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

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

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2015

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Startup 118

Startup Competition Patents Resource 118

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2014

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Competition Patents Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

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. Professional investors normally like to invest only in billion dollar opportunities, with double-digit growth rates. Is there an educated marketplace waiting?

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

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. Professional investors normally like to invest only in billion dollar opportunities, with double-digit growth rates. Is there an educated marketplace waiting?

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2018

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Competition 51

Competition Patents Resource Entrepreneur 51

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

This time I’ll use a hypothetical health-care web site company named NewCo as an example to illustrate the points. The founders now need a $1M Angel investment to do the marketing for a national NewCo rollout, build a team to manage the rollout, and maybe even pay themselves a salary. Let’s not take any credit here for NewCo.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

For example, I do business mentoring at nearby Arizona State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Universities have the links you need to patent attorneys, prototyping companies, investment groups, as well as a wealth of peer talent to round out your team and share the work.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As an example of a good resource, I enjoyed the classic book, “ Idea To Invention ,” by Patricia Nolan-Brown, that does a great job on the key steps. Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2020

For example, “I have patented a new tire that will double the wear mileage at half the cost.” Describe technology and features, not competitiveness. Customers still buy from people, and investors invest in you and your team, more than the solution. Customers think about alternatives, and investors worry about competitors.

Sample 127

Sample Summary Startup Slides 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2015

They don’t realize that knocking competitors is assessed as a weakness and denying that you have any competition suggests there is no market for your solution. Taking action to file even a provisional patent shows you have the conviction and skill to execute while others have no barrier to entry.

Capital 63

Capital Competition Case Study Patents 63

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

For example, “I have patented a new LCD with double the intensity at half the cost, already proven locally, and I just need resources to scale for this market.” Your second sentence should acknowledge competition, but highlight your added value. Smart investors invest in people, even more than a great product.

Startup 104

Startup Summary Patents Examples 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2015

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. A partnership was announced last year with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC's startup ecosystem.

Startup 100

Startup IBM IBM Examples 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

Also, be sure to evaluate the veracity of the startup alumni network – look for examples in which alumni assisted startups as advisors, investors, etc. Are funds available to invest in student businesses? Ask: How many patents were filed by students and faculty during each of the past five years?

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Class Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2014

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. A partnership was just announced with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC''s startup ecosystem.

IBM 100

IBM IBM Startup Examples 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

For example, “Compared to product x, my solution will get the job done in half the time, and at half the price.” Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. You won’t get any credibility for refusing to admit that airplanes are competition for trains.

Startup 100

Startup Competition Patents Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

This implies high odds of a scalable business, simply needing an investment to lead to success. Intellectual property and sustainable competitive advantage. Patents, trade secrets, and trademarks are very attractive to investors, since these are not easily overcome by competitors.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

For example, “Compared to product x, my solution will get the job done in half the time, and at half the price.” Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. You won’t get any credibility for refusing to admit that airplanes are competition for trains.

Startup 102

Startup Competition Patents Training 102

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2013

By way of example, our access point looks like a Wi-Fi router, but it has a coverage zone of 200 miles, depending on the obstructions that are in the way. For example, you can but this next to a WiFi router and you wouldn''t see any interference from that. Kevin Hell: Essentially, we connect the internet of things.

Technical Review 213

Technical Review Software Review Networking Technology 213

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2013

I don’t agree, for example, that the first priority is to avoid startups with a high attrition rate, like trendy restaurants and entertainment. Competitive risk. Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. Political and economic risk. Operational risk.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2012

I don’t agree, for example, that the first priority is to avoid startups with a high attrition rate, like trendy restaurants and entertainment. Competitive risk. Even in an open space, you need intellectual property, like patents, to keep potential competitors from overrunning you. Political and economic risk. Operational risk.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Examples Social Network Marketing 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

According to the Angel Capital Association , at least 300,000 people have made angel investments in the last two years, totaling $24 billion in the U.S. It takes more than one person, no matter how passionate, to grow an investible business. These are all accredited investors who risk their own money.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

socalTECH

AUGUST 4, 2015

We have thirteen patents associated with the Ice bear. Mike Hopkins: The simplest example, is where part of their grid has become congested so much, because they have too much demand for the infrastructure. This is a really good example of why we sell to utilities. Explain what that peak demand problem is for the utilities?

Southern California 100

Southern California Technical Review Demand Outsource Development 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2010

For example, “Compared to product x, my solution will get the job done in half the time, and at half the price.” Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. You won’t get any credibility for refusing to admit that airplanes are competition for trains.

Startup 89

Startup Competition Patents Entrepreneur 89

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As an example of a good resource, I enjoyed a recent book, “ Idea To Invention ,” by Patricia Nolan-Brown, that does a great job on the key steps. Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks.

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

If you expect an equity investment from reputable investors for your new startup, you need to know the boundaries that often limit their interest. For example, investors recognize that online gambling sites or a medical marijuana site may generate big returns but may tarnish their squeaky clean reputation.

Funding 57

Funding Social Media Startup Patents 57