Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

The elevator pitch should be the first few paragraphs of your business plan, your executive summary, your investor presentation, and the first page of your web site. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Present a sustainable competitive advantage.

Startup 113

Startup Patents Template Competition 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2019

After doing the work for an internal event for them, that led to external, customer-facing launch events around the country. We present the best solution for a customer and their needs, and we work with the top EV charger manufacturers and software providers to accomplish that We coordinate everything needed for an event.

Startup 243

Startup Customer Custom Entrepreneur 243

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Your concept has to be understood by customers and investors in 30 seconds or less, and everyone needs to immediately see how awesome it would be, or that they would be nuts not to have it. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

A business plan is the outward facing definition of the business you hope to drive with your hardware solution, with a hardware overview in the intro to highlight customer value and competitiveness. Use non-fuzzy terms to quantify customer value. Provide specifics on the customer business model. and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2020

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. Patents and trade secrets are more powerful advantages than missing competitive features, which might be quickly filled in as you gain traction.

Competition 125

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 125

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Patents 106

Patents Offshore Startup Demand 106

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

We''re rolling it out to finance and Wall Street, monitoring thousands of sources of continuously changing information, such as news, social media, internal email systems, and analyzing specific, material conditions that our customers are looking for. Alan Chaney is our Chief Architect, and ran Olivetti Resaerch in the UK. more) READ MORE>>.

Orange County 245

Orange County Startup News IBM 245

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

I love the enthusiasm, the boundless energy and the sense of possibility that comes from having an idea that hasn’t yet been beat up in the marketplace of competing ideas, customer contracts, VC skepticism, jaded journalists or fickle consumers who are on the The New, New Thing. Who is leading your patent filing program?

Outsource Development 339

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 339

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Startup 118

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 118

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2015

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Patents 106

Patents Startup Offshore Demand 106

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2012

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Marketing 104

Marketing Startup Patents Offshore 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 93

Slides Competition Sample Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2011

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Patents Offshore Startup 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2011

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. I outlined what investors expect to see in an earlier article “ Ten Slides Make a Killer Investor Presentation.” Research your audience before presenting.

Slides 95

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2012

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Tips 97

Tips Slides Technical Review Startup 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2023

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. Patents and trade secrets are more powerful advantages than missing competitive features, which might be quickly filled in as you gain traction.

Competition 111

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 111

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Offshore 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements about them to their own team, investors and even to customers. Patents and trade secrets are more powerful advantages than missing competitive features, which might be quickly filled in as you gain traction.

Competition 107

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 107

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

Every entrepreneur should spend plenty of time thinking about competitors, and how they relate to your business, but you need to be very careful what you say out loud about them to your team, your investors, and your customers. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property.

Startup 102

Startup Competition Patents Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Over half of the survivors remaining are eliminated during live presentations, and another 6.5% File a patent and trademarks to show real intellectual property. Build an investor presentation and summary. Remember to aim the content of both of these at investors, not customers. Close at least one initial customer.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Research your audience before presenting. Others can be present for effect, but deferrals to team members for answers are a sign of weakness.

Slides 105

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2019

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Marketing 94

Marketing Patents Offshore Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Every entrepreneur should spend plenty of time thinking about competitors, and how they relate to your business, but you need to be very careful what you say out loud about them to your team, your investors, and your customers. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property.

Startup 100

Startup Competition Patents Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

I see too many executive summaries that are simply heavy-duty customer pitches, or lightweight visions of the future. " Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

These requirements must be based on market analysis, expert input, and existing customer feedback. It allows all members of your team, including marketing, support, and sales, to size and build the business plan processes they need to find customers, deliver, and maintain grow the business. Provide details on the business model.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in Angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Software Review 123

Software Review Seed Funding Funding Startup 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2019

We certainly want to hear about any positive feedback you have from potential customers on your idea, your prototype, and your business model, but that better not be the end of the story. Promote any inside relationships or customer base. Thus any order-of-magnitude cost reductions or customer value increases are very important.

Competition 86

Competition Patents Startup Customer 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

Passionate entrepreneurs tend to talk on and on about their disruptive technology, their intent to change the world and free services, but if a business can’t provide quantifiable value to real customers, the dream will likely turn into a nightmare. Investors worry about competitors more than customer features.

Startup 104

Startup Summary Patents Examples 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Keep thieves away (protect it).

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2010

Recognizing this is as much about culture as about language, ensures an understanding of regional motivators, cultural taboos and local customs – so that your solutions are ideally designed and marketed to deliver value that has genuine local relevance. An international brand will command higher prices and additional customer demand.

Startup 89

Startup Patents Offshore Demand 89

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2009

Once you get to 300-500 customers, it blows up, because it was never intended to scale. Our future is looking very bright--in the last two months, we've signed up more customers than we ever had before. We're much more interested in providing technology to people already with a customer base, than generating our own customer base.

IP 165

IP Pasadena Angels Pasadena Los Angeles 165

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2010

Every entrepreneur should spend plenty of time thinking about competitors, and how they relate to your business, but you need to be very careful what you say out loud about them to your team, your investors, and your customers. Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property.

Startup 89

Startup Competition Patents Entrepreneur 89

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

At any rate, here is my summary of the top ten from my experience with hundreds of elevator pitches, business plans, and executive presentations: “Our product is truly disruptive technology.” That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108