Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

In my experience as an angel investor to startups, goodwill disagreements are perhaps the most common reason that you will fail to close interested investors as an entrepreneur. If you are the entrepreneur or owner, every potential investor takes a hard look at you.

Valuation 368

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 368

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. All partners have compatible work styles.

Cofounder 221

Cofounder Software Review CTO Hire Founder 221

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

As an advisor to business owners, and an occasional angel investor, my job is to separate the actual challenges from the common misconceptions that distract many promising entrepreneurs while building the leadership team required for your solution, marketing, and finance success.

Bandwidth 246

Bandwidth Software Review Salary Angel Investor 246

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

If your business success so far is based on family and Angel investors, perhaps it’s time to start working with institutional investors and external business partners. With each new skill you acquire, your likelihood of long-term success is improved. Expand your investment alternatives.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Leadership Due Diligence Marketing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. Values intellectual property.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 273

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. Values intellectual property.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 294

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

From his leadership consulting with a host of companies, clunky and innovative, he explains why owners and executives fall into traps of inertia and he details the critical pragmatic leadership skills needed to regain the required momentum. I advise initiating a change in your leadership style, before the market moves on without you.

Leadership 205

Leadership Angel Investor Demand Video 205

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. All partners have compatible work styles.

Partner 140

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Cofounder 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2023

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Leadership on ideas is a start, but entrepreneurial leadership requires the ability to deliver on the new reality as well.

Angel Investor 297

Angel Investor Leadership Social Network Startup 297

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

As an angel investor in early-stage startups, I’ve long noticed my peers apparent bias toward the strength and character of the founding entrepreneurs, often overriding a strong solution to a painful problem with a big opportunity. That means all of us have a chance. Embraced a worldview of positive beliefs. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Leadership Early Stage 414

SiliconHills

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Verb, an Austin-based startup focused on teaching leadership skills, announced recently that it has raised $6.4 The funding came from angel investors including Brett Hurt, Nav Sooch, Andy Roddick, Leon Chen, and Barshop Ventures. Million to Bring Leadership Training to the Masses appeared first on SiliconHills.

Leadership 116

Leadership Seed Stage Angel Investor Austin 116

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2012

As an Angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. These differences are the reason that investors say that they invest in people, rather than ideas.

Technical Review 332

Technical Review Entrepreneur Kentucky Due Diligence 332

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2021

As an angel investor in new startups, I’ve long believed that investors invest in people, not ideas. In fact, these same attributes also bound your leadership skills. In fact, these same attributes also bound your leadership skills. Your leadership and success in business today depends on it.

Leadership 392

Leadership Angel Investor Metrics Government 392

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2013

As an Angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. These differences are the reason that investors say that they invest in people, rather than ideas.

Technical Review 278

Technical Review Entrepreneur Kentucky Due Diligence 278

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

I found that view confirmed for a wide range of leadership situations in a classic book, “ The Mindset of Success ,” by Jo Owen. At minimum, you must learn to wear the mask of leadership – cool, calm control. Separate the event from your reaction, and be accountable for your own feelings. Stay positive and believe in yourself.

Angel Investor 369

Angel Investor Leadership Agile Cloud 369

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2010

I chair the Selection Committee of the Arizona Angels, and have been an active Angel investor as General Partner of Lobodos Ventures over the last thirteen years. Marty: What’s the most challenging aspect of being an investor? Tags: entrepreneur investor role model business. Learn how to be a great salesman.

Angel Investor 211

Angel Investor Arizona Entrepreneur Phoenix 211

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2018

Entrepreneurs who can keep their cool under fire are the long-term winners I look for as an experienced angel investor. In fact, the best will probably tell you that entrepreneur struggles are the best leadership teachers in the long run. Your initiatives will also cement your own leadership perception.

Leadership 144

Leadership Angel Investor Distribution Metrics 144

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 3, 2021

After working with clients to uncover the best business model, he urges them to let go of their hesitation about seeking funding from venture capitalists and angel investors.

United States 167

United States Entrepreneur Angel Investor Social Media 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2022

Theirs is not the autocratic style of leadership, which tells people what to do and dominates them, but a style which treats partners, investors, and customers as family. This is really the realm of bootstrapped startups, and a small segment of the angel investor community that is looking for a “quick hit” with a quick return.

Bootstrapping 374

Bootstrapping Angel Investor Differentiation Leadership 374

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 4, 2020

Though the trend in the startup world seems to be relocating to Silicon Valley (a choice that some angel investors and ven­ture capitalists now call mandatory) and knocking on the doors of venture capital, this path doesn’t make sense for all businesses, and it’s not acces­sible to many entrepreneurs because of their life circumstances.

