Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2022

I’m convinced that you can’t stay competitive that way with today’s customers, and today’s employees. It’s time to push decision making down into the organization –insisting that the people closest to the customer and the markets learn and make the decisions. Anything you or your team knows about the market today may change tomorrow.

Competition 116

Competition Organization Customer Custom 116

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Several good discussions take a whole chapter in the classic book “ Mind Your Business: Thoughts for Entrepreneurs ,” by international entrepreneur Toine Knipping: Investors favor startups that integrate social responsibility. Startups can use social responsibility as a competitive advantage.

Startup 149

Startup Organization Customer Custom 149

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

They rarely highlight their marketing and relationship skills , even though, in my experience, these are more often the key to success in business than product skills. In addition to listening, they spent much of their time communicating their vision and marketing themselves to everyone they encountered.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Here are the major elements of the best product plans: Market requirements section. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked. Then you walk the delicate balance between burn rates, revenue flows versus expenses, investment in marketing, and employees.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

I remember the classic book, “ Driven to Delight ,” by Joseph A. Your competition is global, so today’s customers are demanding world-class service. Real stories are inspiring and more powerful than any executive or marketing messages, both for team members and potential new customers. Then let them apply their own input.

Customer 106

Customer Custom Startup Competition 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs cringe when they finally realize that marketing is still king, despite the power of technology, and they are up against competitors who have a hundred times their spending power. The cost of entry to market on these is low, and marketing leverage has very little to do with the size of your budget.

Marketing 101

Marketing Startup Case Study Resource 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Today’s customers demand more than a good product; they expect a great customer experience. In the classic book, “ X: The Experience When Business Meets Design ,” Brian Solis details how to design the whole experience, rather than just the product. In today’s fast paced market, trends and user needs evolve.

Customer 150

Customer Custom Design Product 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2022

You can even give it a more elegant name, like “market-focused reinvention,” but it won’t be graceful if you don’t take the lead. It happens on the front end for startups to get traction, and then again later for every company as the economy, competition, and culture changes around them. Team, market, and cultural maintenance.

Course 127

Course IBM IBM Social Media 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Marketing is everything these days. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. I like the guidance from marketing coach David Newman’s recent book “ Do It! Don’t fall into the marketing-speak trap. Good marketing is not rocket science.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2017

Marketing is everything these days. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. I like the guidance from marketing coach David Newman’s classic book “ Do It! Don’t fall into the marketing-speak trap. Good marketing is not rocket science.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2022

In the classic book by Christoph Lueneburger, “ A Culture Of Purpose ,” he details how to build this new culture, and why it is becoming more instrumental in bringing about success, as well as sustainability, in organizations as diverse as Unilever and Walmart. Doing good opens the door to a broader customer base.

Organization 143

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

Check out the classic book, “ Advancing Innovation: Galvanizing, Enabling & Measuring for Innovation Value! ” Today they demand it or walk to competitors, who are not far away. Sometimes the hardest thing for companies to do is to retire a cash cow product, before its declining market is reinvigorated by a competitor.

Metrics 102

Metrics Startup Organization Demand 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2022

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. The company's market is the same. Lewis, author of the timeless book “ Why Flip A Coin? It's difficult to create a high-demand product by guessing. The team is the same.

Ideas 155

Ideas Entrepreneur Research Demand 155

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2020

I remember the classic book, “ Driven to Delight ,” by Joseph A. Your competition is global, so today’s customers are demanding world-class service. Real stories are inspiring and more powerful than any executive or marketing messages, both for team members and potential new customers. Then let them apply their own input.

Customer 168

Customer Custom Services Startup 168

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

After many years in business, working in large companies as well as startups, I’m no longer surprised at why mature and successful companies struggle with introducing innovative new ventures as the market and environment changes. The time to start is now, with all the volatility and change in the market, and customers looking for answers.

Incubator 143

Incubator Seed Funding Metrics Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2015

Image via Flickr by socialautomotive Most technical entrepreneurs cringe when they finally realize that marketing is still king, despite the power of technology, and they are up against competitors who have a hundred times their spending power. The first step is to create the perfect online marketing message.

Marketing 56

Marketing Case Study Resource Social Media 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2020

Check out the classic book, “ Advancing Innovation: Galvanizing, Enabling & Measuring for Innovation Value! ” Today they demand it or walk to competitors, who are not far away. Sometimes the hardest thing for companies to do is to retire a cash cow product, before its declining market is reinvigorated by a competitor.

