Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2010

One of the most important questions you will be asked by potential investors is how your solutions beats the competition, not just today, but over the three to five year life of their investment. The concept is called “sustainable competitive advantage.” That implies competitive now, and the potential to stay in the lead.

Competition 89

Competition Patents IBM IBM 89

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. Test your projections against actual published reports from similar companies. Competition. What is the need you fill or problem you solve? Revenue model.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

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. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep. Make sure everyone knows your vision and values.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2020

In the creation of a young company, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Another is to gain the support of a core vendor who is willing to offer special extended terms to the company as its investment in creating the product in a finished state. And fifth: Competitive risk. . Why five risks?

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2015

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Startup 118

Startup Competition Patents Resource 118

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. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep. Make sure everyone knows your vision and values.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2014

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Competition Patents Resource 110

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

Of course, we are speaking of increased valuation of your company when we speak of “wealth.” Another is to gain the support of a core vendor who is willing to offer special extended terms to the company as its investment in creating the product in a finished state. And fifth: Competitive risk. . Make you wealthy someday.

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

If electricity could be transferred like WiFi but as safe as a soundwave we use on pregnant women’s bellies and at a price-point that was attractive this is a multi-billion market. Did anybody hold patents that would prevent us from using this technology? Could we produce this at cost? We hired OSHA regulatory lawyers.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2018

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Competition 51

Competition Patents Resource Entrepreneur 51

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

" Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology. Include your sustainable competitive advantage. Quantify all the key elements of the equation, including price, margin and volume.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

One of the most important questions you will be asked by potential investors is how your solutions beats the competition, not just today, but over the three to five year life of their investment. The concept is called “sustainable competitive advantage.” Our patent will protect us.” We all recognize that there are no guarantees.

Patents 90

Patents Competition IBM IBM 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2020

Today’s customer is especially attracted to companies like TOMS , who donates a pair of shoes for every pair they sell, or Patagonia, with its support for grassroots environmental groups. Sponsor some friendly competitive events with prizes. Let your highly motivated customers be your best marketing advocates for new customers.

Marketing 170

Marketing Startup Examples Customer 170

Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

Another is to gain the support of a core vendor who is willing to offer special extended terms to the company as its investment in creating the product in a finished state. This is sometimes labeled “execution risk” addressing whether management can create and run the company producing the product acceptable to the marketplace.

Outsource Development 200

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2013

There''s been a revolution in the last few years with the dropping price and increasing accessibility of 3D printers--those devices which let you print practically anything using just your own personal computer, 3D software, and a special printer. Where''d the idea for the company come from? Our competitive advantage is fashion.

Startup 241

Startup Slides Orange County Design 241

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2014

A number of teams have recently been looking to turn that vision into reality, as a result of the Qualcomm Tricorder Prize , a $10M competition being run by the X Prize Foundation to create a real life Tricorder. That''s essentially how the Tricoder competition was formed--it''s time for this to happen. Mann implantable device area.

Startup 262

Startup Competition Software Review UCLA 262

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2012

Look how the Japanese entered the auto industry, or how McDonalds imitated White Castle, or how Wal-Mart “perfected” the low-price high-volume approach. Of course, the first one gets the patent. But patent disclosure requirements often make imitation easier, and smart technologists can work around most patents anyway.

Patents 84

Patents Startup Statistics Course 84

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Backing Southern California's next great technology companies. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. PricewaterhouseCoopers' Vision To Reality Program for Emerging Tech Companies. Los Angeles-based executive search for emerging growth companies.

Southern California 113

Southern California Tech Coast Angels IP Orange County 113

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2013

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. Many businesses have found that raising the price of a product to give it status can win more customers than a price war.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Patents Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

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. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep. Make sure everyone knows your vision and values.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2011

Look how the Japanese entered the auto industry, or how McDonalds imitated White Castle, or how Wal-Mart “perfected” the low-price high-volume approach. Of course, the first one gets the patent. But patent disclosure requirements often make imitation easier, and smart technologists can work around most patents anyway.

