Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

A large, wireless carrier (AT&T) was willing to break it’s traditional rules in order to get access to innovation that it believed (correctly) would help it to sell more contracts and win more market share against its primary competitor (Verizon). Why Exclusivity Matters to Your Customers or Business Development Partners.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2009

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. They’re competitive. I had been competing to win a contract at Thames Water, the largest water company in the UK. I was to tell noone until the contract was signed.

Startup 151

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2011

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 96

Software Review CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2010

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 92

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

To be clear, I define a product specification as the technical definition of your product, to be used for development and testing purposes, with a quick business summary for context. Call out your top competitors, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantage, including patents, trade secrets. and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

One of the readers asked my opinion around sharing your startup concept: My first question has always been - how do you protect your idea while shopping around for feedback, partners, developers, etc.? You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. Lots of thoughts here. You’ll get suggestions for improvements.

Startup 211

Startup IP Ideas Patents 211

InfoChachkie

MAY 23, 2011

As noted in Contract Traps Entrepreneurs Should Avoid , exclusivity can kill a small company. Once you establish a non-exclusive partnership, you can reference it when other BDCs ask for excludesivity. Students expend small fortunes of their parents’ money to attend exclusive , private colleges.

Technical Review 183

Technical Review Marketing Sales Competition 183

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

One of the readers asked my opinion around sharing your startup concept: My first question has always been - how do you protect your idea while shopping around for feedback, partners, developers, etc.? You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. Lots of thoughts here. You’ll get suggestions for improvements.

Startup 198

Startup IP Ideas Patents 198

socalTECH

OCTOBER 19, 2018

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based Catalog (www.catalog.cc), a startup developing artificial intelligence software to help independent visual artists scale their content production efforts, announced it raised $1.5M That system allows us to arrange shoots and coordinate with contracted talent to produce that content.

Help 133

Help IP Content Google 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

InfoChachkie

APRIL 13, 2015

In many cases, you can stand firm on price by demonstrating that your overall cost is lower than the competition. This point is nicely illustrated by Albert Oaten, VP Market Development at SecureDocs. Rather than reducing your price upfront, contractually limit future price increases in exchange for an extended contract term.

Pricing 100

Pricing Startup Sales SaaS 100

SoCal CTO

JULY 23, 2012

While I do fill that role at the moment, I'm a little hesitant to refer to myself as a CTO as we still haven't launched a product, acquired a single user, or turned or a penny in profit. I've previously addressed the role of a CTO in early-stages in my post Startup CTO or Developer. What do we build in-house or outsource?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Thus, you must first create the playbook by which an independent sales rep can readily sell your product, including: identifying objections and developing strategies to overcome them, creating reference accounts and establishing meaningful customer adoption. 2) Secure Your Intellectual Property Too Early. 8 ) Grant Exclusivity.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2011

Today I’m announcing that GRP Partners is doubling down on the Twitter ecosystem by investing in DataSift , a company who provides a real-time data platform and tools to third-party developers and corporations. I believe this makes Twitter the perfect ecosystem for development. Let me quickly take these in turn.

Platform 307

Platform News Startup Invest 307

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 8, 2014

” It’s a compelling thought – especially when you consider the alternative: 2 year contracts, overage charges, hours of dealing with customer service reps. Sell it as needed and remove the need for long term contracts. They do this by getting a customer locked in on a long term contract and not worrying beyond that.”

Mobile 86

Mobile Startup Customer Custom 86