Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. What you don’t realize is these famous investors only deal with entrepreneurs who sold their last company for a $100M dollars or more. You need both to survive.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2022

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Examples 131

Examples Entrepreneur Technology Resource 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 22, 2016

We had a spirited discussion regarding a number of issues related to blowing past $10M in annual recurring SaaS revenue, in front of a sold-out crowd of about 400 entrepreneurs. When Ara concluded his definition of customer success, it was clear that his approach is anything but obvious. The Most Important Metric. Share and Enjoy.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Cornerstone OnDemand Metrics 100

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

What makes someone an entrepreneur? Most simply defined , an entrepreneur is a person who identifies a need and starts a business to fill that void. But others will argue that a “true” entrepreneur must come up with an innovative new product or service and then operates their business to sell and profit from that innovation.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Demand Examples 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2021

Many years ago, John Hamm published some definitive work on this subject in " Why Entrepreneurs Don't Scale " in the Harvard Business Review. This is generally a required quality for a successful entrepreneur, but it can turn into an unhealthy stubbornness during the scaling stage. Absolute control.

Entrepreneur 169

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Mentor 169

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

With the appearance of do-it-yourself services on the Internet, entrepreneur curriculums at every university, and a wealth of new books on the subject, the need for expensive consultants and business advisors has also been mitigated. The need to build a new million-dollar factory for each new product is gone.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Outsource Development 162

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Eventually you need a VP of Product to handle your product roadmap, a CTO for engineering leadership and VPs of sales, marketing & biz dev. This is when your job function truly starts to match the definition of “leader” because that’s exactly what your role is. And then there’s product management.

Entrepreneur 385

Entrepreneur CTO Hire Startup Sales 385

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2019

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” Many people with great ideas never make it as entrepreneurs, and true entrepreneurs can make a business out of anything. Few entrepreneurs can assimilate and hone a complete plan in their head.

Entrepreneur 135

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Writing 135

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 16, 2017

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 -- Join us at the Pepperdine West Los Angeles Graduate Campus and learn invaluable information about what it means to be an entrepreneur. Are you looking to expand your knowledge of new product innovation and commercialization? If the answer is yes then this session is definitely for you!

Product 100

Product Pepperdine West Los Angeles Los Angeles 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2020

For all entrepreneurs, starting a business is the route to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” no matter how risky. According to a classic article and poll by Startups.co.uk , having the independence to make your own decisions is considered the key benefit of being an entrepreneur. If you are here in the U.S.,

Entrepreneur 122

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 122

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2012

The real solution is better productivity and less procrastination, to put you back in control of your business. Jan Yager, a recognized expert on the subject of time management, just released a new edition of her most popular book, “ Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover.” Rest makes you more productive.

Product 117

Product Entrepreneur Email Customer 117

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2010

Chris Dixon wrote a blog post last week titled, “ Techies and Normals &# in which he defined “Techies&# as people who are not just “early adopters&# but also have more of a geeky, technical, product bent. They use products because the products solve a need they have. Launch a product, iterate, fail fast.

Product 348

Product Startup Design Blogging 348

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

He has a really interesting background as a product manager and now an entrepreneur. Like many product managers, my background is fairly eclectic. That's where I learned I enjoyed interacting with customers and working with development teams to build and launch products. Tell me a bit about your background.

Product 150

Product Entrepreneur Social Media Google 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2020

Too many entrepreneurs tell me they are looking for an investor, and can’t differentiate between venture capital (VC) investors versus accredited angel investors. Let’s consider some basic definitions. They are looking for a win-win deal, with entrepreneurs that demonstrate a positive chemistry and open communication.

Venture Capital 125

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Startup Invest 125

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. These entrepreneurs find it hard to respect customers or team members, and their ventures usually fail. Free up your energy to be spent on more productive activities, and learn from past efforts.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 98

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

I’m often asked the question about why there aren’t more women who are entrepreneurs. And when asked about the topic, I definitely don’t shy away from the topic as you can see in this 8-minute YouTube interview that Pemo Theodore asked me to do on the subject of Women in Entrepreneurship. Every single one.

Entrepreneur 341

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Blogging 341

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

I suspect it’s a function of pride and confidence in my own problem solving abilities, but my hesitation has definitely cost me time and money. Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help. Of course, there are good ways and bad ways to ask for help.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2022

Most of the entrepreneurs and business owners I work with recognize that they must occupy and practice a primary leadership position , but many will admit that they are not thriving in this role. The support currently provided by product service can become inadequate to satisfy new customers, as your growth and image becomes better known.

