Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

Products and services for a business need to be attuned to customer requirements, cost and quality tradeoffs, with milestones for pricing and completion. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Ideas Competition 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. How do you produce your product or service? Common choices include manufacturing in-house, outsourcing, off-the-shelf parts. How do you distribute your product or service? Competition.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2023

You have to get past how great the product is to address clearly what your business rationale is, why it is different from the competition's, and why it will succeed. A winning product or service. Provide a simple yet complete description of your product or service and its competitive marketplace.

Equity 121

Equity Technical Advisors Funding Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Re-live that moment of inspiration that resulted in an innovative design and implementation for your product, and is now providing you with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe. Factor in all the cost elements.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2020

You have to get past how great the product is to address clearly what your business rationale is, why it is different from the competition's, and why it will succeed. A winning product or service. Provide a simple yet complete description of your product or service and its competitive marketplace.

Technical Advisors 162

Technical Advisors Tips Startup Equity 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Re-live that moment of inspiration that resulted in an innovative design and implementation for your product, and is now providing you with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Custom Customer Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Products and services for a business need to be attuned to customer requirements, cost and quality tradeoffs, with milestones for pricing and completion. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. Trade shows and conferences can produce hundreds of new qualified leads for your business, as well as build relationships with industry leaders, outsourcing vendors, and potential partners. They won’t find you.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Custom 142

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2022

Time is money, and may be your primary competitive advantage. You should never outsource the management of your core technology. Unfortunately, working with any of these outside services is hard to manage, risky in results, and some have developed a reputation for taking advantage of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Is your project seen by both as an end in itself, or a means to another end? Conflicting visions won’t work.

Software Review 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Time is money, and may be your primary competitive advantage. You should never outsource the management of your core technology. Unfortunately, working with any of these outside services is hard to manage, risky in results, and some have developed a reputation for taking advantage of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 124

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

Note: There are clearly routine tasks which can be effectively outsourced at a startup, including those which: (i) do not require a significant time investment on the part of the entrepreneur to educate the outsourcer or, (ii) no institutional knowledge is gained by the outsourcer which could be critical to the venture’s success.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Products and services for a business need to be attuned to customer requirements, cost and quality tradeoffs, with milestones for pricing and completion. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Training 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2012

I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Competition analysis. Show the timeline, milestones, costs, and people required to produce the product or service.

Product 92

Product Outsource Development Competition Outsource 92

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Note: There are clearly tasks which can be effectively outsourced at a startup, when: (i) they do not require a significant time investment on the part of the entrepreneur to educate the outsourcer or, (ii) the knowledge gained by the outsourcer is not critical to the adVenture’s operations. 8 ) Grant Exclusivity.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Writing 242

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

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 it. Either your core is innately technical or it’s not. Don’t take the easy road.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Products and services for a business need to be attuned to customer requirements, cost and quality tradeoffs, with milestones for pricing and completion. Typically some production and delivery is outsourced, requiring formal contracts and documentation. Marketing, sales, support, and service operations.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Re-live that moment of inspiration that resulted in an innovative design and implementation for your product, and is now providing you with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Custom Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. Enough detail is required so that someone else can build it without you (outsourcing). Competition analysis. Show the timeline, milestones, costs, and people required to produce the product or service.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

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. How do you produce your product or service? Common choices include manufacturing in-house, outsourcing, off-the-shelf parts. How do you distribute your product or service? Competition.

Sales 97

Sales Custom Customer Outsource 97

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

” Much of this will look and feel like a Green New Deal, but sold under a package of infrastructure modernization and service upgrades that the country desperately needs. . An estimated six to ten million homes still receive drinking water through lead pipes and service lines,” the White House wrote in a statement.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Is your project seen by both as an end in itself, or a means to another end? Conflicting visions won’t work.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

Time is money, and may be your primary competitive advantage. You should never outsource the management of your core technology. Unfortunately, working with any of these outside services is hard to manage, risky in results, and some have developed a reputation for taking advantage of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.

Ideas 107

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

socalTECH

JUNE 9, 2014

That''s relevant, because of our third piece, where we have been hired by traditional media companies, to basically provide them a turnkey, outsources content acquisition team. We find the content they want, and we user our technology and people to service the show. Is there a lot of competition for the rights to all of that content?

Media 235

Media Content Startup IP 235

Jason Nazar

JULY 1, 2016

Agencies are Used as a Perpetual Crutch – Large companies spend an ungodly amount of money outsourcing everything. I’m all for having a healthy respect for competition, but large company employees are often childishly obsessed about what their counterparts are doing. Neither style is ideal, but only one is driven by conviction.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Company Companies Outsource Development 55

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. How do you produce your product or service? Common choices include manufacturing in-house, outsourcing, off-the-shelf parts. How do you distribute your product or service? Competition.

Sales 98

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2016

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Re-live that moment of inspiration that resulted in an innovative design and implementation for your product, and is now providing you with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Satisfaction 61

Satisfaction Startup Custom Customer 61

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

I believe that the resourcefulness to turn constraints into competitive differentiators and new opportunities is a trait that separates the great entrepreneurs from the “wannabes.” They look for creative solutions to problems that are inhibiting progress, rather than the conventional solution of outsourcing or hiring people.

Startup 57

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Outsource 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2014

Time is money, and may be your primary competitive advantage. You should never outsource the management of your core technology. Unfortunately, working with any of these outside services is hard to manage, risky in results, and some have developed a reputation for taking advantage of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.

Outsource Development 105

Outsource Development Startup Ideas Tool 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Whether you provide an online subscription service, or sell products in a store, you need to consistently and economically sell your product and collect revenue to survive. Customer service and support. But having no process does not make you more competitive.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 3, 2015

Equally important, is an area many startup founders don’t always prioritize: choosing the right service providers and understanding the value they can bring, especially to early-stage startups. Teaming with the right service providers can have a huge impact on a startup’s ability to succeed. And get to know your banker. HR Partner.

Startup 40

Startup Outsource Development IP Outsource 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

You have to get past how great the product is to address clearly what your business rationale is, why it is different from the competition''s, and why it will succeed. A winning product or service. Provide a simple yet complete description of your product or service and its competitive marketplace.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Entrepreneur Equity Ideas 75

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2018

Time is money, and may be your primary competitive advantage. You should never outsource the management of your core technology. Unfortunately, working with any of these outside services is hard to manage, risky in results, and some have developed a reputation for taking advantage of unsuspecting entrepreneurs.

Ideas 53

Ideas Outsource Development Tool Outsource 53

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 1, 2013

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. Undercharging for your product/service. For more information on pricing, see my previous post 6 Pricing Tips for Your product/Service.

Startup 93

Startup Pricing Outsource Competition 93