WordCamp Los Angeles Keynote : WP, GPL and VC
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Transcript of WordCamp Los Angeles Keynote : WP, GPL and VC
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- Who are you people? - Bloggers? - Business owners? - Devs? - Passionistas? - Money People?
Introductions
- Startups have been my career - Software is where it’s at - Running an angel backed WP co.
About Luke Pilon
- No Charge GPL software - Plugins & Premium Services
- GeoLocation - Mobile Web, Native - Social Integrations - Dynamic Landing Page
About Mobiah
- Take something away - Connections - Inspiration - Knowledge - Perspective - Tricks and treats
Goals for your WordCampLA
- Employ WordPress - Understand GPL - Know your capital environment
Goals for your 4:00PM
Recognize the Power of WP
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Recognize the Power of Themes - Agility - Articulation - Balance - Flexibility - Optimization
Recognize the Power of Plugins - Agility - Articulation - Balance - Flexibility - Optimization
Recognize the Community - Agility - Articulation - Balance - Flexibility - Optimization
Understand GPL
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Disclaimer
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GPL - Basics - 1989 - Free as in Freedom - Copy Modify and Redistribute - Sorry, No Modifying the License - Patents are for everybody
GPL and WP Version 2 - Don’t try to run, don’t try to hide
- Themes = GPL - Plugins = GPL - Uncompiled - Always with a license
It is for every business, blogger, etc. - As a user:
- Often free and always with freedom - As a publisher:
- An advertising opportunity for your business to be a platform
GPL is for every developer - It’s about layers (and stacks) - Know the layers above - Create layers below - The better your layer
- Use - Fame - Fortune
Recognize the Power of VC
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There’s lots of kinds of money - Credit Cards - Friends and Family - Clients - SBA/SBIC - Angel - And of Course, Venture Capital
Two major types of transactions - Debt financing - loans, interest, etc. - Equity financing - stocks, warrants, etc.
Understand Credit Cards - Fast and easy - Limits risk to your personal assets - CC Companies aren’t smart money - Cash flow implications later - Limits: What’s in your wallet?
Understand Friends and Family - Want to see you succeed, decent speed - May bet too much money - Possibly smart money - Limits: Comfort and who your relatives
are
Understand Client Funding - Lots of “pre-sales” - No debt, no equity - Potentially amazing outcomes - Limits: what you can and should
execute
Understand Angel Funding - Lots of footwork and presentations - Largely geographically driven - Smart money is out there - Smarter-money-than-you is there too - Connections, connections, connections.
Understand SBA/SBIC - SBA.GOV - OUT.
Understand Angel Funding - Lots of footwork and presentations - Largely geographically driven - Smart money is out there - Smarter-money-than-you is there too - Connections, connections, connections.
Understand Venture Capital - Even more footwork - Largely geographically/industry driven - Savvy, Connected, Self-Interested - Know the fund - Unless you are a GPL based
business…
Swing for the fence - All about your slide deck - Angels, VC, understand the bets - Funds range from $100M-200M - Typical pay to play is $3M - 30-60 % Points, Seats, and Warrants
My advice for the WP Entrepreneur - Always be ready to bootstrap
- Funding comes late / never comes - You only make the deal better by moving
- Know your offering and structure - Services - Subscriptions - Support
Take Aways - Know your love for WordPress - Know your leverage of GPL - Know your options for financing
Questions? - [email protected] - @lukepilon - 858.205.9856
