Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Most entrepreneurs have learned that it’s almost always quicker and easier to get cash from someone you know, rather than angel investors or professional investors (VCs). Here is a summary of some key items to think about as an entrepreneur before approaching friends, family, or even fools: Don’t be afraid to ask, carefully.

Early Stage 247

Early Stage Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence 247

Gust

MAY 11, 2014

In the US, many entrepreneurs see grants as “free money,” since they are not loans and don’t have to be repaid. A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. Extend your networking. Invested Interests entrepreneur grants startup'

Seed Money 164

Seed Money SBIR Dilution Government 164

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2010

Most entrepreneurs have learned that it’s almost always quicker and easier to get cash from someone you know, rather than angel investors or professional investors (VCs). Here is a summary of some key items to think about as an entrepreneur before approaching friends, family, or even fools: Don’t be afraid to ask, carefully.

Technical Review 233

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Angel Investor 233

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2013

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Entrepreneur 264

Entrepreneur Seed Money Social Network Business Plan 264

Steve Blank

JANUARY 28, 2013

The bootcamp requested that participants do what entrepreneurs do before requesting seed funding – Discover, Network and Accelerate. (In The second phase, and heart of the program, was a three-month, part time bootcamp that would prepare idea champions for the internal funding battle that followed.

Programming 291

Programming Design Lean Seed Money 291

Steve Blank

JANUARY 28, 2013

The bootcamp requested that participants do what entrepreneurs do before requesting seed funding – Discover, Network and Accelerate. (In The second phase, and heart of the program, was a three-month, part time bootcamp that would prepare idea champions for the internal funding battle that followed.

Programming 283

Programming Design Lean Seed Money 283

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

So they set up seed programs that allowed for rapid decisions for $500k or less, often done as convertible debt for both speed and cost reasons. I told entrepreneurs that it was a bit of a Faustian bargain. And I’ve just completed my first seed deal of Ad.ly ($500k) with another exciting deal I hope to announce within 30 days.

Software Review 283

Software Review Term Sheet Due Diligence Southern California 283

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Entrepreneur 264

Entrepreneur Seed Money Social Network Business Plan 264

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. I have had this discussion with many a first-time entrepreneur. They both raised angel / seed money of $1.5

Startup 418

Startup Revenue Technical Review Flash 418

Gust

JANUARY 13, 2013

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Entrepreneur 180

Entrepreneur Seed Money Social Network Business Plan 180

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 5, 2020

In return, you may be able to get your hands on some seed money for your college startup. Alternatively, there are organizations for student entrepreneurs for networking and startup cash injections. These include: Young Entrepreneur Council. Global Student Entrepreneur Awards . Young Presidents Organization.

Seed Money 91

Seed Money Startup eCommerce .Net 91

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

How else can you explain this headline matching a story about a professional social network still trying to explore revenues raising $17mm on an $80mm valuation? The other entrepreneur quoted in the story is from a guy pitching a Pinterest clone. Perhaps I need to rethink that. Needless to say, he's having some trouble raising.

Venture Capital 114

Venture Capital Marketing Term Sheet Software Review 114

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2019

The reality today is that capital is more available than ever and entrepreneurs have become more sophisticated, so founders are looking for more than just cash from their venture backers. They’re looking for guidance on building the company, the ability to tap into a VC’s network, and help with potential business opportunities.

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

Version One Ventures

DECEMBER 14, 2016

At the same time, seed money is still abundant due to the proliferation of micro VC over the past few years. It’s important to note that we’re looking for startups leveraging network effects in these new themes, because they are platform-agnostic after all. The fundraising environment is certainly tougher for later rounds.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Early Stage Portfolio Valuation 60

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 14, 2014

If you knew entrepreneur Marquis Hayes 10 years ago, you would barely recognize him today. But he chose to move forward with a positive attitude, raise seed money for his company, and network his way to a profitable future. Expand your network. The most critical person in your network is your business mentor.

Bootstrapping 249

Bootstrapping Startup Seed Money New York 249

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 7, 2017

As recent as 2016, for example, many business ideas from great minded entrepreneurs came to life, including those related to cancer cure, fast internet connectivity, business news, self-driving trucks, drones for relief operations, and so much more. Angel Networks. You can search for angel networks by area and platform type.

Private Equity 159

Private Equity Startup Incubator Social Network 159

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 12, 2020

While you won’t be beholden to an employer as an entrepreneur when it comes to time management, you will be beholden to your clients who can be even less forgiving. Make it a point to network as much as possible during the time you’re working for someone else. You Have Access to Seed Money.

Seed Money 92

Seed Money United States Revenue Hiring 92

YoungUpstarts

JULY 16, 2018

Although many entrepreneurs are tempted to take out a loan to fund their project, this usually isn’t a good idea since it can take years for a new business to become profitable. Recently, many crowdfunding sites have been popping up and offering entrepreneurs a way to raise funds for their businesses. Turn to Crowdfunding.

Seed Money 100

Seed Money Campaign Sales Cost 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

Many believe that entrepreneurs are born, not made. While I agree that successful company builders usually have a natural inclination to be entrepreneurs, a good education helps polish that apple. We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact.

