Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2012

Being an entrepreneur these days requires an understanding of a thousand topics, many of which don’t even exist today in traditional learning vehicles, like schools and textbooks. True entrepreneurs love to learn, unlearn, and relearn, whether they are 20 years old, or 60 years old. Share what you do know. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Class Education 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2012

No one is born with business writing skills, and everyone can learn them. Thus, I thought a quick refresher on business writing basics might help you more than any tip on the next big thing on the business horizon: Select clear purpose and focus. Tailor writing to your audience. Develop a friendly business writing voice.

Writing 89

Writing Email Tips Startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

I thought I’d try to look at it from a different lens, that of the entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur you should assume that. They might not actively “collude&# and say “let’s collectively keep the price down&# but in the resulting discussion pricing information will flow – whether intentional or not.

Pricing 292

Pricing Entrepreneur Technical Review Venture Capital 292

InfoChachkie

MAY 12, 2014

I recently received an email from a former student in which he described how he was able to secure a lunch meeting with a high-profile entrepreneur who is operating multiple ventures in parallel. When I attended Startup Weekend in Berkeley, I was inspired by parallel entrepreneur Adam Cheyer''s keynote speech. Meeting Adam Cheyer.

Entrepreneur 211

Entrepreneur Santa Barbara Email Startup 211

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2023

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in anticipating change today. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything.

Social Media 120

Social Media Startup Entrepreneur Education 120

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

I’m over-paying for every check I write into the VC ecosystem and valuations are being pushed up to absurd levels and many of these valuations and companies won’t hold in the long term. And the truth is that several entrepreneurs prefer it this way. Are we in a bubble?” By definition?—?I’m Seed has become an option factory for many.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan.

Startup 124

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 124

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Consistent with the statistics cited in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs , the large majority of John and Kyle''s classmates accepted positions at investment banks and consulting firms upon graduation. If you want to be kept informed just send me an email and let me know that you''re in, and that was it. And of those 35 people.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2021

Effective communication is an absolute requirement for successfully starting a business, but it doesn’t come naturally to many entrepreneurs. Communication is not just talking, but also writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” The goal is for only the strongest ideas to survive. Transparency.

Startup 134

Startup Writing Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Chris Sacca fly by that prompted me to want to write a blog post helping entrepreneurs understand why they should push back against VCs asking for “super pro-rata” rights. Read: it’s an option for that investor and a super expensive one to you, the entrepreneur. Why should you care?

Entrepreneur 310

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Writing Invest 310

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

You don’t need to invent an innovative product to be a real entrepreneur. Many of these new entrepreneurs were regular employees a few years ago, focused on a skill specialty. Writing specialists. Information specialists. We are becoming a society of entrepreneurs. It shouldn’t be a huge transition. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Services Search Engine Optimization Startup 106

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I use George Bush vs. Al Gore as allegory and I’ve been using it with entrepreneurs for years to sink in a simple point about how to communicate with the market. This does not mean you shouldn’t solve big, complex problems or write complex code. Most Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs I know are more like Al Gore.

Entrepreneur 370

Entrepreneur Startup Press Venture Capital 370

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. In fact, they are probably in such a hurry to give you money that they don’t want you to waste time writing anything down and passing it along to new investors.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2015

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in founding a startup today. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Education 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2013

On a regular basis, I am approached by entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like a recent BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this NY Times article. With bootstrapping, no business plan is expected by anyone.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Technical Review Writing Slides 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2022

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Yet it is the one element that too many entrepreneurs focus on only as an afterthought. If you want to connect with customers, put aside your writing formalities. Then write it down.

Content 146

Content Newsletter Competition Writing 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Perhaps sparked by the recent pandemic, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Good problem solving requires making informed decisions, relying on logic.

Startup 135

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review 135

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

An entrepreneur, weightlifter and travel photographer, James offers his readers advice and insights that help them become better leaders, with an emphasis on improving one''s health in the process. One of the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur is deciding what not to do. Focusing On Everything = Focusing On Nothing.

Entrepreneur 222

Entrepreneur Startup Research Social Media 222

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2022

Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Communication is not just talking, but also listening, writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” From an entrepreneur perspective, here are the key barrier-to-understanding elements: Unclear frame of reference. Information withheld.

