Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2012

A while back, I wrote about the value of Michael Porter’s Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment, and using every opportunity to highlight and emphasize your relative advantages, whether they be price, features, or bargaining power. Exceed customer expectations. Continuous customer service innovation.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Startup Organization 104

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

JULY 26, 2018

Turning these into statements instead of questions provides a framework for the sales presentation from the highest levels of collateral materials and marketing support, to the salesperson on the front line. Is your product or service one that responds to a customer need, real or perceived? Why buy it?”. Why buy MINE? .

Sales 226

Sales Customer Custom Pricing 226

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Investors and partners now look only for a framework of your business essentials, within the context of your opportunity, solution, and financials.

Tips 161

Tips Startup Social Media News 161

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2021

Every entrepreneur’s first priority should be the alignment of interests across the range of constituents required for success – partners, investors, customers, vendors, and employees. If you have had to pivot from the consumer market to enterprise customers, that requires new pricing models and new sales channels.

Social Media 143

Social Media Startup Framework Course 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2022

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Coach 114

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 114

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Authors Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Oglivie have created a framework for creation of a new product or service – one worth spending at least a cycle of time for review. What if we could do it better, do it in a new way, do it to attract new customers, do it to distance ourselves form the competition? What wows?

Design 120

Design Framework Ideas Customer 120

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

AUGUST 8, 2022

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. In fact, people lower in the organization are often closer to the customer and have more insight into what works and what doesn’t.

Ideas 111

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2019

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Coach 96

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2018

I share her view of the ten key elements of the basic framework and vocabulary of open information sharing and open decision making: Explaining: creating buy-in. Employees can share best practices with customers on social network platforms and customers can help each other. Conversing: engaging in a dialogue with others.

Software Review 92

Software Review Social Media Social Network Technical Review 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2019

The first thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Obviously, the platforms and how you use social media would be different for lead generation versus service and support.

Social Media 96

Social Media Media Marketing Metrics 96

Berkonomics

JULY 9, 2011

Turning these into statements instead of questions provides a framework for the sales presentation from the highest levels of collateral materials and marketing support, to the salesperson on the front line. Is your product or service one that responds to a customer need, real or perceived? Why buy it?”.

Sales 222

Sales Customer Custom Pricing 222

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

Let me start with Professor Christensen’s definition: “An innovation that is disruptive allows a whole new population of consumers access to a product or service that was historically only accessible to consumers with a lot of money or a lot of skill.&#. So the startups tend to focus on totally new customers.

Startup 376

Startup Framework Marketing Customer 376

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

I share her view of the ten key elements of the basic framework and vocabulary of open information sharing and open decision making: Explaining: creating buy-in. Employees can share best practices with customers on social network platforms and customers can help each other. Conversing: engaging in a dialogue with others.

Software Review 90

Software Review Social Media Social Network Technical Review 90

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

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

I thought I’d try to offer a framework for thinking about the topic. So here’s my framework. Only … ONLY … if there’s a sense of competition on the deal. The other thing I ask entrepreneurs to consider is what will happen to competition in a market. So how should you decide what to do?

Help 303

Help Startup Competition Framework 303

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

It’s building a product that is substantially differentiated, and, as Bill Gross, one of the most prolific tech entrepreneurs of our era says, “ It needs to be 10x better than the competition ” (because if you shoot for that then in competitive markets you might achieve 3x. But many people benefitted. But it works.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Product 103

Product Coach Framework Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. In fact, people lower in the organization are often closer to the customer, and have more insight into what works and what doesn’t.

Ideas 94

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2017

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Coach 64

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 64

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2013

The first thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Obviously, the platforms and how you use social media would be different for lead generation versus service and support.

Social Media 102

Social Media Media Product Metrics 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2017

The first thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Obviously, the platforms and how you use social media would be different for lead generation versus service and support.

Social Media 62

Social Media Media Metrics SEO 62

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2013

I support her ten elements of the basic framework and vocabulary of open information sharing and open decision making: Explaining: creating buy-in. Employees can share best practices with customers on social network platforms and customers can help each other. These have the added benefit of being searchable and discoverable.

Social Media 102

Social Media Entrepreneur Software Review Social Network 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2013

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. The hard part is providing the leadership required to align and motivate all the constituents and players – from engineers, to investors, vendors, and ultimately customers. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Coach Framework Tool 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Investors and partners now look only for a framework of your business essentials, within the context of your opportunity, solution, and financials.

Startup 61

Startup Social Media News Tool 61

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Let’s set up a framework. You are particularly vulnerable if: You have revenue concentration (few customers each providing a large total of percentage of your revenue). You have a large number of startup customers (because when markets crash they have a funny way of going bankrupt quickly or cutting burn precipitously).

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2013

Every entrepreneur’s first priority should be the alignment of interests across the range of constituents required for success – partners, investors, customers, vendors, and employees. If you have had to pivot from the consumer market to enterprise customers, that requires new pricing models and new sales channels.

Startup 94

Startup Social Media Entrepreneur Framework 94

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2012

She outlines her ten elements of the basic framework and vocabulary of open information sharing and open decision making: Explaining: creating buy-in. Employees can share best practices with customers on social network platforms and customers can help each other. These have the added benefit of being searchable and discoverable.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Social Network Software Review Social Media 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2012

The first thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Obviously, the platforms and how you use social media would be different for lead generation versus service and support.

Social Media 91

Social Media Media Metrics SEO 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2012

Every entrepreneur’s first priority should be the alignment of interests across the range of constituents required for success – partners, investors, customers, vendors, and employees. If you have had to pivot from the consumer market to enterprise customers, that requires new pricing models and new sales channels.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Framework 93

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

A cybersecurity report by Ponemon Institute, in association with Keeper Security, found that in the 12 months leading up to June 2016, 55 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) experienced a cyber attack, while 50 percent encountered data breaches involving customer and employee information.

Startup 40

Startup Framework Statistics Customer 40

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2010

She outlines her ten elements of the basic framework and vocabulary of open information sharing and open decision making: Explaining: creating buy-in. Employees can share best practices with customers on social network platforms and customers can help each other. These have the added benefit of being searchable and discoverable.

Social Media 89

Social Media Startup Software Review Social Network 89

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2017

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. In fact, people lower in the organization are often closer to the customer, and have more insight into what works and what doesn’t.

Ideas 56

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 56

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Kathy Sierra at Business of Software 2009 - Business of Software Blog , May 4, 2010 "In the old days, getting customers was easy. Putting customers first. Legendary customer support. Instead of making a few dollars per sale and hoping for thousands of sales, you sell to only a few customers, and charge much higher rates.

Startup 248

Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Xconomy

JUNE 15, 2016

Having a board helps you keep your eye consistently on the strategic aspects of your business which, in turn, helps you attract investors and customers. However, even in a small startup, there are many risks that matter – such as hiring the wrong leaders, not getting sufficient investor support, or lacking a competitive advantage.

Framework 63

Framework Startup Competition Help 63

SoCal Delicious

JANUARY 9, 2014

Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle framework “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” Simon Sinek If your customers believe in your mission, then they’ll warm to you and listen to what you offer and how. Happy customers tend to spend more, more often and tell their friends. This is where the Golden Circle comes in.

Startup 78

Startup Design Customer Custom 78