Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2011

Chris Dixon is one of my favorite people in tech and writes one of the few blogs I read religiously. If you don’t read it and you care about tech & entrepreneurship, you should. I think you’ll really enjoy this video , but as always I have summary notes for those with less time. West Coast”).

Technical Review 281

Technical Review Venture Capital Startup Artificial Inteligence 281

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” 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 I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2014

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. Investors hear this as trying to do too many things with limited resources, meaning the startup will not shine at anything, and will not survive the competition.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. How profitable is my product or service? What sized team can I afford in order to sell, market & provide service to these customers?

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. Link has a summary of his argument plus a great video). Product is simply about defining a physical good or service that would be valued by consumers of the product more than existing alternatives based on functionality, quality and/or price.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2013

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. Investors hear this as trying to do too many things with limited resources, meaning the startup will not shine at anything, and will not survive the competition.

Startup 103

Startup Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

You’ll get sales information from your VP of Sales, marketing information from your VP Marketing, tech information from your CTO and so on. By going on sales calls you pick up directly the feedback of what customers want and also what they’re telling you about competition.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” 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 I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Technical Review Statistics Startup 119

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Their perception is your reality.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2015

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” 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 I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Statistics 109

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2012

Every serious investor, on the other hand, has a stack of these in their in-basket (email or real plastic) awaiting review, and is looking for the flaw or less-capable entrepreneur in each that predicts failure, allowing them to discard it like another piece of junk mail. Send the plan without a summary. You lose in either case.

Summary 97

Summary Technical Review .Net Ideas 97

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

are eliminated during due diligence. Having a defensible competitive advantage or “barrier to entry” is another critical step to funding, and another common stumbling block during all phases of the funding process. Build an investor presentation and summary. Reserve the company name on social networks to protect it.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2018

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” 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 I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.”

Funding 62

Funding Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 62

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Their perception is your reality.

Tips 93

Tips Search Engine Optimization Summary Startup 93

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Every serious investor, on the other hand, has a stack of these in their in-basket (email or real plastic) awaiting review, and is looking for the flaw or less-capable entrepreneur in each that predicts failure, allowing them to discard it like another piece of junk mail. Send the plan without a summary. You lose in either case.

Summary 97

Summary Technical Review .Net Ideas 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

are eliminated during due diligence. Having a defensible competitive advantage or “barrier to entry” is another critical step to funding, and another common stumbling block during all phases of the funding process. Build an investor presentation and summary. Reserve the company name on social networks to protect it.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Their perception is your reality.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. Recent reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision. Their perception is your reality.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Search Engine Optimization Summary 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Yet 2013 is still projected by The Fiscal Times as a difficult IPO opportunity for startups, due to choppy markets, continuing fiscal uncertainty, and the Facebook fiasco. Follow with a killer executive summary, investor presentation, and financial model. For the full year 2012, venture-backed initial public offerings raised $21.5

Venture Capital 101

Venture Capital Startup Capital Seed Funding 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2010

Here is a summary of the steps I recommend along the way: Turn your dream into a vision. During this process you are looking for affordable space, defining the roles of your team members, defining the product/service, developing initial sales channels and customers. What is the difference between a dream and a vision?

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Summary Entrepreneur Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. To set the stage for all the cultural issues and timing, the authors start with a summary that I agree with of the five lifecycle phases every company is likely to experience over the long-term or short-term, regardless of culture: Innovation.

Startup 142

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 142

SoCal Delicious

JANUARY 9, 2014

In the startup world there’s been a culture of solution or technology first, whereas I believe we should be taking a more people-centred approach to building products and services. Unless the thing you’re building has real value to someone, it’s just a vanity project, no matter the technology. Startups are next.

Startup 78

Startup Design Customer Custom 78

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2019

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. To set the stage for all the cultural issues and timing, the authors start with a summary that I like of the five lifecycle phases every company is likely to experience over the long-term or short-term, regardless of culture: Innovation.

Startup 89

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 89

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

Executive Summary. If you want to watch the video version summary of my advice on fund raising it’s here. ” These are people with whom there is a likely match for your product or service. I get approached about clean tech or biotech periodically – I don’t focus on these. It takes a lot of work.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2015

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. To set the stage for all the cultural issues and timing, the authors start with a summary that I like of the five lifecycle phases every company is likely to experience over the long-term or short-term, regardless of culture: Innovation.

Startup 98

Startup Marketing Web 2.0 IBM 98

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2010

But more broadly it got me thinking to one of the biggest mistakes tech executives get into in the first place. But you’d be surprised how much tech folks either hold journalists too much on a pedestal or disdain them. Given a choice of your marketing person or talking to you (the founder) there’s no competition.

Tips 307

Tips Startup Press Blogging 307

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. To set the stage for all the cultural issues and timing, the authors start with a summary that I like of the five lifecycle phases every company is likely to experience over the long-term or short-term, regardless of culture: Innovation.

Startup 53

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 53

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2013

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. To set the stage for all the cultural issues and timing, the authors start with a summary of the five lifecycle phases that every company is likely to experience over the long-term or short-term, regardless of culture: Innovation.

Company 75

Company Companies Startup Web 2.0 75

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Open standards that make it easier to plug into other products & services, creating a global bazaar. If you’re a startup and you haven’t read my summary of Clay Christensen’s seminal work please do. The new entrant keeps margins low but suddenly has a lot of profits due to large volumes of business.

Startup 386

Startup Pricing Marketing Product 386

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2016

It’s a term most of you know as being somebody who is backward or uninterested in learning new technology. You can imagine that if you had spent a lifetime gaining a vocational skill and being a member of a protected industry guild that you wouldn’t be happy with technological change. Actually, the Luddites were worse than this.

Education 150

Education Resource Class Course 150