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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

You alone will never find enough hours in a day to keep with all the challenges of sales, support, and scaling the business, in addition to developing and delivering your solution. Intellectual property is required for a competitive edge. As an angel investor myself, I’ve often heard the argument that your solution has no competition.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. I’m a technologist, so I always love to learn about the product, but every investor needs to make sure you have a business, as well as a product.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2016

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 55

Product Startup Summary Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

It’s really a multi-step process, with the first step getting you from an idea to a viable product, and the remaining steps creating a sustainable business. 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

DECEMBER 18, 2022

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

New product process. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the kay to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. From time to time, include customers and sales members in ideation sessions. Product life cycles keep getting shorter and shorter, which mandates accelerated innovation cycles.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Metrics Coach Competition 64

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

“Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise: Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye, Not uttered by base sale of chapmen’s tongues” . Patents held by startups generally have a limited ability to reduce competition. Not All Patent Types Are Created Equal.

IP 256

IP Patents Company Companies 256

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

New product process. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the kay to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. From time to time, include customers and sales members in ideation sessions. Product life cycles keep getting shorter and shorter, which mandates accelerated innovation cycles.

Metrics 64

Metrics Coach Competition Ideas 64

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Social Media Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. My friend, Dave Bittner , offers a simple template to get started that will work for most products and services: “We sell [product/service deliverable] to [market niche] who want [unmet market need]. About 150-225 words.

Startup 113

Startup Patents Template Competition 113

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Investors are looking for a concise description of your product or service without technical jargon or fuzzy marketing terms with value quantified in customer terms. This is also the place to first mention patents and any other differentiators that put you ahead of competition. What are your specific marketing and sales plans?

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

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

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

New product process. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the key to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. They benchmark their ideas against competition, use metrics to track acceptance, sales growth, and return on investment. Failure is the best teacher I know. Accountability.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

What does your pain reliever look like, how is it implemented by the customer and what future products do you expect to roll out? Distribution and Sales. Patents and Trademarks. Competition. How do you profitably get the pain reliever to the consumers experiencing the pain? Management Team. Capitalization.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Summary Technical Review Template 211

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

Solution product & technology. Make sure to communicate the relevance of your product / services to market needs. Describe your technology patents and “secret sauce”. Competition and sustainable advantage. List and position your competition, or alternatives available to the customer. Opportunity sizing.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Barry Lieberman: My backgruond is about 35 years in technology, business development, and sales and marketing. I built my own company around marketing services, and have been around business development, marketing, custom service, and sales, and also on the consumer side of technology, a little bit a mix of the two. All are separate.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach Startup Pasadena Angels 100

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2012

Business strategy allows you to change customer perceptions and responses to your product or service offerings. You must take advantage of those special team talents and product capabilities that make your startup superior to your competition, and do things that your competition cannot duplicate in the short term.

Startup 99

Startup Competition IP Patents 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

Solution product & technology. Make sure to communicate the relevance of your product / services to market needs. Describe your technology patents and “secret sauce”. Competition and sustainable advantage. List and position your competition, or alternatives available to the customer. Opportunity sizing.

Slides 93

Slides Competition Sample Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

Skip the fuzzy terms, such as nice to have and easier to use in favor of specifics, such as costs 50 percent less or increases productivity by 100 percent. Skip the sales pitch and avoid preaching. Your second sentence should acknowledge competition, but highlight your added value. Build up for the punch line at the end.

Startup 104

Startup Summary Patents Examples 104

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

Here are a few thoughts to help you get started: What is your product or service? Briefly discuss who you are selling the product or service to. Who is your competition? Successful competition is a positive - they are proof your business model and/or concept work. What is your competitive advantage? Don't have any?

Startup 93

Startup Competition Summary Patents 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

It’s really a multi-step process, with the first step getting you from an idea to a viable product, and the remaining steps creating a sustainable business. 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

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. You’ll gauge people’s excitement level for the product and for various features. You’ll refine your sales and investor pitch. Some resources on this: Intellectual Property is More Than Patents Does My Startup Have Intellectual Property?

Startup 211

Startup IP Ideas Patents 211

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2010

Solution product & technology. Make sure to communicate the relevance of your product / services to market needs. Describe your technology patents and “secret sauce”. Competition and sustainable advantage. List and position your competition, or alternatives available to the customer. Opportunity sizing.

Slides 94

Slides Competition Sample Sales 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Business strategy allows you to change customer perceptions and responses to your product or service offerings. You must take advantage of those special team talents and product capabilities that make your startup superior to your competition, and do things that your competition cannot duplicate in the short term.

Startup 92

Startup Competition IP Patents 92

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. You’ll gauge people’s excitement level for the product and for various features. You’ll refine your sales and investor pitch. Some resources on this: Intellectual Property is More Than Patents Does My Startup Have Intellectual Property?

Startup 198

Startup IP Ideas Patents 198

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2015

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Statistics 109

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage. Early customers and contracts in progress add value.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

It’s really a multi-step process, with the first step getting you from an idea to a viable product, and the remaining steps creating a sustainable business. 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 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Technical Review Statistics Startup 119

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2013

Kevin Hell: We''re going all the way down to the chip design and production, which is coming out of Asia. In addition, we''ll be using those funds for sales and marketing, to go into new verticals and new markets, and to build our sales and marketing team. We have Renaissance making our chips.

Technical Review 213

Technical Review Software Review Networking Technology 213