Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Much has been written about product design, but designing the total experience from the front rarely happens yet. In the classic book, “ X: The Experience When Business Meets Design ,” Brian Solis details how to design the whole experience, rather than just the product. Make user-centered design processes iterative.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2018

The most successful entrepreneurs and business owners I know are humble, and they don’t have an inflated sense of self. The only “sustainable competitive advantage” in business is self-awareness. I come from the same world, with an additional decade advising entrepreneurs, and I enthusiastically confirm his view.

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Competition Startup Examples Coach 81

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. I too have taken shots at MBA’s, describing why they are not typically well suited for startup life in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs. MBA’s are trained to design, organize and manage such large-scale, complicated operations. Ventures In Which An MBA Education Is A Plus.

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Tech.Co

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

From apps to hardware, to KickStarter successes and international startups, we’re inching closer to finding out who will take home the title of Startup of the Year competition at our annual Celebrate Conference in October. Among the dozens of participants that applied for the online competitions, only a few progressed into the semifinals.

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Competition Mobile Startup Technical Review 123

TechCrunch LA

MAY 24, 2020

One entrepreneur who’s spent time on both sides of the business as a startup founder and an employee for one of the biggest brands in athletic wear has launched a new app to try build a bridge between the physical and virtual fashion worlds. View this post on Instagram. The future of fashion discovery could be in the metaverse.

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Design Los Angeles West Los Angeles Social Media 219

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2017

As a business advisor, I strongly believe that continuous innovation and design thinking are the keys to long-term viability and success. Design thinking” is a methodology used to solve complex challenges, such as the ones faced by every business in today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive environment.

Design 62

Design Coach Organization Ideas 62

InfoChachkie

MARCH 21, 2019

Rather than selling dresses for $25, Ida’s designs were now selling for over $300. If Ida had been a prima donna designer, she might have rejected this request out of hand. Products such as the Symington Side Lacer were designed to flattened women’s breasts. In contrast, Ida’s designs accentuated women’s feminity.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. In a book a while back by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “ Designing for Growth ,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2015

Much has been written about product design, but designing the total experience from the front rarely happens yet. In a new book, “ X: The Experience When Business Meets Design ,” Brian Solis details how to design the whole experience, rather than just the product. Keep users engaged throughout design and development.

Design 61

Design Product Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2023

Why do a few entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, seem to come up with all the real innovations, while the majority of business leaders seem stuck in the rut of linear thinking? He connects breakthrough thinking to four initiatives, which I believe every entrepreneur should practice: Questioning deeply-held beliefs and assumptions.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2015

You can’t survive as an entrepreneur without resilience, because you are going to fail at least once, maybe multiple times. " If you need more evidence that great entrepreneurs survived through resilience, just look into the backgrounds of more recent entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk.

Entrepreneur 112

Entrepreneur Guide Activity Design 112

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2022

By definition, most entrepreneurs are thought leaders. They have the ability to recognize a market need, the skills to design and implement a solution, and the drive to start a business from that solution. Most entrepreneurs are not both. Many entrepreneurs who are great thought leaders are unwilling to listen and network.

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Startup Competition Entrepreneur Training 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2011

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. In a recent book by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “ Designing for Growth ,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2011

He was a life-long entrepreneur and the first business he created out of college (actually, he founded it while he was at Caltech) was a company that manufactured high quality audio speakers. Too many entrepreneurs focus on dilution. His first “real&# business came in college where he designed audio speakers.

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Competition Idealab Product CitySearch 350

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Why do a few entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, seem to come up with all the real innovations, while the majority of business leaders seem stuck in the rut of linear thinking? He connects breakthrough thinking to four initiatives, which I believe every entrepreneur should practice: Questioning deeply-held beliefs and assumptions.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Tool Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

From my consulting with entrepreneurs in Europe and other countries, I’m convinced that we all could benefit from adapting to meet their environments. Competition is not always a bad thing, and the real purpose is often to make the world a better place. Design the full stack, not just a new software element.

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Capital Marketing Ideas Venture Capital 138

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a new business, or a corporate executive seeking to revitalize a mature business, the challenge is the same – to become the obvious choice within the hearts and minds of your customers, your employees, and your chosen communities. Assemble the best team to assimilate and design what is needed.

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Company Companies Customer Custom 116

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

As an advisor to many entrepreneurs, I still hear frequently the irrational exuberance that crowdfunding is the quick alternative for startups that are passed over by overly demanding angels or venture capital investors. Thus crowdfunding is clearly not the panacea for funding and success that many entrepreneurs envision.

Startup 100

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Demand 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Young entrepreneurs and startups, in particular, often remain naively unfocused, despite their passion, of what it takes to provide the high-quality service expected. It’s a tough job, and inexperienced entrepreneurs just don’t know where to start, and how to do it. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved.

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Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

While free money may sound too good to be true, there are hundreds of grants available to small businesses in 2024 designed to make financing more accessible to business owners. It's competitive though – last year 18,000 applicants competed for only 12 slots. Learn more and apply here Deadline: April 1 2.

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Technical Review Software Review Startup Competition 194

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2011

Most of the entrepreneurs I know realize they have some bad habits, like maybe procrastination or not listening well, so they focus on dropping these. I recommend the following six techniques for solidifying good habits from “ The Compound Effect ,” by successful entrepreneur and writer Darren Hardy: Set yourself up to succeed.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Competition Examples Study 105

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

While the market isn't short of spritely, innovative entrepreneurs, harsh economic headwinds combined with a pullback in investor spending have made it harder than ever for budding businesses to break through. Vibrant Planet Vibrant Planet is a data-driven science and cloud-based solution designed to support restoration efforts.

Startup 213

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 213

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Competitive sportswoman. She was everything I was looking for in an entrepreneur to back. Kara on one side of the table showing me market sizes, competitive dynamics, product roadmaps, pricing plans for physical products with COGS and gross margins. Showing me designs. So, Mark, enough entrepreneur love.

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Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. This approach, popularly known as “glocalization,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Offshore 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 4, 2014

In fact, for the past 27-years, he has specialized in bringing exotic travel destinations to those of us who are healthy and active but whose competitive sporting days are long behind us. If you could share one startup lesson with a young entrepreneur, what would it be? Ever fantasized about climbing Mt. but we don''t.

Entrepreneur 187

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Resource 187

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. While winning pitch competitions is great, it’s not the most important thing about Startup of the Year.

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

New entrepreneurs who want to survive, and optimize the growth of their startups, need to think globally, and act locally, from day one. This approach, popularly known as “ glocalization ,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Marty Zwilling.

Patents 106

Patents Offshore Startup Demand 106

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2017

Thus I believe that business leaders and entrepreneurs need to focus first on people leadership, rather than process leadership. As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional. What goes around, comes around.

Entrepreneur 78

Entrepreneur Coach Organization Mentor 78

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

Aspiring entrepreneurs ask me why their great idea hasn’t sold; they talk about it endlessly, and they expect others to do the development, finance, and marketing work for them. Love that sustainable competitive advantage. Success is the right balance of both for fun and profit. Bask in the success as it happens.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. New entrepreneurs tend to focus only on product direct costs, and underestimate marketing and sales costs, overhead costs, and support costs. Competition.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2012

By definition, most entrepreneurs are thought leaders. They have the ability to recognize a market need, the skills to design and implement a solution, and the drive to start a business from that solution. Most entrepreneurs are not both. Many entrepreneurs who are great thought leaders are unwilling to listen and network.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Competition Training 98