Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

Having a set of metrics that you watch & that you feel are the key drivers of your success helps keep clarity. And the more public you can make your goals for these key metrics the better. I was recently talking with a startup company who wanted me to try their product. Customer Acquisition. That’s not acceptable.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup SEO Customer 346

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 8, 2009

A post by Fred Wilson pointed me to Dave McClure's Startup Metrics presentation. Define what you need from a metrics and reporting standpoint. Startup Metrics for Pirates (SeedCamp, Sept 2009) View more documents from Dave McClure. This kind of a simple model also helps: Define the early proof points for the company.

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.

Custom 114

Custom Customer Metrics Satisfaction 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 Custom 150

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

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

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

This isn’t just our opinion - our startup metrics prove it! So instead, we fill it with a completely custom blurb, written just for him: Hello! Thanks to his custom blurb, instead of closing his browser and feeling inadequate for the rest of the day, Mark completes his bio and becomes a happy customer.

Generative AI 295

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence TechEmpower Writing 295

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

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). Leaders and investors need to know if you have and are tapping into your key sources of relevant data, including web analytics, sales management data, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Custom 100

Custom Acquisition Customer Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2019

Too many business owners still think of “ customer support ” as an after-sale process to rectify customer problems with completed transactions. With the advent of instant communication and social media, customer service starts at the first hint of interest by you, and never ends for repeat customers.

Custom 84

Custom Customer Company Companies 84

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

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? 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.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Metrics 156

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 Statistics 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. The company is led by CEO James McMurry.

Artificial Inteligence 113

Artificial Inteligence Orange County Metrics Software Development 113

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.”.

Custom 100

Custom Customer Cornerstone OnDemand Metrics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

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. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Failure is the best teacher. Ownership.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2016

That should make you wonder - how do you measure traction in a metric? According to most experts , business traction is evidence that somebody really wants your product. It’s business momentum, independent of whether you have a product delivered, proven the business model, or significantly penetrated the opportunity.

Metrics 57

Metrics Funding Startup Custom 57

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2023

Let me be a bit more specific on how follow-up trumps ideas for success in the key challenges of a startup, or any small business: Networking with investors, partners, and customers. They watch for formal follow-up to questions, demonstration of real product, and revenue results. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Startup 155

Startup Ideas IBM IBM 155

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

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

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2023

Every business owner and entrepreneur like you I work with wishes they could better predict product demand and sales, for managing inventory and long-term business planning. We all have our favorite metric and our passion, but keeping up with real-world changes and trends seems to be always just out of reach.

Metrics 81

Metrics Demand Statistics Sample 81

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

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. In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup LAMP Marketing 466

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

This is why I loved Brad Feld’s recent post about the “ illusion of product / market fit.” Are our users addicted to our product? But if users don’t come back to your product directly and often I question whether you have a sustainable product / company. Not vanity metrics.

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

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

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

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Interview potential customers, hold focus groups, meet with existing customers. And the first thing in marketing is to adapt your product or service to the needs of the marketplace. The title of this insight helps us find a formula: LALA. Memorize your use of “LALA”. Hire consultants. Attend trade show education sessions.

Marketing 156

Marketing Metrics Education Resource 156

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. Midwest rising.

Chief Technology Officer 145

Chief Technology Officer SaaS Metrics Custom 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2023

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. More new, repeat, and loyal customers means career success.

Startup 111

Startup Satisfaction Metrics Customer 111

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2013

Don noted that, "I always believed that metrics and accomplishments can outrun bigotry, sexism, racism or any ''ism'' that might otherwise hold you back. If you build a great product that customers love, and have the metrics to back it up, the startup community will celebrate and support you on the merit of that alone, regardless of gender.".

Custom 185

Custom Customer Study Metrics 185

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

Some make big mistakes, such as Webvan expanding too fast with a huge infrastructure, and Pets.com , trying to grow the business with a negative margin, under the mistaken assumption that winning customers is more important than making a profit. Introduce new products and enhancements every month. Ask every employee to focus on sales.

Startup 134

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Traction is evidence that your product or service has started that “hockey- stick” adoption rate which implies a large market, a valid business model, and sustainable growth. One customer is not traction, and beta tests with a thousand customers at no cost don’t count. Free and freemium products need a solid base.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Custom Customer 121

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 Customer 133

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. We need video reel to show customers that you care. ” customer segment.

Netflix 287

Netflix Custom Customer Pricing 287

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

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Technical Review 121

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.

Custom 90

Custom Customer Services Pricing 90

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