Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

As an advisor to many startups today, I still see that most of you entrepreneurs see yourselves as the sole driver of your new solution, and the key driver of your new business. Today, modern teams are engaged by a higher purpose , such as improving the environment or helping the underprivileged, more than just money and profit.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2020

That’s why I’m impressed with the classic book, “ All Dreams on Deck: Charting the Course for Your Life and Work ,” by Jeremy Cage. Hopefully, between the two of us, more of you with big business dreams will follow the leads and generate more successful business results: Start by getting your hands dirty. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2017

As an advisor to startups, and a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m still surprised at the number who are determined to go it alone. Even worse, when they figure out that they really need help, the first place they look is for an intern or untrained helpers. A startup has enough unknowns, without ignorance of the basics.

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Help Startup Course Technical Review 66

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 29, 2020

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Usually it pays to move a startup slower rather than risk relationships. Many times friends and family have been broken by failed investments.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2020

Of course, most of you expect that raising money will be difficult, as well as staving off competitors, and handling that occasional toxic customer. There are just not enough hours in a day, and knowledge available, to keep up with it all. Every startup is like a family, needing constant commitment to specific roles and priorities.

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Entrepreneur Startup Course Examples 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. Help entrepreneurs with constant learning.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Out of curiosity, I often ask aspiring entrepreneurs like you, who come to me for help, what drives them to take on the workload and risk of a new startup. In my experience, entrepreneurs with an overwhelming desire to save the environment, or feed the hungry, have a huge head start in building a business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

I agree with her eight key attributes of a head and heart leader, which I paraphrase here, in hopes of challenging your own thinking, In addition, I am providing some of my own practical insights to inspire and help you become the type of business leader I sense the world needs today: Lead with curiosity as a team role model.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Most entrepreneurs start from a base of one or two co-founders, and their vision and focus is on developing an innovative solution, rather than developing people. They do believe it can be accomplished, with the six specific steps paraphrased here: Culture starts by thinking different and thinking big at the top.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Each of these will help you in achieving success and satisfaction while tackling your toughest business issues: Stop attacking symptoms – dig first for the root cause. A broken process or a subtle quality issue can generate a flood of customer satisfaction problems, cost overruns, and loss of market share.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. According to recent reports , these come from all the way up and down the age and experience spectrum, including up to ninety percent of the current Baby Boomers, as well as Millennials. Higher worker engagement and satisfaction.

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Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2014

I’ve always wondered who started the urban myth that the best way to start a company is to come up with a great idea, and then find some professional investors to give you a pot of money to build a company. Don’t give up a chunk of your company and control before you start.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. You don’t have enough control over your time, investors, the market, or your startup. You can’t build a great company without help.

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Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2021

After working many years in business, both in large companies as well as startups, I’ve realized that you can learn more from peers and mentors than from any formal education program. Of course, nothing beats learning from your mistakes , but that’s a painful and very time-consuming journey.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2022

We are living in a new generation of business, where customers drive the experience, and highly engaged employees are required to keep up with customer expectations. Of course, these are great, but they don’t happen without enlightened leadership coming first. True leaders are tenacious, determined, and self-starting.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Start by giving yourself a dose of self-compassion for what you also are going through before you turn your attention to a colleague. Identifying your goal will help you avoid getting pulled into any drama and stay focused on constructive tactics. When seeking help on an issue, seek out people who are constructive, and stay positive.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2020

Most entrepreneurs start from a base of one or two co-founders, and their vision and focus is on developing an innovative solution, rather than developing people. They do believe it can be accomplished, with the six specific steps paraphrased here: Culture starts by thinking different and thinking big at the top.

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Organization Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction 160

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2023

Finding your sweet spot as an entrepreneur needs to start with a meaningful personal purpose that is also a business opportunity. Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. To find new work you love, it helps to do job shadowing or short term rotation.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2013

I’ve always wondered who started the urban myth that the best way to start a company is to come up with a great idea, and then find some professional investors to give you a pot of money to build a company. Don’t give up a chunk of your company and control before you start.

Startup 105

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Legalzoom 105

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Finding your sweet spot as an entrepreneur needs to start with a meaningful personal purpose that is also a business opportunity. Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. To find new work you love, it helps to do job shadowing or short term rotation.

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Tips Framework Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Of course, you can be overly confident or unrealistic in your expectations, without the skills or plans to run a business. You must always stick up for yourself, just like you would for your best friend.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

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Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2023

Of course, margin and profitability are important, but must be committed to adding more value to the lives of your clients, and making the world a better place. Seek customer feedback on ways to improve value and satisfaction. These start with your brand image, search visibility and process, and extend to the actual sales transaction.

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Customer Custom Marketing Startup 91

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2015

Creating an innovative new business is guaranteed to test your skills, patience and determination, and you need to derive satisfaction from the journey, as well as the destination. To do it well requires a focus on several key activities and practices, including the following: Maintain a positive attitude, since startup problems are normal.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2023

I like her recommendation of five discrete steps to help you think bigger, and innovate more successfully in your business, as well as your private life. Start with a real problem, rather than a technology or solution looking for a problem. Your goal is to end up with a solution that is in total more useful and novel.

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Technical Review Ideas Study Social Media 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2015

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. Help entrepreneurs with constant learning.

Entrepreneur 112

Entrepreneur Startup Education Tool 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Helping your team motivates them to drive your business. That takes less time and gives everyone greater satisfaction. The most successful managers I know spend up to fifteen percent of their time each week with each team member, coaching them, motivating them, and helping to resolve problems.

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Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2016

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

Startup 55

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Organization 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Usually it pays to move a startup slower rather than risk relationships. Many times friends and family have been broken by failed investments.

Funding 57

Funding Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2018

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. Help entrepreneurs with constant learning.

Startup 51

Startup Education Entrepreneur Tool 51

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2021

Of course, any highly emotional and unmanaged conflict can certainly lead to chaos and a dysfunctional organization. To get you started on the right foot, here are the key principles that I see most often working: Make the resolution a part of a larger process. Don’t let it be just a conflict over graphic design.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2021

Of course, this kind of leadership has a big risk, since you have no one to blame if you get it wrong. It can help you be right when, without expert help, you might fail. This may mean attending industry conferences, taking college courses, or reading some key books. Solidify and demonstrate your personal values.

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Entrepreneur Course Satisfaction Guide 132

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Of course, starting and running your own business comes with financial and personal risks, so I always recommend that you do your homework first, and follow some tried and proven strategies to improve your odds of success. These days, you can’t start and run a business alone.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2012

Every startup faces a myriad of challenges that are well beyond the scope of any founder, so you need a few guiding lights to illuminate the road ahead. These should be carefully selected, with a proven track record, willing and available to help, and be completely trustworthy. Let’s talk specifics.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

My internal compass has always steered me strongly toward the belief that founders who can scale with their startup companies are better to back that founders who eventually need to hire a CEO. Very few founder CEOs go into the job ever expecting to give up their seat. So give up the CEO role? It’s your baby.

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