Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2022

The pivot can be as simple as changing the pricing model, or as complex as moving from a product business to a services business. In all cases, it’s more effective and less painful to do it as a planned process, rather than a crash course in survival. Real change demands new goals based on new market realities.

Course 127

Course IBM IBM Social Media 127

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

On why you should be an entrepreneur, “A lot of people do what they have to do. So it was my great pleasure to host Chamillionaire on This Week in VC this week talking marketing, entrepreneurship, old media and, of course, music. You want to get yourself to a position where you can do what you want to do&# (Chamillionaire).

Entrepreneur 356

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Email 356

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2023

All the business leaders I know have noticed that the problems we all face today are becoming more complex, multifaceted, and our customers are more demanding. These authors speak from a wealth of experience as investors, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists. Don’t demand risk elimination by perfectionism.

Demand 84

Demand Course .Net Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices.

Organization 128

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 128

InfoChachkie

MAY 19, 2011

This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. In Part II of this series, I suggest that entrepreneurs seek agreements in which “what is good for the goose is good for the gander.” Agree to Bundling Without a Minimum Price.

Outsource Development 193

Outsource Development IP Technical Review Entrepreneur 193

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I find that more and more entrepreneurs avoid using the term “profit” in pitching their new venture. Of course, I understand and don’t condone bad actors who get greedy, and exploit ways to unjustly squeeze customers and employees. Without profit there is no business.

Entrepreneur 58

Entrepreneur Ideas Pricing Customer 58

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

In a bear market executives are paid to: consolidate the number of contracts and renegotiate prices. Other companies have only seen a slight decline and may be expecting demand to return to normalcy later in the year. The reality is that when unemployment sinks in demand is likely to get worse. Should you focus on growth?

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked for the magic that has made Amazon the world's most valuable brand , from a total unknown only twenty years ago. They present a convincing story that every entrepreneur has the same potential, but most get sidetracked and bogged down by their technology, competitors, and internal organization.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Chris Sacca fly by that prompted me to want to write a blog post helping entrepreneurs understand why they should push back against VCs asking for “super pro-rata” rights. Of course every firm breaks its rules to get into a deal, but they put pressure on you by saying that they can’t.

Entrepreneur 310

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Writing Invest 310

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. You can be pissed off, but I don’t set prices. That’s stupid.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective? Of course when you think about it it’s kind of obvious but when people make snap judgments about information they hear about companies or read about in the press they often don’t take the time to start to consider the details. The VC-backed businesses sometimes “blow up.”

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Berkonomics

MARCH 14, 2019

Of course, we are speaking of increased valuation of your company when we speak of “wealth.” Especially if you are in the early stage of growing a business, these five risks can and often do derail entrepreneurs before realizing the riches of a great exit. So, let’s examine them and mitigate them. Make you wealthy someday.

Outsource Development 120

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. Of course, not every entrepreneur wants to tackle this challenge. There is no free lunch.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 28, 2018

Of course the VC is looking to have specificity in how you plan to spend the money you’re going to raise and plans that show a pie chart that says, “25% on marketing, 30% on technology and R&D, 20% on infrastructure, 25% on G&A” do not get funded. Every VC wants to fund a deal that seems to have too much demand.

Venture Capital 247

Venture Capital Capital Funding Demand 247

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. Of course once submitted you could send out links to your friends and ask them to upvote your content and that would help.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

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

JUNE 9, 2013

You can of course view the presentation in SlideShare above or download it directly for free here. As I outlined in my talk, I believe the greatest Internet companies created over the past 15 years have been “deflationary” meaning they are driving down the prices or goods & services. Prices down. Network Up.

