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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw recently, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

I’m not saying that lawyers were my screening process – simply that they knew about deals early on and they had voted with their time and pocketbooks so I knew I had a degree of filtering. no, I''m not talking about SVB, Comerica, Square1 and the like. We are judging how well you are coached on stage. ” Meh.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

These days, with the many Internet articles and new courses available, most new professionals readily cross the gap from lack of business knowledge to knowing, but many never make it over the knowing versus doing gap. The first challenge is to overcome the natural human tendency to equate talking about an idea with actually taking action.

Develop 103

Develop Development Coach Metrics 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

These days, with the many Internet articles and new courses available, most new entrepreneurs readily cross the gap from lack of business knowledge to knowing, but many never make it over the knowing versus doing gap. The first challenge is to overcome the natural human tendency to equate talking about an idea with actually taking action.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

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. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I just saw today, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). Most people think that being a successful investor is about finding the right deals and nurturing the teams through the difficult times to come out with a great company. This is the fifth & final (I promise!) Or the CEO?

Invest 280

Invest Angel Venture Capital Yahoo 280

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

Great benefits and a workplace that is fun and dedicated to making customers happy all fit in with the Zappos approach to company culture — when you get the company culture right, great customer service and a great brand will happen on its own. Employees of Twitter can’t stop raving about the company’s culture.

Examples 100

Examples Company Companies Google 100

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

Great benefits and a workplace that is fun and dedicated to making customers happy all fit in with the Zappos approach to company culture — when you get the company culture right, great customer service and a great brand will happen on its own. Employees of Twitter can’t stop raving about the company’s culture.

Examples 100

Examples Company Companies Google 100

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

free weekly Infochachkie articles! Without their buy in, we don’t get the opportunity to interact with end customers. 4) I have written a lot about the importance of addVisors during a startup’s early days. I could go on and on about this since there can be downsides as well. It drives revenue & engages guests."

Startup 233

Startup Design Mobile Social Network 233

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

This article originally appeared on TechCrunch. So I did want any rational person who wants to improve does – I hired a coach. Whenever I heard why we didn’t feel a sales process at an important customer was going well (or if we lost) I would get involved myself. Customers buy solutions to solve their problems.

Sales 316

Sales Startup Pricing Customer 316

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 1, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! She replied, “It’s about to get worse. Then engage your would-be Bro as a peer, a courtesy they may seldom experience from most of their harried, self-absorbed customers.

Class 100

Class Southern California Startup Slides 100

Frank Addante

JUNE 25, 2015

So I spent some time thinking upon what we were all so excited, passionate and energized about. Be your best: John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches in American sports history. As head coach at UCLA he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period. How can we return to that mindset of innovation?

Coach 40

Coach Startup Ideas UCLA 40

InfoChachkie

APRIL 6, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! Powell: To experiment, I needed about 10 molds. I grew to love many things about skating as I got into the industry I helped to create. This was an inspiration to me.

Mentor 100

Mentor Pacific Palisades Startup Class 100

Frank Addante

JUNE 25, 2015

So I spent some time thinking upon what we were all so excited, passionate and energized about. Be your best: John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches in American sports history. As head coach at UCLA he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period. How can we return to that mindset of innovation?

Coach 40

Coach Startup Ideas UCLA 40

InfoChachkie

MARCH 30, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! For many years after Microsoft became highly successful, its executives (yes, including Mr. Gates) flew coach. your lobby, customer training rooms, etc.).

Startup 100

Startup Pricing Coach Incubator 100

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

In the VC insider baseball world a discussion has gone on about “VC platforms” over the past 5 or so years. Nearly every startup I have spoken to over the years – including some where I’m a co-investor – talks positively about the support they’ve gotten from A16Z.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2011

The international opportunity is large, as I related in an earlier article , but there are some major challenges as well. Respect local customs and practices. When hiring staff internationally, always be well informed about local laws and prevailing practices. Not following this advice can be very costly.

Startup 90

Startup Technical Advisors Sales Examples 90

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2010

You have to think about your dream, discuss it with friends, partners, and experts until it finally becomes more definitive and concrete. During this process you are looking for affordable space, defining the roles of your team members, defining the product/service, developing initial sales channels and customers.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Summary Entrepreneur Coach 91

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

If you haven’t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! For many years after Microsoft became highly successful, its executives (yes, including Mr. Gates) flew coach. the lobby, customer training rooms, etc.). Mayday Mayday. Another Reason To Be Like Bill.

Startup 221

Startup Pricing Entrepreneur Email 221

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2010

The opportunity is large, as I related in an earlier article , but there are some major challenges as well. As a follow-on to that article, here are a few examples from my personal experience: You need to translate/localize your products. Respect local customs and practices. Not following this advice can be very costly.

Technical Advisors 48

Technical Advisors Sales Startup Coach 48

SoCal Delicious

MARCH 1, 2010

Los Angeles By: Laura Rich February 26, 2010 It used to be, if you were serious about starting a tech company, you went to Silicon Valley. In this series, we talk to leading figures in those communities about what makes them tick. Mark Suster, a partner at GRP Partners in Los Angeles, spoke with Fastcompany.com about what makes L.A.s

Los Angeles 50

Los Angeles Company Companies Angel 50

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2012

All the experts these days are talking about the increasing need for customer focus and maximizing sales. and a related article, the single biggest mistake people make is that they try to close the sale too fast. They arrive at the end of their "pitch" just as the customer is beginning to recognize they have a need!

Sales 96

Sales Customer Custom Competition 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2011

All the experts these days are talking about the increasing need for customer focus and maximizing sales. Typically entrepreneurs and even professional sales people think this means more emphasis on the customer selling process, when in fact it means spending more time understanding the customer buying process (view from the customer).

Sales 93

Sales Customer Custom Competition 93

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

There is all sorts of advice on the Internet about how to raise capital. If you haven’t read my post about that, you should. I get approached about clean tech or biotech periodically – I don’t focus on these. If you’re concerned about this issue I wrote a longer post on the topic. Create scarcity.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

Here are a few principles that I recommend to guide you in the change process, and keep you on track and focused: Customers and competition must be the driving force. Stay focused on solving a specific customer problem, and don’t get whiplashed by the whims of informal advisors. Change is not always about product and features.

Competition 90

Competition Entrepreneur Coach Customer 90

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2010

Unfortunately, your gut-feeling may be a setup for pain later, when you find out the candidate talks a great story, but never delivers, or is highly skilled but unable to work with customers. As a startup, your future is all about the people you have on your team, and the people you hire. Slow to correct staffing mistakes.

Coach 92

Coach Entrepreneur Startup Competition 92