Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2023

It’s hard to convert an idea into a business, and it’s also hard to get back into the groove with all the distractions of other activities and your “real job.” Frequent discussions with peers and customers on open questions will keep you from being led astray by your own biases. Getting started is always a challenge.

Startup 109

Startup Writing Blogging Ideas 109

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2022

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. To get to the core of what’s relevant to customers, you need to know them well. Helping customers discover new ways to solve common problems can quickly build you a loyal following.

Content 146

Content Newsletter Competition Writing 146

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Most business advisors I know will say that writing a business plan is the first step to starting your own business, but I believe that a better first step is to do a self-analysis of your real drivers, strengths, and assumptions before committing to this lifestyle. Evaluate whether your desired opportunity is new or old.

Social Media 105

Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2020

It’s hard to convert an idea into a business, and it’s also hard to get back into the groove with all the distractions of other activities and your “real job.” Frequent discussions with peers and customers on open questions will keep you from being led astray by your own biases. Getting started is always a challenge.

Startup 173

Startup Writing Blogging Ideas 173

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2010

I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your offering, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money. So finding time is hard, and good writing is simply not what most people do. Cultivate early customers. Find potential partners.

Blogging 93

Blogging Invest Startup Writing 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2023

Successful entrepreneurs often start with a “random” idea, but they quickly focus their efforts and follow a “system” to organize their startup and maximize the clout of their activities. If you can’t write it down, you probably don’t understand it. Today you need to talk with, not at, your customers and constituents to get ideas.

Social Media 94

Social Media Media Ideas Writing 94

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. There are many free generalized tools, including Google Trends , which can be used to track customer behavior in looking for things that don’t exist yet.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2016

I remember the same disdain from people when I started blogging or using Twitter. A bit like a blog that is put out regularly but not overly edited or self-conscious about word choices or typos. I LOVE writing. But writing takes more time and some days I don’t have that. Why would a VC do that? I do these, too.

Snapchat 200

Snapchat Blogging Venture Capital Writing 200

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2014

I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your brand value, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money. For blogging to work, you need to do it consistently and frequently, at least once a week, or the value evaporates. Cultivate early customers.

Startup 101

Startup Blogging Writing Google 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

As a new business advisor and occasional investor, I get approached regularly by people who have a dream or a new business idea, and are looking for support and money to make it a reality. Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

This blog started from a series of conversations I found myself having over and over again with founders and eventually decided I should just start writing them.It When second place isn’t good enough because we live in winner-take-most markets. The desire to be better than anybody else in one’s field.

Competition 394

Competition Startup Writing Marketing 394

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2020

Successful entrepreneurs often start with a “random” idea, but they quickly focus their efforts and follow a “system” to organize their startup and maximize the clout of their activities. If you can’t write it down, you probably don’t understand it. Today you need to talk with, not at, your customers and constituents to get ideas.

Social Media 126

Social Media Media Ideas Writing 126

Eric Greenspan

MAY 29, 2010

Using social media to increase your company’s touch and reach with each of your customers may be the most important reason to jump in to this game changing strategy. Social media can help bridge a long standing gap between customers and the companies they trust with their hard earned cash. 40,000) to join me on Facebook.

Social Media 214

Social Media Customer Custom Media 214

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 1, 2011

And even the best teams combined to create big innovations sometimes don’t time markets well, are surprised by unexpected technology breakthroughs by competitors or just don’t find the magic the leads to mass customer adoption. I was thinking about all of this as I looked at the logs from my WordPress blog this evening.

Startup 391

Startup Blogging Venture Capital Writing 391

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

In the early days you don’t really want 3 extra teams hearing your ideas and gearing up to compete before you feel you’ve got a solid head start. They think that only by being open and testing your ideas in an open marketplace can you be successful. But once a VC has heard your idea he can’t “un-think&# it.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

.” Here’s what I mean … Let’s start with what it takes for a journalist to want to write a story. Do I have an “angle” from which to write the story (first company to do X, company does biggest X, consumer behavior is doing X)? I am a VC. I hand out money. I hand out money.

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You need to have business relationships with team members, investors, customers, and a myriad of other support people. What these people need is more relationships, not more experts, more blogs, or more books. They never call, they never write, and wait for you to make the first move. Work on your elevator pitch.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

often with other people sharing our homes who have their own ideas of how to use our collective space and time. He produced a very detailed analysis of his customer base and which would be affected. He enacted a program to proactively offer payment holidays to customers in obviously “hit” industries like travel & entertainment.

Demand 215

Demand Guide Customer Custom 215

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

I said, ''Hey, listen were going to start writing this newsletter and it''s going to highlight our trials and tribulations, our failures and our successes. The opening paragraphs of that first newsletter are indicative of the captivating and accessible writing style, which eventually cultivated a huge audience. blogging, in a sense.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

The idea came from having been recently married herself and seeing how expensive it can be to buy a new wedding dress. She focused on her customer. So Tracy began keeping a blog about … (what else?) If you haven’t read my blog posts on why Tracy chose the right strategy it’s worth a read.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

People cite sources like this Inc.com article “ 5 Reasons Why You Don't Need a Business Plan ,” or my own blog discussion on this subject, “ Situations Where A Business Plan Does Not Add Value.” Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Written business plan.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

By definition, you read blogs. But should you actually write one if you’re a startup, an industry figure (lawyer, banker) or VC? This is a post to help you figure out why you should write and what you should talk about. This is a post to help you figure out why you should write and what you should talk about.

Blogging 373

Blogging Startup Writing Venture Capital 373

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

If you haven’t already followed me on Twitter, that’s the fastest way to get blog updates. Customers sometimes buy things spontaneously without thinking through what their actual need is. ” In truth many companies had no idea why they actually needed Facebook Likes but there was still a pain point. Click here.

Sales 367

Sales Slides Startup Customer 367

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

This is a post I’ve been dying to write for 18 months. And if you are – what on earth are you reading such a boring blog as this?!? OK, that sounds like an interesting business, but nothing to write a freakin’ blog post about? You fish where your customers are. Everyone always asks why I blog.

Gogii 310

Gogii Invest Blogging Startup 310

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

Let’s say you have built a SaaS company where a large part of the early revenue comes from a few big customers or a large part of the revenue is services based vs. software based. The investor is a customer and they have money to spend but only for a limited number of companies. Let me give you an example. Remind me why I love you?

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2012

As an entrepreneur, it’s never too early to start selling yourself and your idea. How about talking to some real customers to see if they are as excited about your idea as you are? Don’t wait for journalists to find you; they all publish their email addresses, and they’re looking for something interesting to write.

Startup 96

Startup Writing Newsletter Blogging 96

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

The final clip is Fred & I talking about whether “the best product wins” and my assertion that the bias in today’s Silicon Valley dominated tech world there is probably too much emphasis on tech at the expense of how to sell, implement and service customers. Blogging is like Venus Fly Paper. Again, Fred.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 150

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

If you are a leader at a startup and you are reading a business book, you are not closing customers, raising capital, improving your product, or spending time with your loved ones. It has also influenced my thoughts, as evidenced by the six infoChachkie blog entries which reference Art. I was not disapointed. Tricking The Jedi.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

In writing anything positive about any of the companies I’m not suggesting that it means that I prefer them to any of their competitors. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. Finally, a lot of people asking me about typos on my blog. It sucked. It still does.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

I said, ''Hey, listen were going to start writing this newsletter and it''s going to highlight our trials and tribulations, our failures and our successes. The opening paragraphs of that first newsletter are indicative of the captivating and accessible writing style, which eventually cultivated a huge audience. blogging, in a sense.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2018

It’s hard to convert an idea into a business, and it’s also hard to get back into the groove with all the distractions of other activities and your “real job.” Frequent discussions with peers and customers on open questions will keep you from being led astray by your own biases. Getting started is always a challenge.

Startup 57

Startup Writing Blogging Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2017

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. To get to the core of what’s relevant to customers, you need to know them well. Helping customers discover new ways to solve common problems can quickly build you a loyal following.

Content 67

Content Marketing Newsletter Writing 67

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2011

As an entrepreneur, it’s never too early to start selling yourself and your idea. How about talking to some real customers to see if they are as excited about your idea as you are? Don’t wait for journalists to find you; they all publish their email addresses, and they’re looking for something interesting to write.

Startup 92

Startup Writing Newsletter Blogging 92

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

Jeff (also an HBS alum) co-teaches the LTV course with Professor Eisenmann about a student of theirs who had written a blog post about sales taking on some of my previous assertions. The idea that the course asks students to write public blog posts is a testament to its more modern teaching style. In Summary.

Startup 319

Startup Sales Course Competition 319

SoCal CTO

MARCH 18, 2010

What are some of the top things you've published online, e.g., blog posts? Vince: In addition to my management writing I’ve interview many CEOs and innovators. I’d love to get your thoughts at some point about writing for these publications vs. on your own blog.

Startup 225

Startup Los Angeles Social Network Twiistup 225

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 14, 2009

Of course, when I started thinking about Visible Networking , I immediately went to Cliff to check in to see how he's doing and to get his feedback, thoughts and ideas on the concept. I moved into writing software to analyze audience data, and wrote a lot of computer graphics software. Cliff, remind me about your background?

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Networking Marketing Startup 150