Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2020

I refer back to the classic book, “ A Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide ,” by Jamey Stegmaier, one of the biggest thought leaders on crowdfunding, and who has also run several successful Kickstarter projects, that together have raised many millions of dollars. We still have no experience on how well this will work.

Startup 151

Startup Equity Funding Demand 151

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

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. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2015

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 108

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 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

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

One of the key sections of any business plan is the analysis of the competition. Investors take that to mean either 1) there is no market for your product, or 2) you don’t understand the concept of business and competition. It will certainly also decrease profitability over time, as well as test your sustainable competitive advantage.

Startup 86

Startup Competition Pricing Framework 86

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

You company is the product and you’re selling an equity ownership in your company but much more broadly you’re selling trust & confidence that you’re going to build something enormously valuable and that you’re going to be enjoyable to work hand-in-hand with over the coming decade of each other’s lives.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

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 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

For no good reason, this process seems shrouded in mystery, when in fact it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. A good investor can do a lot to help a company, but can't make customers buy products. Sustainable competitive advantage.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Startup Writing Competition 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

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 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

socalTECH

JANUARY 26, 2010

Russell Stern: Most semiconductor companies have to have to do board designs anyway, for reference designs, and to further qualify them, certify them, and get them through agency approvals. What that gives our customers, is a great edge in performance. What a customer wants is to just have much better Ethernet and UDP multicast.

Networking 124

Networking Startup Design Customer 124

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 16, 2015

There’s plenty of capital out there, but there’s also a lot of competition for startup funding. This can be a great way to test your product and get customer feedback. Expect to be diluted by 20-25% with each equity round. Customer financing can minimize your risk, providing more cushion to meet your milestones.

Startup 40

Startup Venture Capital Equity Funding 40

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2010

For no good reason, this process seems shrouded in mystery, when in fact it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. A good investor can do a lot to help a company, but can't make customers buy products. Sustainable competitive advantage.

Technical Review 90

Technical Review Writing Competition Tips 90

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2013

These are investor slang terms referring to how fast money is being spent, with an implicit question of how long the startup can survive before breakeven or another cash infusion is required. Who is a real customer that I can talk to? If there are no customers yet, when will the product ship, and how many times has the date been set?

Startup 101

Startup Invest Patents Entrepreneur 101

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Thus, you must first create the playbook by which an independent sales rep can readily sell your product, including: identifying objections and developing strategies to overcome them, creating reference accounts and establishing meaningful customer adoption. 2) Secure Your Intellectual Property Too Early.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2012

These are investor slang terms referring to how fast money is being spent, with an implicit question of how long the startup can survive before breakeven or another cash infusion is required. Who is a real customer that I can talk to? If there are no customers yet, when will the product ship, and how many times has the date been set?

Startup 97

Startup Invest Patents Customer 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

These are investor slang terms referring to how fast money is being spent, with an implicit question of how long the startup can survive before breakeven or another cash infusion is required. Who is a real customer that I can talk to? If there are no customers yet, when will the product ship, and how many times has the date been set?

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Startup Invest Patents 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2010

These are investor slang terms referring to how fast money is being spent, with an implicit question of how long the startup can survive before breakeven or another cash infusion is required. Who is a real customer that I can talk to? If there are no customers yet, when will the product ship, and how many times has the date been set?

Startup 91

Startup Invest Patents Entrepreneur 91

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

If you don’t follow the image reference above or the tag line, “ You don’t need double talk; you need Bob Loblaw “ (try saying it out loud) , and if you care! You never got around to agreeing exact equity splits but you had many conversations about it. But make it competitive. the link is here.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

InfoChachkie

JUNE 25, 2009

Some startup attorneys will accept a portion of their initial fees in the form of equity. When you hit the inevitable bumps in the road, a lawyer who has an equity stake in your business is more likely to be flexible with respect to payment terms and more willing to give you quick, off-the-clock feedback and guidance.

Technical Advisors 124

Technical Advisors Technical Review IP Patents 124