Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

I’ve spent a lot of my career thinking about digital and online video (with investments in companies like Maker Studios) so for that reason amongst many, I was excited to open the Upfront Summit a few weeks ago by interviewing Meg Whitman about Quibi and the digital media space. And so it is with video. Quibi = “quick bites”).

Content 244

Content Netflix Platform Mobile 244

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

Focus is required to resist adding a few more neat features, made possible by the new technology, which in fact make the product more complex to use, impossible to test, and very expensive in time and cost. The result is that customer satisfaction in unachievable or at least very expensive. Marketing and sales chasm.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. Each of these requires some ongoing effort, so I expect at least a rudimentary process associated with each: Record of spending and business assets.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2020

Most consulting services, like marketing, are not scalable, since they must be delivered by experts, and cloning experts is slow and expensive. No product, even with a large opportunity, is ready to scale until you can show it working, with multiple customers paying the full price, to validate the business model.

Startup 154

Startup Outsource Ideas Research 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Most new teams are geographically dispersed these days anyway, so paying rent for an office should be differed to later stages when revenue is plentiful. Operate small, but show a big-company image. Keep expenses down, but keep customer visibility and sensitivity as a top priority. You can have fun without spending big money.

Equity 139

Equity Social Media Startup Summary 139

Berkonomics

APRIL 16, 2020

So, here are three urgent questions for you. Act boldly to address painful layoffs, reductions in salaries, cuts in trade shows already contracted (even if cancelled or reset to the fall months.) Test whether those expenses are contributing to profits after the recovery. What is the plan for after it’s all over? Be smart!

Layoffs 218

Layoffs Sales News Marketing 218

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

It’s easy to get so pre-occupied with handling the business rollout that you forget to maintain and increase your social media interactions, search engine optimization efforts, and highlighting positive customer reviews on your website. The good news is these challenges are not rocket science, so anyone can do it. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 134

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Berkonomics

MAY 24, 2018

But I fired him on the spot; the only possible response to the situation presented me so suddenly. Treat personal expenses at company cost, and your sales people will feel just fine doing the same until caught. He halted, and waited for me to react, obviously caught in the act. Everyone loved Bobby, a hard worker and good friend.

Press 226

Press Hollywood Email Organization 226

Tech.Co

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Clarify Capital’s survey also looked at why so many tech workers decided to start their own businesses after being made redundant. Interestingly, the survey showed that the majority of businesses started by recently-laid off employees were launched within a year of their departure from their previous place of work. Motivation Factors.

Layoffs 145

Layoffs Report Tool Software 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2023

Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. by the so-called godfather of content marketing, Joe Pulizzi. Customers like to think they know you, so you need to find a voice, and share it.

Content 104

Content Customer Custom Marketing 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2023

Show focus and your understanding that your company is something more than just a good idea. What they're looking for is a situation in which others have already done that, so the bankers want to see the owner's money involved. Be concise as well as complete. A winning product or service. Bankers do not contribute equity.

Equity 121

Equity Technical Advisors Funding Ideas 121

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

The company used its overdraft protection service and money management display to shift customers’ focus away from the total balance that their account would show by giving them a sense of how much was actually left in their accounts once debits were included in their statements.

Company 262

Company Companies Startup Tips 262

TechEmpower

AUGUST 21, 2023

Most innovators don’t have a technical background, so it’s hard to evaluate the truth of the situation. We hear them explain that their current software development is expensive, deliveries are rarely on time, and random bugs appear. Do your own review first so you can be confident and better positioned. Are you ready?

Technical Review 260

Technical Review Development Team Review Software Review TechEmpower 260

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

why the hell has seed financing declined so much in the past 3 years?? I launched my first startup in 1999 so I know the economics of launching from first-hand experience. So What Impact Did the Drop in Tech Founding Costs Have on VC? As you can see below the number of seed funds shot up dramatically between 2006 and 2014.

Venture Capital 328

Venture Capital Invest Seed Funding Startup 328

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

So let me walk you through the discussion points I have with founders. In general you should allow yourself 4–6 months of time to fund raise (longer if you’re later stage and require a much bigger round) so calculating anticipated burn rate is pretty easy. You start from the basics, which is if you raise $2.5

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Business plans that I see often show three to five years of projections, demonstrating profitability at the end of so many months of operation. Email readers, continue here.] Worse yet, most show rapid gains in revenues but do not account for the extra cash it takes for working capital to grow the business at the rate projected.

Startup 209

Startup Email Invest Capital 209

Berkonomics

MAY 1, 2014

Home values were rising so fast that I knew I had to move quickly. So I went to visit a number of customer CEOs, told them my story, and asked them to advance some amount against their future billing from me. You will have later expenses to pay when the revenues have already been received and presumably spent.

Funding 204

Funding Outsource Development Equity Customer 204

Tech.Co

JUNE 3, 2022

The data shows that the reason why businesses can't make rent isn't that the businesses are earning less: It's because the rent has simply become too darn high. A business' physical location is a key reason why local consumers drop by, so moving to a new spot can lead to a dip in sales. Please fill in your name. Subscribe.

Report 155

Report Newsletter Pricing Startup 155

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2020

Most new teams are geographically dispersed these days anyway, so paying rent for an office should be differed to later stages when revenue is plentiful. Operate small, but show a big-company image. Keep expenses down, but keep customer visibility and sensitivity as a top priority. You can have fun without spending big money.

