him about her and my goals for her. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up. Or, maybe it’s just about getting out of the way and watching what they can achieve. Wait, What About Yves? She’s empathetic and brings great humor to her work as well.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2015

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. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Invest Startup Patents 103

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I spend a lot of time with startups and thus hear many companies talk about their approach to sales and their interactions with customers. From these meetings you can really tell the leaders that care deeply about their customers and those the look down on them. We were talking about raising money from LPs.

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

Even if you can learn and do everything, time is a killer in this rapidly evolving world of business and technology. Of course, full trust must be earned, but it is critical to do some due diligence before hiring new team members, or establishing partnerships. Lack of your own clarity about what it takes to succeed.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In a larger public company, it’s all about making your quarterly numbers, versus investing in strategic growth alternatives that may not pay off until several quarters later. In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Don’t make growth a big-bang event.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

I like how she was able to motivate, train, and reward employees, including the implementation of an incentive program to get every member of the team actively involved in generating new business. Employees will care only about work they create.” Hire employees who have strong skills, with the motivation to learn new ones.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Training Sales Technical Review 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Every year, we feature the year end reflections of founders, CEOs, investors, and others in Southern California's high tech community. Despite the challenges that COVID has presented to the broader economy and startup ecosystem, we remain optimistic about (and in awe of) the resilience of our portfolio companies and their Founders.

Capital 124

Capital Technical Review Truecar Southern California 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2022

Of course, it’s no surprise that most entrepreneurs don’t have a background in hiring teams, and don’t have a budget for training or human resource consultants. Define a disciplined process, take the time to find multiple candidates, and do proper reviews. Be patient when filling open positions. Get interactive in candidate interviews.

Training 135

Training Case Study Resource Statistics 135

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. Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 122

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2013

It got me thinking about the tech industry. I have written about this before in my post on Conference Hos. Talking about changing the world. Because often these Conference Hos bring back their latest idea from the hot tub cocktail session with their favorite tech superstar. But they’re ballers on a budget.”

Conference 398

Conference Technical Review Truecar Software Review 398

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

I like how she was able to motivate, train, and reward employees, including the implementation of an incentive program to get every member of the team actively involved in generating new business. Employees will care only about work they create.” Hire employees who have strong skills, with the motivation to learn new ones.

Startup 134

Startup Training Sales Entrepreneur 134

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Tech entrepreneurs' consternation with MBAs does not rise to the level of loathing. Rather, entrepreneurs' frustrations are often due to an incongruence between an MBA's expectations versus the value they can deliver to a startup. I promise I will never tweet about MBA hating or that killer burrito I just ate. Share and Enjoy.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

Dave told us a bit more about the Viterbi Startup Garage and several other associated efforts there at USC centered around the startup ecosystem. They started the I-Corp-short for Innovation Corp-based on the methodology started by Steve Blank, who is a professor at Cal and also at Stanford, which is all about the lean startup methodology.

Marina Del Rey 150

Marina Del Rey Startup USC Incubator 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

I will summarize these here, with my insights, for your review and implementation: Physical health. In business, this is all about the company values and purpose that give meaning and direction to your team. Remember that team members are people first, not just another technical solution component. Spiritual connections.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. In 2006, a passion to help startups grew into Tech Cocktail , a company whose mission was to showcased burgeoning companies in bars around the country. The Foundation was created in 1997 by tech pioneers, Jean and Steve Case.

Startup 140

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 140

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2013

This is final part of a series that describes a sales methodology for technology companies or frankly many other types of companies, too. This post talks about the last part of the PUCCKA methodology – an Aligned Purchasing Process. Unique Selling Proposition. Compelling Event. Key Players such as enemies, sages and blockers.

Customer 324

Customer Custom Marketing Newsletter 324

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Some analysis and due diligence along the following lines should be performed on every idea, as a reality check, before committing your efforts and other people’s money to building a business: Look for places where competitors are few. Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes.

Ideas 83

Ideas Technical Review Patents Startup 83

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2019

However, there is already the technology out therefrom San Luis Obispo-based Whitefox Defense (www.whitefoxdefense.com)  to both detect, and neutralize those drones. We spoke with founder and CEO Luke Fox to learn more about the company, and its technology. Explain how your technology works?

Startup 187

Startup Technical Review Technology Competition 187

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

Unit costs are important, but don’t forget about the cash flow hit, extra storage costs, and the probability of obsolete inventory due to necessary updates or pivots. People with the wrong tools or no training. It’s no secret that some people are more productive than others, due to skills, training, or commitment.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

In both cases, it’s easy for them to become frustrated and give up, since most have never been trained in change management, and don’t even know what questions to ask. Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. What does a good plan look like?

Startup 155

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 155

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

You’ll get sales information from your VP of Sales, marketing information from your VP Marketing, tech information from your CTO and so on. 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

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

Every startup begins with an idea, but from that point forward, it’s all about execution. As a result, Google has become a verb, and the company is a tech giant with record growth rates and a revenue of $74.5 Every team member needs the motivation, training and authority to make day-to-day decisions without review and approval.

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

The tech market is filled with many stories of early-stage funding. It maps to several themes about “solving bigger problems,” “taking more meaningful ownership positions” and “women in entrepreneurship.” It’s even more exciting when you can report an exit of a company that is a major win.

GRP Partners 285

GRP Partners Technical Review Truecar Invest 285

socalTECH

AUGUST 18, 2017

We talked with CEO Marcus Filipovich to learn more about the company and its product. For the first time, in a long time, traffic deaths and crashes are rising, due to drunk and drugged driving. How did the company and its technology come about? When did this become a business and when did the funding come about?

Pasadena Angels 100

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Technical Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Thus my job as a small business advisor really is really more about getting you developed than perfecting the business. Here I often find that you need to seek and work with a co-founder who can complement your technical skills with financial and marketing to start the business. Recruit the best talent and promote/train team managers.

Company 99

Company Companies Technical Review Startup 99