Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

On December 2nd, 2006 I wrote the blog post published later in this post when I was CEO of startup Koral about my experiences in pitching VCs. After my company was acquired by Salesforce.com I was asked to stop blogging and they took over my blog as an asset in the sale of the company. My blog was wiped out.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2015

Blogging is one of the best ways to do this and build a brand, even before you have a product or service. Thus I recommend that every entrepreneur start blogging in parallel with solution development for the following benefits: Get customer idea feedback before you commit resources. Let that ideal co-founder find you.

Blogging 110

Blogging Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2017

Blogging has come a long way in the past few years, from a social release for narcissists, to today’s required vehicle for promoting your consulting business and gaining valuable online exposure. If you can’t justify both a web site and a blog, skip the old-fashioned web site, and make your blog do double duty as described below.

Blogging 69

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Web Writing 69

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

Blogging has come a long way in the past few years, from a social release for narcissists, to today’s required vehicle for promoting your consulting business and gaining valuable online exposure. If you can’t justify both a web site and a blog, skip the old-fashioned web site, and make your blog do double duty as described below.

Blogging 95

Blogging Startup Search Engine Optimization Writing 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2019

Image via Flickr by jardenberg Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Everyone assumes their product or service is so great that “word-of-mouth” will carry the day for them. Then write it down. Educational.

Custom 93

Custom Customer Marketing Tips 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2012

Blogging has come a long way in the past few years, from a social release for narcissists, to today’s required vehicle for promoting your consulting business and gaining valuable online exposure. If you can’t justify both a web site and a blog, skip the old-fashioned web site, and make your blog do double duty as described below.

Blogging 96

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Writing Social Network 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2022

Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Every entrepreneur assumes their product or service is so great that “word-of-mouth” will carry the day for them. The eye is just as important as the mind when it comes to customers.

Content 146

Content Newsletter Competition Writing 146

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

That great productivity drain that we somehow all buy into. So I ask you – if you’re being reactive to somebody else’s emails are you really being as productive in your company as you could be? You’re writing a freaking blog post! Plus, he’s a loyal reader of this blog. I get tons of.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

In this article you’ll discover how to start a blog that makes money. There are four types of blogs; written blogs, video blogs, photo blogs and a combination of these. We’ll primarily be discussing written blogs. There are two different components to make money blogging. Let’s discuss. Not really.

Blogging 83

Blogging Email Writing Sites 83

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2011

Blogging has come a long way in the past few years, from a social release for narcissists, to today’s required vehicle for promoting your consulting business and gaining valuable online exposure. If you can’t justify both a web site and a blog, skip the old-fashioned web site, and make your blog do double duty as described below.

Blogging 91

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Services Writing 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

You can jump into social media with a poor brand definition, poorly focused content, unrealistic expectations of customer service, or be killed by malware or viruses. Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list.

Social Media 126

Social Media Media Startup Platform 126

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 17, 2014

Just back from vacation and also some work travel and want to get back to blogging so expect a few posts over the next couple weeks. I’ll try to get write-ups shortly but for now here is an overview of my interview with Nanea Reeves – President and COO of textPlus. Company Organization.

Technical Review 315

Technical Review Blogging RSS Organization 315

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2010

I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your offering, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money. The biggest roadblock is that startup founders already have too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, courting investors, etc. Find potential partners.

Blogging 93

Blogging Invest Startup Writing 93

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

One of the advantages of blogging, using social media, public speaking, etc as a VC is that you get a more nuanced view of these shifts by watching your own successes and failures. I will add to this as I write more in the coming weeks on the topic. Is Funding a Worthy Announcement? The short answer is yes, absolutely.

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2023

I suggest that the following key reasons from Glei for how the habit of frequency fosters both productivity and innovation in general, apply especially well to an entrepreneur starting a new business: Frequency makes starting easier. Frequency fosters productivity. A successful startup needs to be a daily task, with consistent focus.

Startup 109

Startup Writing Blogging Ideas 109

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 5, 2010

Great content again in September that meets at the intersection of startups, technology, product and being a Startup CTO. If you asked me to tell you a list of three of the best decisions in my life, I can certainly tell you that regularly writing is one of them. Why You Should Write. Why You Should Write. Kanye West.

Startup 191

Startup Product Technology Venture Capital 191

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

I recently wrote a post about avoiding the “ Deferred Life Plan &# and some related thoughts about personal productivity that came from Tim Ferriss’s book, The Four Hour Workweek. I would love to say that I’m the productivity guru. Tim Ferriss gave this extra emphasis in his book.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Most business advisors I know will say that writing a business plan is the first step to starting your own business, but I believe that a better first step is to do a self-analysis of your real drivers, strengths, and assumptions before committing to this lifestyle. You can’t really succeed in life if you are not happy.

