What’s Up with Elon?
Did you hear the latest Elon Musk interview with Joe Rogan? Listen to the tone of his voice. There’s wistful sadness. It’s almost like he’s crying inside.
I feel sorry for the guy. He’s clearly losing it.
It’s not that he smoked pot and broadcast it to the world. It’s the timing–right when everyone is questioning his competency.
Beyond Meat – The Startup that Grossed Me Out!
Beyond Meat – The Startup that Grossed Me Out!
I just tried the Beyond Meat Burger, which looks and tastes like real meat, but it’s not. It’s vegetarian, and people are raving about it.
I thought I’d love it. I’m looking to eat less meat for both environmental and ethical reasons, and I really wanted to support this startup. But I couldn’t!
My Personal Rules for Deal Making
I have one rule that is true for every type of sales is never chase losers. If someone is unwilling or unable to commit to deal, cut your losses and move on. The sooner you do this the better. Every day you spend chasing a deal that is unlikely to close is one day you could spend finding the right buyer, partner, investor, or client. Closing deals isn’t about spending time with the prospect; it’s about find the right prospect.
Winners from Founders Space Startup Pitch
Here are the winners from Founders Space’s Startup Pitch at the Technology of Tomorrow Event:
WINNERS:
Quorum AI
https://quorum.ai/
StreamFluence
http://www.streamfluence.io/
BitClaims
https://www.bitclaims.io/
FINALISTS:
Geopogo
https://www.geopogo.com/
Informu
https://www.informu.ai/
TestRigor
https://testrigor.com
XCINEX
http://www.xcinex.com/
Horzion Hover
http://www.horizonhover.com/
SINSAT
http://sinsat.com/
Mobilestack
https://www.mobilestack.com/
Ziggurat
http://ziggtec.com/
Never Chase Losers – Captain Hoff’s Rules for Closing Deals
I have one rule that is true for every type of sales is never chase losers. If someone is unwilling or unable to commit to deal, cut your losses and move on. The sooner you do this the better. Every day you spend chasing a deal that is unlikely to close is one day you could spend finding the right buyer, partner, investor, or client. Closing deals isn’t about spending time with the prospect; it’s about find the right prospect.
Innovation Forum
I participated in the China-U.S. Innovation Forum with my friends and partners from Xi’an.
I just heard a startup pitch from a professor of computer science who sings opera. She invented Alysia, which allows anyone to create original music, along with singing, in 10 minutes or less. You can try the demo at TryAlysia.com
Ziggurat is a professional Blockchain solutions provider from Xi’an. They’re from Jiaotong University. They are the first company to release a Crosschain protocol.
Winners of Founders Space Pitch Day
Here are the winners of Founders Space’s Pitch Day:
1) VanGoux is a browser based UI design editor that automatically generates frontend code from UI designs. https://vangoux.com/
2) Andaman7 makes it easy to manage your health data. You are in control. No health data in the cloud. https://www.andaman7.com
3) Delivery Zone is the ultimate platform for restaurants and retail stores. https://deliveryzone.net/
4) Paul Hardt makes exceptionally high-quality footwear for professionals who work on their feet. https://paulhardt.com/
China blitz! Back to Asia…
China blitz! I’m heading back. We’re opening Founders Space in Xi’an.
But first I’ll be collaborating with Huawei in Shenzhen, then speaking at the VC Conference.
Then I’ll fly to Xi’an to officially open Founders Space and collaborate with Xidian University. After that, I fly to Hefei to sign a deal with the Mayor.
Next, I fly to Beijing to collaborate with Wanda Group. Then I’m off to Hangzhou for the 2050 Conference.
Winners: Super Startups Pitch at Founders Space
We had a fantastic group of startups at Founders Space this week.
The winners were:
- Ditto, a SaaS-based syncing platform
- MeetCareerGivers, a marketplace for caregivers and seniors
- Blumio, a heart-rate monitoring system
- AnCatt, a nanotech corrosion-free paint producer
We also enjoyed the other pitches.
Travel Tips: Coughing on Planes
Getting seated on a plane is like a lottery. You just wait to see what ticket you’re handed. I recently returned from China, and on a 10-hour flight, I happened to be seated next to someone coughing.
He didn’t just cough once. He kept coughing, over and over. Some were normal coughs, but others were exceptionally loud, and then he’d clear his throat, spitting gobs of phlegm into a growing mound of tissues on his tray table.
Winners of Founders Space Pitch Day in Beijing
Here are the winners from our MIC Founders Space Startup Program in Beijing!
WINNERS:
PIMC
http://www.pimconline.com
Peggy Jiyu Li
[email protected]
Huajie Genes
Guodong Liu
[email protected]
I Want Testing
http://www.instrument.com.cn
Haixia Tang & Leisheng Zhou
[email protected]
FINALISTS:
Hoooon
http://www.hoooon.cn
Wendy Xiaofang Hu
[email protected]
Clean Doctor
http://www.clean-doctor.com
Wanqiang Li
[email protected]
Kegui
http://www.kegui.me
Jianwei Fan & Harry He Lu
[email protected]
Nano Painting
Xianyun Wang
[email protected]
BeFastTV: Talented Online Media and Video Production Team
BeFast.TV is an Online Media and Video Production house with the offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco. The BeFast.TV’s focus is Emerging Tech Companies and People behind them. Giving a voice for startup founders and tell their stories through video is the company’s main mission!
Video is a K-I-N-G ! You want you to look more professional and sexier when you have Visuals, Images and Videos! Your brand will get this elevated shine and look!
Axiom Business Book Awards Winners 2018
Make Elephants Fly won the Axiom Business Book Awards!
Book Overview
Make Elephants Fly reveals the process of radical innovation. Drawing on case studies from the most innovative startups in Silicon Valley, this step-by-step guide shows you how to develop, validate and launch your next huge idea.
Why It’s Important
Best Incubators & Accelerators in San Francisco Bay Area & Silicon Valley
The San Francisco Business Times just ranked the top incubators and accelerators in the San Francisco Bay Area & Silicon Valley. Founders Space was ranked #2.
Create Your Now Podcast with Captain Hoff
Listen to the Create Your Now podcast with Kristianne Wargo and Captain Hoff.
There are over 1,000 episodes on everything from startups and innovation to personal fulfillment.
2Questions.TV just launched on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio & TuneIn
Great news for all you entrepreneurs looking to learn something. 2Questions.TV just launched on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio & TuneIn. Check it out! Links to the show are below:
The StartUp to ScaleUp Game Plan
Captain Hoff just appeared on the podcast The StartUp to ScaleUp Game Plan. Listen and learn how to scale-up your venture through innovation!
Stacking Growth Summit III
Join us at Stacking Growth Summit III. The purpose of the event is to bring the top growth marketers in the industry to speak and share their insights.
The main focus is to extract tactical information from some of the best in the industry. It’s a no BS type of conference that will have you walking away with growth tactics that you can use for your own endeavor.
Innovate or Die is the Message!
Tune into Larry Rifkin’s American Trends, and listen to “Innovate or Die is the Message!”
It’s a painful reality but we have seen corporate behemoths taken down by upstarts because they failed to focus on the changes in society and stuck to their outdated processes, often because they had so much invested in them. (Read: Kodak Is it enough to be nimble and quick? No. Is it enough to have the best technology? No. So how do you align for success in this era of exaggerated change?