Technical Review 137

Technical Review Entrepreneur Guide Mentor 137

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 13, 2014

It''s grueling and difficult for every single entrepreneur, no matter what their circumstances. Write them down and challenge each of them, with objective facts. When you assume something in the absence of adequate information, you risk proving the old adage about assumptions true. What assumptions are holding you back?

Entrepreneur 187

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Santa Barbara 187

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2012

Effective communication is an absolute requirement for successfully starting a business, but it doesn’t come naturally to many entrepreneurs. Communication is not just talking, but also writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” The goal is for only the strongest ideas to survive. Transparency.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Writing Ideas Email 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

The most successful entrepreneurs and executives I have seen are savvy business people first, and experts in their field second. It still amazes me how many entrepreneurs can fathom the physics of gyroscopes, but fail to comprehend the big picture requirements for positive cash flow and profit.

Mentor 139

Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Consistent with the statistics cited in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs , the large majority of John and Kyle''s classmates accepted positions at investment banks and consulting firms upon graduation. If you want to be kept informed just send me an email and let me know that you''re in, and that was it. And of those 35 people.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2013

Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Communication is not just talking, but also listening, writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” From an entrepreneur perspective, here are the understanding barrier categories: Unclear frame of reference. Information withheld.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Technical Review Guide Mentor 101

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

One of the hardest things about the fund-raising process for entrepreneurs is that you’re trying to raise money from people who have “asymmetric information.” As an entrepreneur it can feel as intimidating as going to buy a car where the dealer knows the price of every make & model of a car and you’re guessing at how much to pay.

Venture Capital 324

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 324

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Entrepreneurs are always looking for “the next big thing,” when maybe in fact it’s a lot of little things that are only recognized after the fact as components of a big evolution or revolution. So how do entrepreneurs train to lead the Anywhere Revolution, rather than be dragged along by its wave? Be an analytic thinker.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Ideas Writing Training 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2023

Successful entrepreneurs often start with a “random” idea, but they quickly focus their efforts and follow a “system” to organize their startup and maximize the clout of their activities. If you can’t write it down, you probably don’t understand it. Provide a unique point of view. Continue to learn and grow.

Social Media 94

Social Media Media Ideas Writing 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Perhaps sparked by the recent recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Good problem solving requires making informed decisions, relying on logic.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

When you raise money from investors you produce information that you are told they want and care about: A fund-raising deck that articulates your company strategy, plans, team, market, competitors and so forth. Most entrepreneurs (and VCs raising from LPs) think this means progress. I have to back up and give you more context.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 5, 2019

The panels of seasoned and newer investors will focus on Early-Stage Venture Investing: How to meet investors, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check! As an additional benefit, entrepreneur 1/4 page summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees.

San Diego 100

San Diego Venture Capital Angel Summary 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

What every entrepreneur needs more than anything else, after they have built an innovative new product or service, is visibility, credibility, and trust by customers, potential employees, and future business partners. Yet, most good business people I know agree, but don’t know where to start.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Business success is all about having the best team, yet the average entrepreneur has little prior experience with hiring people and building top-notch teams. Most new entrepreneurs assume their passion will attract and motivate the right team members. Assigning and measuring early milestones is a must.

Organization 104

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2011

Every entrepreneur is flooded with information from all directions, but despite their best efforts to absorb it, they likely miss the information really needed to start a business. In the past century, curators for business information were specialized news magazines like Forbes and Inc., Lessons Learned , by Eric Ries.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Technical Review Blogging Java 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2020

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in anticipating change today. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything.

Social Media 127

Social Media Startup Education Entrepreneur 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2016

Aspiring entrepreneurs who rely only on traditional learning vehicles (teachers, classrooms, and risk-free practice) are doomed to failure in anticipating change today. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything. The Internet and the current information wave have changed everything.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Education 61

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 31, 2016

Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Brad is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship and writes the widely read blogs Feld Thoughts (link is external), Startup Revolution (link is external), and Ask the VC (link is external).

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Writing Blogging Activity 100