Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

I also enjoyed the classic book, “ 63 Innovation Nuggets for Aspiring Innovators ,” by George E. Many product innovations come from quality improvement focuses, like the Japanese Kaizen initiative. These days, with markets and technology changing so rapidly, it’s impossible to verify an innovation before taking it to market.

Organization 172

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 172

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

When Fred Wilson funded Twitter I guarantee you it wasn’t obvious that it was a billion dollar idea. When the early teams: angels, lowercase capital & first round capital funded Uber they had no idea it would be one of the most revolutionary ideas of our time. Far from it. It was an early and smart bet.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2022

It started with an email survey on your last stay at their hotel, but now includes requests for online product reviews, to social media input on the design of future products. Some say it’s happening today because it’s new, and technology makes it possible. Welcome to the “Participation Age” of marketing.

Customer 107

Customer Custom Technical Review Social Media 107

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

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. Neither breakthrough technology nor maximum features will assure that “if we build it, they will come.” Nail the solution.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

I found these challenges and opportunities outlined well in a classic book, “ Out-Innovate ,” by Alexandre Lazarow. The idea is to build excellence in one area, and get the rest from the ecosystem. Even here, Elon Musk faced this issue with Tesla, needing a support ecosystem as well as new technology.

Capital 138

Capital Marketing Ideas Venture Capital 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. Most experts agree that a great team is more important than a great product.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Marketing is everything these days. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2020

Charlene Li, in her classic book “ Open Leadership ,” shows leaders how to tap into the power of the social technology revolution and use social media to be “open” while still maintaining control. Search, combined with ratings and reviews become key in separating the useful from the rambling.

Framework 159

Framework Social Media Software Review Social Network 159

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2009

so compelling (other than the fact that the CEO Sean Rad is a great young technology leader and his advisers – Brian Norgard , Dan Gould and Evan Rifkin - are some of the guys I respect most in the LA tech market.). Wordpress), video (YouTube), pictures (Flickr), review sites (Yelp) and collaborative content (Wikipedia).

Ideas 286

Ideas Advertising Google Technical Review 286

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Marketing is everything these days. Marty Zwilling.

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2022

If your product is highly innovative, and speed to market is critical, you won’t get it right the first time anyway, no matter how cautiously you plan. These are the environments where you really need extended planning to ensure proper positioning before launching the product. But Lonnie L.

Marketing 120

Marketing Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2022

Founders have to communicate their ideas and products to investors, business partners, and the rest of the team. Technical semantics and jargon. Sometimes an entrepreneur or executive tries to communicate without full disclosure, perhaps to minimize impact, or due to company policy. Information withheld.

Technical Review 137

Technical Review Entrepreneur Guide Mentor 137

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

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. Rinse & repeat. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. You have a hunch.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. I recently found the classic sales training book “ Bootstrap Selling The Sandler Way ,” by Bill Morrison, who has 20 years in sales leadership roles, and I was amazed at how many of his sales lessons are great lessons for new entrepreneurs as well.

Ideas 65

Ideas Sales Entrepreneur Customer 65

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

For example, if your idea is so new and different that it implies real social or technological change is necessary before widespread acceptance, investors will define your market as nascent or unproven, and be very reluctant to fund you, no matter how convincing your projections may be. Typical valuations range from 3x-5x revenues.

Marketing 174

Marketing Startup Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2019

Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them. In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Product development chasm. Marketing costs can be a deep hole.

Technical Review 102

Technical Review Customer Custom Satisfaction 102

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

In our industry we always talk about funding big ideas or funding things with more meaning. Today we’re proud to talk more about Grove Labs – we really hope you’ll quickly check out this innovative product and we think many of you will be as impressed with Grove as we have been. We loved the idea.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Software Review Startup Ideas 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. But being best-in-class at online marketing is also a sine qua non to standout from your peer group.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

As I noted in Why Most Business Books (Still) Suck , I am generally not a fan of business books. If you are a leader at a startup and you are reading a business book, you are not closing customers, raising capital, improving your product, or spending time with your loved ones. Fan, Not A Fan Boy. No doubt, he did.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 6, 2013

” The local kennels were full as many people had pre-booked for vacations. They can read reviews, see pictures and even talk to the family before confirming. I then clicked on reviews, looked at pictures and read the owners descriptions of what they were looking for. ” Booked it. “Oh s**t.”

Venture Capital 344

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review San Diego 344

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 24, 2010

Startups consistently identify more ideas and opportunities than they have the time or resources to pursue, such as potential partnerships, new products, entering emerging markets, etc. Idea Cronyism. This is analogous to a startup CEO selecting which ideas will be considered by a larger group for implementation.

Ideas 187

Ideas Resource Technical Review Startup 187

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

I see entrepreneurs every day who are trying to change the world with a new idea, and startups that are trying to survive their hyper-growth phase by changing processes to meet demand. Phil Buckley, in his book “ Change With Confidence ,” provides practical answers to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.

Startup 155

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 155

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. I recently found the classic sales training book “ Bootstrap Selling The Sandler Way ,” by Bill Morrison, who has 20 years in sales leadership roles, and I was amazed at how many of his sales lessons are great lessons for new entrepreneurs as well.

Sales 139

Sales Training Startup Customer 139

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

However, the Woodland Hills-based firm isn't satisfied with stopping there--it now wants to own the entire transaction--from finding a local service provider, to booking an appointment with that provider, to presenting estimates, invoices, and collecting payments, and has launched a whole set of products in that area yesterday.

ReachLocal 217

ReachLocal Technical Review Woodland Hills Services 217

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2019

It started with an email survey on your last stay at their hotel, but now includes requests for online product reviews, to social media input on the design of future products. Some say it’s happening today because it’s new, and technology makes it possible. Welcome to the “Participation Age” of marketing.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Social Media Marketing 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2015

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. Have monthly reviews with each team member.

Technical Review 99

Technical Review Tips Development Team Review Startup 99

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2016

He brings knowledgable experts from varying points of view but never books anybody that engages in yelling matches. But they also take on issues in science, technology and management. I haven’t read the book nor deeply reviewed Project Aristotle but the conversation on this morning’s show really resonated with me.

Coach 150

Coach Technical Review Framework Google 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2020

I found these challenges and opportunities outlined well in a new book, “ Out-Innovate ,” by Alexandre Lazarow. The idea is to build excellence in one area, and get the rest from the ecosystem. Even here, Elon Musk faced this issue with Tesla, needing a support ecosystem as well as new technology.

Ideas 124

Ideas Venture Capital Software Review Technical Review 124

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Anyone who has worked in a large company further knows that timing a product launch or a new marketing strategy has more to do with internal politics than reading market forces. Pro tip: take on the mantle of book editor for a major tech publication, and the publishers will mail you books for free. What a boring mess.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

I saw these highlighted well in a classic book, “ Get Smart! ” Entrepreneurial thinkers see their business mission as enriching the lives of customers, rather than being a better producer of products and services. Entrepreneurs relish change and new technology, which lead to new sales.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Sales Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

What every entrepreneur needs more than anything else, after they have built an innovative new product or service, is visibility, credibility, and trust by customers, potential employees, and future business partners. Key value elements of a good book include the following: Publishing a book defines you as an influencer and authority.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

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. Neither breakthrough technology nor maximum features will assure that “if we build it, they will come.”

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2018

Charlene Li, in her classic book “ Open Leadership ,” shows leaders how to tap into the power of the social technology revolution and use social media to be “open” while still maintaining control. Search, combined with ratings and reviews become key in separating the useful from the rambling.

Software Review 92

Software Review Social Media Social Network Technical Review 92