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

OCTOBER 31, 2022

This early stage is often called the idea stage, best populated by people who see the need for change early, or always have a vision for unmet opportunities, or a better way to do things. Idea people often don’t get funded as entrepreneurs, because a new business is all about results, not just ideas.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2021

Frame the way you want to change the world, and make it about the customer. It can start by setting aside twenty minutes in a weekly meeting to explore new ideas for making things better, and then following through. Carve out unstructured time for team members to focus on ideas. Decide what to measure and create metrics.

Develop 135

Develop Development Startup Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. Don’t assume anything until you have done market research and listened to real customers.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

Competition is not always a bad thing, and the real purpose is often to make the world a better place. The idea is to build excellence in one area, and get the rest from the ecosystem. With a singular focus on building unicorns, very rapid growth has been a key metric. Design the full stack, not just a new software element.

Capital 138

Capital Marketing Ideas Venture Capital 138

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. In today’s competitive world, with its accelerating rate of change, no competitive advantage lasts long. The only sustainable competitive advantage is creativity. Celebrate ideas. Flush out ideas and let go of the ones that fail.

Competition 135

Competition Netflix Ideas Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

I’m a believer in the old saying that investors look for great people, more than great ideas. While these investors, and early customers, will always argue that they found you, I’m convinced that there is no substitute for aggressive networking on your part. Ability to relate aspirations to customer needs.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

Thus they are blindsided and try to react quickly when a new competitor starts stealing customers. For example, we all remember when Blockbuster realized too late that Netflix was stealing customers by offering videos online rather than via DVDs, but even then they were unable to adapt their processes and their thinking.

Metrics 71

Metrics Training Netflix Resource 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business. Productivity and repeatability is the hallmark of a good business, whereas a hobby usually assumes everything is custom built and personal.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2012

A startup begins with a great idea, but all too often, that’s where it ends. Ideas have to be implemented well to get the desired results. That’s why investors invest in entrepreneurs, rather than ideas. Your value chain consists of customers, partners, vendors, internal systems, and your own team.

Ideas 94

Ideas Startup Summary Competition 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business. Productivity and repeatability is the hallmark of a good business, whereas a hobby usually assumes everything is custom built and personal.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I have often thought that creative endeavors where one has a quick turn-around between idea and realization of one’s work as one of the more fulfilling experiences in life. And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that initiated their journey. Stroh, which details the principles and metrics to follow for fostering innovation in any organization. by Patrick J.

Metrics 102

Metrics Startup Organization Demand 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2023

Everyone in the company must adopt the principles of customer-first focus, agility in responding to change, and constant innovation to improve your processes as well as the solution. Measure progress through metrics on sales, revenue, and penetration. Seek customer feedback on ways to improve value and satisfaction.

Customer 91

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 91

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. Interact with employees and customers on a regular basis. Never be too busy to talk to real customers. by Steven D.

Social Media 128

Social Media Metrics Customer Custom 128

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough resources to bootstrap our own startups, so we are completely dependent on investors to help turn great ideas into great businesses. Investors love entrepreneurs who come across as constantly on the lookout for new ideas, and able to grasp the larger implications for market change.

Ideas 140

Ideas Entrepreneur Equity Resource 140

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Many smart people I know fall into the category of “idea” people. You may never be at a loss for new ideas, and ways to broaden the appeal of your business. 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

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. You now need more than loyalty from your customers -- they need to be your best advocates. Here are some key ideas to get you started: It all starts with the right people on your team. Lost customers provide the best input.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2019

Frame the way you want to change the world, and make it about the customer. It can start by setting aside twenty minutes in a weekly meeting to explore new ideas for making things better, and then following through. Carve out unstructured time for team members to focus on ideas. Decide what to measure and create metrics.

Startup 97

Startup Metrics Competition Organization 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

If you can’t identify customer interest, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market. Don’t be afraid to test your ultimate entree on customers. This means find some hungry people who would love a good dinner, and be willing to pay for it.

Startup 112

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 112

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

As a business advisor, I meet many business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs who are anxious to be their own boss , or have an innovative idea to start or acquire a new business. You should pick an idea that you can hand off quickly to investors, or one you can grow as a legacy for your family.

Startup 94

Startup Ideas Metrics Entrepreneur 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2020

Competition is not always a bad thing, and the real purpose is often to make the world a better place. The idea is to build excellence in one area, and get the rest from the ecosystem. With a singular focus on building unicorns, very rapid growth has been a key metric. Design the full stack, not just a new software element.

Ideas 124

Ideas Venture Capital Software Review Technical Review 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Having a great idea in the wrong place won’t get you the funding you need, the experienced domain experts you want, or the pilot market results you need for survival.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Idea management. Set milestones and meet them.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

It’s when the noise stops and you can actually get customer attention, press articles and VC meetings. People attending marquee conferences with rock bands, prominent speakers, Gartner Group prognosticators and lots of other happy customers. Your favorite investor told you this was a bad idea. ROI studies were published.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

socalTECH

DECEMBER 20, 2017

In the meantime, we’ll continue publishing thoughts and ideas we’ve learned from great product managers here. It means competition is more fierce because formidable new competitors can arrive overnight. At long last, product managers could collect feature ideas from users at scale. Read on for our top posts from 2017! ??

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Metrics Ideas Product 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Idea management. Build and manage a pipeline of ideas.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

Retail or end user web sites aren’t even noticed by potential users or customers without being discovered through a real marketing program, aimed at finding the flywheel effect (the moment of going viral that makes all the difference between failure and success.) Well-tuned metrics are an absolute must. Here is my list. Third: cost.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Make sure everyone is curious and open, and not getting stuck with ideas from inside your company. Measure your agility by putting metrics on change. Old views of change rates are no longer competitive. Create a non-online memorable customer experience. Build a community with face-to-face between customers.

Customer 52

Customer Custom Technical Review Summary 52

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

If you can’t identify customer interest, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market. Don’t be afraid to test your ultimate entree on customers. This means find some hungry people who would love a good dinner, and be willing to pay for it.

Startup 156

Startup Coach Metrics Marketing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2020

Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that initiated their journey. Stroh, which details the principles and metrics to follow for fostering innovation in any organization. by Patrick J.

Startup 138

Startup Organization Demand Customer 138

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

However, to be a great VC you have to hold two conflicting ideas in your head at the same time. They might be ideas they hatch internally (via a Foundry) or a founder who just left SpaceX and raises money to search for an idea. On the one hand, you’re over paying for every investment and valuations aren’t rational.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. In today’s competitive world, with its accelerating rate of change, no competitive advantage lasts long. The only sustainable competitive advantage is creativity. Celebrate ideas. Flush out ideas and let go of the ones that fail.

Company 90

Company Companies Competition Netflix 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2020

Most of you realize that survival in business today requires grabbing hold of tomorrow’s opportunities with disruptive innovation , before your competition or a new startup gets there. Wozniak’s ideas were too far outside the HP comfort zone of business and scientific users, but Steve Jobs wasn’t ignoring the clues.

Tips 94

Tips Ideas Metrics Help 94

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2018

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. Interact with employees and customers on a regular basis. Never be too busy to talk to real customers. by Steven D.

Social Media 96

Social Media Metrics Customer Custom 96

InfoChachkie

MARCH 9, 2019

As a Professor at UC Santa Barbara , I constantly battle Hollywood’s stereotype of the rapacious, maniacal businessperson, by teaching my students that Honesty is a competitive advantage. Challenge the status quo and improve and innovate upon it, even if customers currently accept substandard offerings.

Startup 100

Startup Netflix Entrepreneur Metrics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Idea management. Build and manage a pipeline of ideas.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64