Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Incorporating a business entity early through online services. Later cleanup can double your costs and risks. Marty Zwilling

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media News 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Of course, investors still require a profitable business model, and the potential for high returns. Startups can use social responsibility as a competitive advantage. That’s a real competitive edge that you can use in your marketing and positioning. It is easier to recruit and retain human capital.

Startup 149

Startup Organization Customer Custom 149

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Based on the best evidence I can find, the genesis of this trend and the advantages come from several evolutionary changes in the startup investment industry, and some innovations driven by the recession several years ago and the recent pandemic: Venture capital funds are regaining momentum. VCs are committed to servicing existing portfolios.

Guide 136

Guide Venture Capital Funding Class 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

Of course, no business wants to be the next Blockbuster , which kept charging straight ahead despite subtle clues that the Internet was changing everything. Often new competitors do fail, but they may highlight a consumer trend that you can capitalize on now, before it comes back to haunt you later.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Incorporating a business entity early through online services. Over 600,000 new businesses were created in the last year, or over one per minute of every day.

Tips 161

Tips Startup Social Media News 161

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

The buying process is just the beginning of the customer experience, and it has to remain a good one throughout the time that your customer actually uses your product or service. Great startups manage to continually improve the relationship through outstanding follow-on support and service. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 124

Customer Custom Startup Course 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2023

Or ask PlanetRx, an online service for prescriptions, before the Internet was pervasive. Of course, there are many other common reasons for startup failure, including inexperienced teams, inadequate marketing, no intellectual property, business model doesn’t work, or just giving up too early. Just ask MySpace, eToys, and Pets.com.

Entrepreneur 125

Entrepreneur Netflix Social Media Startup 125

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2016

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. Relevancy for an early-stage company is the discovery and understanding of the real addressable market for a product or service.

Capital 58

Capital Startup Education Customer 58

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

Of course, we are speaking of increased valuation of your company when we speak of “wealth.” Is the product or service possible to produce at all, let alone economically enough to compete in the marketplace? Email readers, continue here…] Are you ahead or behind the market with your product or service?

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

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. Relevancy for an early-stage company is the discovery and understanding of the real addressable market for a product or service.

Education 151

Education Customer Custom Sales 151

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

to “How can we hire more staff to keep up with the services they offer?” In short, the VC industry is very sharp-elbowed amongst some very competitive people who are used to winning and most deals don’t have enough space to share investment rounds so people were naturally pretty quick to judge A16Z. Do they win competitive deals?

Venture Capital 264

Venture Capital Invest Funding Competition 264

Berkonomics

AUGUST 9, 2018

These became so predictable that I could accurately label them as occurring about every $3 million in gross profit (or revenue for service companies). The third crisis: working capital. A very predictable series of rotating crises seemed to befall most every one of these young companies.

Startup 120

Startup Customer Custom Funding 120

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

As a VC with scores of startups in our portfolio we have ringside seats to many, many fund raising processes plus I had to raise money across about 5 different rounds of capital as an entrepreneur so I’ve developed some thought on the process that I hope can be helpful to some of you before you start.

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

Many leaders do this today by supporting and promoting a higher-level purpose, beyond profits, such as helping the disadvantaged, sustaining the environment, or Conscious Capitalism. Of course, even the best talent needs communication, training, and support to create the culture you need. Foster collaboration rather than competition.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Berkonomics

JULY 23, 2011

Companies that compete on price rarely compete against others who emphasize service or quality. Nordstrom’s competes on service above all, quality second and price a distant third. We enter a Nordstrom’s store expecting superior service and know we will pay a price for this. They are: Price. Innovation.

Pricing 197

Pricing Examples Class Course 197

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

If a consumer will pay a fixed price for a product or service then the battle over who gets the margin in any sale is between the person who merchandises a product and the person who manufactures it. Many of us learned about substitute products in undergrad economics courses. Here are some ideas of what I believe matters.

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2020

Based on the best evidence I can find, the genesis of this trend and the advantages come from several evolutionary changes in the startup investment industry, and some innovations driven by the recession several years ago: Venture capital funds are still regaining momentum. VCs are committed to servicing existing portfolios.

Funding 125

Funding Venture Capital Startup Class 125

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2010

We reasonably assure that they have oil for their engines, in the form of logistical, administrative, and professional support services that reduce their risk. They have processed well over a hundred client start-ups so far and have an impressive list of successes.

Incubator 80

Incubator Mentor Capital Startup 80

Berkonomics

JULY 30, 2011

These became so predictable that I could accurately label them as occurring about every $3 million in gross profit (or revenue for service companies). At about the $6 million mark, revenues have ramped to the extent where the original product standards of quality are challenged, as is the speed and efficiency of customer service.

