Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 5, 2010

The conversations bleed into the sales messages the next time, they wend their way into software designs and form the plan of attach against competition. I prefer the first sales hires to be in the home office. If you’re a UK company you’ll eventually need some local sales talent in Germany and France.

Technical Advisors 335

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Offshore Startup 335

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Public relations at a startup is a sales process. Thus, you have negotiating leverage as long as a legitimate, competitive threat exists. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”. Grant Exclusivity.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Rationale: I cannot afford to hire a direct sales force. Fallacy: Third-party, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) representatives succeed once the sales process is defined, proven and documented. Public relations at a startup is a sales process.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Outsourcing your core competency does not work. It takes a long immersion in the marketplace for someone to be a true insider, understand the subtleties of the competitive landscape, recognize the people who are true assets (independent of titles), and look through the propaganda of technical collateral and PR campaigns.

Technical Advisors 105

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Startup High Tech 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

Outsourcing your core competency does not work. It takes a long immersion in the marketplace for someone to be a true insider, understand the subtleties of the competitive landscape, recognize the people who are true assets (independent of titles), and look through the propaganda of technical collateral and PR campaigns.

Technical Advisors 57

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2014

Outsourcing your core competency does not work. It takes a long immersion in the marketplace for someone to be a true insider, understand the subtleties of the competitive landscape, recognize the people who are true assets (independent of titles), and look through the propaganda of technical collateral and PR campaigns.

Technical Advisors 98

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 98

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

We also spoke about technology systems in the perspective of global competition. The numerator (return) encourages more sales, which is fine. But “on capital employed” encourages companies to push more off balance sheet and thus into offshore & outsourced situations.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Solution development and delivery.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people. I know this will fall like a lead balloon to the many people who believe it is possible to have a [insert: startup incubator or technology accelerator or technology consultant or outsource firm] build your technology. I don’t believe that one exists.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. Competition. How will you reach your customers?

Sales 97

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2012

Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Equally important, marketing and sales people should be able to identify benefits and marketing strategies, set prices, and validate a business model. Competition analysis. Market research and competition. Market research.

Product 92

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 92

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

It’s like the entire industry wants to outsource its brain to the smartest person they know and then follow that person. I have successfully used this in business development, sales, fund raising and even the press. Wait, make that $1 million. And please reserve another $1 million for me?—?I These are the “lemons that ripen early.”

Press 232

Press Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 232

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Solution development and delivery.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2011

A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. Be specific on sales channels and marketing initiatives. Competition. How will you reach your customers?

Sales 98

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Equally important, marketing and sales people should be able to identify benefits and marketing strategies, set prices, and validate a business model. Competition analysis. Market research and competition. Market research.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2016

For example, at any given moment in your business, you may be limited by development, marketing, or sales. Evaluate outsourcing as a quick solution to break the constraint. Organic growth also has the advantage of driving your product and process innovation, which is important for differentiation and long-term competitive advantage.

Startup 56

Startup Outsource Development Organization Outsource 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

On the product side, once you have a proven product and business model, all you need is money to build inventory, and a sales and marketing operation to drive the business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage.

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 1, 2013

Especially keep an eye on the balance between expenses and sales. Before going through the expensive process of sourcing, recruiting, and hiring an employee, look into outsourcing, especially for non-core functions such as HR, accounting, and legal. Do your due diligence to perform competitive analysis.

Startup 93

Startup Pricing Outsource Competition 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

Others hire consultants, or outsource much of the real work. In his book, “ Out-Executing the Competition ,” seasoned executive Irv Rothman provides tips to corporate executives on how to dig in and “get their fingernails dirty.” Clean hands won’t out-execute the competition for long in any business. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Template Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. The passion has to be in the business context – meaning results oriented, customer oriented, and sensitive to competition. Passion for what they do. In many cases, experts with academic or research credentials are not good partners for a business venture.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

I had my sales teams telling me we needed certain features to be competitive. He didn’t feel my pressures on sales, marketing and ops. The former was outsourced, the latter was our own team. We technology leaders also make this mistake. I certainly did in my first company. I had built computer systems before.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Her focus is on crafting a customer experience that caters to people not like you, including social media aficionados, to bring in new customers and create a competitive advantage. That means forget using interns or outsourcing this function. Give you a significant competitive edge, by better serving broader customer groups.

Social Media 91

Social Media Customer Custom Media 91

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2012

Others hire consultants, or outsource much of the real work. In his new book, “ Out-Executing the Competition ,” seasoned executive Irv Rothman provides tips to corporate executives on how to dig in and “get their fingernails dirty.” Clean hands won’t out-execute the competition for long in any business. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Startup Template Mentor 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2013

Her focus is on crafting a customer experience that caters to people not like you, including social media aficionados, to bring in new customers and create a competitive advantage. That means forget using interns or outsourcing this function. Give you a significant competitive edge, by better serving broader customer groups.

Social Media 99

Social Media Customer Custom Media 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. The passion has to be in the business context – meaning results oriented, customer oriented, and sensitive to competition. Passion for what they do. In many cases, experts with academic or research credentials are not good partners for a business venture.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2010

Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Equally important, marketing and sales people should be able to identify benefits and marketing strategies, set prices, and validate a business model. Competition analysis. Market research and competition. Market research.

Product 48

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 48

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Outsource Development 92

Outsource Development Training Outsource Metrics 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Startup 102

Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2011

Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. The passion has to be in the business context – meaning results oriented, customer oriented, and sensitive to competition. Passion for what they do. In many cases, experts with academic or research credentials are not good partners for a business venture.

Software Review 96

Software Review CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2010

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Startup 95

Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 95

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2017

The other thing I see, is trying to outsource all of this stuff your self. Strangely enough, there's no competition there. The only frustrating thing there, is because they are so big, the sales cycles are very long. That's why we built one solutions with everything included, to make it frictionless.

Startup 145

Startup Product Customer Custom 145