Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 29, 2010

Competitiveness - One attribute that I believe most VCs look for in entrepreneurs is competitiveness. If you stumble on to a really good idea believe me it will get competitive really quickly. I know that people who aren’t competitive always find competitive people slightly distasteful. Simple example.

Competition 296

Competition Entrepreneur Startup GRP Partners 296

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2018

The only “sustainable competitive advantage” in business is self-awareness. For example, one of my core values is timeliness for completed work and meetings, so I may judge people and results harshly when they violate my limits. It’s a recipe for disaster. Understand your feelings to recognize what bothers you.

Competition 81

Competition Startup Examples Coach 81

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2014

This raises a big red flag with potential investors, who conclude that no competitors means no market, or you haven’t looked, and the new startup is likely not investable. First to market, for example, is not normally a sustainable advantage for startups. A narrow scope doesn’t help your case either. Investors check connections.

Competition 93

Competition Startup Patents Slides 93

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Here’s a striking example. The most striking example was the one hundred million–dollar purchase of one of my companies by a New York private equity investor using only five million of its cash. Just think of the second tool, terms, you can use creatively to bridge that gap, whether driven by seller’s ego or competitive necessity.

Pricing 156

Pricing Sales Examples Tool 156

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

This raises a big red flag with potential investors, who conclude that no competitors means no market, or you haven’t looked, and the new startup is likely not investable. First to market, for example, is not normally a sustainable advantage for startups. A narrow scope doesn’t help your case either. Investors check connections.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

Tech.Co

JUNE 1, 2017

The cannabis industry has been filled with innovation and investment in recent years. Do you play it safe and invest in industries with less baggage? Take a look at our interview below and decide whether or not you want to invest in cannabis. “For example, growers, edibles producers, and dispensaries all touch the plant.

Invest 75

Invest Competition Training Media 75

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2023

He succinctly outlines the key behaviors that I believe every business leader must focus on, to drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Avoid the assumption that current gifts will keep on giving. Sponsor experiments and measure like new investments. Invest more energy in the “horse you can control.”

Framework 96

Framework Competition Ideas IBM 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2013

An example of a startup which used non-organic growth early and effectively was Microsoft. Some people feel that organic growth is “better” because it requires real innovation and sustained effort to create long-term competitive advantage through differentiation and efficiency. Even mergers and acquisitions (M&A) came quickly.

Organization 97

Organization Competition Startup Acquisition 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first. Investors have long agreed that you invest in the team, more than the product. If you can do it, motivation can easily be your biggest competitive advantage.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2014

Last year at this time I spoke at VidCon and gave this presentation in which I said YouTube was “the Walmart of Online Video” but I also commented that I felt YouTube was vulnerable to competition because their rev share to MCNs wasn’t high enough to allow MCNs to build a profitable business inside of YouTube.

Invest 291

Invest Content Media Networking 291

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

The new paradigm, driven by disruptive technologies, cloud-served supercomputing, and the new generation of young adults with global empathy, is partnering and giving something now for a competitive advantage in the future. FabLab s is an example of a new class of facilities for entrepreneurs to start experimenting early.

IBM 131

IBM IBM Startup Examples 131

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

The new paradigm, driven by disruptive technologies, cloud-served supercomputing, and the new generation of young adults with global empathy, is partnering and giving something now for a competitive advantage in the future. FabLab s is an example of a new class of facilities for entrepreneurs to start experimenting early.

Competition 60

Competition IBM IBM Startup 60

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

He succinctly outlines the key behaviors that I believe every business leader must focus on, to drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Avoid the assumption that current gifts will keep on giving. Sponsor experiments and measure like new investments. Invest more energy in the “horse you can control.”

Tips 160

Tips Framework Competition Ideas 160

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in nonprofit good causes. Examples include charitable organizations, trade unions, and public arts organizations. What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? Bartering services.

Funding 130

Funding Equity Technical Review Organization 130

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2022

A major chunk of this activity is provided by the newer class of “super angels,” who often look more like micro-VCs, except that they are investing their own money. Examples of some leaders in this space include Ron Conway in Silicon Valley and Jeff Bezos , CEO of Amazon, who each may have over 500 startups in their portfolio.

Guide 136

Guide Venture Capital Funding Class 136

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

In these cases, you need testimonials, usage details, and return-on-investment examples. Many healthcare solutions, for example, may appear to have great value to patients, but require doctors to feel safe, and insurance companies to approve. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Adoption creates new pain points.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

More importantly, he has just announced his first investment – he led a $7 million investment in Deliv – please read about it on Greg’s spiffy new blog. Take for example retailers. You may have some drivers with larger cars and stronger bodies who transport white goods or TVs for example.