Seed Money 225

Seed Money Social Network Networking Business Plan 225

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

Global Entrepreneurship Week has become a launching pad for entrepreneurs everywhere, and this year we are expecting 10 million people to participate,” says Carl Schramm, president and chief executive officer of the Kauffman Foundation , which founded Global Entrepreneurship Week. 14 – 20, 2011.

Global 167

Global Non-Compete United States New York 167

pandodaily.com

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Essentially, we got here by entrepreneurs having too much of a good thing. The number of seed and angel investors has exploded in recent years, buoyed up by a number of factors. At each turn, these market changes were heralded as wonderful developments for entrepreneurs. A name like 500 Startups says it all.

Technical Review 93

Technical Review Silicon Valley Incubator Syria 93

The Next Web

JULY 27, 2013

At this point, it seems like every other day celebrities and regular ol’ entrepreneurs are using the crowdfunding platform to raise needed capital. Are traditional investors really that great when you can leverage your social networks for cash? What actually happened, however, was a much sadder story.

Seed Money 130

Seed Money Massachusetts Equity Campaign 130

Up and Running

MAY 12, 2015

If you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding, you know how important—and involved—the pitching process can be. Drawing on advice from our own Tim Berry, founder of Palo Alto Software and Josh Cochrane, our VP of Product Development, I’ve broken down a few of the different options for entrepreneurs looking for feedback on their pitch.

Angel Investor 60

Angel Investor Software Review Technical Cofounder Due Diligence 60

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 9, 2018

In the last few days of 2018, we took some time to ask a few entrepreneurs and business what their biggest business accomplishments were. #1- I fully immersed myself in industry conversations, met ecosystem partners, and participated in social media discussions with next-generation entrepreneurs. 1- Launching our first collection.

South Korea 57

South Korea Entrepreneur Portugal Social Media 57

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 23, 2018

Staying real, and separating fact from fiction can help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting a new business while staying grounded. And Apple is famous for taking existing ideas (wireless networks, media creation, mice, mp3 players, smartphones) and doing them really, really well. Web search existed before Google.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Seattle Social Media 69

Berkonomics

MARCH 30, 2012

You want to establish a relationship here to gain access to their network at a later date. Crowd Funding: The Internet is at work here, especially for obtaining early stager seed money. They can also help you with an SBA (Small Business Administration) loan, if that path is correct for you.

Intellectual Property 76

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Small Business Administration SBA 76

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2010

One of the most difficult things to do as a first time entrepreneur is to get to know the investors you might be working with if you accept money. He got into the industry through the same traits required for entrepreneurs – persistence & resiliency. You’ll hear this story in the video. Total raised: $17.0mm.

San Francisco 230

San Francisco Los Angeles Cofounder SMS 230

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 21, 2012

So he added more criteria, including the amount of equity an accelerator takes and the size of its alumni network. Some accelerators are run by experienced entrepreneurs who have deep ties to funding sources and have sold companies before. They offer seed money and mentoring in exchange for equity, normally about 7%.

Startup 167

Startup Houston Equity Seed Money 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2011

The caveat is that these young entrepreneurs have to drop out of college to do it. But when your only capital is your hard-earned seed money, every penny that goes out will be scrutinized painfully. You can network to give and get referrals for other businesses. Your mortgage and grocery bill depend on it.

Sweat Equity 231

Sweat Equity Startup Angel Investor Seed Money 231

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2018

My first company, Digital-Tutors , grew from a startup in my living room with $54 of my own seed money into a multi-million-dollar business with customers around the world. I was proud of the fact that we never used any outside investment money to grow the company. From teacher to entrepreneur. It was a career goal.

Startup 107

Startup Seed Money Employee Conversion 107

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective? Company 2 might represent an “ad mediation company” where the company gets paid by ad networks for running ads on publisher websites and the company in turn must pay the publisher 85% of the revenue it collects. They both raised angel / seed money of $1.5

Stock Options 227

Stock Options Startup Dilution Venture Capital 227

cdixon.org

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

A frequent question entrepreneurs have when they are just starting their company is: how secretive should I be about my idea? This includes investors, entrepreneurs, people who work in similar areas, friends, people on the street, the bartender, etc. (I Why you shouldn’t keep your startup idea secret. link] Nivi.

Stealth 68

Stealth Startup NDA Cofounder 68

techcrunch.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

It is the first in a series of posts he’s writing about the decisions a young entrepreneur needs to make when she/he is first starting a business. One of the things I do as a founder of a later stage startup is to meet with early stage entrepreneurs to help them get their companies going.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Cofounder Technical Cofounder Software Review 84

www.reincubate.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2010

Share this: net c# development django java language php software Were often asked by entrepreneurs which language their startups should adopt when developing their technology. What to avoid Fortunately for entrepreneurs, there are only a few technology language choices that are likely to be fundamentally "wrong".

Fractional CTO 40

Fractional CTO CTO Technical Review CTO Hire 40

Campus Entrepreneurship

JUNE 3, 2010

The competition will leverage Cisco TelePresence(TM), which enables collaboration through a live, face-to-face video network communications experience, to allow finalists from around the world to present their business plans in real time to a joint panel of DFJ and Cisco executives based in San Jose.

Business Plan 34

Business Plan Global San Jose Venture Capital 34