Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Networking to build and maintain positive relationships with the right people outside your company is something you can’t forget in the rush to get your new business going. Most new businesses need three to five advisors or board members to regularly evaluate progress and resource needs, as well as your own leadership.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. People are your best innovation resource. Set milestones and meet them.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

I see this happening in smaller ways often, where there is minimal focus on competition. Here are some key initiatives that I recommend to every business owner and leader to stave off new competitors before they seriously impact or cause a competitive crisis in your business: Continually compare yourself to known competitors.

Metrics 71

Metrics Training Netflix Resource 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2021

Since we all have limited resources, and can’t add more hours to the day, the result is usually more things done poorly, rather than a few key things done better than anyone else. It’s a tough world even for big-company generalists, who take on the complexities of product diversification. Well-articulated goals and metrics.

Startup 154

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Metrics 154

Berkonomics

MARCH 31, 2016

We can invent lots of metrics to measure progress for a leader, including revenue, profit, employee satisfaction, cost containment, percentage of available market, and more. Yes, if you are a bad leader of people, you will lose human resources and frustrate your attempt to reach to goal.

Resource 120

Resource Satisfaction Metrics Course 120

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 5, 2013

It is most often missed assumptions about the market, the competition, the speed of adoption, or other critical metrics you’ve researched, or selected, or even just guessed at to create your plan. No-one challenged this number, and it became an unattributed source of the metric for market size for years.

Metrics 239

Metrics Startup Marketing Demand 239

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough resources to bootstrap our own startups, so we are completely dependent on investors to help turn great ideas into great businesses. These show a focus on the business elements required for success, and metrics for ensuring accountability, management control, and feedback along the way.

Ideas 140

Ideas Entrepreneur Equity Resource 140

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

With the latest advances in software technology, it’s no longer cost-prohibitive for business entrepreneurs, who can’t yet afford a human resources department, to take advantage of analytics tools. Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results. Bigger organizations should invest in the new “big data” tools.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

Discord is a great example of a company going viral mostly from word of mouth. Some apps, like Discord, attach a brand link to the bottom of each message so that every recipient can click upon the link and become a user of the product without further marketing by the company. Well-tuned metrics are an absolute must.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. People are your best innovation resource. Set milestones and meet them.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

To keep you on a positive track with potential investors, I recommend the following logic principles, to balance your passion in presenting your vision of a new business: Make sure your plan includes some business metrics. Postulate competitive reactions and your responses.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), probably won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Exposure instills the fear and urgency you need to deliver the right competitive solution. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Companies all around the world use Trello to help manage projects and coordinate team tasks and responsibilities. You can also use Table to provide the big bosses with an overview of progress towards company goals as you can easily collate lots of initiatives in one go. Here's everything you need to know about the new-look Trello.

Software Review 152

Software Review Guide Technical Review Class 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2019

In the popular press, it’s easy to find articles that will convince you that companies with a good culture, such as Google, do it by lavishing perks and benefits , including some combination of free meals, trips and parties, financial bonuses, gyms, and a dog-friendly environment. Leaders own culture, supported by HR – not vice versa.

Competition 76

Competition Coach Case Study Statistics 76

Frank Addante

APRIL 7, 2016

Great company culture isn’t just about ping pong tables, free lunches, bouncy ball chairs and free gummy bears. As CEO of Rubicon Project, a lot of people ask me what defines the culture of our company. Here’s my take on a few things effective company culture is about…and a few things it’s not about: 1.

Company 40

Company Companies Class Metrics 40

Frank Addante

APRIL 7, 2016

Great company culture isn’t just about ping pong tables, free lunches, bouncy ball chairs and free gummy bears. As CEO of Rubicon Project, a lot of people ask me what defines the culture of our company. Here’s my take on a few things effective company culture is about…and a few things it’s not about: 1.

Company 40

Company Companies Class Metrics 40

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. People are your best innovation resource. Set milestones and meet them.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

An alternate outcome that I also unfortunately observe in some cases are companies who had extreme early success with an initial product adoption but failed in key areas that limited the growth and therefore the ultimate financial outcomes. I see many companies that don’t make this transition well.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2018

I will suggest to you as a business owner and entrepreneur that focus on certain key behaviors will drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Be outspoken in communicating proactive required change. Too many companies try to force a sense of employee urgency through deadlines and performance goals.

