Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

The scope of the positive leadership views included human nature, organization life, and personal purpose. High scoring leaders seek and positively respond to feedback from three critical groups: peers, customers, and direct reporting team members. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

Entrepreneur 165

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2012

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 95

Mentor Coach Startup Ideas 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Balance of passion with reality and customer feedback. Ability to organize and motivate individuals into teams.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

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

JULY 8, 2022

Today more than ever, the evidence is clear that business people need to find and communicate a purpose that goes beyond making a profit, in order to ensure customer engagement, as well as your own, and drive results in the marketplace. As you grow, so will your team and customers. Driven to reduce personal hardship and suffering.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Coach Mentor Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2023

Every business organization, large or small, has a variety of individual and team member types that factor into your ability to innovate and change the business to meet evolving customer needs and competition. Coach: force for stability and mentoring. Intrapreneur: visionary within corporate boundaries.

Coach 96

Coach Ideas Mentor Organization 96

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

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. Every entrepreneur needs to leverage social media for better marketing, requirements, and customer service. I wish it was that easy. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

Implement metrics and set objectives for every organization. Processes and organizations that have no objectives will produce less and less over time as they attempt to remove risk and potential problems. Growing the company means growing people through mentoring and training. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2022

The largest and most successful businesses of the past have been traditionally driven by autocratic and powerful leaders who managed a highly structured organization of subordinates. In this age of world-wide markets, you need all the help you can get to attract loyal customers. Simplify the feedback sharing process for you and them.

Organization 105

Organization Mentor Startup Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Search for customer pain rather than high margins. New customers don’t see incremental improvements.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

They know these exceptional leaders seem to have a way of finding and enticing the best people into the organization, getting exceptional performance out of them, and fast-tracking their careers both inside and outside the organization. They mentor protégés on talent spotting, creativity, and motivation as well as strategy.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

Every entrepreneur and every business I meet in my consulting and mentoring role has great intentions of bringing real innovation to the market, yet I find that most ideas are merely small extensions to existing solutions. Both fail to look first at what customers really need, and are willing to pay for.

Startup 146

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas 146

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

Organize your work before you begin. Most startups begin first, and think about organization later. Organizing means bringing together the necessary resources, and assembling the right people, then assigning work to specific people to be accomplished at specific times to specific standards of performance.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

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 Customer 121

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

MARCH 4, 2022

If you aren’t yet adapting to the market and your customers, you are falling behind. I define business agility for my consulting clients as the ability to change your business rapidly to meet customer and environmental changes, with minimal organizational disruption and cost. Be proactive rather than reactive to market change.

Competition 148

Competition Metrics Demand Customer 148

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Of course, as you work with contract players, explore the potential for a long-term relationship, and wait until your organization matures to pursue career positions. Focus on a very flat organization, with minimal hierarchy. You can advertise your “greener” strategy, which today will get you greater customer loyalty and advocacy.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 4, 2020

It’s with profound sadness we mourn the loss of a true visionary, author, mentor, thought-leader, investor, and friend, Tony Hsieh. Under Hsieh’s leadership, Zappos revolutionized the apparel industry, and e-commerce in general, by being one of the first to prioritize customer satisfaction and service. By Frank Gruber and Jen Consalvo.

Commerce 207

Commerce Statistics Customer Custom 207

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Variations on this theme include early licensing or white-labeling agreements. Join a startup incubator or accelerator. Solicit venture capital investors.

Startup 106

Startup Capital Equity Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

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. Bigger organizations should invest in the new “big data” tools. Working on the wrong problem or assumption.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2023

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. You probably realize that the leading edge is very near the bleeding edge, where only early adopter customers dare to tread.

Startup 135

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 135

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. Timely follow-up on customer and team member requests. Loners need not apply.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

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

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. Look for validation from your mainstream customers. A growing team needs skilled managers and an HR organization.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with their position. Make every effort to have your mind be totally present for each challenge from a team member or customer.

Demand 103

Demand Activity Email Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You need to have business relationships with team members, investors, customers, and a myriad of other support people. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Cultivate existing allies.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2022

Too often they are also hesitant, inexperienced, and fearful of hiring people or finding a mentor to be the partner they need. Your business is not all about what is best for you, but what is best for your customers. Startup challenges become more depressing than energizing. Living in a state of denial, and misrepresenting the truth.

Help 131

Help Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2019

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. That’s why I was pleased to see the balance on people versus process in a classic book on how to fix your organization, “ The Diamond Process ,” by Mike J Diamond and Christopher R Harding.

Coach 94

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2022

As an advisor and mentor, I’m always looking for more ways to improve communication, get people more engaged , and get more done. Great communication inside the organization and outside is the key to value. Helping your organization adapt and get ahead, with results, will have a positive impact on everyone, and you will remember.

Coach 119

Coach Organization Technical Review Satisfaction 119

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

I often think of the scope of this example in my role as mentor to a struggling entrepreneur who is quick to blame his problems on employee mistakes, or even changing customer expectations. In today’s world, every organization needs to be in a constant state of change to stay competitive.

Training 173

Training Examples Startup Social Media 173

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

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Every entrepreneur and business leader believes that he or she has the full trust of their team and their customers, and in fact most do in the beginning. Unfortunately, many aspiring leaders I mentor are not aware of the signals people are looking for, or are not attuned to the subtleties of their own actions.

Mentor 98

Mentor News Summary Coach 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

Be sure to encompass all your constituents, especially including customers. Whole Foods , for example, has built their business with a commitment to natural and organic foods, and have a culture of loyal employees and customers, resulting in 500 stores worldwide. Commit to delivering a positive customer experience.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Variations on this theme include early licensing or white-labeling agreements. Join a startup incubator or accelerator. Solicit venture capital investors.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

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