Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I started my first company in 1999 and was admittedly swept up in all of this: Magazine covers, fancy conferences, artificial valuations and easy money. In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. Between 2006–2008 I sold both companies that I had started and became a VC.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2022

Many of you business leaders I work with, and entrepreneurs I mentor, have a great strategy and an innovative solution , but struggle with building and motivating the team necessary to run your business. This created a connection with both his team and customers. You really need their insights and customer interaction feedback.

Mentor 108

Mentor Social Media Coach Customer 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

The result is fewer and fewer new ideas are volunteered by prospective leaders and key team members, and the business suffers from poor customer satisfaction or loss of market share. Your challenge is to show examples of forward-thinking companies that are ahead by doing things differently.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2022

One way to do this is to nurture mentoring relationships with experts in other disciplines, as Bill Gates did with Warren Buffet. In particular, new generations of customers, including millennials, are often looking for something really innovative, as the fashion industry has found out many times.

Competition 139

Competition Examples Customer Custom 139

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2022

In my role as a mentor, I challenge every business leader to be more open-minded as they face the challenges of change and new competitors entering their space. Winning business owners really listen and act on feedback from customers and advisors. Don’t be totally driven by a key customer. Listening to customers also helps.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Customer Custom Social Media 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

Be sure to encompass all your constituents, especially including customers. Whole Foods , for example, has built their business with a commitment to natural and organic foods, and have a culture of loyal employees and customers, resulting in 500 stores worldwide. Commit to delivering a positive customer experience.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2022

Thus, over the years of my mentoring and consulting efforts with entrepreneurs, I have a key list of practices that I recommend to everyone starting and growing a business. You may think it’s great that demand exceeds your supply chain, but customers only remember it as a loss of your credibility, and will tell others.

Startup 134

Startup Training Tool Demand 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2022

I see that model changing today to one of team collaboration and decision making, per companies such as Amazon, Google, and Zoom. Modern companies like Amazon credit much of their growth and success to rewarding of change innovations, including failures. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 8/17/2022.

Organization 105

Organization Mentor Startup Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2022

The challenge for each of you is to get it handled quickly and effectively, without losing the trust of constituents , as well as customers. Look for a mentor, or expert in this area, and ask their advice. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 5/22/2022. Get advice before jumping to conclusions.

Develop 138

Develop Development Coach Satisfaction 138

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2022

As a mentor to business professionals, I find that many are frustrated that peers and managers don’t recognize the true value of their contributions. Documenting your input early, and follow-up later by quantifying customer revenue is your only way to make sure your value in the revenue growth process is not forgotten.

Examples 133

Examples Metrics Startup Customer 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2022

These authors have enjoyed leadership positions in big companies, as well as small, and distill their advice from interviews with dozens of business owners of all sizes around the country. But the more you get involved with mentoring and training, the less time you have to enjoy the creative process.

Satisfaction 92

Satisfaction Training Customer Custom 92

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric. Don’t be hesitant to use coaches, mentors, and other resources to test and improve your image by others, and your perceptions of business realities and biases. The business world today is very competitive, and customers are more and more demanding.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2022

This is a tough challenge for every coach and mentor. The support currently provided by product service can become inadequate to satisfy new customers, as your growth and image becomes better known. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 4/18/2022.

Entrepreneur 90

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Coach Mentor 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2022

Thus, ever after years as an executive in IBM and other companies, I’m still looking for the magic. Howard Schultz, former chief executive of Starbucks, credits servant leadership with driving his company to scale so quickly to now almost 34,000 stores in 80 countries. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 1/07/2022.

Framework 127

Framework Organization IBM IBM 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2022

As an advisor and mentor, I’m always looking for more ways to improve communication, get people more engaged , and get more done. Be able to provide a current understanding of these objectives by regularly asking for feedback from stakeholders, including vendors, customers, and peers, and really listening to what they need.

Coach 119

Coach Organization Technical Review Satisfaction 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2022

Thus I was pleased to see the same conclusion in a new book, “ CEO Excellence ,” by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra, each a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 3/16/2022.

Template 109

Template Demand Social Media Summary 109

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

In my experience of many years as a business founder, consultant, and executive, I offer the following list of situations that always imply a real need for people and business leadership, and have the potential for long-term positive impact to your bottom line and business success: Your business image is slipping in the eyes of customers.

Coach 120

Coach Satisfaction Customer Custom 120