Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Some startups have a new technology, but stick to a tried-and-true business model. The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. In today’s competitive world, with its accelerating rate of change, no competitive advantage lasts long. The only sustainable competitive advantage is creativity.

Competition 135

Competition Netflix Ideas Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Sustainable innovation is really the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2022

According to what I see, as outlined by Surdak, this data surge is being driven by the following six technological and social trends: Mobility: smartphones, tablets, and the “Internet of things.” Data enable: use metrics and measurements. Cellphone penetration in the U.S. Make strategic versus opportunistic decisions.

Startup 126

Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 126

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

In my experience advising businesses, large and small, I have often been surprised by the level of complacency and general malaise I find in the ranks, with a resultant direct loss of productivity and competitiveness. Develop metrics to monitor work intensity. Let that be part of their job satisfaction.

Satisfaction 108

Satisfaction Metrics Competition Examples 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

Formalize the use of tools and information technology. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team. No mention usually means no plan and not competitive. Show that you have a process to hire, fire, and train others as required.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2023

Highlight the competitive edge you bring to the market. Quantify the results, and avoid any fuzzy words, such as better usability, advanced technology, or more productivity. Put operational systems and metrics in place early. These advisors need a stake in your success, like a monthly stipend, or an equity share of the business.

Marketing 116

Marketing Resource Training Startup 116

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

But it will be patiently deployed, waiting for a cohort of founders who aren’t artificially clinging to 2021 valuation metrics. We could talk with customers, meet the entire management team, review financial plans, review customer purchasing cohorts, evaluate the competition, etc. In 2009 we could take a long time to review a deal.

Venture Capital 416

Venture Capital Marketing Technical Review Seed Funding 416

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks to save money, are recipes for failure. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Marty Zwilling

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media News 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

I see this happening in smaller ways often, where there is minimal focus on competition. Here are some key initiatives that I recommend to every business owner and leader to stave off new competitors before they seriously impact or cause a competitive crisis in your business: Continually compare yourself to known competitors.

Metrics 71

Metrics Training Netflix Resource 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Leaders have found that keeping everyone on top of changes in technology, competition, and customer demands is critical to success. Involve, empower, and inspire.

Startup 154

Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2022

These changes can be cultural, like the increasing need to be social, spawning Facebook and a hundred others, or technological, like the explosion of mobile devices around the world. The advent of new breakthrough technologies. Changes in your organization’s core performance metrics.

eBook 111

eBook Metrics Examples Startup 111

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. I was in it for the love of working with entrepreneurs on business problems and marveling at technology they had built. Ask Xi or Putin how that’s going for them.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

All businesses these days are too complex to be one-person shows, so you need all the complementary held you can find to keep up with customers and competition, fill your expertise gaps, and scale the market. Using metrics to measure results and commitments. Marketing your personal brand and your vision.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

Waste in a startup is any activity that burns resources, but creates no value or competitive advantage in the eyes of customers. Trying to do too many things with too few resources, usually means the startup will not shine at anything, and will not survive the competition. In the startup world, this is often seen as a lack of focus.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

The world around us is being disrupted by the acceleration of technology into more industries and more consumer applications. Technology solutions are now used by authoritarians to monitor and control populations, to stymie an individual company’s economic prospects or to foment chaos through demagoguery. What Has Changed in Financing?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

The real value of a written business plan is that it forces you to think through all the elements of a new business in specific terms, to balance your focus on aspects you love, perhaps technology, and not overlook the ones you dislike, such as financials and hiring. Select your destination to land after the start.

Startup 94

Startup Ideas Metrics Entrepreneur 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Marty Zwilling.

Tips 161

Tips Startup Social Media News 161

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know all of this because every VC knows this because we’ve all either funded companies that have marketing technology or we’ve seen a pitch with a company that does this. Competition isn’t won or lost by your marketing decks?—?it’s it’s won by how you innovate and by how you execute. A deck is a deck. Just send it.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Formalize the use of tools and information technology. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team. No mention usually means no plan and not competitive. Show that you have a process to hire, fire, and train others as required.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

With the latest advances in software technology, it’s no longer cost-prohibitive for business entrepreneurs, who can’t yet afford a human resources department, to take advantage of analytics tools. Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results. Subjectively measuring employee engagement.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Your people are the key to innovation, more so than a new technology.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Yet, as a business consultant, I still find many of you business leaders relying primarily on your technology, word-of-mouth , or location to attract necessary customers. Proactively use metrics and customer feedback before a crisis hits, to recognize when a pivot or product adjustment is required. The possibilities are endless.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks to save money, are recipes for failure. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

I do believe that we are in structural change where technology will increasingly play a bigger role in all facets of life so the long run up for tech is promising through all of these cycles. Create company measures for success that go beyond financial metrics. Have sales bonus plans based on more than just sales targets.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Some startups have a new technology, but stick to a tried-and-true business model. The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. In today’s competitive world, with its accelerating rate of change, no competitive advantage lasts long. The only sustainable competitive advantage is creativity.

Company 90

Company Companies Competition Netflix 90

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. The competition will improve, the market will change, and your customers will demand more.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2021

The basic alignment framework of strategy, customers, people, and processes hasn’t changed, but the pace of technological, competitive, and social change has increased at an amazing rate. Re-evaluate processes as they are today and set metrics to better represent the new sales, operational, and service needs.

Social Media 143

Social Media Startup Framework Course 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. Exposure instills the fear and urgency you need to deliver the right competitive solution. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth. Exposure is another key ingredient.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Sustainable innovation is really the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Today’s complex environments requires the use of innovative systems and technology for timely and reliable feedback from customers and colleagues. Use metrics to assess needs and growth economics. A popular set of metrics for customer views is the New Promoter System ( NPS ), available from Bain & Company.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

socalTECH

DECEMBER 20, 2017

It means competition is more fierce because formidable new competitors can arrive overnight. With so many APIs, SaaS ecosystems, and cloud platforms to rely on, a digital product that may have taken five years to get off the ground in 2000 can now be brought to life in a matter of months. Why has product management be so slow to adapt?

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Metrics Ideas Product 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

They think they are saving costs by not using the latest technology to capture data, and minimizing storage. No human or paper tracking systems are a competitive alternative. With today’s technology, data flow and coordination are readily achieved through common Internet protocols and application programming interfaces (APIs).

Artificial Inteligence 84

Artificial Inteligence Metrics Commerce Software 84

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

These changes can be cultural, like the increasing need to be social, spawning Facebook and a hundred others, or technological, like the explosion of mobile devices around the world. The advent of new breakthrough technologies. Changes in your organization’s core performance metrics.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur eBook Metrics Examples 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Sustainable innovation is really the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2018

In this era of rapid market and technological change, I know I have to challenge my small business advisory clients to keep innovating and stay ahead of the game. Other champions of innovation, including Elon Musk with SpaceX and Hyperloop, always seem to be building future opportunities from trends and technology turns.

Metrics 58

Metrics IBM IBM Competition 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

Some startups have a new technology, but stick to a tried-and-true business model. The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. In today’s competitive world, with its accelerating rate of change, no competitive advantage lasts long. The only sustainable competitive advantage is creativity.

Competition 65

Competition Netflix Ideas Metrics 65