Mar 22, 2016
This week on our show, we are very excited to welcome an individual who has vast experience as an entrepreneur, tech professional, start-up advisor, and angel investor. Marty Zwilling’s career has taken him from a development team at IBM’s personal computer division to working alongside Bill Gates and managing the company’s relationship with Microsoft throughout the early 1980s.
Marty (@StartupPro) is the founder and CEO of Startup Professionals, Inc. and currently operates a blog focused on offering experienced advice to entrepreneurs and startups from the perspective of an angel investor.
He has been a member of two angel investment groups: Arizona Angels and the Arizona Technology Investor Forum (ATIF). He is a board member at Callaman Ventures, an advisor to the Arizona State University Venture Catalyst Program, Executive in Residence at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and member of the advisory boards for several start-up companies in the area.
He has published over 500 articles on Forbes, The Huffington Post, Young Entrepreneur, Harvard Business Review, his blog, and other online publications. He has also published 3 books: StartUp Pro,Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? and Attracting an Angel: How to get money from business angels and why most entrepreneurs don’t.
PODCAST TIMELINE
Marty details his background at IBM, working with Bill Gates, and catching the entrepreneurial bug [1:00]
We discuss the certain characteristics he looks for in an entrepreneur [3:00]
Noticeable red flags that indicate someone may not be a fit for entrepreneurship [5:13]
The point where an entrepreneur is ready to have a conversation with an angel investor [8:30]
“Contrary to popular myth, Angels do not fund dreams” [10:10]
What items an entrepreneur needs to bring to the table for an angel investment [11:15]
Marty shares his thoughts on confidence in entrepreneurship [13:45]
The case where a physician had a $5M projection for his product that didn’t quite add up [14:00]
What kind of preparation is needed in order to pivot an idea when trouble comes along [15:18]
Marty’s projections on entrepreneurship over the next 5 years [17:40]
The book that got Marty involved in startups and what he’s currently reading [20:05]
Mentioned in the Show:
The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki