Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Can you create a product in a vacuum? Creating a new product in a relative vacuum is an exercise in complete trust that you know what’s best for the customer, perhaps even without interaction with such a customer. The first step : Involve potential customers early. The three-step dance method.

Product 156

Product Customer Custom Ideas 156

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 8, 2009

A post by Fred Wilson pointed me to Dave McClure's Startup Metrics presentation. This is a great presentation and one that I'm going to point out to startup / early stage company CEOs. This kind of a simple model also helps: Define the early proof points for the company. You only build what you need to prove that model.

Metrics 225

Metrics Startup Web 2.0 Slides 225

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

As I talk to many of you in my role as business advisor, I still often hear the concern for maximum return to the business and stakeholders, more than a passion for sustainably enriching the lives of your customers and team. This applies to your own team, as well as customers. Make every customer experience memorable.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. Customer acquisition cost. End of story.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Berkonomics

JULY 7, 2022

First, visionary leadership: By far the most enjoyable for most of us is visionary leadership – the time we spend thinking ahead, creating new ideas for products or services, focusing on the big picture and how we can change the world with our creation. Visionary leadership is not performed in a vacuum. Email readers, continue here…].

Metrics 293

Metrics Ideas Conference Email 293

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Marketing 85

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

As a business consultant and angel investor, I often ask for your own assessment of marketing ROI , or customer acquisition cost (CAC). Mr. Everhart distills his leadership insights from many decades in one of the largest business-to-business marketing agencies, working with companies across the country.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Acquisition Technical Review 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2022

The company--which develops artificial intelligence (AI) powered cybersecurity products says its customers have seen a "dramatic increase" in attack attempts over the past year. The Orange County-based company did not provide any numbers of metrics to back its statement, however.

Artificial Inteligence 113

Artificial Inteligence Orange County Metrics Software Development 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. It’s the same for customers and products, where analytics have long proven their value.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

Discord is a great example of a company going viral mostly from word of mouth. How do you make your product go viral? What are the elements needed to focus upon in making the attempt to take a product viral? Sometimes, it is just the right idea to brand your product inside that of a known presence. Here is my list.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Creating a gerat company in a relative vacuum is an exercise in complete trust that the entrepreneur knows what’s best for the customer, perhaps even without interaction with such a customer. So, I’ve developed the three step dance in order to help form a repeatable method of how to create a great company from an early idea.

Company 229

Company Companies Startup Customer 229

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2013

Entrepreneurs have no trouble focusing on how to build a product, and the good ones know how to find and nurture those first critical customers. What I’m talking about here is a level of discipline and skill necessary to collect and analyze the relevant business data, known as metrics. Customer loyalty and retention.

Metrics 100

Metrics Technical Review Sales Customer 100

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. I started my first company in 1999 and was admittedly swept up in all of this: Magazine covers, fancy conferences, artificial valuations and easy money.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. New product process. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Failure is the best teacher. Ownership.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 22, 2016

The Most Important Metric. Near the conclusion of our discussion, I asked each CEO to name any non-obvious metrics by which they guide their businesses. He started by stating, “We track customer success.” In other words, are we measure whether or not we are truly making our customers more successful.”.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Cornerstone OnDemand Metrics 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

in a funding round, the company said this week. According to the company, it has developed a platform that addresses the critical steps of data extraction, transformation, and analysis to give end users access to business data and metrics. READ MORE>>.

Metrics 113

Metrics San Diego Venture Capital Commerce 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2018

Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. You need to track what content is resonating with your prospective customers, through metrics including submit rate by content offer, elasticity, velocity, cost, and ultimately revenue by content program.

Metrics 57

Metrics Demand Marketing Paramount 57

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

The law of large numbers, platforms that can make your company blow up unexpectedly and the trendy nature of tech markets can be deceiving. This is why I loved Brad Feld’s recent post about the “ illusion of product / market fit.” Are our users addicted to our product? Success for many is ephemeral.

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2021

Based on my experience with startups, trust is the most valuable asset you can have, especially when asking people to step into the unknown by funding your innovation, by joining your team, or just buying your new product as an early customer. For internal measurements, the metrics should always be written and clear.