Startup 91

Startup Patents Statistics Course 91

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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. Many businesses have found that raising the price of a product to give it status can win more customers than a price war.

Ideas 109

Ideas Entrepreneur Patents Training 109

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2009

Semiconductor startups seem to be quite rare in today's environment, with few companies being funded or launched, due both to the difficulty of bringing products to market, lack of investment capital, as well as lots of established, large companies in the industry. In terms of pricing, no one can compete.

Patents 100

Patents Sample Technical Review Pricing 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

This is also the place to first mention patents and any other differentiators that put you ahead of competition. Every new offering has competition and alternatives, so it’s not credible to claim no competitors. Find a comparable company to show potential sale value and return on investment (ROI).

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Every price comparison out there, whether that's Google Products, Bizrate, or other sites, can find books, but you can only do it one at a time. Jonathan Simkin: I was actually in high school when I decided I'd either start a company when I graduated, or go into patent law. They act as mentors and help companies grow.

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

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. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep. Make sure everyone knows your vision and values.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Xconomy

JUNE 3, 2016

Merck also saw some expected fruits of its 2014 big-ticket acquisition of Cubist Pharmaceuticals wither away this week, as the Supreme Court wouldn’t reverse a decision that shaved years off the patent life of the top-selling antibiotic daptomyicin (Cubicin). The drug has a list price of $69,350 per patient, per year.

San Diego 62

San Diego Patents Acquisition News 62

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

A while back, I wrote about the importance of a “ sustainable competitive advantage ,” and outlined the business plan value and limitations of patents and competitor feature comparisons. Many companies have an ongoing product innovation focus, but rarely think about customer service innovations. Use it, and don’t lose it.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Services Startup 90

InfoChachkie

MARCH 21, 2019

In 1917, Mary Phelps Jacobs was granted patent 1,115,674 , which states, “This invention relates to improvements in brassieres.” (sic). As the Flapper fashion trend fell out of favor, the company courted Hollywood actresses, including Elizabeth Taylor, to wear their bras in films, thus introducing brassieres to a national market.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Design Customer Custom 100

Berkonomics

AUGUST 31, 2023

Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else. But wait for the mic drop… [Email readers, continue here…] Here’s where some intelligent market research might have saved the company and my investment. Hotels were installing the system; guests were satisfied, and the company was growing.

Competition 156

Competition Research Summary Pricing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

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. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep. Make sure everyone knows your vision and values.

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

Kanaan Jemili: uCast Global is a digital media company that is looking at creating a scalable global solution for online video. Theyre like companies in the US like and ATT or Verizon, or an Orange in France, or others in Poland and Russia and other countries. Whats the relationship of this company to Gary Winnick?

Content 113

Content Startup Mobile Platform 113

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Building a company for the purpose of selling it is a proven strategy for a fast payoff. Focusing on the key elements that larger brands examine when they consider an acquisition is crucial for obtaining the best price and for establishing a corporate brand that distinguishes itself from its competitors as a valuable asset.

Startup 40

Startup Acquisition Outsource Development Outsource 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

Business model showing costs, pricing, and margins. Intellectual property and sustainable competitive advantage. Patents, trade secrets, and trademarks are very attractive to investors, since these are not easily overcome by competitors. Of course, you wouldn’t include this data in your customer product pitch.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

socalTECH

MARCH 27, 2015

There is already lots of competition in the streaming music area, what do you think you can add to that area? Tyler Francois: There are only a handful of very large, music streaming companies in this space. We''ll offer up additional perks and features, additional tiers at higher price levels.

Yahoo 100

Yahoo Social Media Content Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2013

Competitive risk. Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. The selection of an inappropriate pricing, marketing, or distribution strategy is a large potential risk. The biggest risk of all is starting a company, any company, for the wrong reasons.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2013

What’s the total history of this company? If the company was incorporated five years ago, and is still in early stages, with the same founding team, chances are slim that it will suddenly get back on track with you as an employee, or you as an investor. Gaps in the history of a startup are big red flags, just like gaps in your resume.

Startup 101

Startup Invest Patents Entrepreneur 101