Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

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. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Custom 85

Custom Customer Product Marketing 85

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 19, 2019

TechCrunch spoke to two customers who said the Mercedes-Benz’ connected car app was pulling in information from other accounts and not their own, allowing them to see other car owners’ names, recent activity, phone numbers, and more. The other customer said they did not attempt to test either feature.

Startup 189

Startup Los Angeles Custom Customer 189

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Companies that have leveraged technology to make the procurement and delivery of food more accessible to more people have been seeing a big surge of business this year, as millions of consumers are encouraged (or outright mandated, due to Covid-19) to socially distance or want to avoid the crowds of physical shopping and eating excursions.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

If you team with a partner who likes to sleep late, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. All partners have compatible work styles.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

As a potential investor, I always think of the high rate of failure of disruptive technologies, due to the longer learning curve of customers, infrastructure change consistently required, and higher marketing costs. Before you act, shut up and listen to employees, customers, and futurists.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. We only want software revenue.” How do you get referenceable customers? I believe it’s flawed.

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2011

We actually built that about a year and a half ago, and are bringing that back due to overwhelming demand. But, with the economy turning south in 2008, lots of those customers went out of business. In the meantime, Groupon came along, and our media customers started to lose advertising. How do clients license your software?

Platform 263

Platform Training Software Review Advertising 263

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

If you team with a partner who likes sleep until late morning, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Common vision and commitment.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

In my first enterprise software company we developed a methodology for sales that we called PUCCKA. Customers sometimes buy things spontaneously without thinking through what their actual need is. The goal is to get the customer speaking about their organization. These references make for great discussions with customers.

Sales 367

Sales Slides Startup Custom 367

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2017

Tim Grace , who co-founded San Diego-based PointPredictive with Frank McKenna and Joe Jackson, is a startup veteran, who sold BasePoint Analytics to CoreLogic in 2009, and is a former executive from HNC Software. Tim Grace: We all get our started at HNC Software in San Diego. What is PointPredictive?

Artificial Inteligence 124

Artificial Inteligence Software Review San Diego .Net 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it. He came to work in our offices at Upfront Ventures as an EIR and immediately began building software to improve how storage was picked up, photographed, scanned and routed to a warehouse.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

If you team with a partner who likes sleep until late morning, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Common vision and commitment.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

If you team with a partner who likes to sleep late, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. All partners have compatible work styles.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2013

We''re very much a global footprint company, and we have customers from all over the world who fit that type of description. Right now, we have around 380,000 customers, with about a third of those outside the United States. Our target market is entrepreneurs, creatives, and developers. We''ve also managed to grow quite nicely.

Software Review 238

Software Review Cloud Computing Technical Review Platform 238

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I think that mindset is useful to remind entrepreneurs that it is a shared journey and capital (whether active or passive) is a part of your success and your ability to access it when you need to and for the amounts you need is a very critical differentiator between successful companies and unsuccessful one. Mentorship.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

Perhaps the most misused terms I see these days from entrepreneurs involve CAC (customer acquisition costs) and LTV (life time value) and a lack of understanding these critical components is driving many companies to premature failure. Customer acquisition cost. This is how much you spend to get a new customer. That bit is easy.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2015

In my view, it’s time to eliminate the term consultant , as well as focus on activities and approaches that appeal more to the growing volume of small businesses today: Join the movement to contract roles. Treat a startup as a customer, not a client. Be responsive to every customer communication.

Services 100

Services Startup Software Review Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2016

They don’t realize that strong team engagement leads to even stronger customer engagement, which can more than double your startup revenue and growth, according to experts. It comes from two-way interaction with individual employees, and clear indications of active listening. Facilitate and use customer, peer engagement feedback.

Software Review 57

Software Review Satisfaction Startup Training 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2011

If you team with a partner who likes sleep until late morning, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Common vision and commitment.

Software Review 96

Software Review CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 96

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 14, 2012

Customer loyalty, one of those seemingly innocuous facets of both large and small scale businesses that can be easily overlooked, but generally understood as ultra important to how well a business thrives. You’ve taken care of the 1) product, 2) marketing, 3) overall experience (to garner positive reviews), but then what?

Software Review 95

Software Review Idealab Pasadena Custom 95

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Now, more than ever, government agencies in the US and abroad are lousy startup customers. Government customers abundantly waste both of these assets by negatively impacting a startup’s cash flows while causing it to spend unnecessary time participating in laborious approval processes and elongated sales cycles.

