Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Course 96

Course Email Social Network Ideas 96

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. In a VC business when you raise additional capital you need to “level up” and act the round you are. Act your stage. But at what cost?

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

So, with thanks to whomever originally created this great little parable, here it is: “Every day, a small Ant arrived at work early and started work immediately, she produced a lot and she was happy. So the lion recruited a cockroach who had extensive experience as a supervisor and who was famous for writing excellent reports.

Course 156

Course Writing Report Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2021

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. I recommend three or five members to start (an uneven number prevents tie votes).

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Course 104

Course Email Social Network Ideas 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2021

Here are my thoughts on the right focus at a college or university: Take entrepreneurship courses, but major in a more specific discipline. Practical business courses are better than an advanced degree or MBA. Practical business courses are better than an advanced degree or MBA. Starting a business is not rocket science.

Entrepreneur 149

Entrepreneur Tips Writing Coach 149

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. In fact, the process of organizing and documenting these elements is the best way to make sure you understand the answers yourself. I hope not.

Sample 137

Sample Writing Mentor Content 137

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

I often describe “chutzpah” as being able to skate right up to the line of acceptability without crossing over it. And being persistent I believe is the most important attribute for success in an entrepreneur (assuming of course that you have all the other requisite skills). It’s your job to persist.

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Here are my thoughts on the right focus at a college or university: Take entrepreneurship courses, but major in a more specific discipline. Practical business courses are better than an advanced degree or MBA. Practical business courses are better than an advanced degree or MBA. Starting a business is not rocket science.

Startup 97

Startup Writing Coach Incubator 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2022

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Class 140

Class Course Email Social Network 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Course 97

Course Writing Slides Email 97

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

It’s the first EIR that we’ve had in the years that I’ve been with the firm and I hope will be the start of our investment in this program. We’re excited to continue to grow our investment professional staff and will continue to do so over the course of 2013 & 2014 with our new fund.

Startup 372

Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

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. The start of marketing is figuring out a market need and a way to solve that need better than anybody else.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2012

Brad wrote up his answer here – you should read it because it’s very instructive for how I believe communities ought to think about naming conventions. I recommend that you start by writing down the attributes you would want people to think about when they think about your brand. This is the list I would start with.

Startup 304

Startup Venture Capital Los Angeles Woodland Hills 304

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. The challenge is finding and using qualified affordable support organizations for each stage. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

InfoChachkie

JUNE 16, 2016

However, off-the-shelf majors are typically not suited to the eclectic skills required to succeed in the startup world. Like a sheepeople, I dutifully signed up for the required classes. To my surprise, when I told the Dean that I was learning nothing from the Core courses, he simply asked me what I wanted to take.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Class Course Writing 100

InfoChachkie

APRIL 16, 2012

Article first published as Steve Blank Discusses Origin And Future Of Lean Startup Movement on Technorati. I recently spoke with Steve Blank, author of the new book The Startup Owner’s Manual. He is credited with pioneering the Lean Startup Movement in 2005 via the publication of his bestselling, Four Steps To The Epiphany.

Startup 229

Startup Class Press Custom Development 229

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2015

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. In fact, the process of organizing and documenting these elements is the best way to make sure you understand the answers yourself. I hope not.

Startup 109

Startup Writing Mentor Sample 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, I find that I often have to remind them that the world of customers has changed since they started their last business. Of course, part of the change is that Gen Z (born after 1996) now outnumbers the Millennials (born after 1981). Regularly ask your customers what they think and why.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2015

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. I recommend three or five members to start (an uneven number prevents tie votes).

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

It’s time that I can use to catch up on tasks that require focus. It is being temporarily taken off course the whole trip. And, each time the elements take it off course, it corrects and gets back on the right path. It’s the same with your startup business. You’ll be blown off course every day. That’s okay.

Startup 98

Startup Course Ideas Email 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. You’ve built a successful startup before, and plan to use the same investors. From my perspective, much of this advice is urban legend and just plain wrong.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2013

What I love about writing is that you inadvertently say what many others are thinking and just knowing that somebody else is thinking something similar can be reassuring. Example: Fred Wilson writing his end of 2012 post wrote. “I’ve wanted to write a year end post for days. But of course life isn’t like this.

Writing 313

Writing Venture Capital Blogging Startup 313

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

Define your customers, partners and other relevant people to your organization (e.g. Don’t blog about what you think would be “cool.&# I don’t think that most startup blogs should be about how to build a startup. The new stuff: How do I get started? Slice it up enough to do many posts.

Blogging 286

Blogging Startup Writing Summary 286

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

When should you start a company? What company should you start? Most startups die. It’s obvious that we can be too late to these decisions of course. We can miss the round of financing, we can start a company a year or two behind someone else and lose the first-mover advantage. When should a VC invest?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Berkonomics

JUNE 9, 2016

So, with thanks to whomever created this great little parable, here it is: “Every day, a small Ant arrived at work early and started work immediately, she produced a lot and she was happy. So the lion recruited a cockroach who had extensive experience as a supervisor and who was famous for writing excellent reports.

Report 120

Report Writing Startup Course 120

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 14, 2009

Cliff Allen is someone I've known for quite a few years and he's a go to person for me when I'm thinking about issues around marketing, sales, technology, startups and networking. I moved into writing software to analyze audience data, and wrote a lot of computer graphics software. What keeps you up at night? Hey, radio.

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Networking Marketing Startup 150

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. Write it down, make it specific, expressive, yet succinct and jargon-free. Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. Then take ownership and make it happen.

Framework 95

Framework Customer Custom Tips 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2012

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. The challenge is finding and using qualified affordable support organizations for each stage. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it.

Resource 94

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2010

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Course 53

Course Writing Ideas Class 53

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

You don’t really understand a new idea, until you try to write it down and succinctly communicate it to peers and critics. Through personal outreach, as well as industry organizations, they are constantly on the lookout for people smarter and more experienced in their domain. Network in the industry as well as outside.

Mentor 139

Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

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. Write it down, make it specific, expressive, yet succinct and jargon-free. Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. Then take ownership and make it happen.

Tips 174

Tips Framework Customer Custom 174

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 26, 2011

That doesn’t work in a startup. There’s a certain cadence that you can feel when you spend time hanging any well-run startup company. The startup entrepreneur knows that they’re going to be wrong often. I don’t really care if I’m wrong as long as I’m not dogmatic if evidence later shows we need to change course.

Startup 335

Startup Technical Review Framework Entrepreneur 335

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2012

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and starting their own company. The reasons for waiting have merit, but they need to be balanced against the non-entrepreneurial habits that every professional picks up in a large corporation. Training courses are required.

Startup 93

Startup Company Companies Training 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2011

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. The challenge is finding and using qualified affordable support organizations for each stage. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it.

Startup 92

Startup Organization Incubator Ideas 92

Berkonomics

MAY 29, 2014

If you don’t know these things, how are you going to course-correct if things go differently than forecast? A business plan: Organizes your thoughts to better run your business. Studies found that people who write plans are more likely to put their goals in action and increases your likelihood of success.

Startup 166

Startup Guide Help Mentor 166

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2011

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and starting their own company. The reasons for waiting have merit, but they need to be balanced against the non-entrepreneurial habits that every professional picks up in a large corporation. Training courses are required.

Startup 103

Startup Training Course Entrepreneur 103