Entrepreneur 90

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Coach Mentor 90

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

This is why I loved Brad Feld’s recent post about the “ illusion of product / market fit.” ” This, too, is a must read for any entrepreneur. I have many investments with early traction and I the entrepreneurs I work with must tire of my constantly saying, “Are we really making a difference?

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2010

I call it the entrepreneur thesis. I’m not talk about the age old debate amongst investors whether you back entrepreneurs, markets or products (or as people like to hedge – product / market fit). It’s entrepreneurs I back. It’s what I call the “entrepreneur thesis.” So what is the “entrepreneur thesis?”

Entrepreneur 321

Entrepreneur GRP Partners Venture Capital Invest 321

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2011

Why is it that most of the business plans I see are really product plans? I define a product plan as a detailed description of your product or service, with a bit of business thrown in at the end. A business plan is a detailed description of your business, with a bit of product description thrown in near the front.

Product 93

Product Entrepreneur Outsource Development Competition 93

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2021

One of the most important skills for every entrepreneur is timely and effective decision making. The best entrepreneurs relish this role, while others struggle mightily and ultimately lose their health and their company. Expand your definition of the problem. In a startup, any decision is better than no decision.

Startup 140

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Coach 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” Many people with great ideas never make it as entrepreneurs, and true entrepreneurs can make a business out of anything. Few entrepreneurs can assimilate and hone a complete plan in their head.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Writing 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

Almost every entrepreneur needs to improve their skills in this area, so I did some research in the basic principles. Set a definite task completion date and a follow-up system. Finally, every entrepreneur needs to set aside their fear of delegating. If you don’t get it right, you are too busy, but working on the wrong things.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Product Startup SEO 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

Being an entrepreneur seems to be one of the most popular lifestyle aspirations these days. Thus it behooves every entrepreneur to pick the startup model that best matches their real motivation. You have proven that you can create an innovative product, but creating a business is a whole new challenge.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur High Tech Startup Services 97

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2011

You don’t need to invent an innovative product to be a real entrepreneur. Self-employed services specialists are just as important, and are a growing part of this new “ age of the entrepreneur ” that I discussed last week. Many of these new entrepreneurs were regular employees a few years ago, focused on a skill specialty.

Entrepreneur 89

Entrepreneur Services Product Search Engine Optimization 89

Berkonomics

APRIL 1, 2021

We are not always smart about the market or the product. Well, the good news is that great teams are not bound by their original product or marketing plan. Greatness finds one definition in management’s ability to “pivot,” or change the plan in reaction to its early response from the marketplace.

Resource 156

Resource Research Class News 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. The first is to be more precise in your definition and understanding of where you are, and how the money will be spent. Commercial product prototypes. Product verification and clinical trials.

Develop 102

Develop Development Product Funding 102

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

I recently wrote a post about avoiding the “ Deferred Life Plan &# and some related thoughts about personal productivity that came from Tim Ferriss’s book, The Four Hour Workweek. I would love to say that I’m the productivity guru. Tim Ferriss gave this extra emphasis in his book.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. The first is to be more precise in your definition and understanding of where you are, and how the money will be spent. Commercial product prototypes. Product verification and clinical trials.

Resource 102

Resource Ideas Funding Research 102

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

These sites (so far) have managed to balance facilitating product discovery and purchase capabilities with users'' desires to entertain and educate themselves without feeling like they are in a marketplace. Product Pins could be improved with the addition of interactivity, such as 3d image views or switching colors.

Entrepreneur 210

Entrepreneur Commerce Sites Social Network 210

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

Thus it behooves every entrepreneur to start watching these things more carefully from the very start. By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. This business phase is where every entrepreneur starts. Product-line expansion. Consider MySpace and Webvan.

Startup 142

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 142

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2011

Reasonable people will attempt to make the best of the status quo – unreasonable entrepreneurs with the proper dose of Confidence, Courage and Conviction will shape the status quo to facilitate your adVenture’s ultimate success. As made clear in Optimistically Pessimistic , most entrepreneurs’ experiences are not linear.

Entrepreneur 252

Entrepreneur Paramount Startup Organization 252

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

That great productivity drain that we somehow all buy into. about their marathon 4-hour sessions to get to zero inbox or somebody else claiming email bankruptcy ( definition if you don’t know it already ). I do what I wish all entrepreneurs would do. It was a young, first-time entrepreneur who wanted to meet.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2015

In my years of working with entrepreneurs, I have heard many times the promise that their new idea will create the next Amazon or Apple, but I rarely hear the more important promise that the founder will practice all the good habits of winning entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs. Seek first to understand, then be understood.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Social Network 117