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. Define realistic metrics to keep track of progress. You need metrics to incentivize the right team behaviors.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based Image Metrics (www.image-metrics.com) recently landed a $6.5M, Series B funding round for the firm's facial animation products. Tell us about your facial animation technology and how it's used? I was introduced to Image Metrics a year before I joined, and was helping them along. I fell in love with it.

Metrics 100

Metrics Startup Sales Newsletter 100

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 18, 2022

Unlike other alternative protein companies that are developing new technology, the company is tapping into existing technology used to make foods like pasta and cereal to make whole cuts of its product that is then formed into nuggets for now, and in the future, tenders and cutlets.

Software Review 187

Software Review Metrics Startup Technical Review 187

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2022

Pick a single metric that is the focus for all growth. Today’s world is full of metrics leading to business growth, including customer logins, revenue per customer, retention, and average solution price. Facebook’s winning strategy was a laser focus on increasing active user counts and time spent online. Less is more.

Startup 144

Startup Social Media Metrics Customer 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

New technologies drive the need for support and attachments, which could be your opportunity or loss. Proactively evaluate new technologies for impact. Establish and evaluate metrics at multiple levels. As times change, you may need new metrics, such as total experience, web site hits, and social media complaints.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

The challenge is to avoid the bad risks, while actively seeking and managing the smart risks. As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Everyone on your team must maintain the mindset that customers are the key to your business model, rather than technology or accounting. No matter how good your cause, it takes real money to sustain a business.

Customer 109

Customer Custom Satisfaction Sales 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. Waste in a startup is any activity that burns resources, but creates no value or competitive advantage in the eyes of customers. Focus on activities rather than results. There is no cushion.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

socalTECH

MAY 10, 2013

It''s a combination of leveraging our data to provide activation of users, by sending out the posts, and really providing brands with the metrics of before, during, and after a campaign. In addition, those platforms are not providing the metrics that marketers need. That''s how we take the business to the next level.

Social Media 237

Social Media Advertising Media Metrics 237

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

Most workers are still rushing to retirement, where they hope to escape to more stimulating activities with a real sense of accomplishment. The pillars of change she details include the following: Embracing and adapting to technology. More people as a substitute for technology is not a solution. No one is happy or satisfied.

Coach 132

Coach Satisfaction Startup Organization 132

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

The world around us is being disrupted by the acceleration of technology into more industries and more consumer applications. Technology solutions are now used by authoritarians to monitor and control populations, to stymie an individual company’s economic prospects or to foment chaos through demagoguery. What Has Changed in Financing?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Balance of passion with reality and customer feedback. Build business relationships and a personal brand.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2021

Hypermetricemia – metrics for everything. My advice is to focus on a handful of high-level metrics that matter , and are simple and relevant to organizational objectives. Don’t commit to a technique, technology, or approach just because you have related expertise or because it has worked in the past.

Metrics 133

Metrics Product Yahoo Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

Some chaos is normal in every new business, but many wait far too long before they install metrics based on “best practices,” and fail to attack obvious bottlenecks with a vengeance. Yet I still see expense budgets based on traditional channels, with no strict metrics on cost of customer acquisition by channel, or lifetime customer value.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Quantify the results, and avoid any fuzzy words, such as better usability, advanced technology, or more productivity. Put operational systems and metrics in place early. Keep up with new technology for internal processes, actively hire people with new skills, and provide industry training for exposure to new techniques and competition.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

I believe the right attributes and habits can be recognized and learned, and here are seven key ones that I find in successful entrepreneurs: Actively recruits others and solicits win-win relationships. Asks hard questions, and actively listens to critical feedback. Sets goals and milestones, with metrics to track progress.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Everyone on your team must maintain the mindset that customers are the key to your business model, rather than technology or accounting. No matter how good your cause, it takes real money to sustain a business.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

First, you as the leader must be a role model for the actions you desire – including positive communication, active coaching, rewards for results, as well as providing required tools and training. Today’s complex environments requires the use of innovative systems and technology for timely and reliable feedback from customers and colleagues.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

In fact, it's one of the top five tech hubs, according to technology workers looking for job opportunities. We see it as a place with lots of technology companies hiring talent, lots of job seekers looking for opportunities, plus the cost of living in Los Angeles is actually a bit lower than other markets, such as the Bay Area.

