Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Networking to build and maintain positive relationships with the right people outside your company is something you can’t forget in the rush to get your new business going. Highlight the competitive edge you bring to the market. Put operational systems and metrics in place early. This is not a place for friends and family.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

I see this happening in smaller ways often, where there is minimal focus on competition. Here are some key initiatives that I recommend to every business owner and leader to stave off new competitors before they seriously impact or cause a competitive crisis in your business: Continually compare yourself to known competitors.

Metrics 71

Metrics Training Netflix Resource 71

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

There was no money train. And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. Between 2006–2008 I sold both companies that I had started and became a VC. It was a way to make it hard for your competition to compete.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Startup 116

Startup Training Statistics Summary 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entree for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team.

Startup 112

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 112

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

As a founder, when you’ve been dealing with these kinds of objections for a couple of years it becomes natural and you easily handle objections on price, product & competition without much thought. Some examples of common objections across many companies: 1. It is tacit knowledge.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

And as I always assert, “Great companies are built in downturns. And it’s when mediocre companies get pulverized.” I remember, for example, when business intelligence swept through companies globally. When markets start to turn shelfware companies are the quickest to die. It’s when the game slows.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entrée for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team.

Startup 156

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Company leaders, as well as front-line team members usually realize when they have a problem, but most have no idea what is possible or how to change the culture. Forestall loss of momentum by creating a long-term roadmap of activities and objectives, with metrics, to track implementation and measure results.

Organization 116

Organization Activity Metrics Training 116

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

AUGUST 19, 2022

Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results. Through analytics on current employees, you will be able to predict re-training requirements and minimize employee turnover. Most companies I know will claim to be busy collecting and analyzing data, but very few actually use it to drive people management.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

First, you as the leader must be a role model for the actions you desire – including positive communication, active coaching, rewards for results, as well as providing required tools and training. Use metrics to assess needs and growth economics. Regularly invent new ways to delight customers.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Training and coaching. Innovation is not a random walk into the unknown.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Training and coaching. Innovation is not a random walk into the unknown.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2019

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Startup 94

Startup Training Statistics Summary 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2019

In the popular press, it’s easy to find articles that will convince you that companies with a good culture, such as Google, do it by lavishing perks and benefits , including some combination of free meals, trips and parties, financial bonuses, gyms, and a dog-friendly environment. What the team feels is more important than what they know.

Competition 76

Competition Coach Case Study Statistics 76

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In a larger public company, it’s all about making your quarterly numbers, versus investing in strategic growth alternatives that may not pay off until several quarters later. It’s your job as a leader to be the model high performer, quantify the team view with metrics, and expand awareness to the best outside competition and new tools.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Training and coaching. Innovation is not a random walk into the unknown.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2013

Train them fully, give them authority, make them accountable, and tie their pay to customer satisfaction. It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Train and coach continuously. Know your customers intimately.

Customer 92

Customer Custom Startup Services 92

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2018

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entrée for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team.

Startup 81

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 81

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2018

If you are one of these owners who wants to do the right thing to survive and delight your customers, but doesn’t know where to start, I am here to recommend some best practices that I see successful companies, and many startups, who have focused on this issue. It takes a well-rounded and motivated team to run a competitive business today.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Customer Custom Startup 84

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 23, 2013

The fitness professional network develops business tools that make it easier for fitness professionals to run their businesses and keep their clients engaged between training sessions. We knew there’s a better personal training experience to be had, so we set out to create one. Who is on your team? How does it work practically?

Social Network 92

Social Network Networking Training Summary 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2017

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Startup 56

Startup Training Statistics Summary 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2014

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Startup Training Statistics 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

It must be written down, with measurable team objectives, validated by metrics and compared against competition. Provide coaching and mentoring as well as training. Formal training for the team is just the beginning, not the end. Most importantly, your actions speak louder than words.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entrée for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 93

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Even if you are doing the work yourself, you need to document requirements, features, metrics, and milestones. At this stage, you should start recruiting, hiring, paying, and training others to help you run your business. Here you will likely need to train others to help you, so more detail may be required in this process.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

We need venture debt, factoring companies and public markets. So what took me $2 million at my first company now takes $20,000. Some companies should raise less money and consider early exits – We had a discussion about whether companies should raise less money and have smaller goals for an exit. We all know that.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Training Startup Entrepreneur 308

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2012

Technologists often insist that new things can’t be invented on a schedule, but successful companies seem to be able to do it on a regular basis. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Training and coaching. Accountability.

Coach 98

Coach Ideas IP Sales 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2019

Too many employees expect a raise or promotion before they accept new responsibility, rather than demonstrating their value, getting training and experience first. Get out of dead-end jobs, and don’t be afraid to move on to a new company if the current one is not healthy. Be willing to invest in effort, before expecting results.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Startup Satisfaction Customer 75

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. There is an inherent value that any company has. I acknowledged this in the article.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Startup 93

Startup Training Statistics Summary 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness. The following initiatives that Chris and Tammie define for large companies apply just as directly to startups: Improve change awareness.

Startup 94

Startup Marketing Training Statistics 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2011

Technologists often insist that new things can’t be invented on a schedule, but successful companies seem to be able to do it on a regular basis. Longer-term, enhanced product value begets superior company valuation through your organization’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Training and coaching. Accountability.

Coach 93

Coach Ideas IP Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

Even if you are doing the work yourself, you need to document requirements, features, metrics, and milestones. At this stage, you should start recruiting, hiring, paying, and training others to help you run your business. Here you will likely need to train others to help you, so more detail may be required in this process.

Outsource Development 92

Outsource Development Training Outsource Metrics 92

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2012

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entree for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. In all cases, don’t skip the basic training. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team.

Startup 96

Startup Writing Metrics Marketing 96