Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2023

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe.

Software Review 114

Software Review Technical Review Outsource Development Outsource 114

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Source: hibobbie.com The company also raised an impressive $70 million in funding in June to acquire the legacy pediatric nutrition brand Nature’s One, bringing its total kitty up to $142 million and helping to secure its competitive advantage in the industry going forward. Writesonic Library screenshot.

Startup 213

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 213

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

One of the best ways to assess development risk is to build and test a prototype, or minimum viable product (MVP). Write down your business model and five-year plan. I believe that writing down your business plan has tremendous value for you, even if you don’t need investors. Plan for change before the crisis.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down. The discipline of writing down your plan is the best way to make sure you understand how to transform your idea into a business, and how to communicate it. Marketing should start before product development.

Startup 124

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

In addition, the discipline of producing it, like writing a business plan, will help you immensely in understanding the key elements that drive you and your business. I often hear the excuse that writing a book takes precious time away from building and running your business, which you cannot afford.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 8, 2019

Warren’s plan called for regulators to be appointed to oversee the unwinding of several acquisitions that were critical to the development of the core technology that make Alphabet’s Google and the social media giant Facebook so profitable… and Zappos. — Balaji S. ” . ”

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Startup Chief Technology Officer Social Media 144

socalTECH

JUNE 11, 2018

For our interview this morning, we caught up with Scot Lawrie , the President and technical Co-founder of Los Angeles-based Coverfly (www.coverfly.com), and John Rhodes , Coverfly's head of Marketing and Business Development, to learn a bit more about the early stage, bootstrapped startup focused on Hollywood script writers. What is Coverfly?

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Hollywood Platform Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Every school recognizes the power of “hands-on” work to help you develop your own ideas into a business. Write a business plan and pitch deck for learning. It may seem strange, but I find that entrepreneurs still in school procrastinate less and are less intimidated by the process of writing their plan.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down. The discipline of writing down your plan is the best way to make sure you understand how to transform your idea into a business, and how to communicate it. Marketing should start before product development.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2020

This risk can be mitigated by finding a customer willing to purchase as soon as a proven model is completed, and willing to state this in writing. And fifth: Competitive risk. . Will the public respond in numbers to buy, license or rent your offering?

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2022

Formally, that’s called developing and maintaining a strategic plan. Usually that means writing something down, since it’s hard to maintain something, or track yourself against it, if it’s not written down. In these changing times, if you already have a startup, with no plan, maybe it’s time to think ahead for a change.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Training Ideas 115

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Capitalism is fundamentally about timing, since market competition is about finding opportunities before others. Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. We get at least a dozen at the TC offices every week, which is why we write about books so often around here these days. When should a VC invest?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. 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. Effective communication requires real listening, as well as talking.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

I will add to this as I write more in the coming weeks on the topic. The funding rounds will also build customer confidence and they’ll help journalists feel air cover in writing your more important pieces when you brag about customers, traction, revenue or whatever. ” Funding IS the story. Funding is news.

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

I recommend a thirty to ninety-day trial period, defined in writing, where either party can terminate the relationship without recourse. Every company and team develops a unique culture of work flexibility, personality, and communication that must be matched to every new hire, independent of job qualifications. Marty Zwilling.

Organization 104

Organization Entrepreneur Satisfaction Screening 104

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 23, 2011

You help them on stories, act as a source, develop real relationships, read their stories and eventually when you have news they’re more willing to have a conversation. Whether we like to admit it or not, PR drives behavior with customers, investors, employees and competition. I write on my blog how I think in my head.

Startup 349

Startup Writing Blogging Press 349

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2021

Campaign setup and ad copy writing. There are many additional variables that the inexperienced marketer may not even think to consider: competition and positioning strategies, budgeting, match types, search and content syndication, and ad copy testing, as well developing the best ad wording and layouts.

PPC 154

PPC SEO Paid Search Search Engine Optimization 154

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

As a tech startup grows it needs to develop more process & management if it is to scale. As a founder, when you’ve been dealing with these kinds of objections for a couple of years it becomes natural and you easily handle objections on price, product & competition without much thought. It is tacit knowledge.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

It’s why in this article I advise that people “market today not futures” because you don’t want your playbook in the hands of the competition. You help them on stories, act as a source, develop real relationships, read their stories and eventually when you have news they’re more willing to have a conversation.

