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. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2014

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. Too many entrepreneurs confuse action with momentum and results. Bottlenecks to team productivity.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Resource Training Product 115

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2010

It was difficult to make the transition to a “top down&# thinker but as a senior executive – and as an entrepreneur – you’re far less effective without this skill in your arsenal. The wisest mentor I ever had was Ameet Shah , my partner on several projects. This is bottom-up planning.

Entrepreneur 372

Entrepreneur Startup Design Framework 372

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2021

As a new business advisor, I am no longer surprised that every new entrepreneur believes the hard part is creating the first product and the business. The importance and reality of this need has been detailed well in the classic book, “ State of Readiness ,” by Joseph F. Your task is follow-up in support, mentoring, and setting goals.

Tips 170

Tips Startup Mentor Press 170

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. The result, called resourcefulness, allows entrepreneurs to create opportunities in the face of scarcity. Every entrepreneur needs to avoid locked-in ways of thinking.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

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. Today, customer loyalty is based on the “ total customer experience ,” as opposed to price or service alone.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

A good entrepreneur is not necessarily born a good salesman. In my own effort to keep up with the times, I explored Julie Steelman’s book on selling, “ The Effortless Yes: Demystifying the Selling Process.” Julie is known as the entrepreneur’s selling mentor, for both men and women. Discover your signature selling style.

Sales 105

Sales Entrepreneur Mentor Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

Entrepreneurship is all about leading – leading customers to a new product or service, leading a startup team to peak performance, and leading a new business to the market opportunity, while providing maximum return to stakeholders. Authentic entrepreneurs lead through the power of personal influence, rather than coercion.

Entrepreneur 116

Entrepreneur Mentor Coach Customer 116

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. I once met with an entrepreneur who had developed a new algae strain to cure world hunger and make him rich.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2023

Almost every entrepreneur starts their journey by developing a solution, based on their idea of a new technology or required service. As pointed out in a classic book by leadership expert Herminia Ibarra, very few people are born knowing how to “ Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader.” Marty Zwilling.

Develop 110

Develop Development Startup Entrepreneur 110

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?” It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is if most of your potential customers don’t know about it. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2015

Almost every entrepreneur starts their journey by developing a solution, based on their knowledge of a new technology or required service. As pointed out in a new book by leadership development expert Herminia Ibarra, very few people are born knowing how to “ Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader.” Marty Zwilling.

Develop 101

Develop Development Entrepreneur Startup 101

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. In addition, you can reduce to soft costs of mentoring, relationship building, and socializing.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2022

I urge you to force yourself to be a regular new learner, by tackling new problems, listening to expert mentors, and finding time for leadership books. There is always a need for someone to take the lead in your favorite charity, community service, or family event planning. In reality, only you can make this happen.

Startup 114

Startup Mentor Conference Networking 114

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 25, 2012

On August 9th, Startup Weekend San Diego and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University partnered with Google to host the very first Startup Weekend focused on helping Veterans, Service Members and Military Families turn their visions into reality in creating a startup company.

San Diego 96

San Diego Startup Services Google 96

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

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. The result, called resourcefulness, allows entrepreneurs to create opportunities in the face of scarcity. Every entrepreneur needs to avoid locked-in ways of thinking.

Resource 98

Resource Entrepreneur Competition Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Every entrepreneur and business leader I know realizes that it takes a dedicated team to build and run a successful business, and nurturing that team is one of your most important priorities. Thus I was pleased to see a much more complete and broader perspective of employee support recommendations in a new book, “ Employees First! ”

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. When Ethan was considering leaving Google we talked about it.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. In a book a while back by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “ Designing for Growth ,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2022

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. New entrepreneurs are really amateur chefs learning to cook a new business.

Coach 114

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 114

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. It’s here that entrepreneurs must shift their thinking from tactical and operational, to strategic and managerial. No entrepreneur is born with these skills.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2011

Advice For Emerging Entrepreneurs. In addition to giving their employers 110% of their energy, I encourage these emerging entrepreneurs to engage in small, Mini-ventures on the side, rather than starting a fulltime venture from scratch. Ask For Mentoring. Later it is the salespeople who must generate revenue from the product.

Entrepreneur 256

Entrepreneur Startup Santa Barbara Tips 256

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. A great innovation starts with at least three ideas.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

In my work with entrepreneurs, I have concluded that finding and communicating that purpose is often more important than the solution offered. I found real insights into this strategy, along with specific sources of purpose inspiration in a new book, “ Leading With Heart ,” by John Baird and Edward Sullivan.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Coach Mentor Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2012

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?” It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is if most of your potential customers don’t know about it. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Guide 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2014

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. Entrepreneurs have to be careful not to look too hard for evidence that confirms their passion and positive perspective.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Metrics Demand Statistics 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2013

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. New entrepreneurs are really amateur chefs learning to cook a new business.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Coach Framework Tool 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

As an entrepreneur advisor, I am surprised at how often I hear the same or very similar proposals of an incremental innovation to an existing process, versus a really new or breakthrough solution. That integration is the breakthrough that you should be looking for as an entrepreneur. Be forever curious and optimistic.

Startup 134

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs like you that I have met in my role as a business advisor are really product creators versus business creators, convinced that a great product will generate a great business. In most businesses, this means selling something, and proving that your product or service has value.

Metrics 140

Metrics Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2020

In fact, I see more and more evidence that new entrepreneurs are coming from the older age groups (age 45-64), and success rates move up with age. We summarize the advantages of older entrepreneurs along the following lines: Think life-changing, not lifestyle entrepreneurship. Use your ability to bootstrap and set a sustainable base.

Startup 129

Startup Entrepreneur Coach Mentor 129

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. Entrepreneurs have to be careful not to look too hard for evidence that confirms their passion and positive perspective.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2020

Almost every entrepreneur starts their journey by developing a solution, based on their idea of a new technology or required service. As pointed out in a classic book by leadership expert Herminia Ibarra, very few people are born knowing how to “ Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader.” Marty Zwilling.

Startup 124

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Summary 124

Tech.Co

MARCH 5, 2015

A serial entrepreneur, Susan has a record of building value and community across several genre-defining companies. She later joined forces with the founding team at PayPal to help launch the influential online payments service. Susan was a co-founder of remote service pioneer PlumChoice, again turning a start-up into a market leader.

Santa Barbara 70

Santa Barbara Startup Mentor Social Network 70

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. Or ask PlanetRx, an online service for prescriptions, before the Internet was pervasive. More than one smart entrepreneur has been caught in the lofty lifestyle of big money investors, viral growth, and movie star status.

Startup 124

Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2011

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. In a recent book by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “ Designing for Growth ,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103