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

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 9, 2020

Technology from the track is transferring to production models, according to Cevolini. Energica credits the application of race tech to production e-motos for some of the increased order flow it saw early this year. “Our customers are telling us they are just waiting to ride again. In the U.S.,

Technical Review 277

Technical Review Competition Demand Sales 277

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. SEEING THINGS FROM THE VC SIDE OF THE TABLE While I was a VC in 2007 & 2008 those were dead years because the market again evaporated due the the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2009

But there is a difference between a term sheet with an expiration date and a VC that puts pressure on you to sign and alludes to pulling if you don’t close by the date. Any VC that would try to turn the screws on you to try and pressure a decision is not the kind of VC you want to work with.

Venture Capital 197

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Technology 197

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

In the initial phases of any new market you’re developing a product (hopefully with a minimal set of features), getting feedback from customers, refining your product based on user feedback and then re-launching your product. We technology leaders also make this mistake. Rinse & repeat. It seemed to be purely speculative.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2020

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. Especially under the constant pressures of a startup, the ability to lighten up, celebrate, and laugh can make all the difference. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Examples 123

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2014

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Whenever I heard why we didn’t feel a sales process at an important customer was going well (or if we lost) I would get involved myself. They are as good at selling you as they are at selling your product to customers.

Sales 382

Sales Help Startup Pricing 382

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

Key elements of every startup challenge include timeframes, costs, people required, and technical realities. Founder minimizes the focus on formal plans and reviews. Project reviews are “ad hoc,” based on the latest crisis. In our case, on a positive note, the founder did meet regularly with new potential customers.

Technical Review 89

Technical Review Startup Demand Examples 89

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

The confidence, energy, passion and humor that are hallmarks of Jonathan became muted in the pressures of needing to show financial successes to match one’s enormous product vision and ambitions. The financial pressures of running a startup started to hit Jonathan. I saw this first hand. You can watch it here.

Startup 303

Startup Technical Review Product Blogging 303

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. It’s liberating. But there’s a big difference.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2017

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Give your own customers the same consideration.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 9, 2012

Pressure Helps You Break Through Your Breakdowns. "Mickey In Pressure , I note how singer/songwriter Jim Croce wrote several top ten songs immediately after learning that his wife was pregnant. You must convince dispassionate, objective customers that your value proposition is worthy of their cash. They relish learning.

Tips 277

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Entertainment 277

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

I recall being impressed with Jeff, but I was concerned that he was creating a platform, which often requires a significant amount of capital, takes an extended amount of time to establish and can be subject to margin pressure as the enabling technologies become commoditized. Tech Diligence - Consider The Source.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Whenever I heard why we didn’t feel a sales process at an important customer was going well (or if we lost) I would get involved myself. They are as good at selling you as they are at selling your product to customers. They’re in beta).

Sales 316

Sales Startup Pricing Customer 316

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

It’s a very important concept for me because in a startup you are constantly under pressure and have way too many distractions. Only one guy in the room knew – their tech lead. Once you churn a user due to stability or performance problems it can be hard to get them back. Customer Acquisition. SEO is seldom “free.”.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup SEO Customer 346

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

Consumer spending is 70% of the economy and will continue to be stretched – We can look all we want at tech innovation, VC funding cycles and hot M&A deals, but ultimately growth and therefore investment must be underpinned by revenue. You have less wage pressure and less staff turnover.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2015

The best startup founders are ready and able to roll up their sleeves and jump into any issue and contribute, whether it's business related or technical, no matter how much expertise team members may possess. Individual team member reviews cannot be delegated or moved to the bottom of your priority list.

Startup 102

Startup Technical Review Paramount Entrepreneur 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. How many customers will have any idea what this means to them? You need to clearly convey what makes your startup the only choice for your customers.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2014

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. Focus means starting with a problem that is painful, rather than a technology, and showing how you can solve that problem better than anyone else. Solve one problem really well.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2013

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. Focus means starting with a problem that is painful, rather than a technology, and showing how you can solve that problem better than anyone else. Solve one problem really well.

Startup 103

Startup Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Xconomy

JUNE 3, 2016

However, the New York Department of Taxation recently said that an online healthcare service company must collect sales tax from its customers. The company receives biometric readings from patients, like blood pressure or glucose levels, and these readings are transmitted to the company via its Web platform.

