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. Call out your top competitors, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantage, including patents, trade secrets. and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. an investment in your company. I think there’s some truth in this.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

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. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding. Development schedule and checkpoints.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business for 4-6 months. “COGS” represents the amount that each sale costs you.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2017

My background is I was a sales rep in this industry for fourteen years, with Nikon. Eugene Cho: We had a seed round for less than $3M, and we did a note round with the Tech Coast Angels for $2M after we won their Quick Pitch competition, over about 150 other companies. So how was it you were able to ramp up sales so quickly?

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Startup Sales Slides 100

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 12, 2010

Spark Capital is relatively new to VC (founded in 2005) yet has become one of the hottest new VCs having invested in Twitter, Tumblr, AdMeld, Boxee, KickApps and many more companies. Private, flash sales site focused on apparel goods (women, men and children). Metrics: 2.5mm members, 1,000 brands, 2,500 sale events to-date.

Venture Capital 217

Venture Capital Capital Metrics Competition 217

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2022

Of course, growth is implied in that equation, and is also required for maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. You might sell one of two of your widgets for $1 million each, entering profitability immediately, but then die because you can’t grow sales at that price. Identify the total investment required for profitability.

Platform 118

Platform Snapchat Startup Course 118

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2010

Conventional wisdom in most companies is that “the competition is the enemy&# – it’s the rallying cry to dig deeper, get more features out the door, issue press releases citing differences and attack the competition’s weaknesses in sales presentations. You know, frenemies. When Enemies are Good.

Cloud Computing 320

Cloud Computing Competition Press Startup 320

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Every startup demands logical changes along the way. Thus investors are investing in you and your team, so you need to highlight the skills you have mastered, past accomplishments, and the connections you have established in your industry. Postulate competitive reactions and your responses.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2011

Its primary goal is to focus on identifying what is truly driving demand, analytically, so that our customers can optimize their activities. We have a very sophisticated, analytics and software platform that over half the Fortune 50 are now using, to help guide how they invest in marketing and sales activities and investments.

Social Media 235

Social Media Demand Activity Marketing 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. Be wary of crafty shysters who will flood your mailbox with official-looking mail offering to help for a fee, or demanding fees you forgot to pay. Now get real (cook it). Before you get too excited, it’s time to do some homework.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

Apparently with a physical storefront where it can convince customers of the wonders of on-demand mobility. As for what will happen at the store, Fifth Wall’s Adam Demuyakor tells me “There will be deployment of scooters, charging of scooters, and some sales of apparel and accessories that are related.

Santa Monica 221

Santa Monica Startup Technical Review Education 221

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Fallacy: Startup ventures tend to evolve, especially after you begin speaking with pesky customers and demanding partners. Public relations at a startup is a sales process. Perform China Syndrome Market Analysis.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2015

External investors will demand a financial forecast, but it’s equally valuable to you, even if bootstrapping. There is no black magic involved in predicting the future, if you use these four simple steps, with my basic rules of thumb to keep you on the right track: Determine your margin on sales. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Pricing Sales 102

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

If you invested in the first angel round of a startup company it is usually very hard to sell your stock – usually for many years if ever at all. The earlier you invest the higher the chances the company won’t work out and thus you pay a lower price than later-stage investors. Private markets for stocks are the opposite.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Consider the situation in which the entrepreneur wants to accept a financially life-changing offer to sell her company which is vetoed by the investor because the price does not meet its minimal investment return criteria. For instance, in a company’s early stages, it might be prudent for a Founder to lead the company’s sales efforts.

Entrepreneur 253

Entrepreneur Google Invest RSS 253

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

Fund raising (as is much of life) is a sale – pure and simple. As with any sales campaign you need to: Qualify your buyers early so you focus your scarce resources on people likely to buy your product. Partners make investment decisions. . Three rules in sales: Why buy anything? Do they have money to invest?

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

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 ;-). Of course it is super helpful if a VC can drop you in to important people for business development, recruiting, PR, sales and eventually M&A. Connections?

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

In today’s world of growing competition and customer evolution , holding your own, and growing to the next level is a constant challenge that can never be ignored. Treat employees like your most demanding customers. Balance the act of competition with the art of collaboration. The reality could not be further from the truth.

