Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2023

I found many non-disruption recommendations in the new book, “ Beyond Disruption ,” by W. Both authors are recipients of numerous academic and management awards for leadership thinking, and I will summarize here their key strategy insights, combined with my own experiences: Lead with a focus on finding customer value.

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Capital Netflix Resource Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. Thus I was pleased to see a much more complete and broader perspective of employee support recommendations in a new book, “ Employees First! ”

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Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

In her classic book on this subject, “ Who’s That Sitting at My Desk? ” Here are the key ones I have experienced, as paraphrased from her book: Acquaintanceship. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. Workship - Advocate.

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Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

In addition, today’s customers judge a company by perceived people relationships through social media, phone conversations, and sales experiences. That’s why I was pleased to see the balance on people versus process in a classic book on how to fix your organization, “ The Diamond Process ,” by Mike Diamond and Christopher Harding.

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Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2022

As a mentor for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs, I talk to a fair number who may have a great vision and a strong engineering background, but have a negative interest in the role of public speaking in business. The implications to you and your company are also large, so be prepared. After that it’s practice, practice, practice.

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Marketing Entrepreneur Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run.

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Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I also encourage an entrepreneur exit focus early, and I really like the specific steps outlined in the classic book, “ Exit Signs ,” by Pamela Dennis, who has helped companies through this critical transition for decades. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup.

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Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

While these investors, and early customers, will always argue that they found you, I’m convinced that there is no substitute for aggressive networking on your part. Ability to relate aspirations to customer needs. You need to show insights to real customers and their needs, that get beyond your passions and projections.

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Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 4, 2020

It’s with profound sadness we mourn the loss of a true visionary, author, mentor, thought-leader, investor, and friend, Tony Hsieh. has a history with Tony, as he became an investor in the company in 2013, and built a lasting friendship with us as the Tech.co Readers may be interested to know that Tech.co co-founders.

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Commerce Statistics Customer Custom 206

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

As a mentor to many business professionals and owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find a wealth of innovative ideas, but often less insight on what it really takes to transform ideas into an income stream that can excite new customers into long-term business success. Test your innovation with at least a hundred customers.

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Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2023

Every business organization, large or small, has a variety of individual and team member types that factor into your ability to innovate and change the business to meet evolving customer needs and competition. Thus I was happy to see both addressed very well in a new book, “ Decision Sprint ,” by Atif Rafiq.

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Coach Ideas Mentor Organization 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2023

Establishing and maintaining the right company culture is a major key to success in any business these days, especially with the growth of the millennial generation of workers. It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. He says trust is the key to a good culture. So, how do you build trust?

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Claremont Mentor Study Startup 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2023

That’s why I’m impressed with the classic book, “ All Dreams on Deck: Charting the Course for Your Life and Work ,” by Jeremy Cage. In his book, he couches his guidance in a real-life metaphor of his sailing trip around the world. Ask for help from advisors and mentor your team. Trust yourself and your team in making decisions.

Ideas 105

Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2022

I was pleased to see these personal branding messages highlighted and confirmed in a new book, “ The New Brand You ,” by branding guru Catherine Kaputa. These now provide better quality, better paying, and more exciting jobs than big companies. Seek expert mentors and always evaluate feedback.

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Social Media Summary Startup Mentor 125

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

I saw a good summary of the most effective ways to source prospective investors in a classic book, “ The Art of Startup Fundraising ,” by Alejandro Cremades, who has been there and done that, both as an entrepreneur and an investor. Identify customer executives who need your solution. Reach out to your biggest fans for investor leads.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Establishing and maintaining the right company culture is a major key to success in any business these days, especially with the growth of the millennial generation of workers. It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. He says trust is the key to a good culture. So, how do you build trust?

Claremont 172

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 172

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I also encourage an entrepreneur exit focus early, and I really like the specific steps outlined in the classic book, “ Exit Signs ,” by Pamela Dennis, who has helped companies through this critical transition for decades. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2021

With real-time online reviews and feedback via the Internet, and instant relationships via social media, a voice from the top that is inconsistent with what is heard from the firing line defines a dysfunctional and noncompetitive company for today’s customer. Thus team makeup is the critical success factor.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2020

In her classic book on this subject, “ Who’s That Sitting at My Desk? ” Here are the key ones I have experienced, as paraphrased from her book: Acquaintanceship. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 135

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 135

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2021

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Good business leadership begins with defining both the direction and the destination of your company. That’s where you start.