Press 319

Press Startup Writing Training 319

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2013

In my first enterprise software company we developed a methodology for sales that we called PUCCKA , which I wrote about previously. So I often work with teams to get them to codify the key things they do well that the competition does not. The first post covered the topic of “P” or pain.

Sales 336

Sales Startup Competition Custom 336

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. Focus is almost always the right answer.

Innocal 255

Innocal Conference Help Study 255

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

This risk can be mitigated by finding a customer willing to purchase as soon as a proven model is completed, and willing to state this in writing. And fifth: Competitive risk. . Will the public respond in numbers to buy, license or rent your offering?

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

seed and they are writing $1.25m of it you can expect them to require a board seat) The competitive landscape (If you have several sources of capital you can likely politely decline the board request or can grant them a seat but ask for it to be “common appointed” and those revokable if you need in the future).

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2020

I recommend a thirty to ninety-day trial period, defined in writing, where either party can terminate the relationship without recourse. Every company and team develops a unique culture of work flexibility, personality, and communication that must be matched to every new hire, independent of job qualifications. Marty Zwilling.

Organization 135

Organization Entrepreneur Satisfaction Screening 135

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

.” Here’s what I mean … Let’s start with what it takes for a journalist to want to write a story. Do I have an “angle” from which to write the story (first company to do X, company does biggest X, consumer behavior is doing X)? Do I have data or facts to present so the story has legs? Final example.

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2021

The challenge is how to develop that self-leadership in every aspiring entrepreneur and business professional role. It may be time for you to start your own blog, write a book, or volunteer as a speaker at public events in your domain. The more you know, the more self-confident you will be to make your own leadership decisions.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Course Satisfaction SpaceX 132

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.” We’re all socially connected (so great businesses spread faster). Why is this? and hasn’t abated.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2014

A number of teams have recently been looking to turn that vision into reality, as a result of the Qualcomm Tricorder Prize , a $10M competition being run by the X Prize Foundation to create a real life Tricorder. That''s essentially how the Tricoder competition was formed--it''s time for this to happen. It was announced in the 90''s.

Startup 262

Startup Competition Software Review UCLA 262

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. 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. Effective communication requires real listening, as well as talking.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 16, 2010

We talked with Noah about how the company grew out of a business plan competition at the University of Southern California, his recent funding from the Maverick Angels, as well as how the firm hopes to stand out among a crowded list of comparison shopping sites. We then went out to raise money, and got started on development.

USC 207

USC CPC Sites Startup 207

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

As a VC with scores of startups in our portfolio we have ringside seats to many, many fund raising processes plus I had to raise money across about 5 different rounds of capital as an entrepreneur so I’ve developed some thought on the process that I hope can be helpful to some of you before you start. Let me give you an example.

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Here are some key strategies that I recommend to every worker today: Develop and highlight your competitive differentiation. That means regularly scanning LinkedIn and job sites for roles and opportunities that you may quality for, and honing your skills and connections to be sure you are competitive.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

I thought I’d write a post about how to talk about valuation at a startup and give you some sense of what might be on the mind of the person considering funding you. This is part of a series I’ve been writing on fund raising. Many VCs will have a distribution curve where they’ll do a small number of early-stage deals (say $1.5–3

Venture Capital 324

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 324

TechCrunch LA

MAY 17, 2019

Both services are entering a highly competitive and increasingly fragmented entertainment landscape with many big studios building moats around their content in the form of exclusive subscription-based streaming services. Michael Scott is simultaneously writing a pilot for linear television.

Services 167

Services Report Netflix Content 167

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 15, 2012

It is stunning to think about the blind spots that market leaders can develop. Where Mark Zuckerberg always seems paranoid about competition and industry change – they seemed oblivious to it. Most people I know who gave up their Blackberry’s just write shorter emails and respond to less. I still don’t.

Email 386

Email Startup Marketing Competition 386

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Formally, that’s called developing and maintaining a strategic plan. Usually that means writing something down, since it’s hard to maintain something, or track yourself against it, if it’s not written down. In these changing times, if you already have a startup, with no plan, maybe it’s time to think ahead for a change.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Training Ideas 94