Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. We spent time out in the marketplace talking with customers, looking at their solutions, comparing ourselves with our competition and then squirreling ourselves away in our offices designing our next set of features.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Sometime around 2003/04 my technology team turned me on to “Spolsky on Software&# a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software, a maker of bug-tracking software. Blogs weren’t popularized yet so it was an oddity for me to read the founder of a software company spewing out advice.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software Blogging Startup 285

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Fan Appz, a Santa Monica headquartered firm founded in 2010, and a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer (PMD) today Tuesday launched its Personalized Marketing Platform, a next-generation social media marketing solution set to help firms convert fans into customers and increase repeat purchases by turning good customers into great ones.

Platform 82

Platform Help Customer Custom 82

TechCrunch LA

JULY 19, 2022

to develop some sweet inventory-planning software. Murthy and Kaplan intend to use the debt offering as a factor relationship to act as an intermediary and purchase receivables for brands that don’t have access to those kinds of relationships due to it being a nonfrequent sale for some brands. Syrup Tech bags $6.3M

Product 191

Product Funding Technical Review Equity 191

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

While the market isn't short of spritely, innovative entrepreneurs, harsh economic headwinds combined with a pullback in investor spending have made it harder than ever for budding businesses to break through. Source: runwayml.com In June, Runway raised $141 million in funding, nudging its market valuation to an envy-inducing $1.5

Startup 213

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 213

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

We caught up with Ken Button , the co-founder and CEO of the company, to learn more about why the startup already has signed up such customers as California Pizza Kitchen, Obvious Ventures, Fandango, Greenspire, and others to the service. We have been around software for a long time. We've gotten great reviews from our user surveys.

Doc 100

Doc Software Review Help Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2021

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. For entrepreneurs, effective networking is required to find investors, partners, and customers. Effective marketing. Guerrilla marketing preaches the importance of prospect follow-up if you even hope to succeed in business.

Activity 133

Activity Startup Ideas Technical Review 133

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 12, 2018

The company is ServiceTitan, and its market… is air conditioners. Both programmers, the two reconnected after doing stints as custom developers during and after college, and then when they were developing tools for their families’ businesses as residential contractors in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale.

Glendale 271

Glendale Los Angeles Startup Technical Review 271

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Jackson added, “FinTech has traditionally lagged behind the innovation that’s happening in other areas of enterprise software. For years now, companies have been forced to choose between cumbersome, expensive Virtual Data Rooms and decentralized, unsecure email to manage their complex transactions. 25 Years of Writing Code.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Software Review Bertelsmann Technology 88

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 19, 2012

It's the same as when I've created financial models and then have it reviewed by a hard-core CFO, sophisticated investor or similar kind of expert. And in the case of defining mobile/web/software, there is even more variability in terms of form and format. Just make note of it in the document and/or in an email when you send it.

Develop 354

Develop Development Technical Review CTO Coach 354

Steve Reich

JUNE 11, 2012

This is not an article about the high moral purpose and the nobility of listening to your customers. It is an article about how to make your company worth a fortune by listening to your customers. It gives the best customer experience of any phone. Listen to your customers and grow rich. Why does Google dominate search?

Customer 97

Customer Custom Software Review SaaS 97

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Can you convert your model without losing your customer base? Email readers, continue here…] So, the conclusion is that most every business can take advantage of continuing, recurring revenues from its customer base. The case of Xerox in the early years. An investor’s early question. Stability during recessions.

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Software Review Content Netflix 156

Berkonomics

JANUARY 3, 2013

Most every business can take advantage of continuing, recurring revenues from its customer base. Xerox in its formative years, even though barely having enough cash to market its then revolutionary copier, elected to lease rather than sell the units. Usually that amount exceeds 50% of total revenues, and is often much more.

Outsource Development 197

Outsource Development Software Review Sales Demand 197

socalTECH

MARCH 19, 2019

Stacy Stubblefield: We do two factor authentication, which basically means we send text messages with the codes you get when you log into a web site or even when you're just registering for a website. What enabled you to get that first customer on board? We were really focused on customer acquisition. How did the company start?

Marina Del Rey 113

Marina Del Rey Software Review Startup Incubator 113

socalTECH

MARCH 15, 2016

Based on ratings, reviews, and price, designers are able to hire a factory or contractor from our platform. Our uusers can use ratings and reviews, to know if they are working with high quality manufacturers. Our platform also provides project tracking and customer relationship management. Right now, it takes too much time.

Software Review 100

Software Review Design Technical Review Platform 100

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 22, 2014

Whether it’s a killer software or physical inventory, don’t leave yourself open to a major loss or legal claim with no protection. You will need this granularity not only for successfully managing your business, but also when preparing for funding pitches and during investor due diligence.

Startup 97

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 97

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 21, 2016

This application program helps small businesses to optimize their websites for marketing purposes. The software does keyword research, and it has an SEO checklist. The user of the software does not have to have previous marketing experience. It allows you to archive emails until you are ready to respond to them.

