TechEmpower

JULY 24, 2023

At TechEmpower, we frequently talk to startup founders, CEOs, product leaders, and other innovators about their next big tech initiative. ” Of course, it’s more complicated than just checking boxes on a question list. Background Questions Let’s start with some background questions about the business and product.

Develop 520

Develop Development Technical Review SEO 520

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

< These days, it’s easy to find comprehensive videos and online courses on the Internet to get you up to speed, but I find many entrepreneurs who are too independent and proud to look or ask for help. Your productivity can be severely compromised by lack of balance, making you ineffective in managing key tasks and people around you.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

socalTECH

MARCH 18, 2009

Santa Monica-based Topspin Media , the online music startup of former Yahoo Music GM Ian Rogers, said today that the firm has inked a deal with Berkleemusic.com, the online continuing education division of the Berklee College of Music, to partner on a set of online music courses. Topspin is backed by the Foundry Group and Redpoint Ventures.

Course 124

Course Redpoint Santa Monica Education 124

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 22, 2016

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 -- The Roadmap to Commercialization: Confirming Your Product. This workshop series will help you determine and verify the right course for your start-up, raise your odds of being funded, and build a scalable, sustainable company. Create the right value propositions to motivate their purchases of your product 3.Generate

Product 100

Product Startup Course Custom 100

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2012

The problem is you don't yet have product/market fit, and until you do, you don't really know what to build. When product vision is truly clear, then it makes sense to execute it, and hiring follows. These companies are very early-stage and definitely have not shown product/market fit. They need to determine product/market fit.

CTO Hire 205

CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach Develop 205

TechEmpower

AUGUST 7, 2023

Here’s a graphic from Socal CTO that illustrates the roles as they change over time: In its earliest days, a startup’s top need is often to produce a product. It’s understandable - a hands-on developer can produce a product. This is a safe choice, of course - but is it the best choice? Is it the best path to profitability?

CTO Hire 260

CTO Hire Develop Development Fractional VPE 260

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

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 11, 2015

Product Hunt. It seems out of nowhere it has become the go to website for startup companies to launch their new products or businesses. I strong showing on TechCrunch created initial product demand and if you could sustain that it led to buzz overall in the tech community. It reminds me a lot of how TechCrunch felt in 2006.

Product 150

Product Startup Press Social Media 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

I recently wrote a post about avoiding the “ Deferred Life Plan &# and some related thoughts about personal productivity that came from Tim Ferriss’s book, The Four Hour Workweek. I would love to say that I’m the productivity guru. Tim Ferriss gave this extra emphasis in his book.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Women have made great inroads into the tech world in recent years, but there remains a long way to go before we reach a truly equitable state of affairs in workforce numbers, remuneration and product development. Since 2016, some 400 students, almost all women, have completed the course.

Mentor 297

Mentor Training Startup Course 297

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

This is why I loved Brad Feld’s recent post about the “ illusion of product / market fit.” Are our users addicted to our product? But if users don’t come back to your product directly and often I question whether you have a sustainable product / company. Are we making their lives better?

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 5, 2023

Since this number is budgeted and pre-authorized, managers tend to focus upon other things such as sales, marketing and product development issues. There is an art to efficient management of a process, whether that is the process of bringing a product to market from R&D to production or developing a new product’s launch program.

Venture Capital 296

Venture Capital Product Marketing Resource 296

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

Your first customers for any product or service form your reference base, the important group of allies that your marketing and salespeople rely upon when attempting to create buzz and make a mass market for a new product. Send flowers to the staff in the department using the product for the first time if appropriate.

Resource 156

Resource Custom Customer Product 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2019

Of course, the best evidence is you have done it before, and succeeded more often than you failed. As you create an innovative product, put an equal effort into a compelling vision. Successful businesses require innovative people, who have built an abundance of innovation capital, to win support and resources for their ideas.

Product 93

Product Ideas Resource Capital 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

I have found it to be more productive and effective to lead with the model that no meetings will take an hour, and may be done in as little as five minutes. Of course, this requires some discipline and focus on your part, as well as the willingness to trust team members and allow them to do their jobs.

Product 99

Product Mentor Startup Technical Review 99

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

That great productivity drain that we somehow all buy into. So I ask you – if you’re being reactive to somebody else’s emails are you really being as productive in your company as you could be? I spent a late morning meeting with a product exec at one portfolio company. ” Brilliant! “But WAIT !!!

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

I have found it to be more productive and effective to lead with the model that no meetings will take an hour, and may be done in as little as five minutes. Of course, this requires some discipline and focus on your part, as well as the willingness to trust team members and allow them to do their jobs. Marty Zwilling.

Mentor 154

Mentor Technical Review Coach Slides 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. I’m a technologist, so I always love to learn about the product, but every investor needs to make sure you have a business, as well as a product.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 7, 2021

And there are limits of course. But should we reward a research team that fails for the fourth time to find the solution to a nagging problem – on the way to a new product? Of course, the major hits paid for thousands of misses. That may be a difficult concept for an executive. There are “good” failures.