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Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Many entrepreneurs I have mentored make big mistakes in this area, by hiring low-cost friends and family, with minimal skills or training, and expecting them to have the same work ethic , passion, and business knowledge as the founder. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced.

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Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I’m super excited to announce that GRP Partners led the investment in Ethan Anderson’s new company MyTime (link has LA-based merchants but will give you a good feel for the product). BuildOnline (the company I founded) has just announcement plans to be more aggressive in growing in the US. Let me not bury the lede.

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CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

I saw a good summary of the most effective ways to source prospective investors in a classic book, “ The Art of Startup Fundraising ,” by Alejandro Cremades, who has been there and done that, both as an entrepreneur and an investor. Identify customer executives who need your solution. Reach out to your biggest fans for investor leads.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. Actually, great new customer solutions lead to great platforms, not the other way around. Extrapolating you as the target customer. Never mix up what you like with what your customers will buy.

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Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2017

In my years of mentoring and advising business leaders, I find that real planning for the future always gets the short shrift. I found some key ones in a new book, “ The Future-Proof Workplace ,” by Linda Sharkey, PhD, and Morag Barrett. Company culture drives decision making and process.

Company 55

Company Companies Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2022

The challenge for each of you is to get it handled quickly and effectively, without losing the trust of constituents , as well as customers. I saw these summarized clearly in a new book, “ BUILD ,” by a well-known entrepreneur and technologist from Silicon Valley, Tony Fadell. Get advice before jumping to conclusions.

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Develop Development Coach Satisfaction 138

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

It can come from experience, or from training in a prior company, and it can even be self-taught from the Internet by smart entrepreneurs, just like they learned the skill of establishing a company, negotiating a contract, or filing a patent. That’s a big step from one product for one customer. Staff properly at every level.

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Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2022

As a mentor to business professionals, I find that many are frustrated that peers and managers don’t recognize the true value of their contributions. Documenting your input early, and follow-up later by quantifying customer revenue is your only way to make sure your value in the revenue growth process is not forgotten.

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Examples Metrics Startup Customer 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. It’s the same for customers and products, where analytics have long proven their value.

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Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

I just finished a new book by Stephen J. As a self-made entrepreneur and former chairman of Diamond Resorts International, he asserts that the five biggest companies by market value today, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple, aren’t really tech, but hospitality companies. Commit to continuous improvement.

Technical Advisors 82

Technical Advisors Artificial Inteligence Customer Custom 82

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2022

You won’t often find that recommended by consultants, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the key points highlighted in a new book, “ Self-Made Boss ,” by Jackie Reses and Lauren Weinberg. But the more you get involved with mentoring and training, the less time you have to enjoy the creative process.

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Satisfaction Training Customer Custom 92

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked for the magic that has made Amazon the world's most valuable brand , from a total unknown only twenty years ago. My simple answer is that they keep their focus on customers, rather than technology. Jeff Bezos has kept his focus on customers.

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Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2021

Thus I was pleased to see that it’s consistent with the guidance in a new book, “ Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most ,” by Greg McKeown, a well-respected author and public speaker on business breakthroughs. they still find time to meet and compare notes regularly, and are avid readers of business books.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Coach Satisfaction Mentor 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2012

As a guide, I enjoyed the analysis of Eric Chester, in his new book “ Reviving Work Ethic ,” which provides a leader’s guide to ending entitlement and restoring pride in the emerging workforce. It extends directly to your customers through dependable products and services. It isn’t a value that only benefits the employer and customers.

Company 93

Company Companies Guide Organization 93

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2010

We did big, boring but necessary implementations for large companies. In billing we literally started thinking about all of the types of bills that would be generated for customers: full payment, partial payment, split payment, senior discount, student discount, level pay plan, etc. I started by doing billing systems.

Entrepreneur 372

Entrepreneur Startup Design Framework 372

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2022

The classic book, “ Hunting in a Farmer's World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. They build businesses as their lifestyle, not as a job.

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Entrepreneur Marketing News Slides 124