Company 165

Company Companies Metrics Entrepreneur 165

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Entrepreneurs have no trouble focusing on how to build a product, and the good ones know how to find and nurture those first critical customers. What I’m talking about here is a level of discipline and skill necessary to collect and analyze the relevant business data, known as metrics. Customer loyalty and retention.

Metrics 106

Metrics Startup Sales Statistics 106

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. You need to track what content is resonating with your prospective customers, through metrics including submit rate by content offer, elasticity, velocity, cost, and ultimately revenue by content program.

Metrics 101

Metrics Marketing Demand Paramount 101

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Scott McCorkle has spent most of his professional career thinking about business to business software and how to improve it for a company’s customers. If customers are doing the things i want them to be doing through my product. What is it that they want to achieve and why did they buy my product.

Chief Technology Officer 145

Chief Technology Officer SaaS Metrics Customer 145

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2018

Even when your new product or solution fills a real customer need, and has a positive value proposition, many new venture founders are surprised and frustrated to find that excited customers are hard to find and growth is slow. Product is “disruptive technology” or a “paradigm shift.”

Product 86

Product Marketing Education Examples 86

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2023

Others, including Jeff Bezos, spent time in a big company or two before breaking away to form their own. Rather than a focus on salary and perks, your focus is on customers, revenue, and operations. As an employee, you only get to execute what others tell you, even if you enjoy the challenge of new requirements and customer feedback.

Startup 111

Startup Satisfaction Metrics Customer 111

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2013

of privately held companies had a female founder, 6.5% As more female CEOs build successful companies with great outcomes, this should change. Don noted that, "I always believed that metrics and accomplishments can outrun bigotry, sexism, racism or any ''ism'' that might otherwise hold you back. Share and Enjoy.

Customer 185

Customer Custom Study Metrics 185

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2021

As a long-time business consultant and investor, especially to entrepreneurs, I recognize your sparkle of vision , to build the ultimate world-changing product. I found these maladies summarized well in a new book, “ Radical Product Thinking ,” by entrepreneur Radhika Dutt. Hypermetricemia – metrics for everything.

Metrics 133

Metrics Product Yahoo Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2022

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media.

Marketing 127

Marketing Framework Social Media Media 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. According to one study a decade ago, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. Switch your attention from product development to sales.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

Some customer segments value the DVD business and these may be more price sensitive. Some customer segments value the convenience of instantly available films. Netflix needs to segment their customers and charge each what is appropriate. Netflix announced the changes to its company via a blog post. No, probably not.

Netflix 287

Netflix Customer Custom Pricing 287

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Competition 99

Competition Services Startup Training 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

New product startups rightfully begin with a heads-down focus on creating the ultimate product – whether it’s a new technology, a new look and ease of use, or a new low-cost delivery approach. Customer centricity is far more than providing excellent customer service, although that’s a step in the right direction.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Services Pricing 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. New product process. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Failure is the best teacher. Ownership.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2021

This topic was well addressed in the classic book, “ The Invisible Advantage: How to Create a Culture of Innovation ,” by Soren Kaplan, who lays out the key steps to assess, disrupt, and reshape the existing culture of a company to get more innovation. Frame the way you want to change the world, and make it about the customer.

Develop 135

Develop Development Startup Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2015

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 100

Customer Custom .Net Competition 100

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Currently, TikTok relies heavily on digital advertising to bring in revenue, although this has not been as reliable of a profit stream in recent months as it has previously and is forcing the company to look for alternative ways to make money. By some metrics, certainly not. A Mountain to Climb.

Social Media 151

Social Media Startup Commerce News 151

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

By default, innovation in every business decreases over time, and continuous innovation requires ongoing initiatives and measures of customer perceived value. The long-standing rule of thumb that companies have ten years between significant disruptions was reset a few years ago to five years, according to experts Larry Downes and Paul Nunes.

Metrics 102

Metrics Startup Organization Demand 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2022

Facebook has created an environment where millions of people can hold billions of conversations with people and companies, transforming how people expect to interact with each other and the world. More and more company and personal services are being virtualized to the Cloud. Data enable: use metrics and measurements.

Startup 126

Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 126