Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2010

Since my background includes software development, I often get the question about when to build a solution in-house, versus outsourcing it to a local company, near-shore service, or off-shore organization in China, India, or Eastern Europe. Don’t outsource your core competency. Product or services.

Outsource Development 51

Outsource Development Outsource Software Offshore 51

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 23, 2019

Canoo is locking in final contracts with its vendors and is going to be in production with prototypes before the end of the year. The company touts that its different cabins can be tailored to suit the needs of different customers — ranging from commuter vehicles, public or group transportation, delivery vehicles, and private cars.

Outsource Development 191

Outsource Development Startup Outsource San Diego 191

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 10, 2019

Publicly traded sensor technology developer, FLIR Systems , is investing in a strategic round of funding for the outsourced drone imaging company, DroneBase. The two companies are also partnering to provide FLIR’s thermal imaging technology and training services to DroneBase’s stable of pilots.

Training 147

Training Outsource Development Outsource Capital 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

For example, only a few people today still think of Amazon as an online provider of books and related goods, now that they have exploded their business world-wide into every product arena, added web services (AWS), television and film production (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), a bricks-and-mortar grocery chain (Whole Foods), and more.

Outsource Development 140

Outsource Development Outsource Startup Metrics 140

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2020

In my opinion, real pain points for most people do not include a new user interface for Facebook, a new programming platform for app development, or a new size smart phone. Maybe we haven’t seen the results yet, but there are thousands of startup opportunities to offer new alternatives and services, to replace those destroyed by the crisis.

Custom 167

Custom Customer Startup Outsource Development 167

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

I suggest looking for painful problems to solve, rather than “easier to use” or “nice to have” solutions, for customers with money. Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Collaborate with customers to tune your solution.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Solution development and delivery. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. You can now skip the mandatory office space rental, with secretary and bookkeeping staff, or outsourcing. Work out of your home, and keep your own books.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Outsource Development 162

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2022

With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. You should never outsource the management of your core technology.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Marty Zwilling.

Software Review 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

It’s always tempting to think that more product variations will satisfy more customers and lead to new sales. Yet I still see expense budgets based on traditional channels, with no strict metrics on cost of customer acquisition by channel, or lifetime customer value. Outsourcing services that could be done in-house.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

socalTECH

JANUARY 12, 2010

Simi Valley-based Xavient Information Systems , a provider of IT outsourcing services, and Virginia-based Vision360 , a provider of custom software development, testing, and other services for the telecommunications industry, said today that they are in a definitive merger agreement, where Xavient will acquired Vision360.

Outsource Development 133

Outsource Development Outsource Custom Software Development Acquisition 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Solution development and delivery. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. You should never outsource the management of your core technology.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

Many young startups are being advised not to have a professional services business and in my opinion this is a big mistake. The line of reasoning goes, “Services businesses are not scalable and the market won’t reward this revenue so make sure that third-parties do your implementation or clients do it themselves. .”

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I know this will fall like a lead balloon to the many people who believe it is possible to have a [insert: startup incubator or technology accelerator or technology consultant or outsource firm] build your technology. Some CTO’s swear that it is a huge improvement in development timeframes and doesn’t cause performance issues.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

But recently I was asked about success factors for services startups, and I quickly realized that there is very little published to help the thousands of startups that fall in this category. The distinction between product companies and services companies is easy to see. Scaling services means cloning yourself.

Product 91

Product Services Satisfaction Patents 91

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Thus, you must first create the playbook by which an independent sales rep can readily sell your product, including: identifying objections and developing strategies to overcome them, creating reference accounts and establishing meaningful customer adoption. 2) Secure Your Intellectual Property Too Early. 8 ) Grant Exclusivity.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Marty Zwilling.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2008

Los Angeles-based Ciena Solutions LLC, a provider of SAP integration management services, has been acquired by NetSol Technologies. NetSol, which provides business outsourcing and enterprise application development, did not disclose financial terms of the buy. Ciena Solutions also has a branch office in San Ramon, California.

Technology 113

Technology Ticketmaster Outsource Development Southern California 113

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2014

So, how do you help ease enterprise customers into the cloud--or at least, help them use cloud technology to help them with their business goals? It''s all custom, technology agnostic, and very flexible. Companies were saying--we want to outsource these kinds of things, because they''re not our core competency.

Cloud Computing 217

Cloud Computing Outsource Development Outsource Startup 217

socalTECH

OCTOBER 20, 2011

Back in 2003 and 2004, we were focused on the international market, and started outsourcing to India and the Philippines for call center services. In terms of tactics, we went from 20-odd people at the company to just three people, myself and two developers. Dan Tamkin: Veolia had been a customer of ours for awhile.

Outsource Development 190

Outsource Development Startup Outsource Altadena 190

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2008

El Segundo-based iRise has signed on automotive giant General Motors as a customer for its application simulation software, the firm said Tuesday. According to iRise, General Motors is deploying its visual modeling technology as part of developing new IT systems at the company. Financial impact of the customer win was not disclosed.

El Segundo 113

El Segundo Outsource Development Outsource Software 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2020

After investigating these successes, I have isolated certain strategy elements which I now offer to you as expeditors of success in starting a new business, independent of the product or service you are offering, as well as the market segment you are targeting. Focus on communication and responsibility assignment.

Startup 123

Startup Outsource Development Entrepreneur Outsource 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Solution development and delivery. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

The HTML5 platform that we use is also available as a self service tool to customers. We offer up customers a high impact creative which is not bounded by the box. They wanted something custom, to close the deal. At Jetpack, we don't outsource production, and we manage all of the software development within Jetpack.

Buzznet 100

Buzznet Outsource Development Design HTML 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. You should never outsource the management of your core technology.

Ideas 107

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2014

It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. You can now skip the mandatory office space rental, with secretary and bookkeeping staff, or outsourcing. Work out of your home, and keep your own books.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Commerce 104

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 13, 2013

There are several symptoms of a small business in trouble: running out of cash , not enough customers , staffing issues. Marketing is key in helping you to develop long-term, strategic plans that can stop your cash drain. Create a Marketing Plan. Your sales forecast is an essential variable for cash and profit planning.

Outsource Development 91

Outsource Development Outsource Startup Marketing 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2014

With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. You should never outsource the management of your core technology.

Outsource Development 105

Outsource Development Startup Ideas Tool 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Solution development and delivery. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Similar values and goals.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2018

With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. You should never outsource the management of your core technology.

Ideas 53

Ideas Outsource Development Tool Outsource 53

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2018

For this morning's interview, we caught up with Elizabeth Cholawsky , the new CEO of Santa Barbara-based HG Data (www.hgdata.com), which develops software which helps marketers and salespeople understand the "technology stack" of their potential customers and prospects. Craig was CEO up until two and a half weeks ago, when I joined.

Santa Barbara 113

Santa Barbara High Tech Outsource Development Startup 113

socalTECH

MARCH 12, 2013

The company--which is in the business of operating a content delivery network (CDN) to accelerate the delivery of web graphics, multimedia, applications, and more to end users-- recently disclosed it more than doubled its revenues in 2012, and has grown to over 230 employees--all due to a huge amount of demand for CDN services by its customers.

CTO Hire 248

CTO Hire Content Networking Web 248

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

If you're an application developer, sending emails through your application can be a chore. Jim Franklin: Sendgrid is a cloud-based email service. If you think of Pinterest, one of our customers, every time content is pinned or re-pinned, an email is generated to let users know that is happening. What is Sendgrid?

Email 157

Email Startup IP Newsletter 157