Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help. She suspects, like me, that no self-respecting entrepreneur wants to seem weak, needy, or incompetent, and none of us like to feel indebted to someone we see as a peer or a competitor.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

One of the hardest things about the fund-raising process for entrepreneurs is that you’re trying to raise money from people who have “asymmetric information.” VC firms see thousands of deals and have a refined sense of how the market is valuing deals because they get price signals across all of these deals.

Venture Capital 324

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 324

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2012

The popular view of a real entrepreneur is someone with a big vision, and a stubborn determination to charge straight ahead through any obstacle and make it happen. His popular book on this subject, “ The Lean Startup ,” lays out how today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses.

Course 109

Course Startup Platform Entrepreneur 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2020

Too many entrepreneurs tell me they are looking for an investor, and can’t differentiate between venture capital (VC) investors versus accredited angel investors. Angels are more likely to fund new entrepreneurs, and early-stage or seed rounds, while VCs tend to focus on entrepreneurs with a successful track record, and later stage rounds.

Venture Capital 125

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Startup Invest 125

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Someone on Quora recently asked me to answer the following question: Why Do Digital Entrepreneurs Hate MBAs? Tech entrepreneurs' consternation with MBAs does not rise to the level of loathing. As noted in Startup Advice From College Dropouts , successful entrepreneurs are often poor students.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2013

It is of course why immigrants power so many successful businesses in the US and why we need to embrace them. How much could the new generation of entrepreneurs learn from that? He wanted to keep his prices low (apparently he has never raised his wholesale price in 30 years). Having a strong sense of values.

Entrepreneur 415

Entrepreneur Startup Pricing Product 415

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

I’m often asked the question about why there aren’t more women who are entrepreneurs. My inspiration to become an entrepreneur came from my mom, not my dad. She was the dominant figure in my family and was both an entrepreneur and a community leader. I love my dad equally, of course. Every single one.

Entrepreneur 341

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Blogging 341

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. Of course that’s not disputable. I think there is also no denying the role that Richard Rosenblatt has played in building the LA tech ecosystem and spawning great entrepreneurs who followed in his footsteps. Yes, Google won.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2010

I call it the entrepreneur thesis. I’m not talk about the age old debate amongst investors whether you back entrepreneurs, markets or products (or as people like to hedge – product / market fit). It’s entrepreneurs I back. It’s what I call the “entrepreneur thesis.” So what is the “entrepreneur thesis?”

Entrepreneur 321

Entrepreneur GRP Partners Venture Capital Invest 321

Berkonomics

AUGUST 31, 2023

In 1994, (I know a long time ago), I invested over a million dollars (two million six hundred thousand in today’s dollars) into a company whose entrepreneurs had a vision that I bought into for many reasons, not the least of which was that I had industry experience and understood the need. Surprisingly, many entrepreneurs immediately respond.

Competition 156

Competition Research Summary Pricing 156

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Of course, even though that is your contract with the investors, way over half of those implied contracts never work out that way. Of course, you will find yourself in opposition to your investors and some of most of your board members if you do this after taking outside investment. What if you later decide to just keep control?

Equity 156

Equity Course Sales Invest 156

InfoChachkie

JUNE 15, 2015

Effective entrepreneurs reject dogmatism and embrace doubt. Confirmation bias is particularly dangerous at startups, as it slows down these vital course corrections. At the same time, the team may unconsciously discount data that shows an uptick in sales beyond what could be attributable to a higher price. Human Nature Sucks.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Pricing Course Journal 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Me: At what price? Him: It wasn’t priced. So you did raise with a price. It’s just a maximum price. Convertible notes have both features in them but for some reason entrepreneurs don’t understand it. It’s like we need a finance 101 course for entrepreneurs. About $1 million.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Capital Pricing Doc 417

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

(In case it’s not obvious it’s a play on the Nike slogan, “Just Do It.&# ) I believe that being successful as an entrepreneur requires you to get lots of things done. Entrepreneurs make fast decisions and move forward knowing that at best 70% of their decisions are going to be right. This paralyzes most people.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Technical Review Slides CTO Coach 414

