Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Yet I can assure you that people who are paranoid, or want to avoid all risks, won’t be happy as entrepreneurs, so it’s all about balancing the risk-reward scale. Marty Zwilling

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Ideas Sample 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Yet I can assure you that people who are paranoid, or want to avoid all risks, won’t be happy as entrepreneurs, so it’s all about balancing the risk-reward scale. Marty Zwilling.

Ideas 159

Ideas Tips Technical Review Patents 159

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. The problem is that startups have limited resources to keep them ahead of big companies. Money from customers and investors is the same color.

Competition 133

Competition Patents Resource Invest 133

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

However, to a Big Dumb Company (BDC), a startup’s IP is a thing of beauty. Patents held by startups generally have a limited ability to reduce competition. The average time required to obtain a patent is 36-to-40 months, during which there is no guarantee your adVenture will ultimately receive patent protection.

IP 256

IP Patents Company Companies 256

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Ownership.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe their initial idea and inspiration requires the most important creative thinking. Experienced entrepreneurs will tell you that the initial idea is the easy part, and it’s the later implementation, and the competitive business marketing that are the real creative challenges. Think the unthinkable.

Ideas 171

Ideas Patents Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2023

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups. Customer data integrity and security.

Social Network 108

Social Network Training Startup Technology 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2014

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups. Customer data integrity and security.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Technology Startup 98

InfoChachkie

MARCH 21, 2019

Opportunity knocked when one of her customers was spotted at a high-end boutique, wearing one of Ida’s outfits. The store’s owner, Enid Bissett, asked the customer where she had purchased the dress. The two women established a custom dress shop called Enid Frocks. This public exposure drove wealthy customers to Enid Frocks.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Design Customer Custom 100

Berkonomics

APRIL 13, 2017

Test yourself as to whether you can identify the size of your market niche, and whether you can overcome the many barriers to access customers within your niche. A core patent or “thicket” of patents protecting your offering? A strategic relationship with one or more of the largest customers? How large a total market?

Patents 291

Patents Pricing Ideas Marketing 291

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2020

In the creation of a young company, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. So, it is important for the entrepreneur to identify, address and mitigate each of these in order to increase valuation and decrease the risk of ultimate loss of the business. Why five risks? Second: Market risk. .

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2014

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. The problem is that startups have limited resources to keep them ahead of big companies. Money from customers and investors is the same color.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Competition Patents Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Ownership.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Whether you are a business professional in a big company, or an entrepreneur with a startup, innovation is a key strategy. You will see that I believe innovation is only one of many factors that ultimately determine your position with customers and your own legacy: Ideas are everywhere – success is all about execution.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2020

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups. Customer data integrity and security.

Technology 165

Technology Social Network Training Startup 165

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2023

I’m not suggesting that a startup should ever disclose patent details to others before filing, but I can’t imagine why a startup would not seek visibility and feedback for their idea and solution while they could still make changes with minimal cost. Evaluate customer response prior to development.

Marketing 105

Marketing Startup Search Engine Optimization Ideas 105

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?” Good business leadership begins with defining both the direction and the destination of your company. That’s where you start.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. As Guy Kawasaki pointed out in our recent conversation , “…it is cheaper than ever to start a company.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

In their passion and excitement about a new product or service, entrepreneurs tend to continually narrow the scope of potential competitors, and often claim to have no direct competitors. Non-specific terms, like better usability and low cost don’t incite customers to action these days. This approach is not convincing.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. How will you reach your customers?

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2023

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a cofounder or two. So, the first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity is that person worth? Key to required patents or trade secrets. Level of responsibility and time allocated.

Equity 99

Equity Patents CTO Hire Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Ownership.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

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. That’s a big step from one product for one customer.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 11, 2018

Pitching app developers with a new way to convert app browsers into actual customers, AppOnboard has raised $15 million in a new round of funding, the company said. Company co-founder Jonathan Zweig has already had one hit as a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur. but Zweig thinks there’s more room to grow.

Google 213

Google Los Angeles Southern California Platform 213

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2014

In my experience, inventors and technologists arent interested or arent very good at building a business, and entrepreneurs arent usually good scientists. Without the synergy, companies like Apple might never have gotten off the ground. Historically, its also not often that a good inventor was also a good entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Ideas Patents Resource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2015

Every entrepreneur and every business needs a strategy to keep them focused. According to Collins and Porras, companies can only be really outstanding in areas where they are fully committed. The answer to this question should be formulated as ‘a customer’s problem the company is going to resolve like no other.’

Customer 102

Customer Custom Organization Course 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2019

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. The problem is that startups have limited resources to keep them ahead of big companies. Money from customers and investors is the same color.

Competition 120

Competition Patents Resource Invest 120

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 6, 2014

An invalidated patent or one deemed to infringe the rights of another party can devastate a startup. Defensible Claims - Some companies take pride in the number of patents they own. However, there is not a direct correlation between a patent portfolio’s value and the number of patents which comprise the portfolio.

IP 210

IP Patents Journal Equity 210

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

When it’s time to sell your company, or get new investors, valuation is the key parameter to success or disappointment. In my experience as an angel investor to startups, goodwill disagreements are perhaps the most common reason that you will fail to close interested investors as an entrepreneur. You need to do the same now.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Social Media Entrepreneur Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. So the first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity is that person worth? Key to required patents or trade secrets. Level of responsibility and time allocated.

Startup 174

Startup Equity Patents CTO Hire 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2013

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Your company has outgrown you.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Ownership.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2020

I’m not suggesting that a startup should ever disclose patent details to others before filing, but I can’t imagine why a startup would not seek visibility and feedback for their idea and solution while they could still make changes with minimal cost. Evaluate customer response prior to development.

Search Engine Optimization 174

Search Engine Optimization Ideas Startup Customer 174