Social Media 105

Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2020

I suggest that the following key reasons from Glei for how the habit of frequency fosters both productivity and innovation in general, apply especially well to an entrepreneur starting a new business: Frequency makes starting easier. Frequency fosters productivity. A successful startup needs to be a daily task, with consistent focus.

Startup 173

Startup Writing Blogging Ideas 173

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. There are many free generalized tools, including Google Trends , which can be used to track customer behavior in looking for things that don’t exist yet.

Custom 57

Custom Customer Technical Review Software Review 57

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc.

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Coach 378

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2016

Not since the initial popularity of Twitter in 2007 has a product so befuddled people. I remember the same disdain from people when I started blogging or using Twitter. A bit like a blog that is put out regularly but not overly edited or self-conscious about word choices or typos. I LOVE writing. Why would a VC do that?

Snapchat 200

Snapchat Blogging Venture Capital Writing 200

Eric Greenspan

MAY 29, 2010

Using social media to increase your company’s touch and reach with each of your customers may be the most important reason to jump in to this game changing strategy. Social media can help bridge a long standing gap between customers and the companies they trust with their hard earned cash. 40,000) to join me on Facebook.

Social Media 214

Social Media Custom Customer Media 214

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2014

I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your brand value, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money. The biggest excuse most startup founders mention is too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, investors, etc. Cultivate early customers.

Startup 101

Startup Blogging Writing Google 101

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2017

People expect blog posts, Tweets, panels, speeches. Recruiting, business development, shipping product, writing blog posts, networking … it’s all the same. And every leader also has teams with constant priorities where they need: Input, feedback, decisions or meetings. The modern world is daunting.

Activity 297

Activity Blogging Email Startup 297

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

Yesterday I wrote a post about The Silent Benefits of PR in which I pointed out that most young companies I encounter don’t fully grasp the benefits of PR because they are less measurable than product milestones or customer acquisition analyses (like CAC/LTV). It super charges a business that is closer to product delivery.

Press 319

Press Startup Writing Training 319

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

I continue to collect great content that is the intersection of startups, products, online and technology. aka: An Open Letter to the Next Big Social Network) - 500 Hats , November 1, 2010 I've held off writing this post for a long time, because I couldn't quite get my head around all the issues. but: Something is Still Missing.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 19, 2012

I was talking with an early-stage founder who has a product vision and wants to get it built. He wanted to get input from me on what he's doing, and he wants to begin to ask developers what it would take to build his product. Me : Product definition, use cases, feature list, wireframes, comps, really whatever you have.

Develop 354

Develop Development Technical Review CTO Coach 354

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2010

Blogging has come a long way in the past few years, from a social release for narcissists, to today’s required vehicle for promoting your business and gaining valuable online exposure, ultimately bringing in more customers. Here are some tips I’ve gleaned from experience: Make your blog your website. Add content regularly.

Blogging 48

Blogging Search Engine Optimization Startup Writing 48

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 23, 2011

One of the most frequent questions entrepreneurs ask about when they raise a little bit of money or are getting close to launching their first product is whether they should hire a PR firm. You need somebody who REALLY understands your company, its customers and its competitors. In a startup this is a mistake.

Startup 349

Startup Writing Press Blogging 349

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Creating awareness for your brand and products is one of the lifebloods of technology startups yet in a world where so many companies are being created it becomes difficult to rise above the noise. Ever notice how some companies tend to be in the press all the time and your big new product launch struggled for inches? I am a VC.

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Upon graduation from Wharton, John and Kyle launched a startup based upon a simple, pedestrian product: a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf driver. Putting their expensive educations to good use, they aptly named their novelty product a "MouseDriver". blogging, in a sense. From 35 To 500 Readers. every three weeks.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

We had agreed to a stated internal policy that even though taking this stance would mean our product would have considerably less traffic it was an important part of what we felt our long-term brand represented. I had outlined a blog post in support of their efforts and was ready to publish it. The company had their holding statement.

Press 336

Press Blogging Journal News 336

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

skip to main | skip to sidebar SoCal CTO Thursday, March 22, 2007 Discussion Creation Among Bloggers - LinkedIn, Blogging and Discussion Groups Ive been participating in a Yahoo Group that are users of LinkedIn and who are Bloggers: [link] Its an interesting group of folks from diverse backgrounds. See Five Things Meme as an example.

Blogging 150

Blogging CTO Coach CTO Hire Southern California 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2021

Their computers then merge your ads with search results when users search words imply an interest in your products. It pays only if a customer clicks through AND takes a further action (conversion), such as buying a product or filling out a web form. Campaign setup and ad copy writing. Popular keywords have higher costs.

PPC 154

PPC SEO Paid Search Search Engine Optimization 154