Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 4, 2019

by Peter Johnston , founder and CEO of Kalo. Tech That Helps You Grow (And Grows With You). There’s a genuine need for technology that can provide insights and automation in the freelance economy, especially as it relates to collecting the right tax forms and adhering to the right employment laws. But what about freelancers?

Technical Review 228

Technical Review Software Review San Francisco Due Diligence 228

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. The only real alternative is to find a cofounder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product. Being visible and engaged on a random part-time basis, due to other jobs, won’t do it.

Leadership 318

Leadership Technical Review Technical Cofounder Development Team Review 318

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Mention that you do “Consumer tech” as a startup founder and you’d be limiting your funding options to one third of the venture capital funds (in Israel that figure is probably closer to 10%). Until now, consumer tech was perceived as a risky binary investment.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2020

Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. The only real alternative is to find a co-founder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product. Have monthly reviews with each team member.

Leadership 326

Leadership Technical Review Development Team Review Startup 326

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 13, 2020

by Simone Semprini, CEO & Co-Founder, TourScanner. It is no secret that transportation is a sector that generates pollution and CO 2 emissions. The global lockdown, due to the pandemic, has forced companies to digitize their operations. It was a surreal situation with over one billion people confined at home.

Technical Review 278

Technical Review United States China Cofounder 278

View from Seed

JULY 6, 2020

You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have unbounded curiosity for emerging trends, a love for experimentation, and you’re always eager to dive into new products and technologies before others do.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Software Review Hiring Seed Stage 257

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. In any case, before you select a specific outsourcing or contract alternative, there is no substitute for doing thorough due diligence. Don’t count on contracts and non-disclosure agreements to save you.

Intellectual Property 306

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Technical Review 306

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

You have two founders and it was agreed that one would get the CEO role so the other needs to call themselves president or COO. Many times they also pick up product and tech, too. Often times you find the CEO who really just likes to do product or tech. Similarly I talk to CEOs who can’t do a sales pipeline review with me.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Startup Cofounder Due Diligence 325

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 11, 2020

by Shaun Djie, Co-Founder & COO of Digix. As Southeast Asia drives ahead with digitisation, its eagerness and receptiveness to emerging technologies have encouraged the rising adoption of digital finance and the growing demand for re-skilling the workforce in digital technologies such as blockchain. .

Asia 290

Asia Technical Review Technology Singapore 290

Steve Blank

APRIL 3, 2018

That) takes focus, diligence, discipline, flexibility and perseverance. But what I’ve noticed is that it’s rare that the smartest technical innovator is the most successful entrepreneur. Being a domain expert in a technology field rarely makes you competent in commerce. Now I have a different perception. Lessons Learned.

Technical Review 335

Technical Review Entrepreneur Artificial Inteligence Cofounder 335

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

I first met Andrew Stalbow , the founder & CEO of Seriously in August of 2013. and Petri was co-founder and head of creative at Remedy Entertainment that launched the hit PC games Max Payne and Alan Wake. I think this is a Seriously great example of how this process works for at least one VC – Upfront Ventures.

Technical Review 373

Technical Review North America Los Angeles Cofounder 373

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

This post previously appeared in the Harvard Business Review. But these look for founders who have a technical or business model insight and a team. Accelerators provide these teams with technical and business expertise and connect them to a network of other founders and advisors. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

By now you probably know that David Sacks , co-founder of PayPal and founder of both Geni & Yammer made some observations on Facebook that Silicon Valley “as we know it” was coming to an end. We once thought Microsoft was a monopoly on the Internet due to IE. Where David is Totally Right. Laughable now.

Silicon Valley 299

Silicon Valley Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder 299

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

A version of this article is in the Harvard Business Review. Why do these founders get to stay around? Because the balance of power has dramatically shifted from investors to founders. Technology cycles have become a treadmill, and for startups to survive they need to be on a continuous innovation cycle.

Founder 281

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 281

VC Cafe

MARCH 31, 2025

Michael Seibel first joined YC as a founder (twice: w07, w12) once with the live streaming service Justin.TV (which morphed into Twitch) and later on Socialcam, another streaming app. All co-founders should have roughly a year’s worth of very frugal living expenses saved up and must have quit their jobs.

Cofounder 88

Cofounder Silicon Valley Technical Review PR 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. In any case, before you select a specific outsourcing or contract alternative, there is no substitute for doing good due diligence. Dont count on contracts and non-disclosure agreements to save you.

Intellectual Property 238

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Offshore 238

TechEmpower

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

When speaking with founders and CEOs, we often hear concerns like this: My project manager is losing confidence in the development team. The team’s technical skills are solid, but they’re undermined by poor communication, especially around requirements and expectations. This is where a technical review can be useful!)

Development Team Review 260

Development Team Review Developer Software Review Technical Review 260

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

They couldn’t possibly understand the new social media culture, new technologies, or have the determination to beat their younger counterparts in the market. In fact, they are well-qualified overall, having worked with high technology and computers for at least 20 years, are highly educated, and highly motivated.

