Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

New product startups rightfully begin with a heads-down focus on creating the ultimate product – whether it’s a new technology, a new look and ease of use, or a new low-cost delivery approach. Customer centricity is far more than providing excellent customer service, although that’s a step in the right direction.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Services Pricing 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2022

True business success and leadership starts with real personal values, extends to building a team, and finally to inspiring customers and your community. That’s a huge leap from an entrepreneurial idea, to a product, to making money. In business, consistency is the key to productivity and trust by team members and customers alike.

Case Study 139

Case Study Customer Custom Tool 139

Berkonomics

AUGUST 7, 2014

Interview potential customers, hold focus groups, meet with existing customers. Attend trade show education sessions. And the first thing in marketing is to adapt your product or service to the needs of the marketplace. Berkonomics books available at www.berkus.com. Hire consultants. But listen!

Marketing 176

Marketing Metrics Education Resource 176

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2020

Let me be a bit more specific on how follow-up trumps ideas for success in the key challenges of a startup, or any small business: Networking with investors, partners, and customers. They watch for formal follow-up to questions, demonstration of real product, and revenue results. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Ideas 122

Ideas Entrepreneur Startup IBM 122

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2012

New product startups rightfully begin with a heads-down focus on creating the ultimate product – whether it’s a new technology, a new look and ease of use, or a new low-cost delivery approach. Customer centricity is far more than providing excellent customer service, although that’s a step in the right direction.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 90

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

As a business advisor, I have too often seen technical entrepreneurs get a product or service off the ground with ease, but then struggle mightily when their business reaches a couple of million in annual sales, or the employee count grows beyond a handful. Now the experiments are over, and high productivity is the objective.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

Silicon Valley is focused on disrupting established industries, but in many parts of the world, innovators must create new sectors, such as education, health care, financial services, and energy. With a singular focus on building unicorns, very rapid growth has been a key metric. Manage risk – don’t just “move fast and break things.”

Capital 138

Capital Marketing Ideas Venture Capital 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2019

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media.

Media 95

Media Framework Social Media Metrics 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2022

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Most customers today won’t pay you five times the cost of alternatives, just because yours is “green.” That’s a win-win business for the customer and the entrepreneur. The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Startup 110

Startup Entrepreneur Capital Examples 110

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

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

JUNE 10, 2019

True business success and leadership starts with real personal values, extends to building a team, and finally to inspiring customers and your community. That’s a huge leap from an entrepreneurial idea, to a product, to making money. In business, consistency is the key to productivity and trust by team members and customers alike.

Case Study 93

Case Study Customer Custom Tool 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2020

As a business advisor, I have too often seen technical entrepreneurs get a product or service off the ground with ease, but then struggle mightily when their business reaches a couple of million in annual sales, or the employee count grows beyond a handful. Now the experiments are over, and high productivity is the objective.

Startup 125

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 125

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2015

Let me be a bit more specific on how follow-up trumps ideas for success in the key challenges of a startup, or any small business: Networking with investors, partners, and customers. They watch for formal follow-up to questions, demonstration of real product, and revenue results. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Ideas 115

Ideas Startup IBM IBM 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2020

Silicon Valley is focused on disrupting established industries, but in many parts of the world, innovators must create new sectors, such as education, health care, financial services, and energy. With a singular focus on building unicorns, very rapid growth has been a key metric. Manage risk – don’t just “move fast and break things.”

Ideas 124

Ideas Venture Capital Software Review Technical Review 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

New product process. It starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback, and success metrics. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into solutions to real customer problems. Failure is the best teacher I know.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media.

Advertising 66

Advertising Marketing Startup Framework 66

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2015

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media.

Marketing 100

Marketing Social Media Framework Media 100

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

functional workgroups vs. product workgroups). 8:17 How did you decide to go with either shrinkwrap or web only product? 48:30 Vanity metrics. 52:00 Actionable metrics. 57: 00 How do you rectify company mission and customer demand. 1:09:50 We need education! when is the right time to go big with PR?

Social Media 301

Social Media Startup Metrics Media 301

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2013

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers. Owned media.

Media 101

Media Marketing Startup Framework 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2019

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Most customers today won’t pay you five times the cost of alternatives, just because yours is “green.” That’s a win-win business for the customer and the entrepreneur. The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Startup 93

Startup Entrepreneur Capital Examples 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2015

Startups should begin by selecting just a few of the vast array of social media offerings out there, and customize based on results. Ask yourself where are the influencers in your market, the majority of your target customers, and what type of interaction will be most productive to your business?

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Tips 108

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Startup 56

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2016

Let me be a bit more specific on how follow-up trumps ideas for success in the key challenges of a startup, or any small business: Networking with investors, partners, and customers. They watch for formal follow-up to questions, demonstration of real product, and revenue results. Detailed product specifications and prototypes.

Ideas 53

Ideas Startup IBM IBM 53

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Maybe it’s just another example of nature abhorring a vacuum, but I prefer to think it’s a natural evolution of the pervasive social networking communities where people relate to, and expect to interact with businesses and products they like. You can’t force people to treat customers well if they feel ill-used themselves.

Startup 101

Startup Tips Education Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. Growth is more than simply repackaging existing products, and adding bells and whistles or slick incentives. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Managing business growth is more than metrics.

Sales 96

Sales Metrics Startup Entrepreneur 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2017

True business success and leadership starts with real personal values, extends to building a team, and finally to inspiring customers and your community. That’s a huge leap from an entrepreneurial idea, to a product, to making money. In business, consistency is the key to productivity and trust by team members and customers alike.

Case Study 55

Case Study Customer Custom Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2012

Maybe it’s just another example of nature abhorring a vacuum, but I prefer to think it’s a natural evolution of the pervasive social networking communities, where people relate to and expect to interact with businesses and products they like. You can’t force people to treat customers well if they feel ill-used themselves.

Startup 100

Startup Customer Custom Social Network 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2013

Maybe it’s just another example of nature abhorring a vacuum, but I prefer to think it’s a natural evolution of the pervasive social networking communities, where people relate to and expect to interact with businesses and products they like. You can’t force people to treat customers well if they feel ill-used themselves.

Startup 100

Startup Customer Custom Social Network 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2017

In my role as a new business advisor, I sometimes see people who are very intelligent and well-educated, but not adept at problem solving. At worst, it’s a learning opportunity for you and your team, which can lead to providing a better customer solution or experience. Don’t let costs escalate, or customers escape for lack of action.

Metrics 58

Metrics Entrepreneur Examples Coach 58

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

By spending more time educating your board on your business you get more valuable advice from them. In this period (less than 2 years) he has brought on incredibly talented senior execs is sales, marketing, product management, client services, finance, vp engineering and more. ” His argument is as follows.

Tips 365

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Most customers today won’t pay you five times the cost of alternatives, just because yours is “green.” That’s a win-win business for the customer and the entrepreneur. The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Startup 104

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2015

Here are key maxims that I believe indicate a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset: A need to learn from customers, rather than educate them. Successful entrepreneurs start with a customer problem, and develop a solution, rather than the other way around. Partnering with customers, rather than acting as a supplier.

Startup 55

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Customer 55

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2017

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Most customers today won’t pay you five times the cost of alternatives, just because yours is “green.” That’s a win-win business for the customer and the entrepreneur. The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Tips 55

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Examples 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2013

Real job performance is more a function of productivity than hours worked anyway. On a regular basis, at least once a quarter, you need to take a hard look at all your key metrics. Continuous improvement is the key to quality production. Improve customer service. Find a stress reliever. Quality improvements.

Startup 93

Startup Tips Entrepreneur Metrics 93