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. Nearly every successful entrepreneur is offered a relatively modest amount of money for their adVenture during its early days. Mark Suster, an entrepreneur and investor I deeply respect, wrote a very thoughtful entry on this subject here.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Acquisition Pricing 124

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. Nearly every successful entrepreneur is offered a relatively modest amount of money for their adVenture during its early days. Mark Suster, an entrepreneur and investor I deeply respect, wrote a very thoughtful entry on this subject here.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Acquisition Pricing .Net 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2013

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. Of course, investors still require a profitable business model, and the potential for high returns. Socially responsible products typically sell at a premium price. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 101

Startup Organization Entrepreneur Customer 101

socalTECH

OCTOBER 26, 2015

Los Angeles is the capital of on-demand apps, for just about anything you want. One of those areas that combines LA's passion for on-demand apps, and its active lifestyle, is Fitspot (www.fitspotapp.com), which brings athletic trainers to you or your local fitness center. What is Fitspot? How are you backed and funded?

Training 100

Training Startup Orange County Malibu 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. Of course, not every entrepreneur wants to tackle this challenge. There is no free lunch.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

Of course there’s no exact number of VCs you should meet?—?these People who believe the former believe that you should see the market demand before too many people know you’re “in market.” As a VC I of course want you to come see only me because that means I have no competition and have time to properly get to know you.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2012

Of course, no situation is this simple. There were product development problems, pricing problems, and early customers who demanded more features and delayed contractual payments. With that revelation, the Founder killed the investment deal, and every other potential deal which raised the same issue.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Organization 99

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. If you look at the structure of the travel industry above – of course we know that the hotel industry is fragmented while the airline industry is reasonable consolidated.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

The sweeping infrastructure package put forward today by President Joe Biden comes with a price tag of roughly $2 trillion (and hefty tax hikes) but gives startups and the broader tech industry about $1 trillion worth of reasons to support it. ” Climate resiliency . Given the steady drumbeat of climate disasters that hit the U.S.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2014

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 91

Startup Organization Pricing Customer 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2015

The pivot can be as simple as changing the pricing model, or as complex as moving from a product business to a services business. In all cases, it’s more effective and less painful to do it as a planned process, rather than a crash course in survival. Real change demands new goals based on new market realities.

Startup 102

Startup Course IBM IBM 102

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. I have had this discussion with many a first-time entrepreneur. If you don’t, somebody else WILL!”

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Berkonomics

JUNE 11, 2015

It’s good advice; the theory being that entrepreneurs can discover the flaws in their business models sooner, make course corrections and move in a more favorable direction. In my case as a young software entrepreneur, I had a different approach: Fail Locally, one customer at a time. I became an entrepreneur by default.

Customer 120

Customer Custom Writing Southern California 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2012

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. Of course, investors still require a profitable business model, and the potential for high returns. Socially responsible products typically sell at a premium price.

Startup 100

Startup Organization Customer Custom 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2017

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices.

Startup 59

Startup Organization Pricing Customer 59

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2014

The pivot can be as simple as changing the pricing model, or as complex as moving from a product business to a services business. In all cases, it’s more effective and less painful to do it as a planned process, rather than a crash course in survival. Real change demands new goals based on new market realities. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Course IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

The pivot can be as simple as changing the pricing model, or as complex as moving from a product business to a services business. In all cases, it’s more effective and less painful to do it as a planned process, rather than a crash course in survival. Real change demands new goals based on new market realities.

Course 59

Course IBM IBM Social Media 59

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I even prefer to fund entrepreneurs who have experience some level of set-backs in their careers or startups because I think it brings a humility to decision-making that I find healthy. You also ran the risk that if you hired employees quickly and then demand wasn’t as strong as expected it was incredibility hard to fire people.

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

However, many people are not aware that prior to entering academia, Steve was a wily and creative marketing entrepreneur. And then they said one thing that most marketers go their whole career never hearing, 'Listen Steve, price is irrelevant, it is speed that matters.' We had been pricing our graphics cards to be a low-cost provider.

Marketing 271

Marketing Startup Sales Customer 271

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

And I had been telling my partners for a couple of years that I thought Ethan was one of the more talented entrepreneurs I had come across in San Francisco. We generally have a policy to only fund entrepreneurs once the first version of a product has shipped or it near to shipping. We like to be able to see the concept.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359