Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Funding is depleted before customer sales ramp up.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

socalTECH

JULY 13, 2020

who is based in Los Angeles--has launched a brand new startup accelerator called Product Club , which is aiming itself at accelerating a small class of product-focused startups. The new accelerator said that applications are due on Sunday, July 19th, for its Summer 2020 class. A former Tinder VP, Jeff Morris, Jr.--who

Product 113

Product Startup Class Venture Capital 113

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

If you are seriously looking to start the next billion-dollar startup, you need to get beyond the realm of enhancing a current solution. Rather than starting from a mindset of pushing the limits of technology, be determined to first find a customer need that can only be solved by the technology you know.

Startup 134

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often feel the frustration of someone trying to build a startup in the wrong place and time, and wrongly attributing their struggle to personal limitations. I saw these addressed well in a new book, “ The Startup Community Way ,” by Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway.

Resource 131

Resource Startup Capital Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. I just finished a new book for entrepreneurs, “ Secrets to a Successful Startup ,” by Trevor Blake, which makes the same points, based on his own real-life experience with three successful startups.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Thus I often recommend that before you kick off your own business, you join another startup or existing business to see how things really work.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Utilize outside expertise and mentoring. No matter how much energy, experience, and passion you have, there is always more you can learn from an Advisory Board of external experts or a mentor. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 12/22/2020. Your long-term success and satisfaction depends on it.

Technical Review 160

Technical Review Technical Advisors Startup Mentor 160

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. According to recent reports , these come from all the way up and down the age and experience spectrum, including up to ninety percent of the current Baby Boomers, as well as Millennials.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

A continuing question I hear from young entrepreneurs is whether a university degree is important to startup success, or just a distraction in achieving their purpose in the world. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. Initiate networking to find peer partners and investors.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2012

Partially due to the economy, but also due to longer, healthier lives and changes in job tenure, 62% of working Boomers are now expected to stay in the labor force, with real power and influence, for at least nine more years, to 2020. Business-startup rates in America increased the most in the Midwest and South.

Startup 112

Startup Technical Review Technical Support Study 112

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

If you want to make a great first impression on a startup investor or an advisor like me, don’t try to convince me or show me how busy you are. I’m sure you all know someone who always seems to be overworked, but often comes up short on the delivery side. As an entrepreneur starting a new business, you have a lot to learn.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2020

Based on my own years of experience in big business, startups, and the investor community, here are the key habits and traits that each of us needs to continually improve to be perceived by peers and others as leaders and innovators in business here and consistently around the world: Be aggressive in aspirations but prudent in execution.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Mentor Metrics Customer 168

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs over the years, I see many of you who don’t communicate enough, others who seem to do all the talking, and some that are hesitant to be direct and open. One of the biggest problems I see in startups is everyone trying to do too many different things, straining resources and confusing customers.

Startup 124

Startup Ideas Examples .Net 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always surprised by the fact that some never seem to be able to that first startup going, while many others never seem to stop, starting their second or third initiative before the first one is fully hatched. You can’t win a race that you never start.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them nearly ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Their success is now vital to our success.

Tips 127

Tips Mentor Coach Guide 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2020

A popular myth that most of you probably believe is that startups are only for the younger generations. In fact, I see more and more evidence that new entrepreneurs are coming from the older age groups (age 45-64), and success rates move up with age. We are more prepared to focus on life-changing entrepreneurship.

Startup 129

Startup Entrepreneur Coach Mentor 129

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Today's interview is with Jo Webber , the CEO and founder of Pod.io , a startup which has developed an app to help people connect with others over shared interests. What's your background and how did you start the company? Jo Webber: We've done a seed round of $5M, which we raised earlier in 2020. What is Pod.io?

Mentor 157

Mentor Southern California Startup Networking 157

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

In my own business career, many years as a business advisor, and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I have validated the following strategies to practice and guide you. Of course, this all has to start with you having the confidence and conviction that there is at least one solution to every problem, and that you can find it.

Satisfaction 152

Satisfaction Mentor Study Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2018

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them almost ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Their success is now vital to our success.

Mentor 60

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

They are quick to claim the credit for things in their domain that work, but also quick to disclaim responsibility for problems that keep popping up. I often think of the scope of this example in my role as mentor to a struggling entrepreneur who is quick to blame his problems on employee mistakes, or even changing customer expectations.

