Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

They forget that adapting their company and themselves as their customers evolve is the key to long-term survival. Think of Blockbuster and Toys ‘R’ Us , both of whom missed customer changes and the move to online. For example, Uber recently made the move into food delivery with UberEATS. Remember when you were a startup?

Customer 143

Customer Custom Examples IBM 143

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2021

As I talk to many of you in my role as business advisor, I still often hear the concern for maximum return to the business and stakeholders, more than a passion for sustainably enriching the lives of your customers and team. This applies to your own team, as well as customers. Make every customer experience memorable.

Customer 114

Customer Custom Satisfaction Metrics 114

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 25, 2022

The startup has received €50 million (just under $57 million at today’s rates) from the European Investment Bank, the funding arm of the European Union. It is not disclosing its valuation with this investment, but Alastair Westgarth said that this doesn’t rule out raising further funding from investors.

Invest 233

Invest Technology Startup Los Angeles 233

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2021

This is a statement that they are willing and able (and successful) at projecting market and technology turns, not just straight-line innovations. They have the courage to make bold decisions, often contrary to conventional market research. For real entrepreneurs, crazy is a compliment, and the new market may be just around the corner.

Marketing 157

Marketing Design Entrepreneur Ideas 157

socalTECH

OCTOBER 9, 2019

There's a new opportunity in clean technology investments, according to venture capitalist Aaron Fyke , the head of a new, Pasadena-based venture capital investment fund, Thin Line Capital (www.thinlinecapital.com). Aaron Fyke: I believe we're in a second wave of clean tech investing. Talk about the new firm and the new fund?

Invest 113

Invest Capital Venture Capital Idealab 113

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2020

Carey tells us a bit about what OC4 is doing, how it invests and works with companies, and also gives startups some advice about how to approach moving forward in light of the pandemic. Carey Ransom: The way I think about it, is it is really the culmination of almost two decades of software and technology company building and investing.

Invest 124

Invest Startup Ideas Examples 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Mostly it’s because your marketing campaigns suck. Or more directly – they are likely narcissistic resuscitations of your newest features or bragging points that nobody but your marketing team and your mom care about. They are an investment bank that targets the technology & media sectors. It’s brilliant.

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

As a startup advisor, I see too many entrepreneurs get distracted by technology or their favorite cause, and then wonder why they can’t find an investor, attract customers, or build a long-term business. Customers now put big value on experience, social impact, empowerment, and feedback.

Marketing 124

Marketing Customer Custom Competition 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Later, in my second career as an entrepreneur with startups, I realized that limited resources and fresh insights actually created the mindset that relied on market change and innovation to survive. We didn’t notice as technology advances had opened a whole new market. Don’t wait for innovation ideas from top management.

Marketing 117

Marketing IBM IBM Resource 117

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Existing investors DST Global, 01 Advisors, Dragoneer Investment Group, Franklin Templeton and Mubadala Investment Company too doubled down on their investments in SpotOn, joining new backers Wellington Management and Coatue Management. With the new capital, SpotOn has raised $628 million since its inception.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. In today’s information overload, marketing is everything. Use every marketing channel available.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. In today’s information overload, marketing is everything. Use every marketing channel available.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2019

Is your marketing focus product-centric or customer-centric ? With a wealth of products now available, customers look for the most memorable experience , not just the best product. Amazon is very customer-centric, but it can make all the difference in retail as well as online.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Metrics 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2020

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. You want people to see you as an evangelist for hydrogen fuel, for example, so your later auto engine will have credibility by default. Unique and professional business cards are still well worth the investment.

Ideas 124

Ideas Tips Marketing Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2018

As a long-time advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, and a technology fan myself, I still meet dozens of techies with great solutions who assume they don’t need marketing to change the world. In fact, with today’s information overload, modern marketing is the key to raising even the most innovative solution above the crowd. Be specific.

Marketing 97

Marketing Startup Examples Technology 97

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group said it will jointly develop an electric vehicle platform with Los Angeles-based startup Canoo, the latest startup tapped by the automaker as part of an $87 billion push to invest in electrification and other future technologies. Hyundai Motor Group has committed to invest $87 billion over the next five years.

Startup 310

Startup Develop Development Platform 310

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Often, despite your passion and expectation, customers don’t immediately see the value and need that you see, and you have no idea why the initiative is stuck , and what could be the real customer issue or fix. Customers won’t buy what they can’t find or don’t understand. Customers need supporting approvals to fully benefit.

