Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. New product process. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the key to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2021

Here is my own net of those seven habits: Founder is ready, willing, and able to learn. We have all known entrepreneurs whose egos are so large that they can’t be bothered listening to any advice from friends or experts, and they insist on doing things their way. Offer customized products or services.

Startup 170

Startup Study Journal Sample 170

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Gross Burn vs. Net Burn. Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it Net burn is the amount of money you are losing per month. I often see companies burning $100,000 per month (net) looking to raise $6-8 million.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Berkonomics

MAY 7, 2015

You, the lonely fisherman, have to weave a net to catch your fish. Should your net be large and bulky, requiring more effort and expense to weave? Or should it be small and delicate, to catch those fish that would otherwise fall through the net? The size of your market may well define the ultimate size of your dream.

.Net 120

.Net Research Marketing Entrepreneur 120

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 5, 2015

In his premier film appearance in the blaxploitation send-up “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” Chris Rock inadvertently addresses a key pricing challenge faced by most entrepreneurs. A recurring entrepreneurial challenge is to determine the optimal price of a new product, especially absent a directly competitive alternative.

Pricing 100

Pricing Product Startup Customer 100

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Certainly, bootstrapping is a preferred method of funding growth if it does not hold back the speed of growth or hobble the quality of product or service to the extent that better-funded competitors can overtake the business. There is a lot to say about retaining control. Dave’s book and ebook on raising money available on Amazon.com.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2014

Most modern investors still look for a business model that embodies a gross margin over 50 percent and a net margin in the 20 percent range. Startup productivity is embodied in key ratios, including low cost of customer acquisition, high retention and high revenue per employee. Understanding competitive early-mover requirements.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Organization Invest Customer 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor. Business-to-business products need professional investors.

Funding 119

Funding Startup Platform Examples 119

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

As an entrepreneur, you always need to be on the lookout for ways to expand your current business, and always on the lookout for your next big thing. The competition never stands still, and new opportunities are evolving, based on culture changes in your customers, new technologies, and new problems in the world which need to be solved.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Customer Custom .Net 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2015

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist. Exploit your product and service differences. One metric now commonly used is called the Net Promoter® Score (NPS). Detractors.

Customer 100

Customer Custom .Net Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2019

In my work with new and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most struggle with putting together a written business plan, often pointing out that someone they know started a business without anything written down. Be sure to net out the opportunity and the solution in the first thirty seconds. Make it light, but factual.

Ideas 126

Ideas Slides Sample Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. New product process. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the kay to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

There were tons of young entrepreneurs showing their latest Web 2.0 People mistook extra doses of Ajax for a successful product. The last couple of years has also seen the huge initial success of Ycombinator, the Lean Startup and many other product driven approaches to going to market. Short answer: absofuckinglutely.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2014

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist. Exploit your product and service differences. One new metric now commonly used is called the Net Promoter® Score (NPS).

Customer 98

Customer Custom .Net Competition 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

This statement leaves no confusion in the minds of investors, or customers, of what the company does and how it is different (and better) than the competition. Great products solve painful real problems, and are not just “nice to have” or “easier to use.” The net value of this solution from the customer’s perspective.

.Net 73

.Net Examples Customer Custom 73

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. I have had this discussion with many a first-time entrepreneur. Is it one product line or multiple?

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Tech.Co

JUNE 23, 2015

But then some entrepreneurs got an idea: let’s put the power of the live broadcast directly in the hands of the people. In a continual effort to stay ahead of the competition in this market – which by a large stretch is mostly uncharted territory for startups – Hang w/ recently turned to the power of YouTube.

Social Media 87

Social Media .Net Platform Media 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, and giving away the product. Production. Competition.

Sales 97

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 97

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2015

Many startups and mature businesses have not yet accepted the fact that customer satisfaction and loyalty in this “always connected” age are about more than product and service quality. They operate like competitive retention, forcing you to win every transaction over competitors. business customer loyalty entrepreneur startup'

Customer 100

Customer Custom Satisfaction Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2012

As entrepreneurs, you always need to be on the lookout for ways to expand your current business, and always on the lookout for your next big thing. The competition never stands still, and new opportunities are evolving, based on culture changes in your customers, new technologies, and new problems in the world which need to be solved.