Startup 138

Startup Organization Demand Customer 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

Marketing is everything these days. Yet I see many entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. I found some help from marketing coach David Newman’s new book “ Do It! Don’t fall into the marketing-speak trap. entrepreneurs need to focus more on who they are marketing to and why.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

One of the most influential books of my career is The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clay Christensen. Many people bandy about the definitions of “disruptive technology&# or “the innovator’s dilemma&# without ever having read the book and almost universally misunderstand the concepts.

Startup 376

Startup Framework Marketing Customer 376

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Here are the major elements of the best product plans: Market requirements section. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

I’ve also struggled trying to define the characteristics that set these bosses apart, so I was impressed with the classic book, “ Superbosses ,” by Dartmouth professor and consultant Sydney Finkelstein. Measure by relationships as well as competitiveness. Good connections and team building are the keys to success.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

And we wanted a head of global marketing. He had an idea for a startup that would help consumers better book service jobs and would take on Service Magic, which he believed had a business model that could be disrupted. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition. The company was called Red Beacon.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

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. If tracking the market and reality checking are not your thing, you may need a partner who can fill that gap.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2021

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. I found many of these in the classic book “ Great From The Start: How Conscious Corporations Attract Success ,” by John B.

Education 151

Education Customer Custom Sales 151

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2022

The price of entry can be less than $10,000, so the competition is huge and growing rapidly. I also recommend the app development strategies outlined in the classic book, “ Vaporized: Solid Strategies for Success in a Dematerialized World ,” by Robert Tercek, who has lived on the digital edge for many years.

Develop 138

Develop Development Platform Mobile 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2022

One source I like is the classic book “ Who’s That Sitting At My Desk? ” Can be a competitive advantage. Competition over salary, promotions, and position. This can cause feelings of unfairness, and initiate emotionally competitive efforts. Yet the 2019 Office Romance Survey by Vault, Inc. by Jan Yager, who has a Ph.D.

Startup 119

Startup Course Competition Social Media 119

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2021

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. Board members in constant conflict can kill your company more quickly than any market forces. It’s a complex competitive world out there, and learning is a full-time role.

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

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. Today’s pace of change in the market and in technology is unprecedented. Customers demand more engagement and flexibility.

Coach 128

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

In the classic book by Christoph Lueneburger, “ A Culture Of Purpose ,” he details how to build this new culture, and why it is becoming more instrumental in bringing about success, as well as sustainability, in organizations as diverse as Unilever and Walmart. Doing good opens the door to a broader customer base.

Organization 128

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 128

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Yet all too many succumb to the pressures of survival, driven by demanding investors or a cutthroat competitive environment. Some key insights on this issue are provided for corporate environments in the classic book by David Gebler, “ The 3 Power Values: How Commitment, Integrity, and Transparency Clear the Roadblocks to Performance.”

Startup 128

Startup Social Media Organization Entrepreneur 128

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2022

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. I saw some good insights on the most common mistakes that crush creativity, in the classic book, “ Lateral Thinking Skills ,” by Paul Sloane.

Ideas 111

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2019

I’m convinced that you can’t stay competitive that way with today’s customers, and today’s employees. It’s time to push decision making down into the organization –insisting that the people closest to the customer and the markets learn and make the decisions. Anything you or your team knows about the market today may change tomorrow.

Competition 73

Competition Organization Customer Custom 73

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

I’ve also struggled trying to define the characteristics that set these bosses apart, so I was impressed with the classic book, “ Superbosses ,” by Dartmouth professor and consultant Sydney Finkelstein. Measure by relationships as well as competitiveness. Good connections and team building are the keys to success.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked. Then you walk the delicate balance between burn rates, revenue flows versus expenses, investment in marketing, and employees.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 107

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Unlike most university programs that are over architected and underfunded, the TMP evolved organically, based on the demands of its students and input from the local community. This allowed the curriculum to efficiently find its product / market fit. The TMP began in the late 1990''s as a single class inside the Engineering College.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2019

If you are in that category, you should take a hard look at a new book, “ Nincompoopery: Why Your Customers Hate You--and How to Fix It ” by John R Brandt, who has some real insight on this problem. Accelerating worldwide competition and financial upheavals are undermining established market positions.

Customer 83

Customer Custom Demand Examples 83