Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

In my role as advisor and mentor to many new entrepreneurs, I often find myself suggesting that they think bigger. Ideas to improve the usability of an existing product, or ways to extend its audience, are not likely to be unique to you, and difficult to win over competitors. Be prepared to ship a minimum viable product and pivot.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Surrounded by the right people and track record.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2021

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Entrepreneur 138

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 138

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. The patent process is far from perfect, but it’s a huge step ahead of no proprietary content. Every new startup needs to fight the urge to get the product out, and then start selling it. Make marketing and sales a priority.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2022

In my experience with business leaders, real innovation thinking is rare, compared to the urge to add just one more feature to an existing product, or make a small tweak to an existing business model. One way to do this is to nurture mentoring relationships with experts in other disciplines, as Bill Gates did with Warren Buffet.

Competition 139

Competition Examples Customer Custom 139

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. It means mentoring less experienced team members, and quickly replacing incompetent staff members. Focus on high productivity. That’s a big step from one product for one customer.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Surrounded by the right people and track record.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

There are lots of resources available for the challenge of that activity, including the Internet and mentors like me. In my experience, the key steps I look for always include the following: Testing the idea against customers who have money to spend. Prepare your marketing story for customers and investors.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I challenge them to think beyond what I call linear extensions to a current trend, such as another “easier-to-use” app for smartphones, a new dating site for pets, or another niche social network. Why doesn’t this product or service already exist? Great social entrepreneurs are rare.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

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

MARCH 10, 2019

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer Custom 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Skip the acronyms and jargon.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2013

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Watching the orders come in, or the product moving off the shelf, is the feedback you have been looking for. Start even before the product is ready.

Startup 100

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2016

Here are five key ones to celebrate: Enjoy the feedback from every satisfied customer. This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring.

Satisfaction 61

Satisfaction Startup Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2012

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Watching the orders come in, or the product moving off the shelf, is the feedback you have been looking for. Start even before the product is ready.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2009

Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. Cadence, Intel, IBM, Freescale, Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, LSI, X-Fab, and many other leading-edge. companies, universities, and organizations will be sharing their latest technologies, products, and services in this unique Southern California event. Need office or Tech Space?

Southern California 140

Southern California IP Orange County Glendale 140

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Message delivery must be customized for each investor. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Surrounded by the right people and track record.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2012

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Guide 110

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 11, 2011

Enterprise Software sucks, and if you’re an engineer or product designer, we invite you to join this hackathon to reinvent business 2 business software. The goal is to take the complicated out of softwares like CRMs and project management tools and turn them in to simple, beautiful and usable products. Second Prize: $500.

Santa Monica 72

Santa Monica Yammer Geni Southern California 72

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. Cadence, Intel, IBM, Freescale, Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, LSI, X-Fab, and many other leading-edge companies, universities, and organizations will be sharing their latest technologies, products, and services in this unique Southern California event. Startups Made Simple.

Advertising 113

Advertising Southern California IP VentureNet 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2017

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Activity Guide Patents 64

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2013

When I started mentoring entrepreneurs and startups a few years ago, I anticipated that I would get mostly tough technical questions, but instead I more often hear things like “Where do I start?” Control in business requires teamwork, which occurs in successful companies when team members, products, and processes work in unison.

Startup 106

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Guide 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2010

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Truly satisfied customers are a joy to every business person. Watching the orders come in, or the product moving off the shelf, is the feedback you have been looking for. Start even before the product is ready.

Startup 88

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 88

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Every price comparison out there, whether that's Google Products, Bizrate, or other sites, can find books, but you can only do it one at a time. Jonathan Simkin: I was actually in high school when I decided I'd either start a company when I graduated, or go into patent law. They act as mentors and help companies grow.

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

Tech.Co

MARCH 1, 2018

The event is open to tech enthusiasts who want to join an event filled with some of the top leaders, investors and mentors from tech industry to network, find mentors and build their companies. Their first product LexiconMD helped healthcare professionals dictate their notes into e-medical records hands- and eyes- free.

Startup 80

Startup Mentor Platform Help 80

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2013

Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. It means mentoring less experienced team members, and quickly replacing incompetent staff members. Focus on high productivity. That’s a big step from one product for one customer.

Startup 109

Startup Entrepreneur Organization Training 109

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2016

I built my own company around marketing services, and have been around business development, marketing, custom service, and sales, and also on the consumer side of technology, a little bit a mix of the two. Barry was a lead mentor there at Chapman University's Launch Labs, and we paired up. Eli Aizenstat: We actually have 2 products.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach Startup Pasadena Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2016

Dean Kamen, while still struggling with the Segway Human Transporter, holds 440 other device patents. Howard Schultz, who grew Starbucks to 13,000 stores by 2008, decided to step back in as CEO when the economy was killing his stores, and refocus everyone on the customer. Great leaders are mentors to everyone on their team.

Examples 76

Examples Startup Coach Patents 76

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2012

Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. It means mentoring less experienced team members, and quickly replacing incompetent staff members. Focus on high productivity. That’s a big step from one product for one customer.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Startup Organization Training 94

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2016

Many entrepreneurs are so focused on finalizing their innovative product or service that they procrastinate on the formalities of forming the requisite new company until later. Patents issued to you before you incorporate the business will not be considered part of the business valuation by investors.

Company 61

Company Companies Startup Equity 61

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. If your product is free, or you lose money on every one, it’s hard to make it up in volume. You may have the solution to the world hunger problem, but if your customers have no money, your business won’t last long.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2011

Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. It means mentoring less experienced team members, and quickly replacing incompetent staff members. Focus on high productivity. That’s a big step from one product for one customer.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Organization Training 111