Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

leadership, mentorship, competitiveness, communications, relationship-building?—?and So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs. The fact that Kara doesn’t have what my wife likes to refer jokingly as my “Y chromosome problem” is beside the fact. And all the platform stuff.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

Detailed roadmap of features you plan to build Detailed customer information Salary information Any other information you wouldn’t want seen or know by your competitors or a larger audience In short, there is nothing in your deck that should give you pause or make you feel like you can’t just send the damn file to somebody. A deck is a deck.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

It’s insanely competitive to get into our industry so most have degrees from institutions like Stanford, Harvard, Wharton and University of Chicago (blatant plug ;-). Simply put – I’d be in search of a VC who had an intuitive sense of my product, my customers, my organizational issues, my competitors, etc.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. The customer experience is more than the service.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

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

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

As a CEO you never stop needing to go on sales calls (or to work the phones in telesales or customer support) and ceasing to do this as your company grows because you’re focusing on investors, recruiting, PR or whatever is a mistake. I also make visits to senior level customers of portfolio companies with which I’m involved.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing. The founder had simply not done the work to validate a price and customer segment. Focus on collecting customer references.

Product 159

Product Technical Review Pricing Software Review 159

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 29, 2022

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? Can we rapid prototype this idea into a product and try it out on potential customers? Are we missing something those customers think they need, or want so badly they will wait and later pay?

Design 156

Design Framework Ideas Customer 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

Ask everyone to update their resume, and personally call probable references, so there are no surprises. Contact key vendors and existing customers. That means questioning each of these key players, and calling references or prior associates. If the product is in customer hands, expect some customers to be interviewed.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2020

It’s clear things have changed for good and the need for managing remote communities of employees, customers and partners has become ever more important. In marketing materials founders often refer to their customer base as a “community”, but there’s a huge gap between having customers and creating a community.

Software 234

Software Startup Tool Platform 234

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2020

Today’s business mantra must be “Take care of your people and they will take care of your customers.” Once a product-first, customer-second, and employee-last culture is set, it is extremely hard to change. As well, you need to focus externally on getting feedback from customers, suppliers, and competitors. Marty Zwilling.

Organization 160

Organization Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction 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

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2012

Eric espouses designing products with the smallest set of features to please a customer base, and moving products into the marketplace quickly to test reaction, then iterating. In the reverse situation, sometimes a single feature is insufficient to support a customer set. Customer segment pivot. Customer need pivot.

Course 109

Course Startup Platform Entrepreneur 109

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! Like anything in life, if you want a fair deal on the deferred fee and warrant percentage you need to talk to a few lawyers to make it competitive.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2013

The firm recently raised a $15M series C funding, and we caught up with Kevin to learn more about why its customers, and investors, are interested in its technology. What''s the gap in the market which would make your technology important to your customers? What does OnRamp Wireless do? Kevin Hell: That''s a great question.

Technical Review 213

Technical Review Software Review Networking Technology 213

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Eric espouses designing products with the smallest set of features to please a customer base, and moving products into the marketplace quickly to test reaction, then iterating. In the reverse situation, sometimes a single feature is insufficient to support a customer set. Customer segment pivot. Customer need pivot.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Platform Customer 102

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. They’re competitive. Ask your customer why you lost. They decided to re-open the competition for 3-4 more weeks. I don’t want to lose next time. Specifically: 1.

Outsource Development 333

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 333

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

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. They’re competitive. Ask your customer why you lost. They decided to re-open the competition for 3-4 more weeks. I don’t want to lose next time. Specifically: 1.

Outsource Development 328

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 328

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2015

We built MakeSpace’s logistics systems and customer applications (to see all of your items in storage in beautiful photography) in the first year. Then we launched our service in NYC and in just one year captured 2% of all new storage customers in our target demo in just one year with almost no marketing budget.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Press .Net Customer 150

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

A business plan is the outward facing definition of the business you hope to drive with your hardware solution, with a hardware overview in the intro to highlight customer value and competitiveness. Use non-fuzzy terms to quantify customer value. Provide specifics on the customer business model. and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. The customer experience is more than the service.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

The promised to follow up with: calls, using your product, talking to customers or “noodle on things.&# Will they? You would never go see an important executive at a customer and then sit around and wait for them to realize how great you are. Or maybe you had a major customer win that you’d like to walk them through.

Venture Capital 277

Venture Capital Startup Email News 277

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2020

If your customers would benefit by having products from both companies, you might negotiate the opportunity to include the other’s product as an add-on. Where your competitor isn't really competing with your direct market, you can refer business to each other without anyone losing customers. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 126

Startup Outsource Competition Acquisition 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

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 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

If you care about accessing customers, reaching an audience, communicating your vision, influencing people in your industry, marketing your services or just plain engaging in a dialog with others in your industry a blog is a great way to achieve this. I’ll bet your customers, business partners or suppliers would love similar.

Blogging 373

Blogging Startup Writing Venture Capital 373

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2020

Hiring requirements must be anticipated and implemented with the same precision and tracking as manufacturing volumes, sales leads, and customer service. Your gut-feelings are important, but need to be validated by normal background and reference checks. Hiring before organizational structure is defined. Quick to hire and slow to fire.

Organization 135

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. The customer experience is more than the service.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

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

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. For example, one CEO I know gave away his software product to the first ten customers. Iterate and improve the fit until your test customers are delighted, not just tolerant.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Pricing Customer Custom 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2015

Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing. The founder had simply not done the work to validate a price and customer segment. Focus on collecting customer references.

Technical Review 108

Technical Review Pricing Startup Software Review 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2022

It refers to multiplication factors that occur when complementary actions or approaches are used together for greater impact. You may focus only on Facebook, and missing customers who expect to see you on Instagram and YouTube. Get interactive with online users and customer feedback. Show potential customers that you care.

Marketing 119

Marketing Social Media Mentor Conference 119

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2013

In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. For example, one CEO I know gave away his software product to the first ten customers. Iterate and improve the fit until your test customers are delighted, not just tolerant.

Product 94

Product Pricing Customer Custom 94

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2011

In other words, once they are convinced that the product works, they assume their price, sales channel, and marketing will bring in the customers. For example, one CEO I know gave away his software product to the first ten customers. Iterate and improve the fit until your test customers are delighted, not just tolerant.

Startup 93

Startup Pricing Customer Custom 93