Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. Customer acquisition cost. That bit is easy.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

But very few are talking about how to measure your results and return on investment (ROI), and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Social media is the realm of public opinion and customer conversations. Measure customer response and action. Get the message from your customer. Project the future.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Further, based on results from the annual Sierra-Cedar HR Systems Survey , businesses that use data and tools in their people management, rather than traditional manual processes, see a 79% higher return than other organizations, suggesting the time is ripe for relying on data and analytics. Working on the wrong problem or assumption.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 22, 2016

The Most Important Metric. Near the conclusion of our discussion, I asked each CEO to name any non-obvious metrics by which they guide their businesses. He started by stating, “We track customer success.” In other words, are we measure whether or not we are truly making our customers more successful.”.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Cornerstone OnDemand Metrics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2019

Is your marketing focus product-centric or customer-centric ? With a wealth of products now available, customers look for the most memorable experience , not just the best product. Amazon is very customer-centric, but it can make all the difference in retail as well as online. Status factors are more important than demographics.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Metrics 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2018

While his insights have come from large organizations, I give many of the same recommendations to every startup: Channel engagement performance. Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. Lead-stage content performance. Lead management performance.

Metrics 57

Metrics Demand Marketing Paramount 57

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2015

While his insights have come from large organizations, I give many of the same recommendations to every startup: Channel engagement performance. Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. Lead-stage content performance. Lead management performance.

Metrics 101

Metrics Marketing Demand Paramount 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2012

But very few are talking about how to measure your results, and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Jim Sterne, who has written six books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service, tackled this complex world of social media metrics in his book titled " Social Media Metrics."

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

By default, innovation in every business decreases over time, and continuous innovation requires ongoing initiatives and measures of customer perceived value. The long-standing rule of thumb that companies have ten years between significant disruptions was reset a few years ago to five years, according to experts Larry Downes and Paul Nunes.

Metrics 102

Metrics Startup Organization Demand 102

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

And as I always assert, “Great companies are built in downturns. It’s when the noise stops and you can actually get customer attention, press articles and VC meetings. And it’s when mediocre companies get pulverized.” I remember, for example, when business intelligence swept through companies globally.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. Focus on talent and people growth.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

According to one study a decade ago, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. These only come with the proper training, investment in tools, and focus on customer relationships. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2019

But very few are talking about how to measure your results and return on investment (ROI), and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Social media is the realm of public opinion and customer conversations. Measure customer response and action. Get the message from your customer. Project the future.

Social Media 98

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2020

While his insights have come from large organizations, I give many of the same recommendations to every startup: Channel engagement performance. Hidalgo recommends a focus on engagement stage indicators including customers by channel, conversion ratio, and cost per revenue. Lead-stage content performance. Lead management performance.

Marketing 174

Marketing Invest Demand Metrics 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Marketing 85

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2022

If you aren’t yet adapting to the market and your customers, you are falling behind. I define business agility for my consulting clients as the ability to change your business rapidly to meet customer and environmental changes, with minimal organizational disruption and cost. Adopt some key metrics to measure your change agility.

Competition 148

Competition Metrics Demand Customer 148

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

In fact, I believe the majority of true entrepreneurs are not interested in this new role, and jump ship quickly by hiring an experienced CEO or merging with another company, to start their next entrepreneurial effort. Implement metrics and set objectives for every organization. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2010

But very few are talking about how to measure your results, and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Jim Sterne, who has written six books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service, tackled this complex world of social media metrics in his recent book titled " Social Media Metrics."

Social Media 84

Social Media Metrics Media Satisfaction 84

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Chris Musselwhite and Tammie Plouffe, in a classic HBR article on change readiness for large companies, define it as “the ability to continuously initiate and respond to change in ways that create advantage, minimize risk, and sustain performance.” Imbue customer change focus. Expedite change reaction. Implement change mechanisms.