Metrics 58

Metrics IBM IBM Competition 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2015

Since we all have limited resources, and can’t add more hours to the day, the result is usually more things done poorly, rather than a few key things done better than anyone else. It’s a tough world even for big-company generalists, who take on the complexities of product diversification. Well-articulated goals and metrics.

Startup 109

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Metrics 109

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. I used an image from Roger Smith that describes the varying roles of a CTO as the company matures. How do we need to structure the systems to get ahead and stay ahead of the competition?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

What is it to start up a company, and run it to the brink of shutdown�only to have it acquired and restarted immediately? We caught up with co-founder Joey Flores on the story behind the company's brush with death, and its recent acquisition by You42, which was announced last week. So, we decided to shut down the company.

Software Review 100

Software Review Startup Metrics Content 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2016

Since we all have limited resources, and can’t add more hours to the day, the result is usually more things done poorly, rather than a few key things done better than anyone else. It’s a tough world even for big-company generalists, who take on the complexities of product diversification. Well-articulated goals and metrics.

Startup 59

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Metrics 59

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), probably won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Exposure instills the fear and urgency you need to deliver the right competitive solution. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth.

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2012

Technologists often insist that new things can’t be invented on a schedule, but successful companies seem to be able to do it on a regular basis. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. People are your best innovation resource.

Coach 98

Coach Ideas IP Sales 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2012

Bloom’s “ The New Experts ,” that today’s customers are armed with three lethal weapons – instant access to information about every potential purchase, immense choice, and real-time comparison of competitive prices. You need a reliable system of metrics to measure your performance here. Some won’t change, and they will die.

Customer 93

Customer Custom Startup Competition 93

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Without taking a dime of outside capital, the company has achieved impressive success in a competitive, SaaS market segment, landing companies such as Nike, Intuit, NASA, AutoDesk and PBS. What makes their story more remarkable, in the age of 20-something billionaires, is that both of the company’s founders are in their 50’s.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

Here is my summary of her roadmap which I believe can get you back on the right track with a “customer-centric” approach rather than a “company-centric” approach: Find out what customers want and how they want to buy it. Decide which parts can be automated, people resources required, and customer service points of contact.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2015

Social media is now one of the key marketing tools, but not the only one, so the challenge is to manage the resource tradeoffs effectively by constantly assessing payback versus cost. Don’t forget the metrics and analytics. Companies have to communicate, rather than just pontificate. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Tips 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2011

Technologists often insist that new things can’t be invented on a schedule, but successful companies seem to be able to do it on a regular basis. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. People are your best innovation resource.

Coach 93

Coach Ideas IP Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

Here is my rendition of how her roadmap can keep you on the right track, like Xerox Data Solutions, with a “customer-centric” approach rather than a “company-centric” approach: Find out what customers want and how they want to buy it. Decide which parts can be automated, people resources required, and professional support services required.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

We’ve had just one market since then and it could confuse one into thinking: every deal finds downstream investors, every company good or bad finds a home, you know anything at all about brazil, india, china or even saas sales, ecommerce or analytics (you know all these in a bull market). Too much money too early often f s companies up.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2011

Bloom’s “ The New Experts ,” that today’s customers are armed with three lethal weapons – instant access to information about every potential purchase, immense choice, and real-time comparison of competitive prices. You need a reliable system of metrics to measure your performance here. Some won’t change, and they will die.

Customer 88

Customer Custom Competition Metrics 88

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

To grow faster businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year. Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. Being profitable certainly makes your company more sustainable in difficult times.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Even if you are doing the work yourself, you need to document requirements, features, metrics, and milestones. Manage human resources. Innovation is the key, to keep each process small, but make it more effective than competitors and big-company processes. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

MuckerLab is one of a number of accelerators who have managed to scoop up venture funding for its companies, with such portfolio companies Surf Air, Retention Science, Wallaby, Chromatik, and others. We just had the demo day for our third batch of companies. How are things going over there at MuckerLab?

Incubator 187

Incubator Southern California Startup Ideas 187

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2017

With the latest advances in software technology, it’s no longer cost-prohibitive for business entrepreneurs, who can’t yet afford a human resources department, to take advantage of analytics tools. Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results. Bigger organizations should invest in the new “big data” tools.

Tool 53

Tool Entrepreneur Statistics Metrics 53