Startup 222

Startup Customer Custom Funding 222

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

For many businesses you should keep your costs low & your capital raises low until you discover whether you are really on to a big idea where there is market demand. When you see evidence that there is this so called “product / market fit&# then you may be ready for larger amounts of capital. Respectfully, of course.

Help 303

Help Startup Competition Framework 303

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

” Much of this will look and feel like a Green New Deal, but sold under a package of infrastructure modernization and service upgrades that the country desperately needs. . Finally for startups there’s a $31 billion available for programs that give small businesses access to credit, venture capital, and R&D dollars.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

Or ask PlanetRx, an online service for prescriptions, before the Internet was pervasive. Of course, there are many other common reasons for startup failure, including inexperienced teams, inadequate marketing, no intellectual property, business model doesn’t work, or just giving up too early. Just ask MySpace, eToys, and Pets.com.

Startup 124

Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

For example, Tesla and Elon Musk have capitalized on the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, coupled with a more memorable shopping experience by eliminating dealers. Make sure that everyone in your business understands your competitive advantage from a customer perspective, and continually seeks to optimize it.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Satisfaction Examples 133

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros. Examples of VC platform services include: recruiting, marketing, design support, inside sales reps, consulting, accounting services and so forth.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2015

The buying process is just the beginning of the customer experience, and it has to remain a good one throughout the time that your customer actually uses your product or service. Great startups manage to continually improve the relationship through outstanding follow-on support and service. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 101

Customer Custom Startup Course 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2019

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. Relevancy for an early-stage company is the discovery and understanding of the real addressable market for a product or service.

Startup 97

Startup Education Customer Custom 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2019

What new technology area, startup, service, or app did you find most interesting or useful this year, and why? A few years ago, there was still a sense of competition between various start-up communities, but this sentiment has been replaced by a sense that we are stronger together. We see a growing sense of regional collaboration.

SoCal 140

SoCal Southern California Startup Venture Capital 140

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

Our guest this week on #TWiVC was Dana Settle , partner at Greycroft Partners , a venture capital firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Of course none of these funds (my own included) want to be lumped into just one category because we all move across the spectrum. The SimpleGeo API will provide you access to these services.

Venture Capital 240

Venture Capital Startup Platform Technical Review 240

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

There are many times when being overly capitalized before you’re ready is a negative. Plus, most early-stage M&A fails so this isn’t likely a good use of capital for a young company). Availability of Capital. ” Whatever answers they have manufactured the only thing I hear is, “Because we can.”

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 30, 2013

Moreover, the option to trade with more parties creates more value by fostering larger volumes of and more competitive trading. Because of this, capitalism is infectious and self-reinforcing. That explains why, in less than 250 years, capitalism has become the dominant socioeconomic system across the globe. How would we do it?

Google 76

Google Artificial Inteligence Course Commerce 76

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Marketing with long payback is precisely what requires venture capital. So when Sam Rosen came to me with the idea of disrupting storage with a product that is priced cheaper than existing incumbents and he could build a product that is a better service I was intrigued. The top 5 players combined control less than 25% of the market.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2014

The buying process is just the beginning of the customer experience, and it has to remain a good one throughout the time that your customer actually uses your product or service. Great startups manage to continually improve the relationship through outstanding follow-on support and service. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Startup 98

From the Venture Trenches

MARCH 27, 2013

The recent firing of Groupon’s CEO Andrew Mason is a cautionary tale of the increased scrutiny and heightened expectations that come from accessing increasingly larger amounts of investment capital. Is outside capital really required? Does your business model scale? Groupon raised seven series of private equity before going public.

Venture Capital 45

Venture Capital Capital Anthem Startup 45

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

The buying process is just the beginning of the customer experience, and it has to remain a good one throughout the time that your customer actually uses your product or service. Great startups manage to continually improve the relationship through outstanding follow-on support and service. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 52

Customer Custom Startup Course 52

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2013

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. Relevancy for an early-stage company is the discovery and understanding of the real addressable market for a product or service. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 117

Startup Education Customer Custom 117

InfoChachkie

MAY 11, 2015

The US Postal Service pulled off another debacle with the Maya Angelou stamp. Surely this is an anomaly for the always-on-the-brink-of-insolvency US Postal Service (USPS). Note: As a public service, I will happily offer the USPS a 15-minute course in “How To Use Google” at my special government rate of $150,000.

Startup 100

Startup Sales Customer Custom 100