Startup 116

Startup Training Statistics Summary 116

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2015

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 100

Customer Custom .Net Competition 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

I’m over-paying for every check I write into the VC ecosystem and valuations are being pushed up to absurd levels and many of these valuations and companies won’t hold in the long term. I often answer the same way … * “First, yes, nearly every corner of our market is over-valued. By definition?—?I’m dot-com bonanza.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2014

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 98

Customer Custom .Net Competition 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2021

Radhika teaches entrepreneurship and innovation, and advises organizations around the world on how to build radical products that create a fundamental change instead of optimizing the status quo. Hypermetricemia – metrics for everything. Thus you are driven to short-term growth fixes versus radical change.

Metrics 133

Metrics Product Yahoo Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2019

Technology is not the solution per se , but it provides the key enablement, drivers, and support for the required flexibility, integration, communication, metrics, and affordability that are required in the workplace today. The goal must be to eliminate organization silos, flatten hierarchies, and empower employees within projects.

Company 78

Company Companies Coach Satisfaction 78

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2020

By default, innovation in every business decreases over time, and continuous innovation requires ongoing initiatives and measures of customer perceived value. The long-standing rule of thumb that companies have ten years between significant disruptions was reset a few years ago to five years, according to experts Larry Downes and Paul Nunes.

Startup 138

Startup Organization Demand Customer 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2023

Everyone in the company must adopt the principles of customer-first focus, agility in responding to change, and constant innovation to improve your processes as well as the solution. Measure progress through metrics on sales, revenue, and penetration. Seek customer feedback on ways to improve value and satisfaction.

Customer 91

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 91

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

As a potential investor, I always think of the high rate of failure of disruptive technologies, due to the longer learning curve of customers, infrastructure change consistently required, and higher marketing costs. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by an initial innovation that has served your company well so far.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

He makes the case, and I agree, that creativity in a company, large or small, doesn’t just happen – it requires a culture. If you want to build and maintain a creative culture in your organization, you need to make sure your operation is guided by these seven critical strategies: Fuel passion. Maximize diversity.

Company 90

Company Companies Competition Netflix 90

Berkonomics

MAY 20, 2021

Enterprise time, as opposed to personal time management, is the sum total of resources available to a company expressed in terms of time – time to develop, to debug, to produce, to deploy, to respond to issues, and to make changes in plans that are not working. But first, identify what those critical resources are in your company.

Resource 156

Resource Outsource Development Metrics Customer 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2012

Most then add customer service at the rollout, but very few really understand what it means to be truly customer centric, and even fewer really achieve it. Customer centricity is far more than providing excellent customer service, although that’s a step in the right direction. Focus on individual customer value.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2022

True business success and leadership starts with real personal values, extends to building a team, and finally to inspiring customers and your community. I fully support and appreciate his case studies and conclusions on specific required personal initiatives, and how these can change people, organizations, and even entire industries.

Case Study 139

Case Study Customer Custom Tool 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2020

They outline and give some positive recommendations to counter the key organizational impediments to fast transformation that I see all too often, even in businesses with top management committed to first-mover speed and agility: Passive resistance to change from within the organization.

Metrics 122

Metrics Training Satisfaction IBM 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. Focus on talent and people growth.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

The first ones address trends that I see in the market today, while the rest are meant to force you to be proactive in managing your own team and organization to anticipate the level of change I’m sure you will face ahead. Potential customers these days rely more and more on name recognition for credibility and new brand adoption.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

Technology is not the solution per se , but it provides the key enablement, drivers, and support for the required flexibility, integration, communication, metrics, and affordability that are required in the workplace today. The goal must be to eliminate organization silos, flatten hierarchies, and empower employees within projects.

Coach 132

Coach Satisfaction Startup Organization 132

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

If customers don’t know you exist, you can’t solve their problem, they won’t buy. Getting customer attention often takes more innovation today than solving the tough technical problems. Talk to real live customers in addition to marketers. Network with local organizations and industry groups.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

Further, based on results from the Sierra-Cedar HR Systems Survey , businesses that use data and tools in their people management, rather than traditional manual processes, see a 79% higher return than other organizations, suggesting the time is ripe for relying on data and analytics. Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121