TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Capitalism is fundamentally about timing, since market competition is about finding opportunities before others. 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. When should a VC invest?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

I thought I’d try to offer a framework for thinking about the topic. So here’s my framework. 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. So how should you decide what to do?

Help 303

Help Startup Competition Framework 303

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

My goal is to lay out a basic framework for anybody unsure whom to listen to as a way of helping you think about a way to orient your own views. This market structure in which the few, large players use their market position to eliminate competition is inevitable. It’s Hobbesian economics 101.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Let’s set up a framework. by Michael Woolf that is worth any startup founder reading to get a sense of perspective on the reality warp that is startup world during a frothy market such as 1997-1999, 2005-2007 or 2012-2014. There are many times when being overly capitalized before you’re ready is a negative.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2013

Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment which I think makes even more sense today. Every existing business, as well as every startup, needs to reassess their product or service in the context of these five forces: Intensity of competitive rivalry. Way back in 1979, Michael E.

Startup 80

Startup Framework Competition Pricing 80

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

The framework of his book has profoundly altered how I think about the technology market and affects how I thought about building my businesses and how I think about investing in venture capital. Let’s start with the incumbents position in a market. It is not a beach novel to be sure. It is often LESS performant.

Startup 376

Startup Framework Marketing Custom 376

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

controlling your psychology ) you no doubt have heard me say that raising capital is a sales & marketing process. Decision Dynamics Each firm makes decisions in different ways so understanding the firm’s decision framework matters. This is critical to build a cohesive venture capital firm.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

One of the key sections of any business plan is the analysis of the competition. Investors take that to mean either 1) there is no market for your product, or 2) you don’t understand the concept of business and competition. I especially love the ones that start and end by saying “We don’t have any competitors.”

Startup 86

Startup Competition Pricing Framework 86

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

The rest of our partners, principles, associates and EIRs can weigh in with commentary on their views of the quality of the entrepreneur, the market, the product, competition and so forth. Other times she comes back with even more conviction about the founders, market or products. I want “ benevolent dictators.”

Startup 150

Startup Venture Capital Invest Framework 150

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2009

This is part of my ongoing Raising Venture Capital (VC) series. So I thought I’d try to lay out a framework for how you should think about it as many you will inevitably be faced with this experience. When they promise to help you with marketing, sales, distribution, integrated product development, etc. But this is benign.

Venture Capital 279

Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur Framework 279

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

I barely know the guy (or his markets) but he wanted me to weigh in one “which market I thought he should pursue.” My job isn’t to predict markets but rather to find entrepreneurs who want to create markets through insight and conviction.” Marketing channels have changed.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Course Guide Entrepreneur 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

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. Investors and partners now look only for a framework of your business essentials, within the context of your opportunity, solution, and financials.

Startup 61

Startup Social Media News Tool 61

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Most business leaders today realize that smart management of scarce resources is the key to competitive success. Most often, these roles revolve around a company’s major assets, including intellectual property, leading brands, key production assets, and unique routes to market. That’s why they manage money so carefully.

Product 58

Product Startup Guide Framework 58

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

"Authentic" is dead - A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks , May 3, 2010 It's time to retire the following phrases. Draw Your Ideas - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , May 16, 2010 I saw Jack Dorsey give this talk at The 99% Conference last month. Enjoyed this post? Putting customers first. Tesla is not.

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Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Others are really marketers out to make money fast, and believe that they can entice customers to any offering. His framework seems to be picking up some traction, and is already in use informally by several entrepreneurship platforms, including StartupAmerica , and CoFoundersLab. But none have any lock on success. Opportunist.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Mentor Framework Web 96

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I recently filmed a show for This Week in Venture Capital in which I talked about how to prepare for a VC meeting: whom you’ll meet, who should attend from your side, what materials you should bring and how you should run the meeting. Something like, &# I was thinking about jumping into the demo first before discussing the market.

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

Most often at the earliest point in the life of a startup, the dominant need is certainly to produce product to get something in the market, get funding, etc. Given likely market changes, how will we design and build so that the systems can respond to marketplace changes? What options do we have? How do we balance those options?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

While there is no right or wrong answer, having seen the extremes I’d like to offer you a framework for considering the right answer for yourselves. So let’s consider a bad (but likely) scenario where either you don’t hit your targets, the market sours or competition is kicking your butt making it hard to fund raise. .

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Startup Invest Pricing 314