Tool 40

Tool Software Review SEO Email 40

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

9 Reasons Why Many Smart People Go Nowhere - Life Beyond Code , March 29, 2010 You would have met many smart people who live a mediocre life. Death By Competitive Analysis - Steve Blank , March 1, 2010 Trading emails with a startup CEO building an iPhone app, I asked him why potential customers would buy his product.

Startup 150

Startup Software Review Competition SoCal 150

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2011

We actually built that about a year and a half ago, and are bringing that back due to overwhelming demand. But, with the economy turning south in 2008, lots of those customers went out of business. In the meantime, Groupon came along, and our media customers started to lose advertising. We were crowd sourcing artists and design.

Platform 263

Platform Training Software Review Advertising 263

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2018

But why did Ring succeed when the entire market kept saying that Nest was going to be the winner? Why did Ring become an enormous success when it produced a hardware product and the market keeps saying, “hardware is too difficult to scale?” Here are my views … 1. It was a novel concept well before the major players did this for you.

Startup 247

Startup Pricing Product Marketing 247

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 26, 2013

By bringing sophisticated marketing tools to mobile, the platform empowers digital publishers to derive more value from their apps.”. Firms will also gain automated marketing efforts from the partnership which will reduce time spent managing campaigns and minimize negative app store reviews via an in-app customer support tool.

Mobile 83

Mobile Technical Review Tool Software Review 83

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

. <Note: I edited a few comments from Jeff's email, none of which related to our meeting in 2008.> Despite our business model reservations, we were sufficiently intrigued by Jeff and the opportunity to seek technical and market feedback from a VoIP expert. Tech Diligence - Consider The Source. > -jeff.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

The “more traction&# feedback is a very typical scenario is a down market economy like the one we’re in. It is code word for “I’m not ready to invest for whatever reason … I need more proof.&#. They get positive product reviews on TechCrunch, GigaOm or Paidcontent.org. They hire key staff.

Venture Capital 309

Venture Capital Guide Startup Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

This posting was inspired by an email from Rajat Suri who wrote me an email in response to Chris Dixon’s blog post (link below) from August, which recently re-ran on Business Insider and has generated much Twitter chatter. If a VC term sheet comes in they begin their due diligence process. The contra is also true.

Seed Funding 283

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Software Review 283

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2018

Dave Fink: Postie is a building a technology platform with a mission of making direct mail marketing behave as easily and dynamically as your favorite, programmatic channels. We've taken all of the logistics and headache out of defining a campaign for our customers. We build on those audiences, and find others that look alike.

CTO Hire 100

CTO Hire Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Marketing 100

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

It says that selling an airplane ticket for $500 and getting paid a $5 fees by the airlines (1% gross margin) is not the same thing as selling $500 of software that you built (>90% gross margin). Market Size. Marketing with long payback is precisely what requires venture capital. MakeSpace provides physical storage.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Who's the customer? What product, market testing have you done so far, if any? What Is This? How Does it Work? How are you different?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Who's the customer? What product, market testing have you done so far, if any? What Is This? How Does it Work? How are you different?

CTO Hire 259

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 259

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2014

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. For entrepreneurs, effective networking is required to find investors, partners, and customers. Effective marketing. Guerrilla marketing preaches the importance of prospect follow-up if you even hope to succeed in business.

Ideas 108

Ideas Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 108

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

The value of Pitch Decks; Brad’s personal preferences on deal presentation; and Brad’s practice of accepting cold approaches via email. Very few people can do a good job with a presentation that is emailable.”. You have said outloud anyone can send you an email, is that fair? Yeah, my email address is Brad@Feld.com.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2010

It makes no sense to meet in August or December due to travel schedules of most investors. For the record, this is not a secret, coded messages to companies for which I am on the board! . They mostly understand your company, your customers, your competitors and your market but never as precisely as you do.

Startup 301

Startup Venture Capital Software Review Email 301

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I often tell people that in some ways it’s easier to build great companies in down markets. ” But as entrepreneurs you don’t get to sit these years out and as investors we don’t get just let a few years pass and return back to the market. .” One needs to be in during bull markets and bear markets.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

It's been awhile since we last caught up with Los Angeles-based Language Weaver (www.languageweaver.com), a venture-backed firm which develops language translation software, so we sat down the other day with Mark Tapling , the President and CEO of the firm, to hear more about where the company is nowadays--plus its strategy for growth and an exit.

Software Review 145

Software Review USC Content Tech Coast Angels 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2013

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. For entrepreneurs, effective networking is required to find investors, partners, and customers. Effective marketing. Guerrilla marketing preaches the importance of prospect follow-up if you even hope to succeed in business.

Ideas 110

Ideas Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 110

socalTECH

JULY 21, 2011

With the rise of location-based check-ins from Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook, Twitter, and others, there's suddenly lots more data that marketers want to parse through to make sense of how consumers are interacting with their brands. First off, where does MomentFeed fit into the location based marketing market?

Social Media 248

Social Media Zumbox Media Startup 248

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2019

Here are a few specifics on how to be part of the solution, without the costs, rather than part of the problem: Put a personal face and address on your site; don’t hide behind an “info” email address. Market your solution and user benefits, not the mysterious technology behind it. Don’t take shortcuts on these.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Symantec Social Network News 78