Course 156

Course Research Venture Capital Resource 156

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

There has always been tension between CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies and the retailers who sell their products to consumers. If a consumer will pay a fixed price for a product or service then the battle over who gets the margin in any sale is between the person who merchandises a product and the person who manufactures it.

Product 296

Product Course Custom Customer 296

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2023

So why do I see some many funding requests for products along these lines? Other countries can provide e-commerce with different business models, outsource manufacturing at low cost, and a huge market for new products. I hear this term every day, wrongly applied to new social media site, or a new productivity tool.

Ideas 118

Ideas Outsource Development Outsource Course 118

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 7, 2023

They include an expense account, company car, profit sharing, 401k contributions, medical coverage for dependents, free life insurance, educational payments, extra vacation, relocation expenses, paid trips to industry association meetings, or a small override on revenue from new products developed under the candidate’s watch.

Examples 156

Examples Guide Education Course 156

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 15, 2009

Steve Gilison worked as a market researcher and product manager at a startup where my company, TechEmpower , did the software / web development. Of course, I immediately gave him the whole spiel on Visible Networking and Steve was totally game to make our networking visible. My focus has been marketing strategy and product development.

Los Angeles 179

Los Angeles Product Angel Startup 179

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

And yet, such relationships properly used and never overused, can quickly and precisely help you cut through delays in government agencies, speed the process of product planning and ultimate release, aid in positioning in the market and help you avoid a myriad of mistakes that could prove costly in time and money.

Class 194

Class Organization Technical Review Activity 194

SoCal Tech Calendar

FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009 -- Caltech Executive Education: Taking Technology Products to Market. Attend this 2 day course to learn how to provide customers with crystal-clear product positioning, meaningful branding, and carefully timed launch strategies. Stand out in your competitive marketplace. See [link] (more).

Product 100

Product Marketing Technology CalTech 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2014

Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is different, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. Of course, working on perception can backfire if the differentiation reality isn’t there.

Product 102

Product Custom Customer Examples 102

SoCal Tech Calendar

FEBRUARY 3, 2009

Monday, February 9, 2009 -- Caltech Executive Education: Strategic Marketing of Technology Products. Attend this 3-day course to learn how to gain market advantage and become better positioned to grow. See [link] (more).

Product 100

Product Marketing Technology CalTech 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

We have global opportunities from these trends but of course also big challenges. Of course we can’t. There are of course many Seed VCs who take board seats, don’t over-commit to too many deals and try to help with “company building” activities to help at a company’s vulnerable foundations. Hot, Flat & Crowded.”

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Many entrepreneurs never get past their first-stage focus on their innovative product, to scaling the business globally, organizing a structure to handle thousands of employees, and concentrating their focus “on the business” rather than working “in the business.” Switch your focus from product development to sales.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

Rather, these were the words given in response to the opening question to a panel of product managers to “describe their occupation” in 3 words or less, + an additional word on what their biggest challenge was. Jay Stakelon , VP Product Design, Fullscreen. Jen Robinson , Head of Product Manager, Bigframe.

Product 87

Product Fandango Design Startup 87

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

Remember, investors are buying into the business, not the product. Investors are business experts, while the entrepreneur is more likely the product expert. In my experience, the team's credentials are more important than the product. Specific elements of your marketing and sales plans.

Product 103

Product Slides Customer Custom 103

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

He has a really interesting background as a product manager and now an entrepreneur. Like many product managers, my background is fairly eclectic. That's where I learned I enjoyed interacting with customers and working with development teams to build and launch products. Tell me a bit about your background. How did it help you?

Product 150

Product Entrepreneur Social Media Google 150

InfoChachkie

MARCH 1, 2011

In essence, the Beatles offered a product with a higher value proposition as compared to their American counterparts. Minimally Viable Product Does Not Mean Minimal Utility. Much has been written regarding the benefits of crafting a minimally viable product (MVP) as a means of accelerating the product validation process.

Product 232

Product Marketing Sales Customer 232

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2012

This is implementing a model that you can replicate, to get your product or service out across the country, and around the world. It also means that it’s time to stop micro-managing, hire some of the right people, and start giving up some control. Scale the business.

Course 99

Course Startup Zag Resource 99

SoCal Tech Calendar

FEBRUARY 17, 2009

Monday, February 23, 2009 -- Caltech Executive Education: Technology Strategy for RandD and Product Development. Attend this 2 day course and learn how to manage technology investments through technology roadmaps. See [link] (more).

Develop 100

Develop Development Product Technology 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 7, 2019

Irvine-based Kajabi , which develops a platform that helps both individuals, as well as small- and mid-sized businesses monetize online courses, training materials, and other content, has receive an investment from private equity investor Spectrum Equity. Financial details of the minority growth investment were not announced. READ MORE>>.

Equity 138

Equity Funding Training Course 138

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 15, 2021

The company’s mobile application lets users take a photo of any bill and then its artificial intelligence-powered “bill-understanding technology” makes sure it gets paid (after a user has provided payment details, of course). It’s hoping to build on its existing technology with an extensive product roadmap. Image Credits: Papaya.

Mobile 208

Mobile Artificial Inteligence Startup Course 208