Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2019

Is your marketing focus product-centric or customer-centric ? If you only sell products, it’s time to realize that times have changed. With a wealth of products now available, customers look for the most memorable experience , not just the best product. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 02/19/2019.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Metrics 85

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Berkonomics

JUNE 2, 2022

Few of your contacts will be willing to use their valuable social or political capital helping you with a sales effort, and you will definitely strain your relationship with the intermediary if not a close friend. Dropping that name will often immediately draw a response if the decision maker is curious or particularly competitive.

Ideas 156

Ideas Sales Competition Venture Capital 156

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

I recently wrote a post about avoiding the “ Deferred Life Plan &# and some related thoughts about personal productivity that came from Tim Ferriss’s book, The Four Hour Workweek. I would love to say that I’m the productivity guru. Tim Ferriss gave this extra emphasis in his book.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2021

As an advisor to new business owners, I’m accustomed to seeing primarily the simple traditional product pricing strategies , usually driven by competitor prices, or cost plus a reasonable margin. Include free digital products to enhance physical ones. I hate to see money left on the table through poor pricing.

Pricing 145

Pricing Startup Competition Examples 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. The problem is that innovations in most business areas are coming so fast these days that yours can be overrun while still being scaled up across geographies and other products. Product-line expansion. Geographic expansion.

Startup 142

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 142

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Yet most of the startups I see these days are providing a solution that is easier to use, more fun, or more productive.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2021

Of course, we would all like to have a magic list based on more definitive tracking of many real startups over time. The challenge of a creating a new product or service is tough enough, without insisting on a new supply chain, and a new distribution channel. Offer customized products or services.

Startup 170

Startup Study Journal Sample 170

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2016

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 55

Product Startup Summary Entrepreneur 55

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Eventually you need a VP of Product to handle your product roadmap, a CTO for engineering leadership and VPs of sales, marketing & biz dev. This is when your job function truly starts to match the definition of “leader” because that’s exactly what your role is. And then there’s product management.

Entrepreneur 385

Entrepreneur CTO Hire Startup Sales 385

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2012

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 92

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 92

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2012

The real solution is better productivity and less procrastination, to put you back in control of your business. Jan Yager, a recognized expert on the subject of time management, just released a new edition of her most popular book, “ Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover.” Rest makes you more productive.

Product 117

Product Entrepreneur Email Customer 117

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2020

First: Product risk. . Is the product or service possible to produce at all, let alone economically enough to. One way to mitigate this is by using early money to create a prototype, to perform market research, to complete the first generation of the product, or to deliver the service to a satisfied customer.

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

Remember, investors are buying into the business, not the product. Investors are business experts, while the entrepreneur is more likely the product expert. Investors will impatiently expect a winning business model, customer segment definitions and volume projections. Specific elements of your marketing and sales plans.

Product 103

Product Slides Customer Custom 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2022

As a team member, low self-esteem leads to low confidence, poor productivity, and no job satisfaction. As you look at your entrepreneur goals, make sure you are following your own definition of success that gives you pride and passion in its pursuit. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 101

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 3, 2020

The prospects of augmented and virtual reality may be uncertain, but what’s definite is the need for new tools and technologies to transfer knowledge and train up employees as skilled, experienced workers age out of the workforce — and the development of new skills becomes critically important as technology changes the workplace.

Training 220

Training Los Angeles Tool Cornerstone OnDemand 220

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Yet most of the startups I see these days are providing a solution that is easier to use, more fun, or more productive.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2013

One of the toughest decisions for a startup is how to price their product or service. Obviously, it must be grounded by the characteristics of the market and customers you choose to serve, the pricing model of existing competitors, and a strategy you believe is consistent with your future products and direction. Product line pricing.

Pricing 116

Pricing Product Customer Custom 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2021

Yet even I have been known to recommend that approach, in cases where you have a highly innovative product, speed is of the essence, and no clear existing market is available. There is no substitute for talking to customers, analyzing your competition, and honing your solution to meet a target market segment.

