Los Angeles is ranked as one of the top three U.S. key ecosystems fueling startups, all of which drive investment and job creation. Much goes into running a successful startup, but distilled down to the simplest terms, managing one is an exercise in fast, smart decision-making. Every day brings new choices, big and small, especially as the momentum for a tech sector rebound remains steady.
Throughout the process of managing a tech startup, some decisions are more critical than others as startups move through various stages, and markets change. For instance, in Los Angeles, February growth was fueled by venture capital investments focused on companies in sectors like sports technology, agtech and music production. These key moments, or “inflection points,” can have a profound impact on the trajectory of a tech company’s long-term success.
In a late-stage tech startup’s early days, taking a boots-on-the-ground approach to building the business may have helped the founder gain critical insights. Usually, in the later stages, the company has found its footing and already has a product in the market. A bigger focus on growth – rather than product development – is key.
With that foundation established, here are three inflection points for Los Angeles-based late-stage startups to consider.
1. Embracing New Growth Opportunities
A late-state tech startup may be challenged to adopt a growth culture. The company will need to think bigger and invest in business systems and processes that are critical to the next growth phase, which often means sharing decision-making powers.
This stage is also significant because it can be unforgiving of companies that wait too long to make that shift. One of the smartest things a company can do at this stage is evaluate its financial, consulting and systems partners. For example, if a company were to generate $100 million-plus in revenue, it shouldn’t be using accounting software designed for small businesses, yet that’s not unheard of. Transitioning to enterprise systems is still possible at a later stage – but it takes more effort and capital to upgrade operations infrastructure when a company has 3,000 employees versus 100. In the hypercompetitive tech space, delaying could be the difference between being the acquirer and the acquired.
2. Going Global
Some startups are in a better position than others to go global. Still, many companies will need some sort of global footprint and must make operational adjustments when engaging in a new country. With each new region, companies must also reevaluate whether they have the right people, partners and systems in place.
With each new region, companies must also reevaluate whether they have the right people, partners and systems in place.
One best practice is to consolidate accounts with a single partner so that finance executives have visibility into all assets and capital. For every bank account that’s not part of an integrated platform, companies may be losing efficiencies: International expansion means working across different regulatory landscapes, currencies, cultures and languages. Integration of accounts, regardless of geography, is key to gaining 360-degree visibility. This provides clarity for payments, receipts, liquidity, investments, the foreign exchange market, global trade and supply-chain finance.
3. Preparing for the Public Markets
After a landmark year for initial public offerings in 2021 and 2022’s significant slowdown, the 2023 market seems to have found the middle ground. The third quarter of 2023 alone contained 26 IPOs, which, combined, raised $7.7 billion – a number that equals the total proceeds raised in all of 2022.
Market forecasts predict an increase in IPO activity in 2024 as a backlog of IPO-ready companies take that final step onto the public stage. However, debuting in an uncertain market means companies must adjust their valuation expectations and prove profitability.
As late-stage tech startups begin to test the IPO waters, they must review their financial, operational, and supply-chain infrastructure. Doing so will help determine whether they can support that next level of growth and scale.
Leadership teams should ensure their company has the right foundation and the best team of advisors to help achieve a successful market debut.
Each late-stage tech startup has its unique lifeand trajectory. Understanding when your company is approaching an inflection point and preparing your team for the necessary changes is vital for continued growth.
While these changes may require changes to people, processes and systems, the outcomes help position the company for a new stage of growth.
While the topic of tech inflection points might not come up in a classroom, these inflection points are universal crossroads that, when properly considered and addressed, can give tech startups the best possible chances of success.
For Los Angeles to continue to thrive as a top-tier ecosystem for technology companies, its future leaders will need to follow and deeply analyze their tech inflection points.
Scott Olmsted is the head of Bank of America’s National Technology Industry and Green Economy Executive within Global Commercial Banking. Since the inception of the line of business in 2013, he has been responsible for leading industry strategies across the country for teams that advise emerging-growth to public companies in the technology industry and green economy sectors. From his base in Los Angeles, Scott oversees more than 50 bankers across the U.S. in one of the fastest-growing divisions of the bank.
