Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2011

All the experts these days are talking about the increasing need for customer focus and maximizing sales. Typically entrepreneurs and even professional sales people think this means more emphasis on the customer selling process, when in fact it means spending more time understanding the customer buying process (view from the customer).

Sales 93

Sales Custom Customer Competition 93

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

In all cases, an investor will ask to talk to all key players, and will likely follow-up by calling references and prior associates to verify background, commitment, and experience. This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. My best advice is to stick to the middle ground.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

My message is to anticipate the unknown, buffer your plan schedules, and above all communicate frequently to key players using integrity. A principal player bows out or does not deliver. A principal player bows out or does not deliver. Funding is depleted before customer sales ramp up. Don’t hide in your office.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Custom 131

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2011

We are an offer-based platform that allows users to negotiate the price they buy and sell tickets for, on the secondary market. Educate us, and explain what's different about how you are handling ticket sales and how that's different from the many others out there? That's a completely inefficient way to price tickets.

Ticketmaster 253

Ticketmaster Pricing Sales Activity 253

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost. Attend trade shows and network to find the right players and pitch your product. Keep thieves away (protect it).

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Berkonomics

AUGUST 27, 2015

In the case of technology and Internet-related companies, competitive advantage will have only a relatively short lifespan and that therefore the window of opportunity is not infinite. They are also very competitive, and highly value the intellectual property of the Flipper. By Arthur Lipper.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Equity Competition Pricing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

In all cases, an investor will ask to talk to all key players, and will likely follow-up by calling references and prior associates to verify background, commitment, and experience. This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. My best advice is to stick to the middle ground.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

OPEC (the organization of petroleum exporting countries) is a cartel that was set up in the 1960′s and represents the interests of the 12 biggest oil producing countries in the world with the goal of increasing prices of oil, a good supplied in limited quantities to a world that had insatiable demand for the product.

Hulu 292

Hulu Technical Review Content Advertising 292

Berkonomics

AUGUST 30, 2018

Apple, for example, was nowhere near the first to introduce an MP3 handheld music player. It did not hurt that Apple always seemed to trump the competition in design of the product and the product’s user interface too. Marriott called theirs “tier pricing”. These early dives into new technologies serve a purpose for me.

Artificial Inteligence 120

Artificial Inteligence Pricing Design Product 120

Tech.Co

MAY 26, 2020

And even better still, it offers a great deal for the publications who participate in the program, offering a competitive 8% conversion rate and an impressive 10% commission on each sale (more than double Amazon’s 4.5% But, Amazon is cutting back on such perks. The impact? See our full guide on How to Make Money from a Website.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Buzzfeed News Networking 129

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2018

It was a novel concept well before the major players did this for you. Throughout all of this we saw a tinkerer, a problem solver and a completely obsessed leader who was competitive and wanted to win. Here are my views … 1. we were sold on the concept immediately.

Startup 247

Startup Pricing Product Marketing 247

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 7, 2013

Business intelligence analyst IBIS World estimates that VDR industry sales will grow by 16% this year to nearly $730 million. The lion’s share of all revenue is captured by three large players: IntraLinks, Merrill Datasite, and RR Donnelly’s Venue. iOS Compatibility. The innovation is in line with the industry trends.

Mobile 91

Mobile Report Pricing Tool 91

InfoChachkie

JULY 18, 2011

Lady Luck – Just like in the real world, luck plays a significant role in the outcome of Monopoly, as two dice dictate each player’s movements around the board. The players who go first have a higher probability of landing on an available property during their initial trips around the board. Hands On Learning.

Entrepreneur 216

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Paramount 216

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

msuster looking for an inspired post on when an exclusivity deal (w/ major industry player) works (cons as well) for an early stage tech co. — As the desk-based Internet emerged it was initially sold through telecom carriers (after players like AOL and EarthLink innovated the market). PR Malloy (@diddly_do_indy) June 13, 2015.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Custom Customer 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

We're really focused on the consumer getting the right car at the right price. There's real competition in this area. We caught up Stewart to see how the company has significantly pivoted its vision for the company, the recent deal with Honda to offer up certified pre-owned vehicles to its users, and more.

Startup 124

Startup Pricing Platform Study 124

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2014

Last year at this time I spoke at VidCon and gave this presentation in which I said YouTube was “the Walmart of Online Video” but I also commented that I felt YouTube was vulnerable to competition because their rev share to MCNs wasn’t high enough to allow MCNs to build a profitable business inside of YouTube. So Why MiTú?

