Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 26, 2016

6 Entrepreneurs share their predictions for this year’s evolution of online industries, which will be key for small businesses across the globe in 2016. The controversial CISA bill passed in late December, despite outcry from the tech world, now means large corporations will be able to share personal online data with government agencies.

Commerce 40

Commerce Mobile Technical Review Google 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2016

That’s the right place to start, but real growth and scale requires attracting customers who are not like you. Update your technology to reach new customer segments. Today’s customers want to be mobile and location sensitive. Make your offering part of improving customer lifestyle rather than just solving a problem.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. According to many observers , we can thank or blame technology for these higher expectations, providing information at the speed of light, leading everyone to expect more. Every job on your team drives your customer experience.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 6, 2016

I’m currently wearing a plain white t-shirt, which feels like the epitome of irony due in no small part to YoShirt’s colorful mission. Customization is a BIG TREND for millennials. All their lives, millennials have been customizing the things closest to them. First, there were polyphonic ring tones to customize phones.

Customer 40

Customer Custom Design Software Review 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

As an angel investor, I’ve learned to believe in this approach, since I have seen great ideas go astray, due to poor execution and I have seen apparently marginal ideas make millions, managed by a savvy entrepreneur. Focus on customer needs. Giving the wrong people money doesn’t help at the idea level.

Ideas 53

Ideas Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 53

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

Founders soon learn that customers only spend real money for solutions rather than ideas. A good execution requires a plan and the right people, combined to create operational excellence and exceptional customer value. As a result, Google has become a verb, and the company is a tech giant with record growth rates and a revenue of $74.5

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

I found another name for this low-tech form of long distance TV show sharing in the New York Times: “sync-watching.” Beyond a simple phone call, far-flung friends are using any technical means possible—like Skype and live tweeting—to duplicate that cozy experience of sitting in front of the same TV together. See how it works here.).

Technical Review 40

Technical Review News Social Media Startup 40

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

The functions of an early-stage board are pretty obvious and well understood: Providing introductions to customers, biz dev partners, recruits, the press, other investors, etc. Reviewing financial & operational performance. Offering a sparring-partner function on strategic decisions. Mentorship. As You Start to Mature.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Anne Fulton: Fuel50 is a career pathing startup, part of the HR technology landscape. We're a disruptor, the third wave in human resources technology. Anne Fulton: I've always been a technology lover, although I'm an organizational psychologist by training. How is it your first customer was in Australia? What is Fuel50?

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2016

Next comes the more arduous process of reviewing every applicant, looking for key attributes including the following. On a business team, the ability to communicate verbally and in writing is more important than technical depth. Get it reviewed and approved by peers, including salary and perks. Good communication skills.

Technical Review 56

Technical Review Coach Training Screening 56

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

They define metrics for each goal, and diligently track themselves against these metrics. Focus all initiatives around value to your customers. A business must be all about listening to customers, delivering value, and customer satisfaction. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 09/20/2016.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

For IBM, the Personal Computer was a paradigm shift from their big business legacy, built with new technologies for totally new markets, and battleships turn very slowly. The culture of a large technology company is to rely on internal development or large, stable, and proven external vendors.

IBM 85

IBM IBM Entrepreneur Technical Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2016

Customers today extrapolate their relationships not only from personal contact, but from every aspect of their interface with your company, including web site and social media interactions, access to peer reviews, as well as the actual services experience. Relationships are a function of customer culture.

Services 54

Services Social Media Technical Review Media 54

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2017

With the Identity Theft Resource Center® reporting a 40 percent increase in data breaches in 2016, there seems to be a growing population out there worried about all the people intent on hurting them. Market your solution and user benefits, not the mysterious technology behind it. Why is everyone so paranoid these days?

Entrepreneur 54

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Symantec 54

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Angels are most interested to help you scale the business, once you have real customer traction and ready to break out. A business needs technical, marketing, financial and many other skills. Remember that angel investors are buying equity in your business, so they are not impressed with a customer presentation.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

socalTECH

AUGUST 4, 2015

We caught up with Mike recently to better understand the company's technology, why there's an interest in energy storage by utilities, and more about that deployment. Can you talk about your technology? We have a lot in common in terms of those air conditioners and even the technology, but our product is different in an important way.

Southern California 100

Southern California Technical Review Demand Outsource Development 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Lead with your intent to offer the solution free to customers. Of course, customers love free, but investors hate it. Terms “paradigm shift” or “disruptive technology” used more than once. Every startup needs focus, due to limited resources, so setting irrational goals implies overall poor business acumen.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Things change so fast these days in business that your first priority as an entrepreneur is to stay current, by talking to customers, peers, and experts. Now it’s all about how fast you recognize and adapt to market change, new competitors, and new technology. Regularly update internal process tools and technology.

Social Media 67

Social Media Metrics Startup Technical Review 67

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2016

In addition to funding, the good news is that all of these provide aspiring entrepreneurs with an opportunity to perfect their marketing pitch, get some valuable target customer feedback and improve visibility to other funding sources. Project your costs as diligently as your revenues. Be extra careful with your intellectual property.

Technical Review 58

Technical Review Platform Entrepreneur Funding 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2016

You need business partners, investors and customers. The best professional relationships may also involve friendship, but entrepreneurs need to be able to manage relationships with competitors, partners and customers who have no interest in being friends. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 01/29/2016.

Entrepreneur 66

Entrepreneur Social Network Technical Review Social Media 66

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2016

Assume you already know what your customers need and want. Just because you love a new solution doesn’t mean your customers will love it. Before spending any money, make sure you interact directly with potential customers, industry experts and investors. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 02/24/2016.

Startup 59

Startup Training Entrepreneur Customer 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Even if your product is a technological marvel, I look for balanced strength on the team in finance, marketing and operations. Fundable entrepreneurs have to feel comfortable talking and listening to engineers, financial people, marketing and especially customers. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 06/10/2016.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review 60

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But that’s harder to build in 2016 than it was in say 2005. No, thanks.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

For example, Bill Gates founded and grew Microsoft, and Michael Dell built a great technology company, both with no outside funding until they went successful enough to go public years later and sell shares to common stockholders. Marty Zwilling First published on Forbes on 06/01/2016.

Funding 57

Funding Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 57

Xconomy

DECEMBER 28, 2017

In 2016, the renowned international university programming tournament — attended by student competitors, coaches, and parents — took place in Phuket, Thailand. In 2016, Rapid City was officially named ICPC 2017’s host city. Rapid City, South Dakota. ICPC World Finals 2017, held in Rapid City. Burgess agrees.

Coach 75

Coach Technical Review Carson Networking 75

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

By 2016, app downloads are estimated to reach 44 billion and app-to-person messaging is seen to overtake text messaging. So what do people like about the mobile app technology? The growth of the mobile app technology is something that companies, big or small, are riding on. What’s in an app? Branding with an app.

Mobile 40

Mobile Social Media Google Software Review 40

Xconomy

AUGUST 9, 2016

Apple’s iPhone 7 is due out next month. Customers who want to listen to music or podcasts on their iPhones will need to get Bluetooth earbuds or new headphones with Lightning connectors. According to the Wall Street Journal, PFWTMs (“people familiar with the matter”) say the new device will look pretty much the same as the iPhone 6s.

Software Review 40

Software Review Screening Design Mobile 40