Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

That’s what my wife said to me back in June after I had been “retired” since 2017. Well, after months of soul searching and talking to 100 people (one of my key rules before starting any business or product) — I figured it out! We build and invest in startups with impact. We call it TinkerBarn Ventures.

Startup 52

Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 52

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2017

This may seem intuitively obvious, but as an angel investor, I have heard hundreds of new business pitches that focus heavily on the product, but don’t tell the rest of the story. Don’t forget that investors invest in people, more than ideas. If your audience wants to hear about return-on-investment, don’t dodge that subject.

Social Media 58

Social Media Coach Invest Media 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2017

Invest more of your time with top performers. Personnel people talk primarily about spending time with and coaching poor performers. Yet top performers are the most responsive to coaching, and can leverage your help much more effectively. Even worse, people follow your example, causing greater damage to productivity and morale.

Coach 58

Coach Tips Satisfaction Organization 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

Thus most investors I know claim to invest in the person, rather than the product. His 30 years of business and coaching experience bring credibility to his perspective. When people feel good about themselves, the business looks positive, productivity goes up, and relationships are a lot better.

Software Review 57

Software Review Technical Review Startup Press 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

Business is more about people than product. As an angel investor in startups, I often find myself looking harder at the quality of the team and the leadership, than at the details of the product and business model. For your own business, the right time to address expected norms is during coaching and before hiring.

Funding 55

Funding Satisfaction Customer Custom 55

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Most of the guidance you see for entrepreneurs is aimed at those who are selling a product (Apple, Tesla, Xiaomi), or selling a service (Uber, Airbnb, Snapchat). The “product” value is difficult to quantify, the costs are nebulous, and entrepreneurs have to clone themselves to scale the business. Don’t forget seminars and events.

Social Media 56

Social Media Pricing Technical Review Demand 56

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Even if you were an “A-Player” in your previous organization (top 10-percent performer, high integrity, exceeds on commitments), you had peers and executives around you to provide coaching and keep you centered. Employees can be much more productive if they fully understand strategic issues and focus correspondingly.

Entrepreneur 54

Entrepreneur Customer Custom Competition 54