Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

Here is a summary of their key observations, with our joint specifics on what to expect, and how to overcome these obstacles: Customers don’t buy what they don’t know and understand. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Here is a summary of their key observations, with our joint specifics on what to expect, and how to overcome these obstacles: Customers don’t buy what they don’t know and understand. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

When I meet other VCs I’m constantly asking how they decide which investments to make, when to pass, when to do follow-on rounds, when to sell a company vs. when to go long, etc. On sales I often talk about “ Why Buy Anything, Why Buy Now, Why Buy Me ” as a tool to think about a sales process. Take more advice.

Startup 407

Startup Framework CTO Coach Sales 407

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business for 4-6 months. Are you looking to potentially sell the company in the next year or two?

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2023

If ten percent of these numbers, multiplied by your average product price, will get you the revenue you need to scale your business, you will get the love you need from angel and venture capital investors. Peruse company reports from your business domain.

Statistics 120

Statistics Research Report Newsletter 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

A reverse merger is the acquisition of an already public company (usually a dormant shell) to avoid the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and cost, to quickly get your startup on a public exchange for fund raising through visibility and selling stock. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Funding 104

Funding Summary Entrepreneur Acquisition 104

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

recently wrote a post talking about how some VCs meddle in operating company decisions or some executive teams are too reliant on VCs to jump in and make hard calls for them. At times I wanted the engineering team to produce features to support our sales efforts to I occasionally leaned on them a bit. I did this. ” PR.

Startup 150

Startup Sales CTO Coach Course 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Use this opportunity to validate their satisfaction and support for your company and your solution. For reference, here is a quick summary of key elements which most investors include in their due diligence process: Key personnel review. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.”

Customer 124

Customer Custom Startup Course 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

If ten percent of these numbers, multiplied by your average product price, will get you the revenue you need to scale your business, you will get the love you need from angel and venture capital investors. Peruse company reports from your business domain.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

As a business advisor, I have to recommend even to established companies that they review and revamp their competitive strategy now, even if it appears to be working today. Features, availability, and brand are just the price of entry. The real challenge is to win massive consumer preference repeatedly.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

The big price increase : 5 out of 5 stars. The remainder of this article will deal with this decision but it comes down to the different economics of DVD rentals due to “ the first sale doctrine ” which gives Netflix a complete library of films and the fact that the first-sale doctrine doesn’t apply to digital downloads.

Netflix 287

Netflix Customer Custom Pricing 287

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2019

A reverse merger is the acquisition of an already public company (usually a dormant shell) to avoid the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and cost, to quickly get your startup on a public exchange for fund raising through visibility and selling stock. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Summary 121

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 121

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. an investment in your company. remember: Qualify, qualify, qualify.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 15, 2013

In part one I covered the need for early-stage enterprise software companies to build up professional services staff to ensure successful implementation projects. This post is about how to work with your largest customers when you’re an early-stage software company and about how you can increase your margins by selling your roadmap.

Customer 297

Customer Custom Pricing Startup 297

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

Use this opportunity to validate their satisfaction and support for your company and your solution. For reference, here is a quick summary of key elements which most investors include in their due diligence process: Key personnel review. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

An alternate outcome that I also unfortunately observe in some cases are companies who had extreme early success with an initial product adoption but failed in key areas that limited the growth and therefore the ultimate financial outcomes. I see many companies that don’t make this transition well.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

So that we’re speaking the same language I would define “exclusive” as a period in which your company is prohibited from doing business with certain customers or business partners, which is why many incorrectly assume this is necessarily bad. I need to give credit for the topic to PR Malloy who Tweeted me this question.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

For example, one of the first home grocery delivery companies, Webvan, was so enamored with early traction in Silicon Valley, it raised and spent nearly a billion dollars and went public, before filing for bankruptcy three years later. Control costs and adjust prices to maintain your margin.

Metrics 86

Metrics Startup Training Customer 86

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2013

And a natural sales person. I worked in both before leaving to work in a software company at 17. You can’t just name your own price.” I’ve sat through so many meetings where sales reps didn’t ask for the order. ” Great sales people are trained to “ask for the order.”