Advisory Board 368

Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

I think as a tech industry we have bred a culture that places more emphasis on product excellence than managing human behavior. Yet talk with people at Twitter these days and many seem to feel like they are part of a movement – and that doesn’t just come due to product success. Those are the easy cases.

Founder 340

Founder Cofounder Sacramento Technical Review 340

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

My internal compass has always steered me strongly toward the belief that founders who can scale with their startup companies are better to back that founders who eventually need to hire a CEO. Very few founder CEOs go into the job ever expecting to give up their seat. It’s your baby. You took the biggest leap of faith.

Technical Review 303

Technical Review Cofounder Analytics Founder 303

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. I can tell you that many founders make an egotistical mistake to launch in as many markets as possible as quickly as possible and the temptation was certainly there at MakeSpace.

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 9, 2022

As part of our Founder interview series , The Startup Magazine caught up with Salo Sterental, Co-Founder of the SoStereo, a marketing firm that enables brands and artists alike to unlock the marketing power of music. Salo: Zumba Fitness approached Beto (my co-founder) and I with a unique problem.

Cofounder 158

Cofounder Founder Miami Marketing 158

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2021

Unless you have a co-founder or two with the business skills to complement your technical ones, you need a friendly Advisory Board. The cost of a co-founder is usually fifty percent of your equity. Over time, this may grow due to “ observer ” members, including investors, or other contracting requirements.

Advisory Board 356

Advisory Board Bandwidth Cofounder Technical Review 356

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 29, 2020

While Silicon Valley remains a hub of technological innovation, it is not the only hi-tech enclave where big ideas are brought to the fore in the commercial arena. This start-up is headed by industry-leading professionals including its CEO and co-founder, Ido Susan, and Hillel Kobrinsky the CSO and co-founder.

Cofounder 147

Cofounder Software Review Israel Technical Cofounder 147

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. Reviewing financial & operational performance. Founder’s perspective.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Early Stage Software Review Los Angeles 325

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2020

They couldn’t possibly understand the new social media culture, new technologies, or have the determination to beat their younger counterparts in the market. In fact, they are well-qualified overall, having worked with high technology and computers for at least 20 years, are highly educated, and highly motivated.

Advisory Board 312

Advisory Board Startup Dividend Angel Investor 312

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

On the other side of the spectrum, the idea of finding a unicorn has attracted many investors toward the much riskier venture capital and emerging technologies. Over the past decade, advancing technologies and social consciousness have been causing unprecedented and exciting shifts in every sector of the economy, not just the tertiary.

Private Equity 165

Private Equity Equity Technical Review Software Review 165

Hunter Walker

OCTOBER 14, 2024

The order is important because I fell in love with the product before I even knew about the company, and the hustle of its founder/CEO Sandro Roco. Over the last few years he’s been a diligent company-builder, brand steward, and community leader. Oftentimes the people behind the Instagram accounts were literally the founders.

New York City 110

New York City Hockey Stick Distribution Angel Investor 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2022

But these days with all the resources on the Internet and elsewhere, there is no excuse for not keeping up on the latest insights, best practices, and technology in the area of hiring, motivating, and training. Define a disciplined process, take the time to find multiple candidates, and do proper reviews.

Hiring 337

Hiring Technical Cofounder Cofounder Retention 337

Steve Blank

MARCH 12, 2014

These two startups had problems they could not solve on their own due to lack of resources—time, people, money. For the second startup, we chose a year-old web/mobile startup whose market is college bound teens, with a founder who had skipped the initial customer validation process. Customer Discovery in the Real World.

Lean 335

Lean Customer Development Startup Silicon Valley 335

View from Seed

JANUARY 27, 2021

You are a “digital native” with a strong interest in new technology and have hands-on proficiency with many online tools for managing social media interactions, event production, and project management. You are actively engaged in the NYC or Boston tech ecosystem. All applications will be reviewed confidentially. A Final Note.

Operations 227

Operations Hiring Seed Stage Boston 227

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

The time spent on reviewing decks went down compared to 2021. I touched on this in my post “ Founder Investor Fit “ Passing the initial filtering process. Most of these can sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many founders skip this initial research. What should be in your pre-seed pitch deck.

Technical Review 166

Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder Portfolio 166

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Today we’re announcing that my partner Kara Nortman is becoming Co-Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome her to her new role. and of course a relentless pursuit of helping founders succeed. So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs.

Partner 361

Partner Management Cofounder San Francisco 361

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 31, 2020

by Roland Polzin , MBA and Co-founder of Wing AI. In addition, not everyone has the privilege of having a real personal assistant due to high costs. What is the Role of Technology? Technology has come so far that we can essentially have a dialogue with our phone. Humans & Technology Side-by-Side.

Artificial Inteligence 214

Artificial Inteligence Mali Management Technical Review 214

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

” From the hyperbolic Jason Calacanis weighing in that “The petty VC’s did everything to deride [Naval, the co-founder of AngelList]” as though the industry was collectively s g its pants that AngelList was going to put us out of business. founder fighting. For starters, what is AngelList Syndicates?

Syndicate 356

Syndicate Syndication Cofounder Early Stage 356