Entrepreneur 205

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Silicon Valley Bandwidth 205

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Leadership on ideas is a start, but entrepreneurial leadership requires the ability to deliver on the new reality as well.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Leadership Social Network Matching 359

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2016

As an angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. These differences are the reason that investors say that they invest in people, rather than ideas.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Their only recourse is that first tier of investors, fondly called Friends, Family and Fools. Investors want to be followers, not the leaders.

Sweat Equity 274

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Startup Equity 274

Up and Running

AUGUST 30, 2021

Angel investors, venture capital firms, accelerators, and (maybe) the newer equity crowdfunding will look to see if you have previous experience in startups. You need your minimum viable product (MVP), you need to show how you’re better than competitors , you need good leadership skills, and you need traction.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Lean Colorado Engineer 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. That’s about the same ratio that angel investors claim. According to some recent feedback, YCombinator takes roughly 3 percent of applicants who apply to each batch cycle.

Incubator 231

Incubator Silicon Valley North America Small Business Administration 231

David Teten

MAY 9, 2012

Any company that aspires to maintain a leadership position needs to position itself to exploit these two macro trends. VCAP©, the first program of its kind, bridges the gap between venture capitalists and angel investor networks and women and diverse entrepreneurs, many of whom have not traditionally had access to these sources of capital.

Venture Capital 154

Venture Capital Programming Accredited Investor New York 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2017

In my experience as a business advisor and angel investor these days, I seem to more frequently hear from entrepreneurs and business owners with “can’t-fail” or “get-rich-quick” ideas. In my view, these are the least likely to succeed, partially because the people behind them have the wrong expectations and traits.

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South Africa Leadership Russia Sweden 149

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Lack of involvement and leadership by the CEO. As an angel investor, I judge readiness for investment by their presence or absence, by the CEO’s relationship with them, and by the quality of the advisors. The best CEOs balance the focus between strategy and selected current issues.

Advisory Board 348

Advisory Board IPO Angel Investor Acquisition 348

Feld Thoughts

JULY 17, 2013

Everyone else – who I call the “feeders” (government, university, non-profits, big companies, VCs, angel investors) – have an important role, but the leaders must be entrepreneurs.

Community 163

Community Kansas City Technical Review Silicon Valley 163

Austin Startup

MAY 7, 2017

Tuesday, May 9: VentureCrush ATX (FREE) VentureCrush is a series of unique events and networks created by the Tech Group at Lowenstein Sandler to bring together carefully selected groups of tech industry founders and senior executives, along with VC, growth equity, private equity and angel investors. At Galvanize at 6:00 pm.

Technical Review 75

Technical Review Austin North America Software Review 75

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

My perspective as an angel investor is that once you get past early adopters, most people won’t switch to a new approach unless they perceive a cost or time savings or speed advantage of at least 20 percent. Warm connections to required distributors, suppliers, and large potential investors is a major plus.

Intellectual Property 417

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Dilution Differentiation 417

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you.

Exit Strategy 406

Exit Strategy Merger Angel Investor IPO 406

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. That’s about the same ratio that angel investors claim. According to some recent feedback, YCombinator takes roughly 3 percent of applicants who apply to each batch cycle.

Incubator 398

Incubator Silicon Valley North America Startup 398

Up and Running

AUGUST 12, 2014

In as much as a scheduled interview with an angel investor can be, talking with Boris about what it takes to spark the interest of a venture capital firm was a coincidence. If youve ever pitched a venture capitalist or angel investor, or if you have any thoughts on the conversation we shared, let me know in the comments below.

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Venture Capital Founder Angel Investor Portfolio 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2020

As an angel investor, I see plenty of startups focusing on building an innovative product, but I’m looking for the few who are also leading with an exponential growth strategy, to put them in the category of the next Amazon or Google. A mindset of killing your competitors is not always the key to expediting your own growth and success.

Marketing 425

Marketing Angel Investor China New York 425

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Their only recourse is that first tier of investors, fondly called Friends, Family and Fools. Investors want to be followers, not the leaders.

Sweat Equity 346

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Equity Venture Capital 346

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2020

As an angel investor in startups, I’m a believer that smart investors invest more in you as the entrepreneur than the next billion dollar solution you are pitching. Leadership is tougher than invention. Yet I find that most of you find it hard to make the case that you can be the next Elon Musk or Bill Gates.

Entrepreneur 312

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Valuation Leadership 312