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2016

Some people even believe that entrepreneurs must be born with the right genes, and no element of education is relevant. In my view, the most effective entrepreneurs are those with a background of an array of real-life experiences, both positive and negative, as well as good academic and coaching activities.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Tips Writing Coach 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Yet as a business advisor I am convinced that making the jump from a startup to a the next unicorn takes a different mindset, and actions most entrepreneurs are reluctant to face. Of course, that means a mindset willing to give up much more equity, and taking on a whole new level of risk.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2021

Every entrepreneur with a new technology tells me that his innovation will be industry-disrupting, meaning that it will render the existing technology obsolete, and create a new market. I suspect that several of these will surprise most entrepreneurs as being counter-intuitive to their thinking.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Entrepreneur Marketing Customer 157

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Seed investors are aplenty and of course they need downstream money to fuel their early-stage bets. Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, And there’s conferences. Oh, the conferences.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

SoCal CTO

MARCH 1, 2010

Startup Killer: the Cost of Customer Acquisition | For Entrepreneurs , February 2, 2010 Looks at the critical equation around customer acquisition cost vs. customer lifetime value similar to what I discussed in Startup Metrics but in more depth. Of course, one of the best ideas around this is to have Negative Customer Acquisition Costs.

Pricing 150

Pricing Acquisition Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

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. Marty Zwilling.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2022

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. As an entrepreneur and startup, you should love this environment and cater to it. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Startup Course 146

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

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 149

Startup Organization Customer Custom 149

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2021

These things change so fast these days that the primary role of the entrepreneur as CEO is to be the Master of Realignment. Most entrepreneurs recognize the need to pivot on a regular basis, but many forget that pivoting usually requires a realignment effort to get all the players back in sync. Revisit your startup vision and values.

Social Media 143

Social Media Startup Framework Course 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2015

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.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Pricing 117

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Even if you ignore all the hype around crowdfunding, there can be no doubt that it is a real alternative for entrepreneurs to achieve visibility and funding today. With this model, a startup pre-sells their product early, at a cheaper price, in exchange for a pledge. Product pre-order model.

Funding 141

Funding Startup Outsource Development Satisfaction 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

In fact, I often have to tell aspiring entrepreneurs that their inventions have zero value, at least not until they are put in the context of a business plan, with qualified people committed to executing the plan. Of course it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 156

Technical Review Funding Patents Ideas 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2014

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. As an entrepreneur and startup, you should love this environment and cater to it. Capitalize on the multiplier moment.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Startup 98

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

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. Reinvent the vision for change. Team, market, and cultural maintenance.

Course 127

Course IBM IBM Social Media 127

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 13, 2020

Every radical turn in technology history has its great entrepreneur, and for space that person is SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Air Force and, of course, SpaceX. . You can grab your ticket for a front-row seat to this event for the early-bird price of $349. Grab your tickets at these reduced rates before prices increase.

SpaceX 150

SpaceX Los Angeles Tips Pricing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Of course, that has be a repeatable event, with enough revenue to sustain the business. Customer support is more than handling exceptions.

Customer 109

Customer Custom Satisfaction Sales 109

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

MAY 15, 2021

The most successful entrepreneurs and executives I have seen are savvy business people first, and experts in their field second. The issue in these cases was usually not the technology per se, but the bigger business picture of marketable prices, ease of use, and support infrastructures. Network in the industry as well as outside.

Mentor 139

Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2022

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 143

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2014

Too many entrepreneurs tell me they are looking for an investor, and can’t differentiate between venture capital (VC) investors versus accredited Angel investors. Angels are more likely to fund new entrepreneurs, and early-stage or seed rounds, while VCs tend to focus on entrepreneurs with a successful track record, and later stage rounds.

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Angel Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2022

Every entrepreneur and every business needs a strategy to keep them focused. Market change happens too frequently these days, and organizations need to quickly change course just to survive. And without knowing where you stand, there is no way to set a course. What drives the economic engine?

Organization 118

Organization Course Patents Entrepreneur 118

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2012

The site--headed by CEO Jason Nazar--said today that it has launched a selection of expert, video courses , featuring over 100 hours of video. The company said the launch is a "major move" for the firm into paid-video courses, and is an evolution of the company's focus on small businesses documents. READ MORE>>.

Course 178

Course Santa Monica Sites Pricing 178