Startup 207

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 207

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2011

It really provides the most relevant reviews, because when you're looking for reviews, you want them from someone very similar to you. Johnson: It's different from a traditional white label because if you look at a normal white label, you're just taking the functionality and you're just taking the software.

Content 242

Content Software Review Technical Review Sites 242

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2020

Analytic process automation platforms are organizing what were once patchwork point solutions that cost customers time and resources, bringing streamlined processes and the human back to the center of problem solving.

Southern California 140

Southern California Technical Review Platform Organization 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2010

If you team with a Gen-Y type who likes to start work in the late morning, and reserves the weekend for other activities, the partnership will likely not work. If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done.

Software Review 92

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 92

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

We slowly realized that Microsoft’s value went far beyond his technical contributions, due to his connections with key software developers and relationships with hardware manufacturers who could make the PC revolution universal. Build connections with key customers and competitors.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

Or app companies that went viral due to spammy friend requests to download in an app store only to have a community backlash and subsequent crash. And of course it’s true in personal productivity apps, SMB apps, B2B software and so forth. “Hacking” growth is only sustainable with a truly great product.

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

On one end, entrepreneurs who have (at minimum) built something customers love and are willing to pay for, and the other hand, investors who are looking for the very companies who fit that profile. You’ve built a great business, your customers love you. And those who have gone through the process, know.

Invest 100

Invest Startup Technical Review Software Review 100

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

Tech Diligence - Consider The Source. Rather, we value entrepreneurs' time and thus our diligence generally includes introducing them to potential customers and partners. The difference is that VoiceXML does not leverage customers' knowledge of web development. Geography - Rincon is now very active in the Bay Area.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 14, 2012

Customer loyalty, one of those seemingly innocuous facets of both large and small scale businesses that can be easily overlooked, but generally understood as ultra important to how well a business thrives. You’ve taken care of the 1) product, 2) marketing, 3) overall experience (to garner positive reviews), but then what?

Software Review 61

Software Review Idealab Pasadena Custom 61

socalTECH

JULY 21, 2011

So, what we do, is bring all of that data together into a unified, comprehensive solution, so they can manage all of that activity and data in one place. All of the activity we're monitoring, and ways we're engaging and allowing clients to engage with consumers are 100 percent through their smart phone.

Social Media 248

Social Media Zumbox Media Startup 248

InfoChachkie

JUNE 30, 2014

Instead of focusing on marketing as an activity… integrate it into (your) products. For instance, at the time we invested in The Resumator , purveyor of software which facilitates the hiring process, the company had spent less than $10,000 on marketing. If you have amazing products, the marketing of those products is trivial.

Marketing 193

Marketing Software Review Product Social Media 193

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2013

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. For entrepreneurs, effective networking is required to find investors, partners, and customers. Customer retention. More customers are lost to apathy after the sale than poor service or quality. Investor negotiations.

Ideas 110

Ideas Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 110

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 2, 2011

Last year’s ARE event was the largest event ever focused on advancing the Augmented Reality industry, with 520 attendees, 90 speakers, 30 hours of sessions, and one of a kind activities such as the ARt Gala, The Auggies Best AR Demo Award, and AR Startup Launchpads. The 2011 ARE is bound to go above and beyond last year’s event.

Software Review 73

Software Review Case Study Startup Technical Review 73

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

We''ve got a grid of 500 nodes, handling a billion and a half clicks and call impressions, which we drive for our customers. We were very early adopters of Ruby, and have been pretty active in that community. Yelp and Agie''s List has been fantastic in the reviews path. When did the split with AT&T happen? READ MORE>>.

Technical Review 223

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 223

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

We''ve got a grid of 500 nodes, handling a billion and a half clicks and call impressions, which we drive for our customers. We were very early adopters of Ruby, and have been pretty active in that community. Yelp and Agie''s List has been fantastic in the reviews path. When did the split with AT&T happen? READ MORE>>.

Technical Review 211

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 211

socalTECH

JANUARY 13, 2012

One of the areas that startups and healthcare investors have turned their attention to in recent years, is leveraging the many advances in technology--wireless, smart phones, software, and more--and applying those to the health area. We spoke with CEO Kian Saneii to learn more about the firm. What's the story behind the company?

Software Review 140

Software Review Cloud Computing Startup Technical Review 140

Tech.Co

AUGUST 27, 2017

The Harvard Business Review recommends two low-risk applications of blockchain technology that startups can try. You cannot deny that the internet of things (IoT) has taken over: security cameras link with each other; mobile devices connect to the printer; and lights detect and activate human movements. Blockchain Technology.

Technical Review 69

Technical Review Startup Mobile Software Review 69