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

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Mark Zuckerberg, while still in school, tested the viability of his “ FaceMash ” technology as a business by rolling it out to other students at Harvard as customers. He learned quickly that several pivots were required for business, legal, and customer acceptance reasons. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Even an extraordinary engineer or product lead who have built a breakthrough product aren’t guaranteed success unless they can get access to capital, get much needed press to drive low-cost customer acquisition and persuade fickle business leaders to join their company and help them shape their businesses beyond tech innovation.

Mentor 150

Mentor Venture Capital Marketing Product 150

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. Upgrades and troubleshooting can normally be provided over the network, as well. I wish it was that easy. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You need to have business relationships with team members, investors, customers, and a myriad of other support people. So I thought I would drop back to some essentials in building and nurturing business relationships (most of these apply to personal relationships as well): Build your network. Nominate someone as your mentor.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

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

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. Here is my list of key drivers that I find critical to thriving in big businesses, as well as startups: Networking to build and maintain key relationships.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Tech.Co

JULY 24, 2017

So with no real barometer for reliable talent and a fast-evaporating social network, where should early founders snag that elusive star talent. Tap Into Your Network. I suggest to customize your pitch for them. Tap Into Your Employees’ Networks. Tap Into Superconnectors’ Networks. We reached out to our friend, No.

Networking 82

Networking Startup Software Review Conference 82

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. by Donna Cutting, who is a globally-recognized guru on employee culture and optimizing customer service. Emotional stability. Environmental safety.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Reserve the same names on the leading social networks and blogs. In business, “most important” means time to market, customer service, low cost, and beating your competitors. Create intellectual property. Manage your time.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Maybe it’s that first customer testimonial, or that first congratulations from someone you respect, or seeing your story in the newspaper. Both are networks.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2023

Encourage networking. These might include anyone bringing in a new customer, representing the company in a good social cause, or participating in a video or social media campaign on their own time. A single marketing coordinator can accelerate your efforts by being the coach and mentoring key members of the team on soft marketing.

Startup 95

Startup Coach Mentor Social Media 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Based on my own experience as a mentor and angel investor, I find that as many as ninety percent of startups fail in the first five years, despite their best efforts. These are necessary to attract customers, investors, and give you a line of defense with competitors. Test your plan to get feedback from real customers.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

They have connections to industry associations and entrepreneur organizations that can kick-start your networking efforts, both locally and globally. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Most schools have a rich pipeline of real-world executive volunteers available for mentoring.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need. They mentor protégés on talent spotting, creativity, and motivation as well as strategy. Good connections and team building are the keys to success.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2022

They don’t realize that it takes more to succeed in business or a career – it takes leadership skills to get people to follow you, including peers, a team, business partners, and customers. I urge you to force yourself to be a regular new learner, by tackling new problems, listening to expert mentors, and finding time for leadership books.

Startup 114

Startup Mentor Conference Networking 114

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2010

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 49

Mentor Coach Entrepreneur Ideas 49

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Of course, previous successes provide more direct evidence of a network of the right people.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2023

A real business requires leadership – thought leadership to attract customers and mind share, as well as people leadership around a team, partners, and investors. Create and use new networks to tap new ideas. Avoid the network trap of sticking to the same old players for insight, motivation, and advice.

Develop 110

Develop Development Startup Entrepreneur 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2023

Customers have come to expect disruptive change, so yet another social network is not the way to get traction. Mauri offers some practical, actionable advice for entrepreneurs who want to develop a leader’s mindset, on how to spread the right message to potential customers, as well as investors.

Entrepreneur 118

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network SpaceX 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often feel the frustration of someone trying to build a startup in the wrong place and time, and wrongly attributing their struggle to personal limitations. You need partners, mentors, and investors who can complement your own resources to make it a win-win for all involved.

Resource 131

Resource Startup Capital Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

You need to build business relationships with partners, team members, investors, and of course customers. As an introvert myself, I remember worrying that I could never be comfortable giving a sales pitch, or networking to find clients. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2010

What is the idea behind the Tech CEO Network? The Tech CEO Network is there to fill the gap. John Morris: I think it's trying to make a decent connection with customers, and trying to assess the size and viability of the market. To better understand what they're trying to do, we spoke with both Richard and John about the group.

Networking 215

Networking Research Startup USC 215

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

Encourage networking. These might include anyone bringing in a new customer, representing the company in a good social cause, or participating in a video or social media campaign on their own time. A single marketing coordinator can accelerate your efforts by being the coach and mentoring key members of the team on soft marketing.

Marketing 130

Marketing Develop Development Startup 130

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). Angel investors probably will know your business, and want to be mentors along the way. Tune your investor pitch and funding expectations accordingly.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

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. Through networking with other entrepreneurs, you should find one or more to visit that have relationships with this investor.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2022

I’m convinced that the reason for the high rate of startup failures , with well over half not lasting five years, is not that the solutions are not innovative, but that the entrepreneur focuses on the product, rather than the business of attracting and managing customers. No one else can do the solution delivery like you can.

Satisfaction 92

Satisfaction Training Customer Custom 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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. Upgrades and troubleshooting can normally be provided over the network, as well. I wish it was that easy. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Technology 86

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 86

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need. They mentor protégés on talent spotting, creativity, and motivation as well as strategy. Good connections and team building are the keys to success.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

They have connections to industry associations and entrepreneur organizations that can kick-start your networking efforts, both locally and globally. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Most schools have a rich pipeline of real-world executive volunteers available for mentoring.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2016

The real unique part of this program, which I'm excited about, is the marriage between the mentoring that a company could receive from both those with an entrepreneurial startup background of Techstars, and the deep, vertical knowledge of clinicians or healthcare administrators, who have been doing healthcare work for a while.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Coach Ideas 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2016

The real unique part of this program, which I'm excited about, is the marriage between the mentoring that a company could receive from both those with an entrepreneurial startup background of Techstars, and the deep, vertical knowledge of clinicians or healthcare administrators, who have been doing healthcare work for a while.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Coach Ideas 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2020

Others pivoted quickly based on customer need changes, rather than just spending more money on advertising and charging ahead. As a mentor to business owners, I still see many praying for the day when things stabilize, their processes are working, and they can relax and enjoy business growth.

Startup 124

Startup Customer Custom Statistics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Of course, previous successes provide more direct evidence of a network of the right people.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2020

A real business requires leadership – thought leadership to attract customers and mind share, as well as people leadership around a team, partners, and investors. Create and use new networks to tap new ideas. Avoid the network trap of sticking to the same old players for insight, motivation, and advice.

Startup 124

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Summary 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Invest your time in networking online, as well as offline. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127