Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Are you cynical about their chances in the market just because they seem to be hot in the press and that bugs you? Albert Wenger from Union Square Ventures wrote a great post the other day that reminded me I’ve been meaning to write about this topic. That plus great press & it’s working on some level.

Startup 313

Startup Press Writing News 313

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

But for some strange reason they make you file your progress on fund raising, which is the widely picked up by the press. I plan to write about it early next year when we’re all through. But it’s hard to know that from the press. The press who trusted me enough to report on our successes. Entrepreneurshit.

Blogging 420

Blogging Press Entrepreneur Venture Capital 420

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

Yesterday I wrote a post about The Silent Benefits of PR in which I pointed out that most young companies I encounter don’t fully grasp the benefits of PR because they are less measurable than product milestones or customer acquisition analyses (like CAC/LTV). In a startup this is a mistake.

Press 320

Press Startup Writing Training 320

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Profile Blurbs and Writing Prompts Let’s look at our job matching site in more detail. So instead, we fill it with a completely custom blurb, written just for him: Hello! This gives Mark more control over the process, without requiring him to write much, and gives the LLM more to work with.

Generative AI 297

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence TechEmpower Tips 297

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2009

We listened way too much to what the press said. We instructed customers about how eCommerce was going to change their future. It kind of reminds me a bit of how “social media experts&# are talking to customers today). Make sure you focus on what matters – your customers. We felt invincible.

Startup 310

Startup Press Venture Capital Journal 310

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2011

As long as you don’t care about getting any press. Or simplifying the purchasing process for customers. A way to tell the press and customers what you stand for. But when I think about “stunts” and free press I think about people like Marc Benioff (salesforce.com) or Dennis Crowley (foursquare).

Startup 289

Startup Press Software Marketing 289

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

For much of 2013 I watched the press write articles about how the YouTube “MCNs” (multi-channel networks) were doomed and tried to square that with the data I was watching at the one I invested in, Maker Studios, who has had one hell of a year. Selling at smaller retailers will net you fewer customers and higher margins.

Networking 367

Networking Media Content Customer 367

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

Maybe they’ve hit a few set backs: They’ve struggled to raise money, they haven’t gotten press coverage or they haven’t gotten accepted to present at prestigious conferences. It ends up being a turn off to potential employees, investors, business partners and the press. It’s your job to persist.

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

InfoChachkie

APRIL 16, 2012

The Lean Startup approach dictates that successful customer development is an iterative process. This was exactly the approach Steve took when he self-published Four Steps via Café Press, at the behest of his then star pupil, Eric Ries , Co-Founder of IMVU and the author of The Lean Startup. One of the best students I ever had.

Startup 229

Startup Class Press Custom Development 229

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

As Brian Solis is fond of saying, “PR stands for public relations, not press release.&# That’s right. Define your customers, partners and other relevant people to your organization (e.g. That’s blogging to the echo chamber unless they’re your target customers. What should you blog about?

Blogging 287

Blogging Startup Writing Summary 287

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

You’ll be able to give them an update on key hires, pilot customers, key tech innovations – whatever. Note that “performance&# on my chart is a loose term for my definition of perceived progress that can take the form of product, customer adoption, employees, investors, press or whatever.

Invest 411

Invest Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 411

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. It could be a product quality problem, or a major customer complaint on Twitter. Even the most experienced executives write down what they need to say, and practice for every event. Marty Zwilling.

Press 105

Press Social Media Startup Training 105

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 17, 2011

So I thought I’d write a post about how I drive my personal creativity. (A The key is channeling what you learn when you drive onto paper for retention purposes so you have to write it down soon afterward. When I write a blog post I often see the words before I write them. These are all creative processes.

Writing 357

Writing Startup Ideas Summary 357

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

Partly out of the fact that in 1 week I depart for England to speak at LeWeb, attend our DataSift board meeting and generally make myself available to the DataSift team to meet their customers, partners and employees. He did it yesterday, “Mark, I’m going to write a blog post following on from your VC’s aren’t dumb.

Tips 366

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 366

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2009

This post covers the first out of 10 that I’ll write about. The moderator asked the question, “if an entrepreneur writes an email to a VC and doesn’t hear back what should they do?&# This VC responded, “Move on. Your customers don’t care that you went to Stanford, Harvard or MIT.

Entrepreneur 339

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Google 339

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

So I know I’m getting myself into a bit of trouble by writing this. Of course they “need&# the title to convince customers, biz dev partners and VCs that they’re to be taken seriously. I had heads of sales, marketing, business development, product management, technology and customer service.

Startup 325

Startup Technical Review Sales Report 325

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I have experienced many first-time entrepreneurs with too much hubris if fund-raising came easily and press was fawning and employees joined in droves and customer adoption has been rapid. In London when founders failed they were ostracized in the press and culturally I believe it became harder to raise capital.

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2019

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. It could be a product quality problem, or a major customer complaint on Twitter. Even the most experienced executives write down what they need to say, and practice for every event.