Sales 416

Sales Class Training Technical Review 416

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2012

But, how do you do that in a way that doesn't cannibalize your full price tickets and screw up your brand? On the flip side, over the last several decades, ticket prices have appreciated every year. An example of that is in travel and hotel chains, where there is full dynamic pricing. That's your retail channel.

Entertainment 219

Entertainment Pricing Ticketmaster Startup 219

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 22, 2010

Back in 1999 when I first raised venture capital I had zero knowledge of what a fair term sheet looked like or how to value my company. Other founders, “as a privately held company we don’t disclose our valuation.&# Me, “dude, I’m not a journalist. The VC assumes you’ll have an option pool.

Venture Capital 405

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Funding 405

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2015

“the ecommerce company gained fauxmentum by raising artificially high amounts of venture capital and spent lavishly on customer acquisition despite long payback periods and questionable LTV” __. I’m not saying don’t hire sales staff or market your products aggressively. __. faux·men·tum.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Customer Custom 150

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

We had the final terms of our agreement fairly well boxed in within a range of about 5-7% on price and within 30 days on move-in date. I obviously preferred the lowest price and I wanted the latest move-in date. She told me, “start with the price you want but the move in date he wants.&#. I told my agent. She way annoyed.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Outsource 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#. If you really want to do a product business then hire a professional manager for your services company, quit that job and focus 100% on your product company. You’re a small fish.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2013

Notice that I didn’t say anywhere that a good business plan has to be at least 20 pages, or have ten sections, or must start with an executive summary. A few thousand dollars is a small price to pay for a successful business, or for that $1M investment you expect the plan to entice. No problem.

Sample 92

Sample Writing Startup Summary 92

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Or read the quick, informative summary below the image! Don’t and you might make one catastrophic mistake that leaves you in the annals of Effed Companies. He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition. Here’s a summary of our interview.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

Here is a summary of their key observations, with our joint specifics on what to expect, and how to overcome these obstacles: Customers don’t buy what they don’t know and understand. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

There has always been tension between CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies and the retailers who sell their products to consumers. 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.

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2018

A reverse merger is the acquisition of an already public company (usually a dormant shell) to avoid the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and cost, to quickly get your startup on a public exchange for fund raising through visibility and selling stock. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Summary 79

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 79

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

What I love about my job is getting to see teams of super-early-stage companies develop ideas that while raw have potential to make an impact on the market. Clearly the founders and senior executives of a company are the most valuable resources and their time should be maximized on the most valuable tasks. Timing of cash payments.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2012

Notice that I didn’t say anywhere that a good business plan has to be at least 20 pages, or have ten sections, or must start with an executive summary. A few thousand dollars is a small price to pay for a successful business, or for that $1M investment you expect the plan to entice. No problem.

Sample 96

Sample Writing Summary Startup 96

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 18, 2011

What follows is a summary which paraphrases Mark’s responses. I didn’t have that appreciation when I was with companies in Silicon Valley. Both companies (were) high-volume, scalable web infrastructures…that (has been) applied to the technology we are building.”. You can watch the video below or on YouTube here: [link].

eHarmony 204

eHarmony Media Oracle Commerce 204

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2015

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.”

Customer 101

Customer Custom Startup Course 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

Here is a summary of the key terms to expect on the term sheet, or the contract between the founder and investor: Consideration given for the money invested. For later investments, the price is equity, with a percentage of the owner stock to be assigned to the investor. This is normal and fair to all. Investor liquidation priority.

Demand 105

Demand Startup Equity Invest 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

If ten percent of these numbers, multiplied by your average product price, will get you the revenue you need to scale your business, you will get the love you need from angel and venture capital investors. Peruse company reports from your business domain.

Research 87

Research Marketing Statistics Report 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2015

A reverse merger is the acquisition of an already public company (usually a dormant shell) to avoid the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and cost, to quickly get your startup on a public exchange for fund raising through visibility and selling stock. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Funding 102

Funding Summary Startup Entrepreneur 102