Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. Talking to real customers is the best way to keep your inspiration alive, as well as the best way keep on track with changing trends and future innovation ideas. Increasing customer focus and loyalty.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

Identify customer executives who need your solution. Many savvy entrepreneurs are able to convince high-potential customers that investing early in a high-value solution, perhaps through an advance on royalties, is in their best interest. Talk to thought leaders at relevant industry events.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2023

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. This fallacy, often called historical myopia, essentially involves extrapolating only from recent positive events, and ignoring the reality that markets saturate or evaporate. Extrapolating you as the target customer.

Entrepreneur 125

Entrepreneur Netflix Social Media Startup 125

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

Identify customer executives who need your solution. Many savvy entrepreneurs are able to convince high-potential customers that investing early in a high-value solution, perhaps through an advance on royalties, is in their best interest. Talk to thought leaders at relevant industry events.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. Talking to real customers is the best way to keep your inspiration alive, as well as the best way keep on track with changing trends and future innovation ideas. Increasing customer focus and loyalty.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. Survival requires regular updates.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2022

They don’t realize that it takes more to succeed in business or a career – it takes leadership skills to get people to follow you, including peers, a team, business partners, and customers. I urge you to force yourself to be a regular new learner, by tackling new problems, listening to expert mentors, and finding time for leadership books.

Startup 114

Startup Mentor Conference Networking 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2022

The challenge for each of you is to get it handled quickly and effectively, without losing the trust of constituents , as well as customers. Look for a mentor, or expert in this area, and ask their advice. Prepare now to make your next crisis a leadership event, rather than a loss of trust event, for all to see.

Develop 138

Develop Development Coach Satisfaction 138

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so they can get their due return for that investment which has been tied up for the last few years. Mature your business processes and customer base. Anticipate customer and valued-supplier reaction to any change.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 23, 2013

amSTATZ is an online community that brings fitness professionals, athletes and fitness events together into one place. Founded in the summer of 2011 and their first product out a few weeks ago amSTATS wants to help users to follow fitness events and programs near them and find a great fitness trainer to help them stay fit.

Social Network 92

Social Network Networking Training Summary 92

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs. The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. She has an amazing ethical compass with heart, compassion and drive.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. Timely follow-up on customer and team member requests. Loners need not apply.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 129

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You need to have business relationships with team members, investors, customers, and a myriad of other support people. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Cultivate existing allies.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with their position. Make every effort to have your mind be totally present for each challenge from a team member or customer.

Demand 103

Demand Activity Email Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2022

In my role as a mentor, I challenge every business leader to be more open-minded as they face the challenges of change and new competitors entering their space. Winning business owners really listen and act on feedback from customers and advisors. Analyze market events in the context of emerging trends.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Customer Custom Social Media 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2022

Too often they are also hesitant, inexperienced, and fearful of hiring people or finding a mentor to be the partner they need. Your business is not all about what is best for you, but what is best for your customers. You are completely surprised by a negative event you should have foreseen. Seek help or get out.

Help 131

Help Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2021

As a long-time business advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs, I’ve always been impressed with the few who seem to always come out ahead, no matter what the challenge. Deliver value to your customer, to accrue value in you. Value to a customer means you are solving their problem, not highlighting yours.

Education 148

Education Mentor Customer Custom 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so they can get their due return for that investment which has been tied up for the last few years. Mature your business processes and customer base. Anticipate customer and valued-supplier reaction to any change.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2023

We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business. Humor has been proven to provide numerous business benefits, including customer loyalty, productivity, and reduced absenteeism. Reframe from tension to humor in your approach.

Entrepreneur 82

Entrepreneur Competition Press Commerce 82

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Enjoy a sports event together, or find common non-profit causes to participate in. Invite the investor to dinner or fun-related activity.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Tech.Co

OCTOBER 19, 2017

The girls formed six teams to work on products in all types of industries, work with mentors, and pitch to judges at the end. When I told people about Startup Weekend joining forces with the Girl Scouts for this event, everyone had the same reaction: It makes so much sense.

Startup 74

Startup Activity Mentor Guide 74

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

Based on my years of experience mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, you need to attack problems and challenges with a mindset of success, or it is unlikely that you or your business will survive. Separate the event from your reaction, and be accountable for your own feelings. Suppress you own emotions and feelings.

Entrepreneur 147

Entrepreneur Help Mentor Customer 147

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

You need to build business relationships with partners, team members, investors, and of course customers. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help. As an introvert myself, I remember worrying that I could never be comfortable giving a sales pitch, or networking to find clients.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. This fallacy, often called historical myopia, essentially involves extrapolating only from recent positive events, and ignoring the reality that markets saturate or evaporate. Extrapolating you as the target customer.

Startup 124

Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In the short term you need customers to find you at any price, and in the longer term you need revenue, profit, and return loyalty. Overtly connect every operational problem to your strategy, rather than putting strategy on a different plane and making it only an annual event. Don’t make growth a big-bang event.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2022

As a mentor for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs, I talk to a fair number who may have a great vision and a strong engineering background, but have a negative interest in the role of public speaking in business. As your company grows, you have to host customer seminars.

Marketing 113

Marketing Entrepreneur Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

It does require sensitivity and engagement with the people around you, as well as your customers. External customer loyalty and motivation used to be as simple as good customer service, but today’s customers expect more. Learn how to make every negotiation a win-win, rather than a win-lose event.

Coach 144

Coach Customer Custom Entrepreneur 144

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Every entrepreneur and business leader believes that he or she has the full trust of their team and their customers, and in fact most do in the beginning. Unfortunately, many aspiring leaders I mentor are not aware of the signals people are looking for, or are not attuned to the subtleties of their own actions.

Mentor 98

Mentor News Summary Coach 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2015

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked what you can do to build the right culture. Customize your organizational structure based on individuals' strengths. Mentoring and training programs need to be put in place early. Technology can be used to facilitate customer support and sales, as well as enhance your product.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that many of you have your most creative ideas for your company’s first big bang , but often get bogged down with details as the company grows. By dedicating at least one percent of sales to environmental groups, he locked in engagement from both employees and customers.

Company 148

Company Companies Ideas Mentor 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2021

Nothing says you are serious about a business like handing out professional business cards at local events and Chamber of Commerce meetings. Offer to help a couple of customers free, just to get your act together and your presence known. Get business cards made. Do them on your home computer for a few dollars.

Startup 156

Startup Social Network Activity Ideas 156

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2020

We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business. Humor has been proven to provide numerous business benefits, including customer loyalty, productivity, and reduced absenteeism. Reframe from tension to humor in your approach.

Startup 134

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Press 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2023

A real business requires leadership – thought leadership to attract customers and mind share, as well as people leadership around a team, partners, and investors. Stepping up to play a bigger leadership role is not an event; it’s a process that takes time before it pays off. Manage the stepping up process.

Develop 110

Develop Development Startup Entrepreneur 110

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Tech may be the tool, but hospitality – making life a little easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for your customer, is the winning focus. Unfortunately, too many of the technical entrepreneurs I mentor and advise are focused on their technology, and assume that the value will be self-evident to customers.

Technical Advisors 82

Technical Advisors Artificial Inteligence Customer Custom 82

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2015

High scoring leaders seek and positively respond to feedback from three critical groups: peers, customers, and direct reporting team members. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors. The leadership benefits of mentoring start in childhood, but are just as important at the mature CEO level.

Mentor 104

Mentor Ideas Entrepreneur Study 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Enjoy a sports event together, or find common non-profit causes to participate in. Invite the investor to dinner or fun-related activity.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124