Startup 98

Startup Customer Custom Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2013

Here is my own net of those seven habits: Founder is ready, willing, and able to learn. We have all known entrepreneurs whose egos are so large that they can’t be bothered listening to any advice from friends or experts, and they insist on doing things their way. Offer customized products or services. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 102

Startup Study Journal Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2011

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, and giving away the product. Production. Competition.

Sales 98

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2010

That’s because a company’s value is a composite of all of the quantitative and qualitative factors that comprise a company: revenues, expenses, risks, growth prospects, quality of the management team, competitive advantages, strength of the intellectual property, and so forth. Detail isn’t important; tracking your progress is.

.Net 89

.Net Metrics Competition Template 89

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2013

Many startups and mature businesses have not yet adapted to the fact that customer satisfaction in this “always connected” age is more than product and service quality. These operate like competitive retention, which means you must win every transaction over competitors. entrepreneur startup Larry Freed customer experience growth'

Customer 97

Customer Custom Satisfaction Social Media 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2012

New product development process. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Make sure all team members have some connection with the product – has either used it, or sold it, or assembled it. Net result and reward. Value creation.

Coach 98

Coach Ideas IP Sales 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2012

Here is my own net of those seven habits: Founder is ready, willing, and able to learn. We have all known entrepreneurs whose egos are so large that they can’t be bothered listening to any advice from friends or experts, and they insist on doing things their way. Offer customized products or services.

Startup 99

Startup Study Journal Sample 99

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

Certainly bootstrapping is a preferred method of funding growth if it does not hold back the speed of growth or hobble the quality of product or service to the extent that better-funded competitors can overtake the business. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 174

Venture Capital Invest Class Entrepreneur 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2012

After struggling to create your business plan for months, every entrepreneur likes to think that their document is inspirational and will reach someone who is smart enough to see the brilliance of the idea, intuitive enough to recognize their business acumen, and enthusiastic enough to offer the money required to make it happen.

Summary 97

Summary Technical Review .Net Ideas 97

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2010

Startups and entrepreneurs need to be realists. Many of the large endowments that invest in the venture industry have seen their net worth plummet. An entrepreneur should use advisors to find someone "on the inside" who can make personal introductions to investors. Personal networking is key. Marty Zwilling.

Venture Capital 90

Venture Capital Capital Startup Summary 90

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

Here is my own net of those seven habits: Founder is ready, willing, and able to learn. We have all known entrepreneurs whose egos are so large that they can’t be bothered listening to any advice from friends or experts, and they insist on doing things their way. Offer customized products or services. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 92

Startup Study Journal Sample 92

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2010

Al is a repeat entrepreneur, who last founded Integrien, and was SVP and GM at LowerMyBills. The net-net, is they want to simplify their lives, and we've given them an application that allows them to simplify their life, save money, and share. Al Eisaian: This time, I didn't build the product and then go test it.

Mobile 168

Mobile .Net Pasadena Software Review 168

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2011

New product development process. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Make sure all team members have some connection with the product – has either used it, or sold it, or assembled it. Net result and reward. Value creation.

Coach 93

Coach Ideas IP Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

Whether you are talking to peers, competitors or investors, you as an active entrepreneur will be judged on your familiarity with today’s startup and funding jargon. In that context, I offer you my latest collection of popular investor-to-entrepreneur terms and concepts. Frothy is good for entrepreneurs. Seed-round investment.

Startup 57

Startup Software Review Equity Invest 57

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 23, 2013

Founded in the summer of 2011 and their first product out a few weeks ago amSTATS wants to help users to follow fitness events and programs near them and find a great fitness trainer to help them stay fit. Any competition in LA? We haven’t identified any competition in LA, specifically.

Social Network 92

Social Network Networking Training Summary 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

After struggling to create your business plan for months, every entrepreneur likes to think that their document is inspirational and will reach someone who is smart enough to see the brilliance of the idea, intuitive enough to recognize their business acumen, and enthusiastic enough to offer the money required to make it happen.

Summary 97

Summary Technical Review .Net Ideas 97

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

We typically do not ask entrepreneurs to visit our offices in Santa Barbara, but Jeff wanted to meet with Kevin, an investor in our Fund who helped us vet opportunities and occasionally invested alongside of us. Rather, we value entrepreneurs' time and thus our diligence generally includes introducing them to potential customers and partners.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2010

New product development process. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Make sure all team members have some connection with the product – has either used it, or sold it, or assembled it. Net result and reward. Value creation.

Coach 49

Coach Ideas IP Sales 49