Los Angeles 100

Los Angeles Marketing Angel Technology 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Networking no longer is primarily a face-to-face serial activity. Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation. Incorporating a business entity early through online services.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media News 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Businesses firmly ensconced down an existing path find it hard to leave their comfort zone or jeopardize current revenue streams, and tend to prioritize the value of incremental change, even in the face of new markets, technology, or economic conditions. The future is extrapolated from internal data analysis.

Startup 120

Startup Statistics IBM IBM 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression. Find the right tools to analyze the ROI.

Social Media 126

Social Media Media Startup Platform 126

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

The challenge is to avoid the bad risks, while actively seeking and managing the smart risks. As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

I’m not suggesting that you model your startup after the complex corporate organizations you hated in your last job, but there are at least eight key functions and activities that every investor expects to find in a startup proposal with any real potential to change the world. Formalize the use of tools and information technology.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Great business leaders, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett , are constantly asking questions and reading books about new technologies, new cultures, and new business opportunities. Using metrics to measure results and commitments. They prioritize tasks, define milestones, and measure results versus activities completed.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

They think they are saving costs by not using the latest technology to capture data, and minimizing storage. Businesses must capture every business decision activity, including customer relations, in digital software so that decisions affecting the activities can be automated and optimized through machine learning.

Artificial Inteligence 84

Artificial Inteligence Metrics Commerce Software 84

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2019

Pick a single metric that is the focus for all growth. Today’s world is full of metrics leading to business growth, including customer logins, revenue per customer, retention, and average solution price. Facebook’s winning strategy was a laser focus on increasing active user counts and time spent online. Less is more.

Social Media 87

Social Media Metrics Customer Custom 87

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Networking no longer is primarily a face-to-face serial activity. Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation. Incorporating a business entity early through online services.

Tips 161

Tips Startup Social Media News 161

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2019

How long have you been active in Los Angeles? In New York, for example, there are a lot of very strong fintech, fashion technology and media companies. In LA, we have very strong consumer companies, strong media, and real estate, plus food technology and beauty brands also tend to be popular in LA.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Metrics Los Angeles Help 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

The most common proposals I hear are for yet another social networking site ( over 200 active ), or another dating site (now over 2500 in the US alone). It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Ownership. Value creation.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2017

Our interview this morning is with Scott Cannon , the CEO of BigRentz (www.bigrentz.com), which is creating an online marketplace for big equipment--an industry known notoriously as not adopting new technology. They've been resistant to technology for a long time. Scott tells us how the company--backed by St.

Startup 174

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Businesses firmly ensconced down an existing path find it hard to leave their comfort zone or jeopardize current revenue streams, and tend to prioritize the value of incremental change, even in the face of new markets, technology, or economic conditions. The future is extrapolated from internal data analysis.

Startup 128

Startup Company Companies Statistics 128

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2014

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Startup 108

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 108

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

The key to accelerating revenue generation in a phased agreement is to document the success metrics of the landing phase. Ensure that such metrics are measurable by you (not solely by your partner) and are to the greatest extent possible, under your control.

Sales 215

Sales Outsource Development Metrics Resource 215

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

I’m not suggesting that you model your startup after the complex corporate organizations you hated in your last job, but there are at least eight key functions and activities that every investor expects to find in a startup proposal with any real potential to change the world. Formalize the use of tools and information technology.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know all of this because every VC knows this because we’ve all either funded companies that have marketing technology or we’ve seen a pitch with a company that does this. So while it might seem obvious that you should send it via a link, I’d like to make the counter-argument that it is not an obvious choice.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101