Ideas 77

Ideas Customer Custom Competition 77

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

Los Angeles-based Radical.FM (www.radical.fm) thinks it has a new formula for Internet streaming, and can take on Pandora and others in head to head competition. The difference between Pandroa and us, versus who we are, and on demand services like Spotify, Beats, or Rhapsody, is they have direct licenses. Explain what Radical.FM

Startup 237

Startup Services Advertising Content 237

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Rationale: I cannot afford to hire a direct sales force. Fallacy: Third-party, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) representatives succeed once the sales process is defined, proven and documented. Public relations at a startup is a sales process.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

InfoChachkie

APRIL 13, 2015

Because I am cheap and I know that car dealers are incentivized by the manufacturer to hit quarterly and annual sales goals. Thus, the value of a sale at the end of a quarter can be significant, if the sale contributes to obtaining a manufacturer''s incentive. Avoid The End-Of-The-Quarter Trou Drop.

Pricing 100

Pricing Startup Sales SaaS 100

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

This financial leader could well have come through the finance org at another startup or at a larger company but they often also can come from strategy consulting (Bain, BCG or McKinsey) or through investment banking (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc.). and we were met with weak demand, slow growth and high costs.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2019

Of course, growth is implied in that equation, and is also required for maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. You might sell one of two of your widgets for $1 million each, entering profitability immediately, but then die because you can’t grow sales at that price. Identify the total investment required for profitability.

Snapchat 74

Snapchat Startup Course Yahoo 74

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. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding. Development schedule and checkpoints.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

Digital marketing is simply the move to the digital tools and technologies that most people depend on every day, including smartphones, search engines, tablets, video on demand, and the social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. How does this solution provide a competitive advantage?

Marketing 101

Marketing Startup Case Study Resource 101

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

We worked together for four years, and I ended up heading up media buying at that company, and he headed up sales. We have been smart about how to make investments in our business, and when we jump into a new category or vertical. We became friends, and found we were both very like minded, goal oriented, and had the same core values.

Startup 239

Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 29, 2012

Consider the situation in which the entrepreneur wants to accept a financially life-changing offer to sell her company which is vetoed by the investor because the price does not meet its minimal investment return criteria. For instance, in a company’s early stages, it might be prudent for a Founder to lead the company’s sales efforts.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Google Invest RSS 145

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

It’s the whole basis of my investment philosophy, which I call “ The Entrepreneur Thesis.&#. It’s not clear that there was big customer demand for some of these products yet entrepreneurs were egged on by VCs to “take the money&# and try and push the market. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. What did he know?

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

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. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding. Development schedule and checkpoints.

Product 55

Product Startup Summary Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

In his book, “ Out-Executing the Competition ,” seasoned executive Irv Rothman provides tips to corporate executives on how to dig in and “get their fingernails dirty.” Too many entrepreneurs are reluctant to start the sales process, preferring to tweak and refine the product. But there are many times when your presence is critical.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Template Mentor 103

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

If a consumer will pay a fixed price for a product or service then the battle over who gets the margin in any sale is between the person who merchandises a product and the person who manufactures it. There has always been tension between CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies and the retailers who sell their products to consumers.

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

The framework of his book has profoundly altered how I think about the technology market and affects how I thought about building my businesses and how I think about investing in venture capital. This is important because the customers they serve (the red line) demand a product that meets their complex requirements.

Startup 376

Startup Framework Marketing Customer 376

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

Value Prop Twitter Style : “Ringrevenue’s call performance marketing platform enables ad networks, agencies, advertisers & publishers to generate more inbound sales calls.”. For businesses like this, finding new ways to drive more of these high-value inbound sales calls is key. Who do you view as your biggest competition?

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2015

Digital marketing is simply the move to the digital tools and technologies that most people depend on every day, including smartphones, search engines, tablets, video on demand, and the social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. How does this solution provide a competitive advantage?

Marketing 56

Marketing Case Study Resource Social Media 56

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 22, 2010

Due to competitive markets we ended up with a pretty good term sheet until we needed to raise money in April 2001 and then we got completely screwed. This states how the proceeds from a sale or dissolution of the company will be distributed. It was accept the terms or go into bankruptcy so we took the money.

Venture Capital 405

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Funding 405

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2011

When I described to people why I initially invested my calls went something like this, “He’s taken kicks to the face for nearly 2 years and is still standing. They dropped their number one selling product and switched to a competitor’s product while managing not to lose a single sale. I know this guy is a money maker.

Startup 292

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Summary 292