Invest 291

Invest Content Media Networking 291

Xconomy

JULY 19, 2016

Has the consolidation—and creation of this enterprise security giant—put immense pressure on other industry players? The bigger public players – Cisco, Check Point, HP, IBM, Symantec, and others – need to continually add to their arsenal of security solutions as the threat landscape continues to evolve. Why is this happening?

Symantec 40

Symantec IBM IBM Acquisition 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2017

Every new business or product owner wants to attract the broadest possible audience, so they are prone to adding more features, multiple sales channels, and appealing to every demographic. With limited resources, you can sell via ecommerce, but it’s much tougher to support retail as well, or hire a direct sales team.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Competition Custom Customer 63

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2013

Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. That means questioning each of these key players, and calling references or prior associates.

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 97

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

The public storage market was $24 billion (now approaching $27 billion) in the US alone (> $50 billion worldwide) and the largest player in the space – Public Storage – had less than 10% market share. They have high-priced property and zero innovation. Fragmented markets can be a great target for disruption.

Startup 150

Startup Pricing Marketing Product 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

But what IS the right amount of burn for a company? Turns out like most things there are no simple answers. Let’s set up a framework. Here’s overall what you need to know. Gross Burn vs. Net Burn. Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2013

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. That means keeping all the players and all the organizations centered on what matters amid the crosscurrents of change.

Startup 94

Startup Social Media Entrepreneur Framework 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2012

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. That means keeping all the players and all the organizations centered on what matters amid the crosscurrents of change.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Social Media Startup Framework 93

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. Yet I can’t help thinking there are many predictable failures that come from a lack of basic planning. Market Size.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2012

Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. That means questioning each of these key players, and calling references or prior associates.

Technical Review 98

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Training 98

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

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. It’s the one thing I miss having switched from player to manager – I love the joy of winning and of competing. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it.

Outsource Development 333

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 333

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

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. It’s the one thing I miss having switched from player to manager – I love the joy of winning and of competing. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it.

Outsource Development 328

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 328

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. 2) Secure Your Intellectual Property Too Early.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 22, 2011

I guess that’s why people like my pal Trevor Owens felt vindicated by the sale of GroupMe as evidenced by his Tweet to me. I first heard the term from Chris Fralic at First Round Capital. Feature, not a company. It has always stood out in my mind. Whether something is a feature or a company is clearly subjective. What do I think now?

Company 295

Company Companies Gogii Google 295

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 9, 2013

Jackson said, “We’re using the proceeds from our financing round to invest in our technology, build new features, and increase sales and support.”. Jackson and Christopher Grey, CapLinked empowers its clients to manage complex business transactions such as mergers & acquisitions, financings, asset sales, and investor reporting.

Draper 68

Draper Google Software Engineering Invest 68

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2010

The importance of the conference is that it assembles most of the top privately held early-to-mid-stage technology companies in the country (and some globally) as well as most VC’s, growth equity funds and corporate development departments from large industry players looking at technology acquisitions. 1 party = low price.

Venture Capital 242

Venture Capital Mission Ventures Capital Help 242

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

Having time to think about “leadership” at most startups feels like a luxury. It feels like something you could turn your attention to once you have tens of millions of dollars and a large staff to run operations and you could step back from it all and think about how to lead. The reality of most startups is about survival.

Startup 150

Startup Coach Course Invest 150

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

As stated in its official rules, the object of Monopoly is to, “become the wealthiest player through buying, renting and selling property”. A more negative way of looking at this objective is to “drive all the other players into complete and utter bankruptcy”. This is a reposting of a ‘classic’ popular post.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Entrepreneur Training Startup 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2012

One pivot is to change your focus from a premium price, customized solution, to a low price commoditized solution. Another common variation worth considering is the move from a one-time product sale to monthly subscription or license fees. Sales channel pivot. Technology pivot. Product feature pivot. Revenue model pivot.

Custom 94

Custom Customer Sales Product 94

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2010

Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. That means questioning each of these key players, and calling references or prior associates.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 91

Berkonomics

AUGUST 18, 2011

Email readers continue here.] Apple, for example, was nowhere near the first to introduce an MP3 handheld music player. Marriott called theirs “tier pricing”. I am a gadget freak, often purchasing new technologies in their first release. These early dives into new technologies serve a purpose for me.

Artificial Inteligence 214

Artificial Inteligence Pricing Design Product 214

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

Lots of discussion these days about the changes in the VC industry. Here’s my take: 1. 2. .&# To give you an indication of how bad, for example, university endowments are suffering check out this chart. You’ll notice that Harvard lost 30% of the entire value of its portfolio. So the people who invest in VC funds have two problems.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311