Highlights for Entrepreneurs (06/20/24)
It's getting warmer out there, and quite hot in many places. Enjoy the weather if you can and have a great week!
I know that you are very busy, but I hope you have time to enjoy the curated information and the music selections in the 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.
I hope you are able to check out some of the links below, and thank you again for reading, subscribing and sharing!
PSA: I've started the outreach for my 2024 Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) 100 mile ride which will be in Idaho! My goal is to raise $30,000 once more for Type 1 diabetes research. If you'd like to lend your support, here's a link: Click here: No donation is too small and every dollar truly makes a difference. Thanks to those who've already donated!
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.
Paul
1) AltaSea: Blue + Green Session 3: Advancing Aquaculture through Advocacy and Policy (Online Jun 26)
- Here trying to shed light on this new program at the LA Port focusing on the intersection of ocean sustainability and innovation: Join a webinar discussing how to promote and support aquaculture growth through advocacy and policy initiatives. (Not quite startup focused, but a very interesting endeavor and perhaps of interest to you)
- Mike Maples Jr is a Co-Founding Partner at Floodgate, and is one of Silicon Valley's most renowned early-stage investors. Venture Trailblazers is an exclusive event series hosted by Founder Institute & Decile Group
3) AI LA: 2 upcoming events:
- Hear how AI will advance the future of work, especially regarding data privacy and cybersecurity.
- Hear how emerging technologies will shape the future of creativity and the media industry, especially regarding content creation, IP, royalties, and ownership.
- We are entering the exponential age in the greatest technological transformation in all of human history. The Sovereign Tech Summit brings together forward-thinking minds who believe in a different path with human-centered design.
5) Smart Founder: How to raise funds for your startup (Online Jul 1)
- The speaker and founder of a startup fundraising agency in Berlin will share her insights and experiences on how to attract investors, pitch your ideas effectively, and secure the funding you need to take your startup to the next level.
6) Silicon Valley Startup: Idea to IPO: How to Protect Your Intellectual Property! (Online Jul 2)
- Silicon Valley intellectual property attorney Dr. Steven Colby will discuss how to protect your intellectual property.
- David Cohen speaks with Marc Steren, founder and CEO of University Startups. The two discuss the entrepreneurial journey and the transformative impact of education.
8) Wharton: Do Accelerators Improve Startup Success Rates? (Article)
- Participating in accelerators can help ventures grow, but the extent of these benefits varies significantly. Therefore, founders should carefully consider how different program designs align with their goals for growth and expansion.
- Uri Levine is the co-founder of Waze (yes, THAT Waze). He’s also founded nine other companies, been on the board of 20 companies, and advised more than 50 companies.
10) VC Unfiltered #1 | Ilya Strebulaev - Author of Venture Mindset (Video)
- Introducing "VC Unfiltered" - A New Series Hosted by @Lucas J. Pols. For their first episode, they feature Ilya Strebulaev, the esteemed David S. Lobel Professor of Private Equity at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Professor Strebulaev, along with co-author Alex Dang, has recently released the highly acclaimed book, "The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth."
11) Mucker Growth: How to Kickstart Content Marketing at Early-Stage Companies (Video)
- In this session, Dennis Shiao, founder of marketing agency Attention Retention, walks through how to make an impact with content marketing even when you have limited budget and resources.
12) Martin G Tobias: I received over 3,000 pre-seed startup pitches last year. (Twitter)
- Here is my framework for figuring out how much to raise. The #1 risk in pre-seed is not getting far enough to raise the next round.
13) Tzakhi Freedman: Don't raise before you're ready - with Max Simonovsky (LinkedIn Podcast & Article)
- Discussion of the nuances of raising capital for a hardware and software-integrated solution and the learning that helped raise millions for Soapy and turn it into a growing international business while driving real impact and saving lives.
14) Kurtis Hanni Frameworks & Finance: 6 'Feels Like' factors wrecking your KPIs (Article)
- Have you ever wondered why the temperature and "feels like" temperature are so different? Well the same "phenomenon" can impact your business.
15) Saastr: Top 10 GTM Mistakes Founders Make Today with SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin (Article/Video)
- SaaStr Founder and CEO, Jason Lemkin, shares the top GTM (Go To Market) mistakes founders make today and some cheat codes to avoid them.
Musical Diversions:
Steve Dawson - Time to Let Some Light In
Nao Yoshioka - Unapologetically Me feat. Takuya Kuroda
David Gilmour - The Piper's Call (Latest from Pink Floyd guitarist)
Lake Street Dive - "Better Not Tell You" [Live from The Bridge Studio]
Gary Backstrom Band - El Aliento De La Vida This sizzles!
This Week's Cover(s):
UMass Lowell Steely Dan Ensemble | The Caves Of Altamira
A Steely Dan Ensemble - great band with a big horn section!
Trey Anastasio - Kid Charlemagne into Reeling in the Years {Yes, 2 covers in one}
In Memoriam (an occasional section, hopefully):
Tribute to Willie Mays; possibly the greatest ballplayer of all-time (certainly of my younger days):
The Treniers - Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)
Terry Chapman: Willie, Mickey, and the Duke
M*A*S*H • Suicide Is Painless • Johnny Mandel (Fond Farewell to Donald Sutherland)
Paul G. Shapiro, CPA (Retired)
Startup Consultant
Santa Monica, CA