Training 173

Training Examples Startup Social Media 173

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

Just two weeks into it we are just starting to come to grips with what will no doubt wreak big financial, emotional and obviously dire health consequences and suffering for many. It goes without saying that if you find yourself in a really negative headspace PLEASE reach out to any trusted mentor, friend or family member.

Demand 279

Demand Guide Customer Custom 279

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2020

In my experience as a business mentor, one of the biggest challenges I see is a failure to focus. Good examples of initial focus by an entrepreneur would include Jeff Bezos when he started Amazon as an online marketplace for books only, and Elon Musk starting PayPal as an online bank.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Startup Patents Resource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Everyone who starts or owns a business expects to be the best of breed, but only a few achieve that status. As a startup mentor and advisor, I often contemplate what makes the difference between winners and losers. Stop dreaming about your passion and start acting on it. I believe the best make their own luck.

Startup 121

Startup Mentor Coach Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Partially due to the economy, but also due to longer, healthier lives and changes in job tenure, 60% of working Boomers are now expected to stay in the labor force, with real power and influence, for at least seven more years, to 2020. Business-startup rates in America increased the most in the Midwest and South. percent to 23.4

Entrepreneur 118

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Technical Support 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, one of the most common requests I get is for an evaluation of a next startup idea. If your goals in life revolve around social change or the environment, aim in that direction for your startup, rather than maximizing revenue and profit. Consider your access to resources for startup efforts.

Ideas 151

Ideas Entrepreneur Resource Knowledge Base 151

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Every entrepreneur starts by accepting the reality that you have a rare mindset of joy of discovery, with an intense curiosity about how certain things or people work, or why a new technology hasn’t yet been accepted. An occasional discussion with a mentor won’t do it. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 10/28/2020.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

As Yogi Berra once said, “If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else.” An elevator pitch is a problem-solution summary that anyone can understand in a sixty-second ride up to their office in an elevator. Stop talking and writing, and start executing the plan. So don’t give up your dreams.

Writing 139

Writing Startup Summary Activity 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2020

I’m sure all of you are convinced that your new business will create the next trend and ride the wave to success, but the reality is that most startups fail , so anticipating future trends is clearly harder than it seems. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 04/22/2020. As Andy Grove famously wrote, “Only the paranoid survive.”

Startup 124

Startup Customer Custom Statistics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 02/06/2020.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2020

In the spirit of helping you avoid some of our own learning experiences with startups, I will paraphrase here the nine key stages that he and I both see most businesses going through in their evolution from a startup to a successful and stable entity: You can’t sustain a business without positive cash flow.

Metrics 140

Metrics Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction 140

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Thus, as an initial step in my mentoring efforts to young or older aspiring entrepreneurs alike, I always recommend ways of dipping your toes in the water, before risking all your life savings, some important personal relationships, and your own well-being for a long time to come. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 01/24/2020.

Sample 126

Sample Entrepreneur Ideas Startup 126

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2020

Based on my experience and a business advisor and mentor, this is the ideal time to get back to the basics of business leadership and innovation. Make it a positive message, and the team will line up with you to creatively deliver. Through mentoring and coaching, you can build a culture of sharing and collaboration throughout the team.

Mentor 122

Mentor Ideas Competition Examples 122

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

Although his focus is naturally on bigger companies, I contend that his recommended strategies apply equally well to entrepreneurs and startups: Demand a mindset of deep thinking for the long term. In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that many of you have your most creative ideas for your company’s first big bang , but often get bogged down with details as the company grows. Thomas Edison was famous for experimenting, positive learning, and never giving up on his electric light bulb ideas.

Companies 148

Companies Company Ideas Mentor 148

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

in Physics who talks passionately about starting a business producing nuclear powered batteries. I find the best business plans are not books, but may actually should start as a one-page “elevator pitch” that succinctly encompasses your business goals, problems and solution, opportunity, competition, and business model.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

It has to start with people understanding your vision and values, seeing through your actions that you are committed to the same, and transparently asking them to help get you there. Spend more time coaching and mentoring your team. In my view, starting and growing a business is the ideal place to learn and practice leadership.

Coach 144

Coach Customer Custom Entrepreneur 144

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Partially due to the economy, but also due to longer, healthier lives and changes in job tenure, 62% of working Boomers are now expected to stay in the labor force, with real power and influence, for at least nine more years, to 2020. Business-startup rates in America increased the most in the Midwest and South.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Technical Support Study Activity 94