Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2018

In addition to obvious economic challenges, the emerging generation of customers is determined to radically change the rules for customer engagement. Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply.

Demand 56

Demand Customer Custom Tips 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Startup 154

Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

As with most investors and advisors, I always look first at some key personal characteristics and leadership strategies that I find often make you a more likely survivor and winner in the highly competitive world of businesses, both new and mature. I expect to see evidence of a healthy lifestyle, with outside interests.

Startup 143

Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

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

JUNE 4, 2022

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Choosing the action quickly which has the best expected outcome or positive contribution. It's difficult to create a high-demand product by guessing. The team is the same. The company's market is the same.

Ideas 155

Ideas Entrepreneur Research Demand 155

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2015

In addition to obvious economic challenges, the emerging generation of customers is determined to radically change the rules for customer engagement. Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply.

Customer 97

Customer Custom Social Media Outsource Development 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2014

In addition to obvious economic challenges, the emerging generation of customers is determined to radically change the rules for customer engagement. Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Social Media Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. According to many observers , we can thank or blame technology for these higher expectations, providing information at the speed of light, leading everyone to expect more. Every job on your team drives your customer experience.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2020

Therein lies the advantages of free markets and competition and if we really believed it were that easy to buy off your largest competitor and be a monopolist we’d all be surfing on AOL TimeWarner portals. Customers were happy and restaurants focused on their in-store business. they just put up with the food delivery company fees.

SaaS 242

SaaS Customer Custom Technical Review 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. Great entrepreneurs have learned how to realistically assess and manage both sides of the coin in the following business opportunity and risk categories: Strategic. Embrace the risk of standing in your own line.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2022

Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned. People see you as great for demanding customers and team bonding. Being reward-driven , you are driven to win money, customers, applause, and the admiration of others.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2013

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience continues to decline. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Customer 92

Customer Custom Startup Services 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2020

The result is that you often take a big financial hit, and lose key customers, before you realize that the change didn’t work. For example, several years ago Apple was so convinced that their new Apple III model would be a winner that they rolled it out broadly, rather than do a controlled release first with some key customers.

Sample 124

Sample Customer Custom Tool 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2016

Having the best solution is a good start these days, but a solution alone is no longer enough to keep customer attention and loyalty. They expect to be surprised and delighted as well by their pre-purchase experience and post-purchase interactions. Your competition is global, so today’s customers are demanding world-class service.

Customer 56

Customer Custom Startup Competition 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

In the restaurant business, I often see great cooks fail to succeed by not having a partner or the right level of focus on the financial side of the equation. Balance of passion with reality and customer feedback. Today, customer loyalty is based on the “ total customer experience ,” as opposed to price or service alone.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). These leaders not only recognize team members who have high potential, but they willingly and selflessly customize their coaching to what these special protégés really need.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

People may jump into the lifestyle to be their own boss, achieve great wealth, start a new trend, or all the above. Don’t wait for the harsh reality of the demanding business world to start thinking about these tradeoffs. Your great idea for the next Facebook may make you wealthy, but it probably won’t help the hungry.

Startup 130

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 130

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Many entrepreneurs I have mentored make big mistakes in this area, by hiring low-cost friends and family, with minimal skills or training, and expecting them to have the same work ethic , passion, and business knowledge as the founder. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

For example, it’s great to pursue a higher purpose, like feeding the hungry, but don’t forget that running any business is a hungry mouth you have to feed. For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition. Every startup demands logical changes along the way.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2020

Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned. People see you as great for demanding customers and team bonding. Being reward-driven , you are driven to win money, customers, applause, and the admiration of others.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2022

They are not having the impact they expected, and they are not feeling the personal satisfaction they need for next level motivation. Even though you will never be great at all tasks, some are important enough that it's worth the extra effort to learn more, practice, and achieve minimal competence.

Entrepreneur 90

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Coach Mentor 90

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2018

Many customers now actively seek out new technologies, rather than wait for many others to try it first. Steve Jobs proved it with the iPhone, and Elon Musk can’t produce his electric cars fast enough to keep up with demand. Too many founders still focus their product design and selling efforts only on direct paybacks to the customer.

Marketing 92

Marketing Demand Examples Social Media 92

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. ” We used the term to describe software that was purchased with great enthusiasm only to be stored on the shelf and seldom used.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that their idea and passion are so great that failure is not a possibility. Based on my experience, creating a new business is at least as difficult as creating an innovative solution, and it takes a knowledge of finance, operations, customers and the marketplace.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

When a product is truly unique and demanded a retailer willingly promotes and sells it en masse in part because it does get margin on the good but also because it brings customers in the door who spend on other products. Ariel understood her customer?—?the So Why Does This Matter? the modern buyer of home products?—?better

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

While this reaction to such a valuation is understandable, to anybody who has seen the meteoric rise in consumer demand and actual revenue the valuation is much less surprising and may turn out to be quite conservative. You can expect some strong competition, but it’s unlikely that there will be 5 great scooter companies.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Choosing the action quickly which has the best expected outcome or positive contribution. It's difficult to create a high-demand product by guessing. The team is the same. The company's market is the same.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Here are some key strategies that I recommend to every worker today: Develop and highlight your competitive differentiation. Today, customers and future managers put a higher value on relationships, and expect to know you from industry conferences, social media, or recommendations from peers.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. Great entrepreneurs have learned how to realistically assess and manage both sides of the coin in the following business opportunity and risk categories: Strategic. Embrace the risk of standing in your own line.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 107

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

This is smart because amazing board members can be transformative with important advice and access and can also help attract other great board members (and team members). This is the norm and unless you have a hugely competitive round it’s not worth fighting. Bad board members can make business very unpleasant.

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2019

People may jump into the lifestyle to be their own boss, achieve great wealth, start a new trend, or all the above. Don’t wait for the harsh reality of the demanding business world to start thinking about these tradeoffs. Your great idea for the next Facebook may make you wealthy, but it probably won’t help the hungry.

Startup 97

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 97

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

In the initial phases of any new market you’re developing a product (hopefully with a minimal set of features), getting feedback from customers, refining your product based on user feedback and then re-launching your product. And having too much money certainly raises board expectations that you will do big things quickly.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Choosing the action quickly which has the best expected outcome or positive contribution. It''s difficult to create a high-demand product by guessing. The team is the same. The company''s market is the same.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 105