The Moment



The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room, 
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,


is the same moment when the tree unloose
their soft arms from around you, 
the birds take back their language,
the cliffs fissure and collapse,
the air moves back from you like a wave
and you can't breathe.


No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.


-Margaret Atwood

Your Walk of Wisdom

Got a startup? Got questions? Let's walk!

When Steve Jobs wanted to spend quality time with key people, he took them on long walks in the natural surroundings near his home. Mark Zuckerberg learned this habit during his first meetings with Jobs, and chose to implement it at Facebook. I have been doing this for many years as well.

If you have a startup and would like to talk business with a serial entrepreneur who has over 50 years of experience, let's walk! I reserve one morning every week to meet and help other entrepreneurs, no charge*. 

Email me to schedule your morning Walk of Wisdom.
MM@DoubleMsystems.com

*this free offer is for new clients only

Efficiently Executing The Irrelevant

Some extraordinary thoughts from The Startup Genome:


More than 90% of startups fail, 
due primarily to self-destruction rather than competition. 

Successful startups succeed because they are good searchers 
and failed startups achieve failure by efficiently executing the irrelevant.

(I wish I could write as eloquently!)


First Review of Interactive Pocket Guide for Entrepreneurs



"So much wisdom in such a compact form.
Highly refreshing, and highly recommended."
 (5 stars)

"The two things I like best about this book are its near-philosophical tone, and the QR codes for every principle. You can 'go deep' with a quick scan, which leads to in-depth reference info on the web. The author is practically a business guru, both because of his track record as a successful entrepreneur, and because of his writing style. I think Buddha or Confucius would have written exactly like this if they were interested in building a business. It's the kind of book...you keep on your desk and check daily to keep your entrepreneurial eye on the ball of business growth. Highly refreshing, and highly recommended."

 (George Walther, business author and Hall of Fame speaker)

Order your *autographed* copy now, 
only $12.95 on Amazon, 
click here





Pitch Your Business Idea to Angel Investors, Mondays at 6pm!




LIVE ONLINE EVENT
Every Monday @ 6PM Pacific Time

"Tech Coast Angels Open Forum"

Listen to Angels, Investors, Venture Capitalists and Catalysts and what they have to say about investing and being investor ready.  Pitch your business, idea or concept through live video feed and hear feedback from industry veterans.  Ask questions and learn.
Do you have a business idea you want to pitch via live video? Get your camera, microphone, and headset (no speakers please) ready before the show, signup/login and give it a go.  Test your setup before you connect and make sure you don't have any background noise.  You'll have 30 seconds to pitch followed by a short Q/A and feedback.   View a sample 30-second pitch at the bottom of this email and practice your own based on this example.

Hosted by JJ Richa

JJ Richa is an accomplished technology executive with over 20 years of experience in a vast spectrum of the technology industry. Mr. Richa is a results-oriented serial entrepreneur who has demonstrated his strategic, proactive, and creative abilities with the successful start-up and launch of several companies including a SaaS/WaaS technology company for the hospitality industry, an online ecommerce portal for exquisite and unique shoppers, and a custom software development company with main concentration on the financial sector. Mr. Richa is a Managing Director at Trenchant Ventures, LLC - a private equity firm with concentration on distressed business acquisition and restructuring. Mr. Richa holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree from California State University Long Beach. Mr. Richa is a private equity investor and is a member of Tech Coast Angels. He serves on the board of for-profit in addition to not-for-profit organizations that help start-ups in accelerating business growth and raising capital.

This event is LIVE, ONLINE, and INTERACTIVE every Monday @ 6pm

Join us Monday at 6PM Pacific time!


Powered By
www.vokle.com



Description: Description: Description: pitch
30-Second Pitch Guidelines
THE PITCH
THE COMMENTARY
Hello, I'm John Doe, Founder of ABC Co.



Can you ever have enough storage on your digital media or can they ever be fast enough?

Our patented blue laser diodes can dramatically increase storage capacity as well as increase transfer speeds.

The market for these components in optical storage and communication exceeds $4.0 billion per year.

We'll tap into this market through licensing, distributors, and direct sales.


Our team has substantial experience producing red diodes.  Our product is already in the market and being used by over 500 paying customers.



To date, we've invested 2 years and $250K of our own and friends and family money. We're seeking $750K to finish our R & D and ramp up sales and marketing efforts.
State your name, title and company name.  A title of "founder" may be a good choice where you don't have any prior experience.

Begin with the problem (pain/need) - from the point of view of your potential customers.

Describe how you are going to do it better, cheaper or faster - in this case it is better and faster.

How big is the market? How many people have this problem and would be willing to buy your product or service?

The revenue model is simple product sales. You may also mention how much of the market you intend to capture (e.g., 5% in 3 years).

The team is often critical (management, management, management as in real estate, location, location, location) - in this case, the team is complete along with market-ready product & paying customers to help seal the deal.

Be sure to tell the listeners what you already put into it (money, sweat equity), how much you need and what you need it for.

Total Time: 30 Seconds
A 30 seconds pitch is the target; we may allow you an additional 15 seconds to complete your pitch.
Remember to give the investor/judges/listeners enough information to get excited in order to assist you, meet with you or approach you to learn more.  The purpose is not to tell your life story here.  The objective of a so-called elevator pitch is to get you a meeting with a potential investor.  At your first meeting, the objective is to get another meeting and so on until money is offered.


Yale Entrepreneurial Institute: free podcasts on iTunes

The Yale Entrepreneurial Institute (YEI) was formed to help undergrad and grad Yale students start scalable new ventures.  The YEI podcast series features talks given at the summer institute leadership lecture series.


There are currently 37 podcasts in the series on a wide range of topics including Decision Making at a Startup, Sound Advice from a Young Entrepreneur, and even Why You Shouldn't Be An Entrepreneur!


Check them out on the iTunes Store, search on Yale.  Free is good.