Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

First of all, a definition. Traction is evidence that your product or service has started that “hockey- stick” adoption rate which implies a large market, a valid business model, and sustainable growth. One customer is not traction, and beta tests with a thousand customers at no cost don’t count. Market penetration.

Startup 106

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 106

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

People mistook extra doses of Ajax for a successful product. The last couple of years has also seen the huge initial success of Ycombinator, the Lean Startup and many other product driven approaches to going to market. I have seen really great product people espouse the death of the business plan. Do so at your peril.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Who are your customers? I then worked at a startup, SocialVibe.com, and basically ran all of their trade marketing and consumer marketing, focusing on consumer growth engagement, insights, and product marketing, and how to shape their product to heighten and capitalize on consumer engagement. It's all part of the same vision.

Paramount 187

Paramount Entertainment Hollywood Content 187

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

Having paying “Customers” is what makes the cash register roar. An entrepreneur having low self worth is the number one deterrent for a potential customer not buying into what you are selling. Using your service or owning your product isn’t why a person buys, it’s the experience your customer will have.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Marketing SEO 85

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 22, 2016

Less than a month ago, Snapchat opened custom on-demand geofilters to everyone. Industry news was excited, but for how amazing of a product they are, custom Snapchat geofilters have remained stunningly under the radar. So what’s exciting about this new product? This product is literally too good to pass up.

Customer 40

Customer Custom Snapchat Design 40

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 10, 2012

The lessons learned by Divshot confirm that obtaining, and more importantly maintaining, visibility on the front page of a major social news site results from the congruence of three factors: audience, timing and engagement. If we hadn’t done well on Hacker News we would have needed to have some serious product/market fit discussions.".

News 198

News Sites Startup RSS 198

socalTECH

JANUARY 17, 2013

spent 2011 raising our seed round, which we used to build our team.and launched the product into beta about a year ago, at the end of 2011. We then spent the first half of 2012 beta testing the product, getting feedback and input to the point where we could start selling it. The platform can be divided into three products.

Mobile 197

Mobile Startup Platform GRP Partners 197

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2011

Wondering how, as a small business, you can reach customers in the YouTube age? Well, Los Angeles based Near Networks (www.nearnetworks.com) is looking to both reach customers online, and avoid the tacky, lousy production of typical small business ads, with a new service. What is Near Networks?

Networking 150

Networking Search Engine Optimization Product Startup 150

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2013

Entrepreneurs have no trouble focusing on how to build a product, and the good ones know how to find and nurture those first critical customers. Sales is simply defined as income from customer purchases of goods and services, minus the cost associated with things like returned or undeliverable merchandise.

Metrics 100

Metrics Technical Review Sales Customer 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2014

Sponsored by VISA Business Running a small business as an entrepreneur is a never-ending challenge of new products, customers, competitors, and an unpredictable economy. A good entrepreneur feels the incentive to offer a new service/product that no one else has offered before. Beat the competition.

Startup 92

Startup Tips Satisfaction Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2019

He provides 101 two-page lessons divided into eight learning categories that I like as follows: Learn the ground rules for traditional media. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. How to respond to media in a crisis.

Press 96

Press Entrepreneur Social Media Training 96

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 24, 2013

According to Patrick Vlaskovits another proselytizer of the term, “Growth hacking comes after the early stage chaos and post-product-market-fit.”. If you build it, they may not come : So, you’ve launched your product, and people use it and seem to like it. It’s the whole conversion flow.

Hulu 111

Hulu Startup Social Media Organization 111

socalTECH

MARCH 21, 2011

Gordon Gould , the co-founder of SmartPants, talks about the company and how it's applying what he learned founding ThisNext and from a long experience in the social media market to the consumer products goods area--what he describes as Brands 2.0. First, talk about what SmartPants Vitamins are? We give it to our own kids.

Web 225

Web Social Media SEO Media 225

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2013

million new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. The biggest excuse most startup founders mention is too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, investors, etc. Cultivate early customers. Find potential partners.

Blogging 104

Blogging Product Startup Writing 104

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Often I find that experienced investors flip to the management page of a business plan, even before they read the product description. To be respected at the top of the pyramid, a CEO must be able to clearly communicate the vision of the company to inspire investors, the team, and customers. That’s how important the people are.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Social Network Mentor 94

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

There''s a huge demand for a limited supply of employees, in particularly, there a large demand for product developers, and there''s a shortage of experienced people. If you look at the career sites and pages out there right now, they look like they were built a decade ago. Chris Ovitz: Definitely. How did you two meet?

Design 174

Design Sites Cornerstone OnDemand Startup 174

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2014

I kept thinking that someone would eventually come up with a hub or place you could do everything--a home page, for example, where if you were going on a trip, and you could easily load your iPad full of stuff automatically. We''ve already integrated Twitter and Facebook, and our product is in its earliest MVP, and it''s now out there.

