Highlights for Entrepreneurs (09/19/24)

Greetings from a cloudy and cool Santa Monica! I'm happy to be back, and into the swing of things - basically living my regular life. There's a long list of events for you to check out this week; let me know if you attend any!

PSA:?Next Thursday is my?100 mile bike ride?for the 2024?Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF).??My goal is to raise?$30,000?once more for?Type 1 diabetes research (I've raised almost $25,000 to date!)?If you'd like to lend your support, here's the link:?Click here: No donation is too small and every dollar truly makes a difference. ?Thanks to everyone who has already donated!

More events are being added to the calendar at #LATechWeek starting Oct 13.?More LA#TechWeek events Oct 13 to 20 ?

Have a great week, be safe and healthy...?and take some time to care for yourself!?Here are this?week's resources for you to check out?and thank you again for reading, subscribing and sharing! Welcome to all the new and recent subscribers! If someone forwarded this to you, please reply to me to subscribe (or subscribe on LI)

Best,

Paul

Check out my interview with Canvas Rebel ?

1)?Startup Events: Startup Pitch Practice + Angel Investor Q&A (Online Sep 24)

- Entrepreneurs bring your #angelinvestor questions and startup pitches for free LIVE feedback and answers from StartupCouncil.org CEO Scott Fox

2)?Cooley: AI Talks: AI + Data Licensing (Online Sep 25)

- Cooley lawyers discuss key legal and business issues arising from the rapid development, commercialization and use of generative AI platforms and applications.

3)?PeopleConnect & Expert Dojo: SoCal In - Person AI PitchForce & Conference (In Person Santa Monica Sep 25 $0 - $200)

- Please Join Us For An Exciting Evening Ai Pitch Event + Conference At Expert Dojo! Selected Ai Startups Will Be Pitching To Ai Investors!

4)?Ideas to IPO: How to Build an MVP in 30 Days or Less! (Online Sep 27)

- Rich Foreman, the co-founder of Apptology, will conduct a workshop that will cover: 1) What is an MVP?; 2) The MVP Process; 3) Types of MVPs; 4) Building a Functional MVP; 5) How to Manage Costs; 6) How to Manage Time

5)?Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center: Jumpstart Your Tech Business with Limited Tech Experience (Online Sep 27)

- Lorraine Wong, Founder of Cue North will share insight on how to balance business and technical priorities, how to stay on top of the latest tech trends and tools, and how to determine whether to build your own tech team or rely on external expertise.

6)?a16z: Speedrun 004 (Accelerator Application Due Sep 30)

- I'm just hearing about this, but check this out:??If you’re building at the intersection of AI, VR/AR, gamified apps, web3, studios, or otherwise, apply to the next cohort of SPEEDRUN.?a16z is investing $750k per company. Seems to be games focused, but I'm unclear if that's exclusive

7)?StartUp Events: AI Strategies for Startups (Online Sep 30)

- this interactive workshop is aimed at demystifying AI technology and showcasing practical integration methods for your business operations

8)?Carta: Startup Fundraising 101: Post-funding Success (Online Oct 2)

- finding success after securing funding including business challenges and opportunities, and how to effectively allocate resources and leverage tools

9)?Techstars: Pre-accelerator or accelerator? (Online Oct 2)

- Tips on how to make your application stand out as well as which Techstars program, a pre-accelerator or an accelerator, would best fit your startup’s needs.

10)?Emerging LA: Space Tour at NASA #LATechWeek (In Person Pasadena Oct 14 RSVP/Approval Required)

- I wish I had a connection to a space company, because this looks like a fun and informative?event. Check it out if you're in the industry

11)?Early Stage LA: Santa Monica Innovation Hub - Ocean Ave Tech Fair (In Person Santa Monica Oct 14 $$) ????For one day Ocean Ave will become a tech street fair where you can engage with industry leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, and innovative startups who are driving change and shaping the future across various sectors

12)?Forum Ventures, Pegasus Accelerator, and SVB: Early-Stage B2B SaaS Founders & Funders Breakfast (In Person Santa Monica Oct 16 - Approval Required)

- Connect with a wide range of founders and funders, offering a space to learn from and acknowledge one another. Gain insights & knowledge from other attendees that could shape the trajectory of your startup or investment journey.

13)?Pegasus Unfiltered: Why Customer Discovery is a Waste of Time (Article)

- "Instead of relying on traditional customer discovery, test your venture's problem by gauging real purchase intent. "?

14)?Elana Gold/ The Cap Table: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Your Startup Pitch Deck - Using 2009 Airbnb as a Case Study(Article)

- When building out your pitch deck you need to make sure it not only captures the attention of potential investors but also communicates your startup's vision and value proposition.?

15)?Alejandro Cremades: Silicon Valley Legend Creates Pitch Deck Template For Entrepreneurs (Article)

- "Raising capital from investors is an art and finding a good pitch deck template to guide you in the journey of putting together your materials is essential." This article lets you access Peter Thiel's template, as well as one the writer has created?

Musical Diversions:

Los Lonely Boys - See Your Face

Wilco - Impossible Germany Live on KCRW {stay for the guitar jam}

Amos Lee - Hold On Tight

Lucius - Old Tape (feat. Adam Granduciel) {And Fred Armisen in the video}

Nilüfer Yanya - Mutations

illuminati hotties - The L

This Week's Cover:

Don'T You Worry 'Bout A Thing | Hamilton De Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba cover Stevie Wonder {Yep, jazz covers of rock songs two weeks in a row..and yes, Stevie Rocks!}

In Memoriam (an occasional section, hopefully)?

-?Maze - Joy & Pain (In memory of Frankie Beverly, lead singer of Maze)

-?The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (RIP Tito)

-?Souther Hillman Furay Band - Border Town {RIP JD Souther one of the "unsung" members of the California rock scene. I decided to pass on the Eagles ballads and include this one}

Highlights Newsletter Soundtrack ?All of 2024 music picks on Spotify

I know that you are very busy, but I hope you have time to enjoy the curated information and the?music selections?in this newsletter.?Get in touch if you have any feedback,?sources or other interested?readers - feel free to forward!??If you hear of any?upcoming events, please pass them along too! If the links speak to you, consider subscribing to the source! If you find a link particularly interesting, let me know so I can look for more like it.

Paul G. Shapiro, CPA?(Retired)

Startup Consultant

Santa Monica, CA