Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2018

The most successful entrepreneurs and business owners I know are humble, and they don’t have an inflated sense of self. The only “sustainable competitive advantage” in business is self-awareness. I come from the same world, with an additional decade advising entrepreneurs, and I enthusiastically confirm his view.

Competition 81

Competition Startup Examples Coach 81

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

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. Inventory and features added too soon.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

Thus I believe that business leaders and entrepreneurs need to focus first on people leadership, rather than process leadership. Thus I find that the best entrepreneurs and business leaders today are people-centric, but they never forget that efficient repeatable processes are required as the business scales up.

Coach 128

Coach Mentor Organization Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2022

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” The first challenge is to find your strengths.

Capital 114

Capital Coach Satisfaction Ideas 114

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2021

If you are a new business owner or entrepreneur, you are likely to be creative and willing to take a risk , and you probably assume that most potential team members have the same mindset. People who are anxious to improve, or reluctant to take an initiative, really need your direct guidance and coaching to learn what they need to do.

Coach 174

Coach Activity Custom Customer 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

Every entrepreneur and business executive I know wants to emulate that boss, but most can’t even describe the attributes required. In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). Measure by relationships as well as competitiveness.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2023

Every business organization, large or small, has a variety of individual and team member types that factor into your ability to innovate and change the business to meet evolving customer needs and competition. In my experience, new startup businesses are initiated primarily by these standalone innovators, popularly called entrepreneurs.

Coach 96

Coach Ideas Mentor Organization 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. Workship - Mentor. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 135

Mentor Competition Summary Activity 135

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

I find that the most successful entrepreneurs have mastered the art and skill of building and managing relationships. In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2017

Thus I believe that business leaders and entrepreneurs need to focus first on people leadership, rather than process leadership. Thus I find that the best entrepreneurs and business leaders today are people-centric, but they never forget that efficient repeatable processes are required as the business scales up.

Entrepreneur 78

Entrepreneur Coach Organization Mentor 78

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2013

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Yet beyond a list of noble attributes, like vision, courage, and integrity, it’s hard for them to define what separates an ordinary entrepreneur or manager from an extraordinary leader.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Coach Framework Tool 101

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. Inventory and features added too soon.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Resource Training Product 115

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2020

With all the uncertainty in the world today, its hard for any business owner or entrepreneur to stay positive. Based on my experience and a business advisor and mentor, this is the ideal time to get back to the basics of business leadership and innovation. He considers mentoring on of his most critical roles at work.

Mentor 122

Mentor Ideas Competition Examples 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 9, 2023

For example, if you are an entrepreneur seeking investment or a cofounder, there is no substitute for networking at industry and startup conferences in your area. Effective networking can also lead you to great coaches and mentors, as well as business and customer connections.

Networking 104

Networking Mentor Conference Summary 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

As a long-time business advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs, I consistently find that the most thriving businesses are people-centric, and those team members create the best processes, rather than the other way around. People-centric leaders realize that the right motivated and accountable people are their real competitive advantage.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2019

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Yet beyond a list of noble attributes, like vision, courage, and integrity, it’s hard for them to define what separates an ordinary entrepreneur or manager from an extraordinary leader.

Coach 96

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 96

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2015

Most entrepreneurs I know want to do the right thing for their businesses, as well as themselves, but they are not always sure what that means. By demand, entrepreneurs are crisis managers, and can be busy reacting 24 hours a day to urgent short-term issues. Be a coach, rather than a dictator.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Training Demand Custom 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Every entrepreneur and business executive I know wants to emulate that boss, but most can’t even describe the attributes required. In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). Measure by relationships as well as competitiveness.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I was in it for the love of working with entrepreneurs on business problems and marveling at technology they had built. I had realized that I didn’t have it within me to be as good of a player as many of them did but I had the skills to help as mentor, coach, friend, sparing partner and patient capital provider.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup LAMP Marketing 466

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. Mike Napoli: Actually, we are seeing entrepreneurs. Mike Napoli: I think it was the entrepreneur. So, we're pretty accessible to talk to.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Tech.Co

MARCH 5, 2015

Susan is a startup coach and the founder of Givelocity, a social network for giving that offers a new spin on crowdfunding for good. A serial entrepreneur, Susan has a record of building value and community across several genre-defining companies. She’s also an advisor, mentor and investor in several startups.

Santa Barbara 70

Santa Barbara Startup Mentor Social Network 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

That’s why I caution my aspiring entrepreneur clients against proclaiming to investors that they are a great “idea” person. Then, he'll need to patent it and create a plan to show opportunity, competition, and financial projections. The bridge from thinking and talking, to doing, is a long and difficult one for many to get over.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Every entrepreneur and business leader believes that he or she has the full trust of their team and their customers, and in fact most do in the beginning. Unfortunately, many aspiring leaders I mentor are not aware of the signals people are looking for, or are not attuned to the subtleties of their own actions.

Mentor 98

Mentor News Summary Metrics 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

Perhaps you need to do more to be a role model for accountability , and provide more coaching on exactly what it means. I often think of the scope of this example in my role as mentor to a struggling entrepreneur who is quick to blame his problems on employee mistakes, or even changing customer expectations.

Training 173

Training Examples Startup Social Media 173

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. While winning pitch competitions is great, it’s not the most important thing about Startup of the Year.

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2019

Thus I believe that business leaders and entrepreneurs need to focus first on people leadership, rather than process leadership. Thus I find that the best entrepreneurs and business leaders today are people-centric, but they never forget that efficient repeatable processes are required as the business scales up.

Coach 94

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Yet beyond a list of noble attributes, like vision, courage, and integrity, it’s hard for them to define what separates an ordinary entrepreneur or manager from an extraordinary leader.

Product 103

Product Coach Framework Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2017

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Yet beyond a list of noble attributes, like vision, courage, and integrity, it’s hard for them to define what separates an ordinary entrepreneur or manager from an extraordinary leader.

Coach 64

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 64

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” The first challenge is to find your strengths.

Satisfaction 70

Satisfaction Coach Ideas Entrepreneur 70

Jason Nazar

APRIL 2, 2016

The following checklist is my comprehensive criteria for how to grade entrepreneurs. I, like many entrepreneurs, never followed directions that well. Seek out and follow the council of advisors in and outside of the business ( watch : court mentors ). Make their product different and better than the competition.

Entrepreneur 46

Entrepreneur Tips Organization Sales 46

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2015

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. Inventory and features added too soon.

Resource 105

Resource Startup Entrepreneur Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

The bar is being raised, so every entrepreneur needs new initiatives just to stay in the ballgame. Some entrepreneurs are so focused on their technology, they assume their customers think the same way. It must be written down, with measurable team objectives, validated by metrics and compared against competition.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2017

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” The first challenge is to find your strengths.

Satisfaction 59

Satisfaction Coach Ideas Entrepreneur 59

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2013

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours at the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs, and all team members, to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. Workship - Mentor. Workship - Advocate.

Startup 99

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Competition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2016

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. Workship - Mentor. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 70

Mentor Competition Entrepreneur Summary 70

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2017

Business leaders must convince the team that the decision makers today are customers, the marketplace, competition, feedback, innovation, and breakthroughs. Develop accountability through coaching and mentoring. Communicate that personal preferences don’t drive the business.

Satisfaction 55

Satisfaction Coach Mentor Training 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2018

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. Inventory and features added too soon.

Resource 52

Resource Training Entrepreneur Activity 52