Entertainment 206

Entertainment Startup Southern California Netflix 206

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

One of our core tasks was “market analysis,&# which consistent of: market sizing, market forecasts, competitive analysis and then instructing customers on which direction to take. It’s important to quantify the value of your product or service. With no numbers as proof points few people will buy your products.

Statistics 415

Statistics Startup Report Research 415

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 20, 2013

It’s a shame because the ability to nail these presentations at key conferences can be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to influence journalists, business partners, potential employees, customers and VCs. They bring your product to life. Establish the persona of the person who would be using your products.

Slides 399

Slides Startup Conference Writing 399

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2010

Often I find that experienced investors flip to the management page of a business plan, even before they read the product description. To be respected at the top of the pyramid, a CEO must be able to clearly communicate the vision of the company to inspire investors, the team, and customers. That’s how important the people are.

Startup 93

Startup Resource Mentor Writing 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2016

In the dictionary definition, character is said to be “the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances.” Entrepreneur examples include Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google, who turned a new search technology into a tool that most of us couldn’t live without.

Examples 76

Examples Startup Coach Patents 76

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2010

With the an estimated 150K new websites and 7M new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. The biggest roadblock is that startup founders already have too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, courting investors, etc.

Blogging 93

Blogging Invest Startup Writing 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

Every plan must start with the problem you are solving, not a description of your company and product. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. Solution and benefits.

Competition 113

Competition Metrics Startup Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2017

He provides 101 two-page lessons divided into eight learning categories that I like as follows: Learn the ground rules for traditional media. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. How to respond to media in a crisis.

Media 55

Media Social Media Startup Training 55

Tech.Co

MAY 22, 2018

One of the biggest turn offs for investors are founders who don’t know the basics of their business, especially their market and customer. They have to know their industry, know their customers, and understand what it takes to make their customers happy.”. Failing to do their homework is never a good color on anyone.

Tips 70

Tips Help Slides Technical Review 70

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

He provides 101 two-page lessons divided into eight learning categories that I like as follows: Learn the ground rules for traditional media. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. How to respond to media in a crisis.

Press 105

Press Social Media Startup Training 105

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Let’s face it– between finalizing your product for launch and working with developers to get the site or app up (or maybe you are a developer yourself), a marketing strategy, big or small, can feel like a bad hangover the same morning you need to go into work. This is the very definition of pivoting. You need to be a unicorn.

Guide 105

Guide Startup Marketing Template 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2013

In the dictionary definition, character is said to be “the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances.” Entrepreneur examples include Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google, who turned a new search technology into a tool that most of us couldn’t live without.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Examples Ideas 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

Every plan must start with the problem you are solving, not a description of your company and product. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. Solution and benefits.

Competition 116

Competition Metrics Startup Sales 116

Jason Nazar

MAY 2, 2016

If you are inventing or creating a product, understand patents and register for one at the USPTO. Check Google , Yellow Pages , and local directories to ensure your business name is not taken. Choose an email system to connect with customers ( Constant Contact , MailChimp , Sendgrid ). Recommended. Recommended.

Outsource Development 40

Outsource Development Startup Google Mentor 40

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2012

He provides 101 two-page lessons divided into eight learning categories as follows: Learn the ground rules for traditional media. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. How to respond to media in a crisis.

Training 93

Training Media Entrepreneur Social Media 93

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 13, 2011

Users range from consumers who are bloggers and/or active on Facebook and Twitter to entertainers who want to share content and better engage with fans, small business owners who want to more effectively share promotions, discounts, contests and products, and big brands who want to generate more awareness and drive traffic. Are you Funded?

Startup 97

Startup Web Content Media 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2012

In the dictionary definition, character is said to be “the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances.” Entrepreneur examples include Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google, who turned a new search technology into a tool that most of us couldn’t live without.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Ideas 104

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

If the goal is simply to get the basic details (revenue, customers, staff numbers, prior funding) then no judgment is required. But if that’s all that they’re after then entrepreneurs should definitely be wary of taking these calls. Check the management / team page of the VC to check the level of the person approaching you.

Venture Capital 294

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

The product is broad, because it covers everything from ancestry testing to whole genome scan, to genetic predisposition testing, which tests if you might have a risk of diabetes or heart disease. Lee Essner: It is definitively lead gen, and I said traditional lead gen, but it's really more an affiliate relationship to me.

Content 150

Content Services Resource Sample 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

Here’s why that is important: when users are on your website you want to convert them to become paying customers. It’s true that the carrier then gets their huge slice for being the billing and payment engine but the idea is that you as a website more than make up for this in terms of customer conversion.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

The premise is simple: if you want to engage with your customers, go where they are and where you can matter. Apps largely depend on smartphones and since people check their phones by the minute, sleeps with the phone beside them, and just can’t live without them, your brand automatically occupies that special place in their customers’ lives.

Mobile 40

Mobile Social Media Google Software Review 40