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

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. 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

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. In reality, the best business process innovations usually come from regular employees on the front line of your business, just trying to do a better job and better serve customers.

Organization 94

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 94

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. We spent time out in the marketplace talking with customers, looking at their solutions, comparing ourselves with our competition and then squirreling ourselves away in our offices designing our next set of features.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

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

JANUARY 3, 2021

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. In reality, the best business process innovations usually come from regular employees on the front line of your business, just trying to do a better job and better serve customers.

Organization 172

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 172

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. Regularly follow reviews and influencers in your industry. Ask the right questions, and listen to your customers.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

He lays out seven thinking strategies for both entrepreneurs and employees that will make them business winners: Focus on the customers at all times. Corporate thinkers often become preoccupied with doing their jobs and following rules, not pleasing customers. They don’t realize that customers are the source of all business payback.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Sales Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Today’s customers are much more proactive in going online for the latest information, rather than simply reacting to the “push” messages that businesses traditionally use to drive commerce. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground.

Tips 126

Tips Technical Review Organization Social Media 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2022

The ready-aim-fire traditional approach works best in more mature markets, where your strategy is to add features and value to competitive products, or address an underserved new segment of the marketplace. This most often happens due to impatience, which is not typically an entrepreneurial virtue.

Marketing 120

Marketing Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2017

The ready-aim-fire traditional approach works best in more mature markets, where your strategy is to add features and value to competitive products, or address an underserved new segment of the marketplace. This most often happens due to impatience, which is not typically an entrepreneurial virtue.

Marketing 54

Marketing Research Technical Review Entrepreneur 54

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Recent reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Search Engine Optimization Summary 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2019

He outlines six dimensions of a winning business strategy, with some practical, research-based steps that I like, to focus on in achieving extraordinary results: Above all, deliver an exceptional total customer experience. Highlight your competitive value, not your technology. Strategy can’t be a one-time effort.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Customer Custom Competition 87

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2017

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

Apparently with a physical storefront where it can convince customers of the wonders of on-demand mobility. Update: TechCrunch has confirmed Lime’s plans for the store, and that the deal to build it came through Lime’s investor Fifth Wall Ventures that arranges partnerships between tech companies and real estate developers.

Santa Monica 221

Santa Monica Startup Technical Review Education 221

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

In my role as a Professor of Practice within UC Santa Barbara’s entrepreneurial Technology Management Program (TMP), I have worked with approximately 8,000 students over a ten year period. Note: due to the founders’ relative lack of experience, most student enterprises do not qualify for venture capital.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Class Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2018

Today’s customers are much more proactive in going online for the latest information, rather than simply reacting to the “push” messages that businesses traditionally use to drive commerce. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground.

Technical Review 68

Technical Review Organization Entrepreneur Social Media 68

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2015

Today’s customers are much more proactive in going online for the latest information, rather than simply reacting to the “push” messages that businesses traditionally use to drive commerce. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Organization Entrepreneur Social Media 100

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 24, 2014

Whether due to technological, regulatory, or competitor driven factors, key market dynamics you envisioned when you came up with your idea, did your research and developed your business plan, no longer apply. 5) Your business model isn’t gaining traction with customers. 1) Your market has changed.

Startup 98

Startup Competition Examples Customer 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2019

The ready-aim-fire traditional approach works best in more mature markets, where your strategy is to add features and value to competitive products, or address an underserved new segment of the marketplace. This most often happens due to impatience, which is not typically an entrepreneurial virtue.

Startup 93

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Marketing 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2014

Today’s customers are much more proactive in going online for the latest information, rather than simply reacting to the “push” messages that businesses traditionally use to drive commerce. If you as an entrepreneur are not “listening” to your online reviews, and not moving quickly to make changes, you are losing ground.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Entrepreneur Organization Social Media 100

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

It should talk about how many customers you think you will acquire and how much you’ll charge for your product. Do you really want to spent $100k building a product to discover through Customer Development that the market is too small? What about your competition – how much do they charge? Going to charge less?

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

Fortunately I was mostly a technology consultant, which meant that I coded computers, designed databases and planned system integration projects. One of our core tasks was “market analysis,&# which consistent of: market sizing, market forecasts, competitive analysis and then instructing customers on which direction to take.

Statistics 415

Statistics Startup Report Research 415

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Tech.Co

MAY 31, 2023

But while competition remains fierce, the advancement and accessibility of smart solutions are making it easy than ever for startups to find their feet. Business tools — from customer relationship management ( CRM ) platforms to accounting software — help to save startups time and money by automating key processes and maximizing efficiency.

Tool 131

Tool Startup Software Review Technical Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2016

He lays out seven thinking strategies for both entrepreneurs and employees that will make them business winners: Focus on the customers at all times. Corporate thinkers often become preoccupied with doing their jobs and following rules, not pleasing customers. They don’t realize that customers are the source of all business payback.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Sales Customer Custom 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

In fact, I can condense the sum of my business experiences into eight key disciplines: Start with a total and ongoing customer focus. Don’t assume anything until you have done market research and listened to real customers. Then assume the customers will change over time, so never stop listening.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Tips 93

Tips Search Engine Optimization Summary Startup 93

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But not doing basic research makes no sense. How much ad revenue does TripAdvisor make? Market Structure.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 2, 2011

Their slideshow presentations addressed a number of questions about their products including target demographics, customer needs, marketing avenues, financial/revenue streams, leading competitors, and etc. Tech Nerds, with Tab Attack, a game-based learning system to help teenagers play drums & guitar with the use of tablatures.

Technical Review 82

Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review USC 82

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2010

You need to allocate a few minutes a day, or every week, to researching via blogs and websites like Tech News World the latest recommendations and reviews. The trick is to listen first, add something of value to the conversation, and pull the customers to you because they trust you and want more.

Social Media 95

Social Media Media Startup Blogging 95

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

are eliminated during due diligence. Having a defensible competitive advantage or “barrier to entry” is another critical step to funding, and another common stumbling block during all phases of the funding process. Remember to aim the content of both of these at investors, not customers. Define some intellectual property.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99