Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2020

With a singular focus on building unicorns, very rapid growth has been a key metric. The distributed model draws on a diverse pool, helps manage costs, and captures regional insights and focus necessary to win local customers. Facebook’s market value tumbled many billions in 2018 due to users’ decreased confidence in the platform.

Ideas

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

For example, most e-commerce platforms today offer millions of products, with a changing mix daily and a changing market, such that it’s virtually impossible to manually predict a strategy for mapping customer demographics to products displayed online. Configure every decision step into real-time software.

Artificial Inteligence

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2018

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and business owners, I rarely find someone who doesn’t proclaim that the business world is changing rapidly, with new technology, new customer expectations, and new cultures. Others still routinely have phone hold queues for customer contact that can last up to an hour, with no alternative options.

Technical Review

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2019

Yet if you run a business, you know things won’t get done, and most customers won’t buy, unless they trust you. According to current reports , both your employees and your customers have to feel they know you, and you know them, before levels of trust can accrue. Make sure your team and your customers have a role.

Custom

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2018

Even when your new product or solution fills a real customer need, and has a positive value proposition, many new venture founders are surprised and frustrated to find that excited customers are hard to find and growth is slow. Customer buying decision process is multi-level or complex.

Product

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2018

In fact, most see a more direct relationship between customers and their business success, so employee focus by default will end up in third place. Once this product-first, customer-second, and employee-last culture is set, it is extremely hard to change. Establish metrics on the culture, as well as the product. Start today.

Metrics

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2018

The intent is to indicate that founder passion is not a substitute for real customers buying the product. The challenge is to convince investors that your business will attract real customers, before you have a revenue stream that exceeds your expenses. Pivoting early, based on real customer feedback, is always cheaper than later.

Custom

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2018

Customers and analysts are always looking for innovation indicators. Set metrics and rewards specifically for innovation. Metrics can be used to change ingrained behavior, as well as build revenue. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 08/13/2018. Apple needs a product that jumps to the next curve.

Metrics

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Adopt a project-based revenue model with metrics. Treat every business as a customer, not a client. A client relationship suggests that the consultant is in charge, whereas the customer designation recognizes the more modern model of the customer in control. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 02/08/2018.

Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2018

They start second-guessing their own vision, and are prone to making snap decisions suggested by someone else, in lieu of their carefully crafted processes and metrics. Your front-line team can give you direct feedback from customers, such as pricing, quality, or support problems, with suggested solutions.

Metrics

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2018

Unfortunately, most of the entrepreneurs who contact me for guidance only seem to work on strategic issues when they are in a crisis, such as losing a major distributor or being swamped with customer complaints. Define metrics to assess roll-out progress and value. Marty Zwilling First published on CayenneConsulting on 07/24/2018.

Tips

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

We can’t wait for customers to use the product for 12–18 months and do customer interviews or look at purchase cohorts. By 2018 I sensed that he was right and we began focusing more on our barbell approach. It’s just now that we’re Seed Investors. Secrets of Sand Hill Road.

Venture Capital

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

It forces the founder to spend time in front of customers. ” Companies that are raising greatly in excess of their economic worth in today’s financial metrics had better absolutely grow into their valuations over time or hope they’re acquired before the music stops and the band goes home. April 30th, 2018.

Funding

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

At the other extreme, I don’t condone greedy and unethical business practices to unjustly shake down customers and employees alike. Shows positive value for both the customer and the business. Customers and investors are looking for quantifiable specifics, not just social value or “eco-friendly.”

Custom