Marketing 138

Marketing Demand IBM IBM 138

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. As a starting point, I like the Wikipedia simple definition of innovation as “the application of better solutions to meet new requirements or market needs.” Innovation must be driven top down by visionary leaders.

Organization 94

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

By definition, all of you entrepreneurs are leaders, by taking the initiative to start a new company. Some are great product leaders and innovative technologists, others are leaders in creating new business models , a few can assemble great teams , but only the rare exception can do all three.

Coach 162

Coach Startup Resource Competition 162

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Yet most of the startups I see these days are providing a solution that is easier to use, more fun, or more productive.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2015

As an entrepreneur, you should treat gossip among the members of your team as a reduction in productivity at best, and at worst, an indication of unhappy, un-empowered, or non-collaborative employees. Good gossip, as opposed to the malicious kind, some argue, might promote camaraderie and accountability on the team. Marty Zwilling.

Product 61

Product Entrepreneur Competition Examples 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. As a starting point, I like the Wikipedia simple definition of innovation as “the application of better solutions to meet new requirements or market needs.” Innovation must be driven top down by visionary leaders.

Organization 172

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 172

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2023

Incidentally, if you never thought of yourself as being an A-Player employee, you probably will struggle even more in the competitive entrepreneur world. Employees can be much more productive if they fully understand strategic issues and focus correspondingly. That’s the definition of a win-win opportunity. Marty Zwilling

Entrepreneur 85

Entrepreneur Customer Custom Competition 85

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

By definition?—?I’m We back very early stage companies and work alongside executive teams as their build their teams, launch their products, announce their companies and raise their first downstream capital rounds. The market definition has changed but what we do mostly hasn’t. Are we in a bubble?”

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2022

As an entrepreneur, you should treat gossip among the members of your team as a reduction in productivity at best, and at worst, an indication of unhappy, un-empowered, or non-collaborative employees. Good gossip, as opposed to the malicious kind, some argue, might promote camaraderie and accountability on the team. Marty Zwilling.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Competition Research 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2020

A good entrepreneur feels the incentive to offer a new service/product that no one else has offered before. Beat the competition and discover yourself. Competition drives innovation, and innovation drives competition. By definition, if you see the rewards here as outweighing the risks, you are an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 122

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 122

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

I guess this is the ultimate definition of implementing a business model when you’re not clear on strategy! You need to first create a compelling product. In my opinion no amount of clever marketing or chest beating at conferences can create a market if you don’t have an amazing product to begin with. ” True.

Startup 401

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 401

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

The rest of the country may be in a recession, but hiring within the tech community remains highly competitive. As such, a reputation as a cool company is a competitive advantage to be cultivated and coveted. Or you may find that coolness is all about the companies' products and innovations. Cool matters.

Yahoo 205

Yahoo Company Companies RSS 205

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

From an investor perspective, understanding and acting early to establish a sustainable competitive advantage, and barrier to entry, is the best assurance of a financial return. By definition, entrepreneurs need to love the art of the start, and that love needs to come across as part of the first impression you deliver to any investor.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

Incidentally, if you never thought of yourself as being an A-Player employee, you probably will struggle even more in the competitive entrepreneur world. Employees can be much more productive if they fully understand strategic issues and focus correspondingly. That’s the definition of a win-win opportunity. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 159

Entrepreneur Customer Custom Competition 159

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2016

I find the over-introducers especially corrosive around first-time founders who often struggle with the balance of their time between tasks like building product versus tasks like speaking at conferences or meeting with potential business development partners. In many instances this help is genuine, well-meaning and productive.

Innocal 255

Innocal Conference Help Study 255

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Will the solution give you an “unfair competitive advantage,” meaning no competitor already has it, or can replicate your solution without your skills or intellectual property. Skip the fill words and fuzzy phrases, like better, cheaper, easier to use, or more productive. Is there an educated marketplace waiting?

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Competitive sportswoman. She learns how to ship product, how to deal with merchants, how to hire product managers. Always meeting her product ship dates. She was always able to get into the weeds on product or biz dev discussions. She speaks about ethical sourcing of eco-friendly products. Stanford MBA.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398