Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Balance of passion with reality and customer feedback. Pay attention to all.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2016

Some will argue that people leadership is a skill you have to be born with, but I’m convinced that it can be learned from experience, mentoring, and failures. They reach to find mentors who have been there, read books on the subject, and participate in leadership development programs. Set personal leadership goals and solicit feedback.

Mentor 59

Mentor Entrepreneur Demand Coach 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2012

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

Mentor 95

Mentor Coach Startup Ideas 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with their position. Make every effort to have your mind be totally present for each challenge from a team member or customer.

Demand 103

Demand Activity Email Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2021

In these days of rapid change, the pandemic, and worldwide competition, you need to make sure your entire team is customer-focused, innovative, and always looking around the corner for the next big thing. Find folks who are customer-centric and sensitive to competition. Find people who enjoy being problem solvers.

Coach 174

Coach Activity Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2011

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

Mentor 98

Mentor Coach Ideas Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

As a long-time mentor to new entrepreneurs and business owners, I have noticed that many no longer associate more fulfillment and satisfaction with more money, power, and success. In fact, customers today also seem more attracted to companies with a higher purpose than profit. Mentor others to share what you have learned.

Satisfaction 173

Satisfaction Mentor Coach Entrepreneur 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. Waste in a startup is any activity that burns resources, but creates no value or competitive advantage in the eyes of customers. Focus on activities rather than results.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2011

I think it takes a few more steps to “activate” the checklist and fruitfully engage in the activities that lead to leadership success. Solicit coaching and mentoring. Through such efforts, entrepreneurs who actively pursue feedback from their team and their customers are on the road to success. Marty Zwilling.

Activity 94

Activity Study Mentor Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. Allocate your time and resources to customer expectations and competitor challenges. That requires a variety of activities and rest. We all have strengths and weaknesses.

Mentor 104

Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

More importantly, we all need to develop the right relationships, and actively avoid those types that are not right for the business, or not right for our career at a particular point in time. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be.

Mentor 91

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs. The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. She has an amazing ethical compass with heart, compassion and drive.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

For example, Elon Musk says he seeks out innovations from his team by constantly asking them how they can make things better, how often they get out of internal meetings and into customer shops, and actively encouraging them to try new things. Spend more time mentoring and coaching your team.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2023

I recommend that you ask for help from a mentor to point out areas for improvement. Your challenge is to manage the emotions in this activity, and filter out and communicate the pros and cons of all perspectives. Demonstrate empathy and actively solicit employee views. Nurture your relationship with critical and loyal customers.

Summary 102

Summary Activity Customer Custom 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Search for customer pain rather than high margins. New customers don’t see incremental improvements. First, failure is not always bad.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

Rather than get angry and upset, fall back to your initial process for evaluating markets, customer needs, and financial implications. Often what looks like an emotional issue, like unwarranted customer complaints online, have specific facts behind them, which may surprise you. Seek input from the team, as well as mentors.

Mentor 127

Mentor Satisfaction Customer Custom 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

I assure you that these are important lessons that will enhance your career, as well as improve your odds of success with customers, partners, and even your family. Move on to other activities in a timely fashion, with a calm and courteous exit. Focus team members on results, rather than activities.

Mentor 96

Mentor Activity Coach Startup 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2023

You need to make sure that everyone on the team, from the clerical assistant to the chief financial officer, knows your vision and product, and doesn’t hesitate to actively engage and be an effective proponent with anyone who might be of value to the business. In fact, having one marketing guru on the team alone won’t get you very far.

Startup 95

Startup Coach Mentor Social Media 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

Today, with the Internet and social media, if you aren’t visible in a positive way to everyone, including customers, your leadership efforts will be lost. Allocate time for active participation in relevant outside industry conferences, and public panels or TED talks that look ahead. Foster an image of open mind and learn mode.

Mentor 145

Mentor IBM IBM Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

While these investors, and early customers, will always argue that they found you, I’m convinced that there is no substitute for aggressive networking on your part. Ability to relate aspirations to customer needs. You need to show insights to real customers and their needs, that get beyond your passions and projections.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Invite the investor to dinner or fun-related activity. If your investor is unknown, or peers offer no positive attributes, take it as a red flag.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Find ways to recharge your emotional batteries, through supportive relationships and community activities. Start today. Marty Zwilling.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

The challenge is to avoid the bad risks, while actively seeking and managing the smart risks. As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2022

In my experience as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I find that self-doubt and lack of confidence are the primary constraints people have to overcome to move ahead. He writes from first-hand experience, and is now a recognized business leader, motivational speaker, and mentor to many entrepreneurs. You avoid making plans too far in advance.

Mentor 134

Mentor Slides .Net Writing 134

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. Survival requires regular updates.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2021

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is if most of your potential customers don’t know about it. The marketplace is a war zone.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. Take full advantage of every mentoring and coaching opportunity, and network with peers both inside and outside the company.

Tips 121

Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

For example, we all know people who really believe that everyone in the world is their supporter, when in fact many are actively working against them. In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

You need to build business relationships with partners, team members, investors, and of course customers. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help. Actively expand your business networking activities. That means proactively finding common exchanges of value.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. Every entrepreneur needs to leverage social media for better marketing, requirements, and customer service. I wish it was that easy. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

According to the classic book, “ One Second Ahead ,” by noted authority on training the mind, Rasmus Hougaard, there are some basic rules that can really help you manage your focus and awareness in all work activities. I concur, based on my own extended career in business and mentoring entrepreneurs.

Email 96

Email Activity Product Social Media 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2023

In this age of interactive social media, your culture image quickly spreads to customers, and determines their loyalty. He cites eight leadership actions, which I also recommend, from a non-scientific perspective, as a mentor to entrepreneurs. Being open is a two-way street, requiring active listening, inclusion, and responsiveness.

Claremont 101

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

The challenge is to adequately define leadership in terms of everyday activities. Thus I’m always looking for more practical guidance on the right activities to be perceived as a business leader. Show that you actively listen to feedback and model the values. Envision the future by imagining the possibilities. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 133

Startup Activity Mentor Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2022

You need to step out of your comfort zone to socialize, meet new people, and collaborate with peers, company leaders, and mentors. With the outside world, that could mean you need to maintain a personal website, be an active member of industry groups, and show value in social media profiles. Accept change as the new world of work.

Social Media 125

Social Media Summary Startup Mentor 125

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. You won’t be viewed as the team leader if you spend most of your time on activities that are not relevant to your team. Being visible and engaged on a random part-time basis, due to other jobs, won’t do it.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 127