Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

Others are really marketers out to make money fast, and believe that they can entice customers to any offering. A few years ago, I first saw an interesting step in that direction via the classic book “ Entrepreneurial DNA ,” by Joe Abraham , with his assessment web site. External forces (competitors and customers).

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

For example, I’m an introverted product guy who doesn’t care so much about building the personnel relationships needed to keep a motivated team. Or you may be easily bored by the needed focus on key objectives, or the day-to-day challenges of driving results that balance the books. Build business relationships and a personal brand.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Great marketing is required to generate revenue and grow every business, especially new businesses which have no brand recognition nor loyal customer base. Yet, as a business consultant, I still find many of you business leaders relying primarily on your technology, word-of-mouth , or location to attract necessary customers.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

In this context, I was impressed with the insights provided in a new book, “ Stay Sane In An Insane World ,” by peak performance coach Greg Harden. Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps.

Mentor 104

Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

As an investor in startups, I most often see entrepreneurs who are technologists, or at least have a real passion for a specific product. 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.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2023

It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. In this age of interactive social media, your culture image quickly spreads to customers, and determines their loyalty. Trust causes the brain to release oxytocin, which stimulates productivity and raises motivation. So, how do you build trust?

Claremont 101

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Customer relationships culture is slipping.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

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.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

Most entrepreneur that fail are quick to offer a litany of constraints that caused their demise – not enough money, time, customers, or support from the right players. Startups funded by rich uncles rarely think about productivity. Subtraction leads to simplicity, better usability, and easier education of your customers.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

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. Too many relationships never advance beyond this stage, resulting in poor communication, no cooperation, low trust, and low shared productivity. Workship - Mentor.

Mentor 135

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 135

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.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2021

In fact, as a mentor to entrepreneurs and an investor, I recommend that entrepreneurs avoid using the term disruptive with investors, since many see it as implying extra high risk, a long time for payback, and extensive marketing to build the new market. Look for sizable customer populations unattractive to incumbents.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Entrepreneur Marketing Customer 157

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. In this age of interactive social media, your culture image quickly spreads to customers, and determines their loyalty. Trust causes the brain to release oxytocin, which stimulates productivity and raises motivation. So, how do you build trust?

Claremont 172

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 172

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

Yet there is more and more evidence that jumping tasks on every alert for a new email, text, or phone call actually decreases overall productivity. Practicing these will ensure greater productivity, less stress, more job satisfaction, and an improved overall sense of well-being. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Email 96

Email Activity Product Social Media 96

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. Build a personal marketing plan, as you would for a new product, including regular highlight reports, progress, and results. Seek expert mentors and always evaluate feedback.

Social Media 125

Social Media Summary Startup Mentor 125

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. If your team has trouble finding you, you won’t make productive connections.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 127

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. In her book, Jan devotes a whole chapter to speaking to the media, as a key aspect of public speaking.

Marketing 113

Marketing Entrepreneur Customer Custom 113

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.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. So for those of you that love checklists, I saw some real value in the classic book by James M. I wish it was that easy. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Gamification.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

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). ” So Ethan went to work as a product manager at Google Video. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. Look for validation from your mainstream customers. Even non-profits need income to run a business.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2012

In my own effort to keep up with the times, I finished a book by Julie Steelman a while back, “ The Effortless Yes: Demystifying the Selling Process.” Julie is known as the entrepreneur’s selling mentor, for both men and women. Don’t hope that a miracle will happen and your products and services will sell themselves.

Product 91

Product Mentor Customer Custom 91

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Many key insights to success in any business can’t be learned from books or the Internet.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2022

In my role as a mentor to entrepreneurs and an angel investor, I find that too many are stuck in this myth that a good pitch, and good marketing content, should consist of more product features, and more hype on customer benefits. Just remember that business is about people, more than products and solutions.

Startup 117

Startup Social Media Guide Content 117

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?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

I saw the key ones outlined well in the classic book, “ Creating High Performers ,” by William Dann, a leading coach to experienced CEOs. In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses.

Coach 93

Coach Satisfaction Resource Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2023

We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business. The science and human factors behind this approach are explained in a classic book, Crunch Time: How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most ,” by Rick Peterson and Judd Hoekstra.

Entrepreneur 82

Entrepreneur Competition Press Commerce 82

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

What I don’t see often are new solutions that force me to rethink how we work together, or really use AI to make the collaboration process more productive. But we all know that these are not solutions by themselves, but require integration into an innovative framework to solve real customer problems. Be forever curious and optimistic.

Startup 134

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Product 103

Product Coach Framework Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Leaders who are able to optimize these find multipliers of 20 percent up to nine times the average productivity. Organizational silos, limited spans of control, and too many layers of management can dramatically reduce the productivity of even your best people. As a role model, what you practice is more important than what you preach.

Product 58

Product Startup Guide Framework 58

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2019

Image via Wikipedia The challenge for all of us in business is to improve competitiveness by improving employee productivity and reducing costs. According to Gartner , one of the biggest drags on productivity is employee engagement, still hovering around 30 percent, and costing our businesses over $450 billion per year.

Tips 96

Tips Satisfaction Training Mentor 96

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.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. There are also many books on this subject, including this classic from the master on management, Brian Tracy, “ Full Engagement!: Focus on high productivity.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2023

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Tricked by recency.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

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.

Satisfaction 92

Satisfaction Training Customer Custom 92