Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2012

Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment which I think makes even more sense today. Every existing business, as well as every startup, needs to reassess their product or service in the context of these five forces: Intensity of competitive rivalry. Bargaining power of customers.

Competition 94

Competition Startup Pricing Framework 94

Berkonomics

JUNE 17, 2011

Even small community service-providers can be sold to buyers hungry to get into a business already in revenue with a steady customer base. Is your value proposition for an eventual buyer that you have some secret sauce that allows you to compete more effectively against competition? What creates value in a business?

Equity 209

Equity Class Email Competition 209

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The most striking example was the one hundred million–dollar purchase of one of my companies by a New York private equity investor using only five million of its cash. Just think of the second tool, terms, you can use creatively to bridge that gap, whether driven by seller’s ego or competitive necessity. Here’s a striking example.

Pricing 156

Pricing Sales Examples Tool 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Whether the partner is a supplier looking to gain a lock on your business as it grows or a customer looking to create a competitive barrier through use of your product, such an investment typically carries fewer restrictions than from a professional investor and less oversight. These include Y-Combinator and TechStars, among others.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Potential customers these days rely more and more on name recognition for credibility and new brand adoption. These days, customers are drawn to support worthy causes, such as saving the environment or feeding the hungry. These advisors need a stake in your success, like a monthly stipend, or an equity share of the business.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition. o Put a timeframe/money – competition in the picture. Good listener, take in information, • Have pulse on what the market wants (hard to train that) cannot take this from customers only. He told them it was now or never.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Love that sustainable competitive advantage. Starting a business may be fun, but it’s not easy.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Others schedule exhaustive training sessions for everyone on the team, including showcase customers, to make sure that everyone paints a consistent picture. Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. It was a way to make it hard for your competition to compete. I am enjoying more discussions with startups about the ROI benefits for customers who use our products rather than the coolness of our products. It’s just not me.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Projecting financials is a natural extension of the homework every entrepreneur needs to do on customer opportunity size, product costs, pricing, competition and customer value. Be willing to give up 20 to 33 percent of your equity to support this. That’s no fun for you, your investors or your customers.

Startup 116

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 116

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2023

Skip the background story and customer pitch, which every investor has heard all too often. Investors want to hear a quantified problem, a simple solution description, opportunity size, competition, traction, team qualifications, how much money you need, and what equity you are willing to give.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations. These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Often, we joke together as managers of companies or of people that our goal is “world domination” or “to crush the competition.” A strong, secure company pays its bills on time, follows through on promises to its customers, and pays its employees a fair base and incentive compensation. The three measures of progress.

Company 156

Company Companies .Net Google 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2023

Peers and customers alike still expect responsiveness. Yet peers and customers notice phone calls and e-mails not returned in twenty-four hours or less. Anything less makes you non-competitive. Work-life balance is not about equity, but about escape. They expect the same response you give to your best friends.

Startup 106

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2020

With interactive social media and video everywhere, everyone needs to feel they have a relationship with their leaders, and every brand needs leader personification for customers to relate. He speaks from a wealth of personal experience in private equity, as well as top executive positions at American Express, Sears, and Citigroup.

Social Media 128

Social Media Metrics Customer Custom 128

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. It doesn’t take long to sense someone’s real commitment, or vision and desired outcome of a joint project.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

As you may have seen on the Shark Tank TV show, offering a tiny equity amount for a large investment will not endear you to investors. They need to believe your valuation, based on current revenue and intellectual property, and feel the equity offered gives them a real return for the risk.

Ideas 140

Ideas Entrepreneur Equity Resource 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

Others schedule exhaustive training sessions for everyone on the team, including showcase customers, to make sure that everyone paints a consistent picture. Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

The firm’s portfolio includes Detroit’s direct-to-consumer plant startup Bloomscape , Chicago-based Paro , which provides a network of on-demand finance professionals, DC’s custom framing business Framebridge , Milwaukee-based monthly wine club Bright Cellars and New York insurtech company Policygenius. Revolution co-founder Tige Savage.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Funding Seed Funding Activity 211

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2019

Ian talked to us about the rewards and challenges of being an entrepreneur, plus how important it is to manage lifetime value (LTV) of a customer versus customer acquisition cost (CAC) in making a successful company. (We Ian Chen: In my previous life, I was working in private equity in LA. What is Discotech? How are you funded?

Startup 113

Startup Equity Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition. It still amazes me that some entrepreneurs seem totally at a loss on this question, or customer retention rate, or even margin expectations. Postulate competitive reactions and your responses.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 28, 2020

.” Both Vaughn and his Saucey co-founder Daniel Leeb will take management positions at PCH, and Blumberg Capital and Bullpen will have a large equity stake in the newly formed holding company, Vaughn said. We’ve spent the past decade in bev-alc at the forefront of providing solutions to changing consumer shopping behaviors.

Company 188

Company Companies Los Angeles San Diego 188

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. You can’t have it all, just like your startup can’t be all things to all customers. Recognize that the best people don’t work for free.

Startup 130

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 130

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

If you don’t have a destination, don’t waste your money trying to get there, and don’t expect anyone to support you along the way Projecting financials is a natural extension of the homework every entrepreneur needs to do on customer opportunity size, product costs, pricing, competition and customer value. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 147

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

Peers and customers alike still expect responsiveness. Yet peers and customers notice phone calls and e-mails not returned in twenty-four hours or less. Anything less makes you non-competitive. Work-life balance is not about equity, but about escape. They expect the same response you give to your best friends.

Startup 153

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 153

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2020

Skip the background story and customer pitch, which every investor has heard all too often. Investors want to hear a quantified problem, a simple solution description, opportunity size, competition, traction, team qualifications, how much money you need, and what equity you are willing to give.

Entrepreneur 127

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2016

To win, you need to think outside the box to deliver a better customer experience, business model, and new positioning. It takes extra effort and focus on some special techniques, including the following, to get the edge you need over your competitors in customer attraction and retention: Set order-of-magnitude goals.

Ideas 103

Ideas Competition Customer Custom 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations. These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

InfoChachkie

JULY 11, 2011

The nature of the company’s business model requires it to fund certain costs before it is paid by its customers. By combining our equity investment with a tranche of venture debt, the company has avoided a larger equity round, which would have significantly diluted the Founders’ ownership share. Enter venture debt.

Equity 235

Equity Startup Invest Funding 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

A few are still trying to make a profitable business out of nurturing startups, but it’s a challenge to make money when your customer startups don’t have many resources to give. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Berkonomics

AUGUST 27, 2015

They financed their companies, to the extent possible, in a manner minimizing the cost of capital, planning for organic growth in the number of customers served and in associated revenues. The Flipper’s executives usually have significant equity holdings, either actually owned or reflected in stock options.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Equity Competition Pricing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Investors want to hear about customers with money who have a painful problem that you can solve now. Investors are looking for a concise description of your product or service without technical jargon or fuzzy marketing terms with value quantified in customer terms. How big is the funding request, and how much equity will you give?

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2013

Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment which I think makes even more sense today. Every existing business, as well as every startup, needs to reassess their product or service in the context of these five forces: Intensity of competitive rivalry. Bargaining power of customers.

Startup 80

Startup Framework Competition Pricing 80

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

Eano, she said, offers competitive and transparent pricing so that homeowners aren’t surprised as a remodeling project goes on. We’re also helping these individual contractors increase the brand, and helping them with the administration and customer support side with our software.”. Image Credits: Eano CEO and founder Stella Wu / Eano.

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185