Startup 331

Startup Competition Examples Invest 331

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2022

Now these principles are complicated by the worldwide instant access to many competitive alternatives, indirect social and environment impacts, and the velocity of change enabled by the pervasive market move to digital. These principles include the following: Free and ultra-low cost may no longer be competitive.

Customer 103

Customer Custom Competition Netflix 103

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

In these cases, you need testimonials, usage details, and return-on-investment examples. Many healthcare solutions, for example, may appear to have great value to patients, but require doctors to feel safe, and insurance companies to approve. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Adoption creates new pain points.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

For example, I once worked for a small software company selling a sophisticated enterprise workflow solution. This example illustrates only the first of six potential growth wins provided by creative coopetition between startups, as well as larger companies. Ability to up-sell customers with related products.

Startup 173

Startup Outsource Development Examples Customer 173

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

You need to work just as hard to convince investors that you are the best person to take your idea from a dream to a successful business, and provide an impressive return on their investment at the same time. Offer an attractive and viable investment equation.

Ideas 140

Ideas Entrepreneur Equity Resource 140

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

There are no “overrides” – for example, businesses don’t thrive just because they offer the latest technology, or because everyone wants to be “green,” or because their goal is to reduce world hunger. Competition. Investors look for a sustainable competitive advantage, like a patent. How many competitors do you have?

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

Most investors will readily admit that they invest in entrepreneur leadership, more so than innovative ideas, but they often find it difficult to separate aspiring leaders from those that are clearly extraordinary. For example, a couple of years ago, Starbucks' CEO Kevin R. Create innovative change from existing resources.

Coach 162

Coach Startup Resource Competition 162

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

I’m very pleased today to announce that I invested, on behalf of GRP Partners, in Burstly alongside Rincon Venture Partners , an early stage VC in Southern California whith whom we love to work (and were our co-investors on RingRevenue ). Naturally I’m excited about this investment or I wouldn’t have done it.

Mobile 282

Mobile Invest Company Companies 282

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

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. Some examples of common objections across many companies: 1. It is tacit knowledge. You can have best of both worlds.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first. Investors have long agreed that you invest in the team, more than the product. If you can do it, motivation can easily be your biggest competitive advantage.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

During my time in Silicon Valley, I was struck by the fact that most successful entrepreneurs seemed to personally know and regularly hear from all the “movers and shakers” who had the investment capital and leadership they needed. Relationships are key to finding opportunities, building trust, and continuous learning.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Competitive (Athlete: skier & rowed at Princeton, hates losing at everything she does). Investment experience (5 years a VC at Battery Ventures). For starters we’re an LA-based venture fund who invests nationally (and sometimes internationally, but less so). billion IPO), Envestnet (Chicago, $1.25 billion).

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

You will find that customers discount advertising, and look for user testimonials, online influencer reviews, and return-on-investment examples from industry experts. The result can be a host of new competitive and price challenges which can stall growth or require excessive resources and time. Incent these early.

Product 141

Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

The new paradigm, driven by disruptive technologies, cloud-served supercomputing, and the new generation of young adults with global empathy, is partnering and giving something now for a competitive advantage in the future. FabLab s is an example of a new class of facilities for entrepreneurs to start experimenting early.

Startup 124

Startup IBM IBM Examples 124

Berkonomics

APRIL 4, 2019

On the other side, entrepreneurs and CEO’s usually have a natural fear of giving too much information to us investors after the initial investment is received. Requirements created by investment documents. They worry that we will not keep the information confidential and that financial data will find its way into competitors’ hands.

Class 120

Class Course Report Competition 120

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 19, 2015

Computers and the Internet have now brought in a new era that relies on data to make profitable business decisions in the competitive environment. Below is a full explanation of how small businesses can leverage technology to earn a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Cloud Services. CRM Platforms. Images via Shutterstock.

Competition 40

Competition Technology Social Media Tips 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. Then you walk the delicate balance between burn rates, revenue flows versus expenses, investment in marketing, and employees. Look at marketing as an investment, not an expense. Operational.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas. These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

For example, the personal motorized scooter Segway was announced as disruptive technology way back in 2002, but is still not a successful business. If there is no competition, there is likely not a market. Every potentially successful product has competition, or an alternative, or customers with no interest in change.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

Now these principles are complicated by the worldwide instant access to many competitive alternatives, indirect social and environment impacts, and the velocity of change enabled by the pervasive market move to digital. These principles include the following: Free and ultra-low cost may no longer be competitive.

Marketing 124

Marketing Customer Custom Competition 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111