Product 141

Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

We spoke with Meredith Finn a new Partner at March Capital--who headed up that the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur sessions this year--to hear more about her perspectives on investments, what the Rise of the Female Entrepeneur was all about, March's interests in artificial intelligence and more. What's your role at March Capital?

Capital 162

Capital Entrepreneur Invest Artificial Inteligence 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2017

The average business person fights a customer culture shift, rather than looking for it. For example, as a logical guy, I never would have envisioned the shift to texting versus voice, or the emergence of selfies as a whole new wave of photography. Be willing to stretch the imagination of your customers.

Customer 56

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked. Visionary entrepreneurs tend to identify and map strategic new opportunities, rather than grow existing current ones, based on market insights emerging technology. You can grow organically, or stretch out with big capital investments for volume and reach.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, or an inadequate revenue model. Target market. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2019

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive.

Social Media 79

Social Media Media Invest Platform 79

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

For example, I once worked for a small software company selling a sophisticated enterprise workflow solution. As a result, we shared in capturing a new high-end market, without major new marketing or development. All this was done without damaging anyone’s credibility, or stealing customers.

Startup 173

Startup Outsource Development Examples Customer 173

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 17, 2009

A day might include a discussion with a finance partner, an investor, a customer or a fusion partner. I’m more familiar with content marketing in B2B Marketing. I'd rather invest time investing in social media to drive traffic to our site. I’ve got to imagine this makes tracking marketing spend challenging.

Acquisition 170

Acquisition Customer Custom Ideas 170

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

As a startup advisor, I see too many entrepreneurs get distracted by technology or their favorite cause, and then wonder why they can’t find an investor, attract customers, or build a long-term business. Customers now put big value on experience, social impact, empowerment, and feedback.

Customer 101

Customer Custom Competition Netflix 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

If you are one of the thousands of entrepreneurs who need equity funding to get your startup going (no loans to repay), you are probably overwhelmed at the prospect of finding, contacting and pitching to the huge number of qualified angels and investment groups around the country. Collect target customer testimonials and advocacy.

Platform 94

Platform Equity Invest Technical Advisors 94

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Most business professionals I know have been conditioned to think of inflation as highly negative, driving up their costs, and reducing customer buying. I see it as an opportunity to find new ways to attract customers , make long-needed changes to improve productivity, and lower your own costs of doing business.

Outsource 95

Outsource Customer Custom Sample 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” They are willing to cover marketing, inventory and scaling, but not product development. These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions.

Tips 91

Tips Funding Startup Invest 91

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay Most startups, and many big businesses, still don’t have a clue on how to use social media productively for marketing their business. Ric Dragon, an expert in online marketing, in his classic book. Due to the information overload felt by consumers today, marketing at the generic segment level no longer works.

Social Media 96

Social Media Media Marketing Metrics 96

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. He launched our scout program as an example.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

But being best-in-class at online marketing is also a sine qua non to standout from your peer group. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. Online marketing uses techniques for driving promotion and place.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

The funding is coming from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Reimagined Ventures, Trinity Capital Investment, Celtic House Venture Partners, Marubeni Ventures, Sixty Degree Capital, Mojo Partners alongside with previous investors GGV Capital, WI Harper Group, Digital Garage, CentreGold Capital , Scrum Ventures, and other unnamed participants.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

They rarely highlight their marketing and relationship skills , even though, in my experience, these are more often the key to success in business than product skills. In addition to listening, they spent much of their time communicating their vision and marketing themselves to everyone they encountered.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2023

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. Every business leader knows how difficult it is to keep up with a changing market. Customer data integrity and security.

Social Network 108

Social Network Training Startup Technology 108

Berkonomics

APRIL 2, 2020

A business making those necessary items ignored the signs of progress and found itself without a market. A more modern example. That is why so many larger companies pay specialty marketing firms to find, court, and listen to those individuals who lead the pack in taste and action. Surely, you’ve heard the buggy whip analogy.

Southern California 177

Southern California Examples Social Network Press 177

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2020

What you probably don’t realize is that the term disruptive brings its own set of baggage, implying to investors extra high risk, high market building costs, and a long slow ramp before payback. Here are some example strategies to pitch and practice: Adapt an existing product to a new use. Innovation doesn’t even require technology.

Startup 129

Startup Artificial Inteligence Examples Google 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. For some customers and many investors, a heavy focus on social networks and viral marketing may be a negative, rather than a positive.

Social Media 126

Social Media Media Startup Platform 126