Press 96

Press Entrepreneur Social Media Training 96

Berkonomics

JULY 3, 2024

Each new customer, each mention in the press or online adds to the feeling of early accomplishment. Celebrate each important “first,” including the first customer order, the first day in a new office, the first new employee hired, the first earned dollar actually deposited into the bank account.

Startup 156

Startup Hollywood Writing Press 156

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

It represents the great majority of entrepreneurship and eschews the fairytale rags-to-VC-riches stories we so often read about in the press. She focused on her customer. The premise is that you should blog for your customers, suppliers and ecosystem – not for your peers. And that’s what I love about her narrative.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

My job doesn’t involve the daily grind of customer complaints, product outages, business partner / channel problems, hiring / firing, etc. You get on a plane at a moment’s notice because a senior customer agreed to meet you. I’ll write about that in a couple of weeks. I get to choose what I write about.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Talking about how to inspire moms to get their children engaged with iPads and physical activity sets customized for their kids and based in part on their digital lives. She helps write press releases. Soleil on the other side getting out sticker packages. Showing me designs. She runs a mom segment on the Today Show.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

He listed all of the product releases that were up coming, the customers that were in the pipeline and where he saw his competition moving. A key deal not only helps you raise venture capital but it can help attract employees, garner press attention, help with product focus & importantly drive customer adoption and/or revenue.

Venture Capital 318

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 318

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 26, 2011

Each new customer, each mention in the press or online adds to the feeling of early accomplishment. Celebrate each important “first,” including the first customer order, the first day in a new office, the first new employee hired, the first earned dollar actually deposited into the bank account.

Press 149

Press Hollywood Writing Startup 149

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

I said, ''Hey, listen were going to start writing this newsletter and it''s going to highlight our trials and tribulations, our failures and our successes. The opening paragraphs of that first newsletter are indicative of the captivating and accessible writing style, which eventually cultivated a huge audience. And of those 35 people.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

But like the company Kyriba, where we recently sold our position at above $1 billion, it took time until the revenue exceeded $100 million recurring and then the industry really competed to back this amazing company since it had scale, defensible technology and long-term, committed customers. VCs have different views and strategies on this.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

Founders read the tech press every day filled with stories about these $20 million fund-raisings by this firm and that firm and it sounds like everybody else is doing it except for you. When you read about the funding in the press it sounds like it was a walk in the park. But if you can stay in the game you can often find that one yes.

Press 232

Press Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 232

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2018

Each new customer, each mention in the press or online adds to the feeling of early accomplishment. Celebrate each important “first,” including the first customer order, the first day in a new office, the first new employee hired, the first earned dollar actually deposited into the bank account. Write your own Hollywood script.

Hollywood 120

Hollywood Writing Press Startup 120

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

Even when you do sign-up initial customers it’s still not clear that your company will be a success and you’re still likely paying yourself under market rates. You will learn about running board meetings, setting up the ultimate financial plan, leading a team from the top, dealing with the press, raising capital, etc.

Technical Review 335

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 335

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

A great leader knows customers and has direct relationships with them. She can anticipate reactions to price increases or product changes by customers and she can sustain competitive challenges because she knows the customer will stick by her. The reality of most startups is about survival. Winning paves over any flaws.

Startup 280

Startup Coach Course Invest 280

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2014

We were sick and tired of writing up fake descriptions of places to make them sound like they were luxury, when they were not necessarily luxury. Who is your typical customer? Michael Womack: A lot of this is organic, due to the press we''ve been getting. That''s why we went with the anti-luxury theme with the site. READ MORE>>.

Sites 213

Sites Startup Customer Custom 213

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2011

Chris Dixon is one of my favorite people in tech and writes one of the few blogs I read religiously. We then addressed competition in the context of SiteAdvisor and how it is important for journalists, customers, and the companies themselves. If you don’t read it and you care about tech & entrepreneurship, you should.

Technical Review 281

Technical Review Venture Capital Startup Artificial Inteligence 281

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

I was on an airplane 2-3 times / week meeting potential customers, investors, employees, business partners and the press. Dinners were consumed with customers or in hotels and often past 10pm. I scheduled runs with teammates and even with customers. 10k in Cologne with the CEO of my largest customer.

Entrepreneur 308

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Conference 308

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. One of the interesting things about being a VC is that you often see companies in transition. But your job isn’t to make every decision for him.

Startup 382

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 382

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2020

Frequent discussions with peers and customers on open questions will keep you from being led astray by your own biases. It’s better to write 100 lines of new code every day, recognizing that you will have to iterate to perfection, rather than expecting a week of work to happen all in one night. Frequency keeps the pressure off.

Startup 173

Startup Writing Blogging Ideas 173

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2009

If you’re in front of a customer and you had some very public bad press that week don’t pretend it didn’t exist. If you’re going to see a client and somebody else in their organization is having big customer service issues, don’t sweep in under the rug. Many people Google you before meetings.

Venture Capital 264

Venture Capital Startup Training Sales 264

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

I have watched so many companies go through massive growth and see the commentary in the press wondering how they’re doing it and then finding out from the inside that there is some slightly nefarious technique being employed. Simply write a great book? If you have NO network of promotion for your story?

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379