Highlights for Entrepreneurs (10/05/23)
Paul Shapiro
(CPA retired), Startup Advisor (CFO and Controller for early stage tech and internet companies); Highlights for Entrepreneurs newsletter
Well we made it through another month and into the fourth quarter. I'm already seeing Halloween decorations in my neighborhood. Baseball playoffs have begun and I hope the Dodgers get through the first round (at least). And if you've been following along, I see my Dr. tomorrow and hope to get the OK to start biking again. I'll let you know next week!
If you'd like to receive this via email, just let me know.?I hope you're enjoying the information and the music selections
Here are this?week's resources for you to check out and some music you might like.?Get in touch if you have any feedback,?sources or possible interested?readers!? If you know of any?upcoming events, please pass them along too! Until next week,?be safe and healthy!?
...?and take some time to care for yourself!
Paul?
- From the hosts: We are working to build a collaborative and engaged tech community in Pasadena to be inclusive of people who may not have easy access to more established tech hotspots.
- Learn how current market dynamics are impacting enterprise sales and how you and your business should respond with Whitney Sales - ?Operating Partner at Forum Ventures, Founder, and Creator,.?
- Startup Summit 2023 will bring together thousands of startups, tech experts and investors to tackle today's growth and fundraising challenges
-?Kyle Poyar, Operating Partner at OpenView, will walk through the most common mistakes he sees, how to tell whether you’re making one of them, and how to fix your pricing in order to drive efficient growth. ?
-?Don't miss the chance to discover the future of investment with groundbreaking startups and the StartupStarter Open pitch competition...And Celebrities!
- Request an invitation to this event that "convenes hundreds of female and non-binary senior investors from US-based firms for a day-and-a-half conference"?
- If you qualify, this database may be a source of grant money for some short-term funding, with no dilution?
- If your startup is looking for a bank, you should definitely talk to Al Guerrero at Stifel Bank. Formerly the LA manager for SVB, Al is a someone interested in helping LA startups??
- A panel of experts discusses where we are with Series A funding and what startups need to know
- I just became aware of this newsletter. This is Part 1 of a 7 part series?on kick starting and scaling a B2B business. You may need to subscribe to read this (they have a free level)
- I've posted this resource before - have you tried it? I'm curious to know if you found value in their offering of discounts to various vendors and services
- From a law firm working with startups: Since valuation caps are common, it is important for the company to understand and negotiate an appropriate limit.
- It's a long way, but there is a summary section. From the writer: In this article, I unpack some of my biggest surprises from deeply analyzing the data — and what it says about the ever-changing role of a startup CEO.
- This article describes how to create the best list of VC's who might be appropriate for your startup to reach out to. Be sure that you have a good system for tracking the discussions and progress?
-?Download the pdf for 5 criteria that investors look at first when assessing a startup:
Some Musical Diversions:
In memory of Terry Kirkman of The Association:
The rare rock/pop vocal group with flute
This Week's Treat:?
Soulful, reminiscent of another time
...and something else:??
Speaking of another time, I enjoyed the first few songs so much, this is a link to the whole album
Just for fun:
Nice song; beautiful video
This week's cover:?
I couldn't choose between these two duets with Tedeschi Trucks Band (mostly Tedeschi)
John Hiatt cover
Leon Russell cover - almost as good as the original
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Paul G. Shapiro, CPA
Startup Consultant
Santa Monica, CA
领英推荐
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If you see anything in your own reading that you think is worth sharing, please send it?my way. Also, if you know anyone else who might?be interested in this content, send me their email and I'll add them to the distro.
My JDRF Plug:?
I've raised over $14,000 for my JDRF 100 mile Ride so far!? Can I count on you for support of this great cause and get me closer to my goal??
We normally raise money for the JDRF Walk but this year, we're putting all of our support into the JDRF Ride.? Depending on my injury recovery, I plan to be riding my 8th 100 mile ride this fall.? If you can, please make a donation of any amount at this link:?Click this link to donate to my JDRF Ride?for 2023. These funds are used for Type 1 diabetes research (my daughter has had T1d since 2002)??
We were able to raise almost $30,000 for the 2022 Walk -?thanks to everyone who donated in the past AND in 2023!
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In Case You Missed?Last Week's Edition:
09/28/23:?
Short intro this week. I'd just like to thank you for reading/scanning this newsletter and I hope that you're getting some good information from reading it
If you'd like to receive this via email, just let me know.?I hope you're enjoying the information and the music selections
Here are this?week's resources for you to check out and some music you might like.?Get in touch if you have any feedback,?sources or possible interested?readers!? If you know of any?upcoming events, please pass them along too! Until next week,?be safe and healthy!?
...?and take some time to care for yourself!
Paul?
-?An exclusive 3-part pitch series event, designed to give you the knowledge and tools you need to successfully pitch your startup.
- Kick off the inaugural Santa Monica Blockchain Week with this special Crypto Mondays X Outer Edge LA X LA Tech Happy Hour, presented by Startup Coil & Edge of Company
-?answers to your burning questions: from how to insure your deposits to working with lenders, and anything else that you might want to know about helping your capital work for you, as you build your business!
-?Gain invaluable insights into the key characteristics distinguishing successful scaling startups from those struggling.
- Startup Summit 2023 will bring together thousands of startups, tech experts and investors to tackle today's growth and fundraising challenges. Tune in virtually on October 18th to join the Startup Grind community for insightful discussions, hands-on workshops, live speaker Q&A, and more.
-?I'm not much of a chef, much less a cook (just ask my wife), but this blog post?equates the process of cooking to the fundraising process. I think it works really well and maybe makes it easier for some to recall and adhere to the "recipe". Bon appetit
-?Key point: just like a job interview, when you first meet with a VC, you are selling yourself in hopes of getting the next meeting.
- Read this article for some ideas that?"...would pay real dividends to know at the start what separates the “also-rans” from the winners.:
- Another good blog post from Stage 2 on best practices for planning sales strategy and GTM
- I know that many startups are not ready to launch into a formal annual planning process. I'd recommend that you do the best you can - and there are people who can help!
- If you're interested in a deep dive on Pre-Seed funding and trends, check out this Pitchbook report
- I subscribe to some of these, but there were several I'm going to add. I know that reading more newsletters may not fit your schedule, but if so, read on.
- "...?improving your LTV:CAC from 2x to 3x can nearly triple your valuation." Read this article for a detailed explanation on understanding ths ratio
- The event is not until March 2024 but since this is one of the premier tech events in LA, you might want to prepare early
- The Report provides insights into the characteristics that separate startups that successfully scaled from those that did not and highlights actionable insights?
Some Musical Diversions???:
This Week's Treat:?
This is a simple video but a really good performance by this normally very electric sister duo
...and something else:??
New artist (to me), listen to the 1st song and then just let it play. The whole album is a good listen
Just for fun:
I'm just starting to explore his catalog, and the new album sounds great!
This week's cover:?
This is a great cover of a classic Rascals song that fits well with an end of summer vibe. You may know Carrack from Ace's How Long and several Squeeze songs (see: Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Tax Expert | Fractional Accounting | California Tax Education Council Member |
1 年Great as always!
Communication Consultant, Media Trainer, Presentation Trainer & Investor Pitch Coach, Online Course Creator, Keynote Speaker
1 年This is a very helpful resource, Paul!
Realtor Associate @ Next Trend Realty LLC | HAR REALTOR, IRS Tax Preparer
1 年Thanks for Sharing.