Sales 62

Sales Company Companies Software Review 62

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Initially their only customers are people who can get by on the reduced functionality or perhaps don’t have the money to spend on the expensive product. The new entrant keeps margins low but suddenly has a lot of profits due to large volumes of business. We still won large customers but over time it became harder to compete.

Startup 386

Startup Pricing Marketing Product 386

Southern California Edison Blog

JANUARY 15, 2019

The telecommunications industry is under increasing pressure as customers demand high speeds and data transport, as well as implementing big data initiatives for their businesses. The faster the speeds and the higher the quality of your offerings, the more customers you’ll win and retain. Expand your coverage. Dark Fiber.

SoCal 55

SoCal Southern California Help Services 55

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2012

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect. Especially under the constant pressures of a startup, the ability to lighten up, celebrate, and laugh can make all the difference.

Entrepreneur 133

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2013

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. Especially under the constant pressures of a startup, the ability to lighten up, celebrate, and laugh can make all the difference. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Technical Review 111

socalTECH

JANUARY 13, 2012

One of the areas that startups and healthcare investors have turned their attention to in recent years, is leveraging the many advances in technology--wireless, smart phones, software, and more--and applying those to the health area. That division was focused on implementing core technology for the wireless industry.

Software Review 140

Software Review Cloud Computing Startup Technical Review 140

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2016

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. Especially under the constant pressures of a startup, the ability to lighten up, celebrate, and laugh can make all the difference. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team.

Startup 57

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Examples 57

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Language Weaver is backed by Palisades Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels, and The Athenaeum Fund. Originally, you had a lot of government customers, and were just starting out with a few commercial customers. We calibrated that to our customers own, native speakers, who scored them, so that everyone has trust in the score.

Software Review 145

Software Review USC Content Tech Coast Angels 145

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2014

I agree with the seven survival challenges from Michael Fertik, in an old Harvard Business Review article , for executives making the transition: Empire-building skills are counter-productive. I’ve spent years in large-company environments, and many years later in startups, so I’ve seen and felt the pressures of both. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 103

Startup Company Companies Training 103

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Once you’ve been around for a few years, attracted some great people, landed real, paying customers and raised venture capital you’ve likely got a talented team around you. In your case this might simply be a VP of Sales or Customer Support for multiple locations. You’re suddenly free to focus your energies elsewhere.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Startup Sales Customer 319

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2010

Engineering is pissed off because they need to do some technical infrastructure improvements and the sales team is always pushing them to deliver too many features. &# Sell what we have!!&# And you want us to work yet another weekend while you’re playing golf with clients and getting fat bonuses?

Entrepreneur 330

Entrepreneur Yahoo Startup Technical Review 330

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2013

I agree with the seven survival challenges from Michael Fertik, in an old Harvard Business Review article , for executives making the transition: Empire-building skills are counter-productive. I’ve spent years in large-company environments, and many years later in startups, so I’ve seen and felt the pressures of both.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Training Technical Review 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2011

I agree with the seven survival issues summarized by Michael Fertik, in an old Harvard Business Review article , for executives making the transition: Empire-building skills are counter-productive. I’ve spent years in large-company environments, and many years later in startups, so I’ve seen and felt the pressures of both.

Startup 105

Startup Company Companies Training 105

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 17, 2011

Other ways I drive creativity are time pressure, showers & occasionally wine. I want to know how many people, their level of tech sophistication, their age and their interests. How much power does Google have due to search? She literally encourages you to draw things upside down. For others they swear by music.

Writing 356

Writing Startup Ideas Summary 356

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

People buy companies for 3 primary reasons: 1) they want the management team / talent 2) they want the technology or 3) they want the market traction (revenue, customer base, profits, etc). We told the horror story of the company that originally owned the URL groupon.com and lost it due to not having a trademark.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Capital Startup Pricing 282

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 5, 2010

Brands didn’t advertise their web pages they advertised “AOL Keywords.&# If you were a newly minted, venture-backed consumer Internet company you had to have a deal with AOL to reach your customers. There is growing pressure on Facebook to make this portable and they have made some progress on this front.

Social Network 297

Social Network Networking Web 2.0 Web 297