Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

He knew first hand what it was like for people to bully or make you feel self conscious due to your weight or looks or physical abilities. It was sort of an anti Secret or YikYak that become bullying platforms due to their anonymity and cruel crowd-enraged mob behavior. And importantly, just like on Tumblr no comments were allowed.

Social Media 150

Social Media Media Technical Review Startup 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2022

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt even more completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence.

Customer 122

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. It depends on the business, people, technologies, etc. Each situation is just a bit different.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2022

You may be convinced that your technical expertise, and your passion for the product, will allow you to succeed without reliance on team members, but in my experience, I have seen many careers and businesses fail due to lack of team synergy, or even in-fighting and dysfunction. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Startup 119

Startup Technical Review Activity Social Media 119

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground. They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Organization Social Media Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2010

Everyone is talking about how social media can help you jumpstart your business at no cost, and experts are springing up on all sides to help you do it at a high cost. Before you start, analyze existing media, demographics, and new social media alternatives for a fit to your rollout campaign requirements.

Social Media 95

Social Media Media Startup Blogging 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

As a logical and data-driven business advisor, I have long focused on facts, technology, and quantifiable pain in guiding entrepreneurs. I now offer the following additional guidelines for how to attract customers and position your product: Find the latest social trend, or even create it.

Customer 172

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 172

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Build word-of-mouth into your product or service.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Don’t dumb it down for social media.

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. Winning entrepreneurs have long since supplemented conventional print and video “push” marketing with digital online interactive “pull” marketing, and a while back added social-local-mobile ( SoLoMo ) to the mix. Build word-of-mouth into your product or service.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Don’t dumb it down for social media.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

I continue to collect great content that is the intersection of startups, products, online and technology. The United States is now a debtor nation to China and that the bill is about to come due. So let’s be very specific: let’s assume your dream job is product manager at Google, working on the Analytics product.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175

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. The advent of social media and real-time interactive feedback via the Internet allows every customer to build and expect a relationship with your business, rather than just touchpoints.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Marketing 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2019

More and more customers these days are doing their own marketing research, scanning internet reviews and feedback from friends, rather than trusting messages that you push out through advertising. Your overall customer experience will trump product features every time, in terms of loyalty, trust, and return visits.

Marketing 94

Marketing Social Media Technical Review Customer 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2019

In fact, according to the latest Index of Startup Activity by the Kauffman Foundation and recent press reports , these Baby Boomers are actually driving a new entrepreneurship boom. 65 percent of online users aged 50-64 use social media now, and the growth rate continues to increase. They are becoming the new early adopters.

Startup 119

Startup Technical Review Technical Support Entrepreneur 119

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2017

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt even more completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence.

Technical Review 55

Technical Review Technology Social Media Social Network 55

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

In the interests of helping you work smarter and last longer, I would like to offer my top ten list of key resource drains to avoid in early businesses and startups, based on my years of advising entrepreneurs and my own business experience: Expanding your product line too quickly for scaling. Excessive support and return activities.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Berkonomics

MARCH 23, 2023

We use gestures or our voice to control our engagement with our technology. Fifty-seven percent of teenagers say that their mobile device is the “center of their universe.” We are entering the smartphone era, where 65% of time on our mobile devices is spent in non-communicating activities. 62% look at online peer reviews.

Mobile 156

Mobile Commerce Software Review Yammer 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These should come as no surprise to you, since they haven’t changed in many decades, and I expect will serve you well in the current turbulent times we all face: Spend time nurturing productive work relationships. It’s amazing how quickly these activities lead to leadership or management opportunities. Find what works for you.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

When polled 88% of marketing professionals said they couldn’t accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and the majority said lack of ROI measurement is their single greatest frustration with social media (Forbes). Even still – we have only scratched the top end of the funnel actions. And so forth.

Marketing 307

Marketing Technical Review Startup Tool 307

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2019

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt even more completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground. They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever.

Tips 126

Tips Technical Review Organization Social Media 126

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 15, 2016

It’s a known fact that there are more men than women in tech, and those numbers aren’t getting better — in 2013, women held 26 percent of computing jobs in the United States, as opposed to 35 percent in 1990. Female Tech Role Models. She stresses the focus on useful products that their customers will be proud to own.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Social Media Startup Screening 40

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. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. Survival requires regular updates.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

With the current strong economy I’m seeing a continued resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. In addition, young businesses that are still active after one year continues to hover at nearly 80%. Social media is a boon for entrepreneurs and startups.

Startup 128

Startup Social Media Satisfaction Entrepreneur 128

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Don’t dumb it down for social media.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Customers set value based on similar products found. Entrepreneurs need to actively listen to customers, investors, and other constituents, just like sales people need to listen before they talk. Push marketing doesn’t work well today, in the age of interactive networking and peer reviews. Marty Zwilling.

Sales 139

Sales Training Startup Customer 139

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2014

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt just as completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Social Media Technical Review Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2013

Contrary to what most of you might guess, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity over the last few years is not Gen-Y young upstarts, but Baby Boomers in the 55-64 year age group. In every single one of the last 15 years, Boomers between the ages of 55 and 64 have had a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than Gen-Y, aged 20–34.

Entrepreneur 118

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Technical Support 118

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2015

That one will provide the stable base income, medical and dental benefits for all, and the schedule flexibility to administer your kids’ activities. Typically you can browse them by region or technology to find founders. Every geographic area has entrepreneur networking activities, such as startup weekends and tech meetups.

Sample 101

Sample Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup 101

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2016

While the epicenter of tech innovation is undeniably Silicon Valley, a tide of new hubs emerging across the globe are gaining recognition. We are very close to the University of Waterloo, and many talented undergraduates have taken internships and permanent positions with tech startups like HiMama. PanTrek connects U.S.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Startup Incubator Media 40

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2016

In fact, according to the most recent Index of Startup Activity by the Kauffman Foundation and recent SBA reports , these Baby Boomers are actually driving a new entrepreneurship boom. 65 percent of online users aged 50-64 use social media now, and the growth rate continues to increase.

Entrepreneur 75

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Technical Support 75

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2018

This can happen through early marketing, independent of whether you have yet delivered a single product, proven your business model, or have any real customers. Most great crowdfunding campaigns, for example, are the result of momentum built through social media. Count connections with experts, media, and influencers.

Tips 79

Tips Metrics Technical Review Customer 79

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2017

They seem shocked to learn that most professional investors and advisors, myself included, routinely decline such requests, due to costly litigation and administrative nightmares. Potential investors don’t need this data, except perhaps as part of a final due diligence after an initial signed agreement.

Technical Review 61

Technical Review Patents Ideas Social Media 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2017

Even the most diligent investors are often surprised by apparently solid business startups that fail, while others succeed, despite the odds. In my own experience as an investor, I have concluded that success is more about the people than the product. Use active listening to learn the most.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Startup Mentor Study 60