There is a conflict in many startups that no one seems to write about–the clash that can occur between the founder and the professionals they bring in to help build their companies. It was highlighted for me by a conversation with a friend this week who had just joined a young company in the Bay Area as as a CFO. He remarked that with just a few tweaks in the business model, he thought the […]
Here’s how the Malauzai team lauched a watch app in 40 days!
Innovate Pasadena is, as usual, leading the charge to showcase the Tech Community in the Greater Pasadena area. Their next event is a week long extravaganza of Pitchfests, Hackathons, Seminars, and more during the week of 3/10. Check it out on their site at: Innovate Pasadena. Many Pasadena Angels will join the events, and I’ll be judging apps at the Hackathon. See you there!
Overwrought headline? Hardly. New SEC regs will destroy your ability to raise capital. In a nutshell, new SEC rules will REQUIRE entrepreneurs to register with the SEC BEFORE approaching investors. Worse yet, Angels will no longer be able to “self certify” as accredited investors–we will have to show W2’s or proof of our net worth, and most of us will never be willing to share such personal information. And did I mention that pitch […]
Innovate Pasadena is throwing a Launch Party–the whole Pas tech community will be there, and you should, too! You can get tickets while they last by joining the Innovate Pasadena group on LinkedIn. The Pasadena Angels will be there, in addition to representatives of CalTech, the City of Pasadena, IdeaLab, and more. Don’t miss it!
I’ve recently joined Malauzai Software, a developer of Mobile Banking Apps for Community Banks and Credit Unions, as their Chief Sales Officer. Even though I’ve been involved with SaaS products since 1998, the last few months have been quite the education. Delivering apps to a wide variety of financial institutions is dramatically more challenging than I expected, and my experiences illustrate many of the issues you can expect if you build a B2B app company. […]
The Pasadena Innovation Council organized a great tech executive meeting in Pasadena on Friday. A group of 20 or so local entrepreneurs gathered at Jones’ coffee to meet, share stories, and talk over new ventures. This is another good step toward pulling together the tech community in the greater Pasadena area. It was a great crowd. Ted Tekippe, CEO of Doublebeam joined us, as did Kevin Scanlon, Chairman of the Pasadena Angels. Andy Wilson, CEO […]
Pasadena may be the best tech story never told. Somehow the home of IdeaLab, OpenX, CalTech, Art Center College of Design, and JPL doesn’t have much of a reputation as a innovation hub. A number of tech companies, such as Bluebeam and Materia, are quietly building powerful businesses, and many startups are in Old Town. Still, Pasadena never hits anyone’s radar as a hot tech destination. We can put a rover on Mars repeatedly, but […]
One of my favorite Dave Berkus quotes is: “Never, never, never run out of money.” But inevitably, it happens to some startups. What then? Your VCs and lenders will likely impose onerous terms, and your ownership will get badly diluted. The one group of investors you can count on to support you in a crisis are your Angels, and I saw two examples over the Holidays. Two companies, with funding from the Pasadena Angels […]
Every startup has an elevator pitch, but what comes next? Do potential investors’ eyes glaze over when you get beyond the quick, punchy one liner and try to REALLY describe your company? Successful fundraisers tell a complete, engaging story and close the deal. Last week, the WSJ ran a great article on the value of college humanities courses, and used comments from a successful entrepreneur to make their case. I have to confess that I almost […]
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