Social Media 169

Social Media Startup Equity Summary 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. Each of these requires some ongoing effort, so I expect at least a rudimentary process associated with each: Record of spending and business assets.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2022

Unfortunately, the market is changing so fast these days that any upward climb can level off quickly, as the core business growth begins to stall. Customer acquisition gets harder and more expensive. This S-Curve, with no correction, can quickly lead to disaster. I’m not talking here about a small pivot.

Startup 106

Startup Pricing Cloud Computing Customer 106

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 31, 2022

In cities like Paris, most people aren’t replacing car trips with shared e-scooter jaunts in a meaningful way; the cost of riding scooters makes them an expensive option for last-mile transit connections and equitable access; and the public disclosures of Bird and Helbiz have shown us that achieving profitability is incredibly difficult.

Los Angeles 257

Los Angeles San Pedro Santa Monica Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2020

Show focus and your understanding that your company is something more than just a good idea. What they're looking for is a situation in which others have already done that, so the bankers want to see the owner's money involved. Be concise as well as complete. A winning product or service. Bankers do not contribute equity.

Technical Advisors 162

Technical Advisors Tips Startup Equity 162

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2013

You can''t pick and chose where you want to advertise, or what kind of advertising shows up on your app. One, is it''s very expensive to get into. That''s why we created a transparent network, so it''s just like shopping. But the problem is, the current mobile ad market is what is called blind advertising.

Mobile 208

Mobile Networking Media Advertising 208

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2021

There is also more going on in every location, so this personal need and super sensitivity to the local community has spawned a new breed of Internet startups, called “hyperlocal.” It also shows how such a website can scale by adding new cities. The burden of proof is on you to show value. Expanding city-by-city is expensive.

Startup 144

Startup Sites Content Sales 144

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

So I think that doing DTC marketing requires you to be more performance focused. I like them to have some proof of concept — putting through $10,000-$15,000 per month on Facebook or $5,000-10,000 on Google usually shows me that there’s some life to it. Why do you think that performance marketing is the right fit for DTC?

Commerce 211

Commerce Content Marketing Startup 211

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2023

As a rule of thumb, most viable businesses need a gross margin above 50 percent, even on wholesale prices, to cover operational expenses and survive as a business. If your cash flow shows a shortfall of $750,000, add a 33 percent buffer, and ask for a million. If you are losing money on every unit, it’s hard to make it up in volume.

Startup 116

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 116

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

That’s what makes this so surreal. Show empathy. He showed industries where demand was likely to hold strong and he outlined a case for how he could protect as many jobs as possible. Can I plan a Winter vacation or attend a wedding or travel anywhere again this year? Who the f**k knows. To say it simply ….

Demand 215

Demand Guide Customer Custom 215

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2019

I realized that there was the opportunity for technology to disrupt this space, in the same way that you saw Booking.com and Kayak.com disrupt travel agents, and OpenTable.com disrupting restaurant concierges, so really just applying the same model they did to the inefficient world of night life. So, we had to pivot a little bit.

Startup 113

Startup Equity Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2020

Entrepreneurs have always believed that their product or service must show real value to customers, but today the smart ones are even able to make their marketing valuable. by the so-called godfather of content marketing, Joe Pulizzi. Customers like to think they know you, so you need to find a voice, and share it.

Customer 127

Customer Custom Marketing Content 127

socalTECH

JULY 17, 2019

What is so fantastic about EVOX, is we provide automotive imagery for 20,000 dealership websites. Instead of shooting a vehicle with one camera, we added a second camera, so you could get a 3D look and feel when placed into a headset. So this is more augmented reality technology that VR? What is RelayCars?

Sales 124

Sales Research Content Edmunds 124

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

And expensively. The best performers and managers dislike meetings and show their disdain by being abrupt or at the opposite end, distracted. So let’s examine ways to make meetings more efficient – those that are actually required. And to avoid the occasional (slow) death by meeting, so common in companies today.

Email 120

Email Report Sales Help 120

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 13, 2010

It can be magnetic being at conferences especially when you’re on a panel, you’re invite to a speakers’ dinner, you’re getting to meet so many new people and you’re getting so much attention. I’ve heard all of the excuses from these CEOs. &# How else could I get so much BD done?

Conference 414

Conference Blogging Startup Product 414

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

It’s easy to get so pre-occupied with handling the business rollout that you forget to maintain and increase your social media interactions, search engine optimization efforts, and highlighting positive customer reviews on your website. The good news is these challenges are not rocket science, so anyone can do it. Marty Zwilling.

Search Engine Optimization 131

Search Engine Optimization Startup Social Media Metrics 131

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. Now, even the earliest stage startup can rise to visibility or be forever lost by their first media spotlight, so it behooves us all to know the rules early. Use appropriate body language and attire.

Media 118

Media Tips Social Media Startup 118

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 2, 2014

But many of us do that, maybe not so timely. But isn’t there a better way to approach this expensive process of acclimation? How about assigning a big brother or sister to each new employee to show them the culture and process? How about teaching a class in corporate culture yourself to one or more new employees?

Startup 207

Startup Email Class Examples 207

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2023

Some are doing this at the expense of employee experience , which I believe is one of the major causes of employee dissatisfaction and exit of good employees today. Establish a schedule for your own accessibility, so that employees can find you easily, and see that you care about them and know their challenges early.

Customer 113

Customer Custom Training Tool 113