Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2016

With the pace of change ever escalating, entrepreneurs today can’t afford to acquire talent through traditional hiring alone, and need to revise the perception that “talent” is only full-time employees. For example, if your first scaling effort is a global one, you should be prioritizing “global launch experience.”

Demand 99

Demand Training Outsource Development Entrepreneur 99

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

Every new business dreams of growing from a startup to a global market leader in a few years, like Amazon.com, but that goal is elusive. As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked for the magic that has made Amazon the world's most valuable brand , from a total unknown only twenty years ago.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. As an example of a good resource, I enjoyed the classic book, “ Idea To Invention ,” by Patricia Nolan-Brown, that does a great job on the key steps. As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 13, 2018

As a rule, creating a product that does not fit into an existing space, cannot be defined against one or more competitors, or which needs a long description to understand, will require considerably more market research, more marketing capital, and entail much more risk than one that follows an existing trend, even if an emerging one.

Marketing 120

Marketing Class Startup Research 120

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 13, 2018

As a rule, creating a product that does not fit into an existing space, cannot be defined against one or more competitors, or which needs a long description to understand, will require considerably more market research, more marketing capital, and entail much more risk than one that follows an existing trend, even if an emerging one.

Marketing 120

Marketing Class Startup Research 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2021

In my view, the increasing consumer demand for personal marketing and personal assistants will soon overcome paranoia, and reasonable boundaries will emerge. There are already many examples of startups edging into this space. Of course, many are still fighting it as well, due to privacy concerns.

Web 152

Web Entrepreneur Software Review Google 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked. Operational.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2021

With the pace of change ever escalating, entrepreneurs today can’t afford to acquire talent through traditional hiring alone, and need to revise the perception that “talent” is only full-time office employees. For example, if your first scaling effort is a global one, you should be prioritizing “global launch experience.”

Demand 143

Demand Training Outsource Development Organization 143

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 9, 2013

Declining prices & margins in a small market is much less interesting. Example: More than 50% of all youth in Greece & Spain (34% in Italy) are unemployed and if you take “under-employment” it is even worse. I believe that market conditions drive innovation as much as great entrepreneurs do.

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2021

As an advisor to startups and entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that all new businesses must start with a great idea. I believe the best entrepreneurs start by finding a large opportunity, and only then use good ideas to capitalize on that opportunity. Expand a narrow product offering to the mass-market. I have to disagree.

Startup 112

Startup Ideas Examples Entrepreneur 112

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

But being best-in-class at online marketing is also a sine qua non to standout from your peer group. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. Online marketing uses techniques for driving promotion and place.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 8, 2020

It is most often missed assumptions about the market, the competition, the speed of adoption, or other critical metrics you’ve researched, or selected, or even just guessed at to create your plan. Where did you get the data to drive your assumptions of market size or market share? What is your market size? TAM, SAM, SOM?

Company 156

Company Companies Metrics Resource 156

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. I’d like to do a few posts on what life looks like on the way up and perhaps how to keep your head on straight and avoid drinking your own Kool Aid because as I often advise entrepreneurs on irrational exuberance, “ In a strong wind even turkeys can fly.”

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2021

In startup business plans, a bubble is too many entrepreneurs and too many investors chasing the latest “next big thing,” like Google search engine, Facebook social network, or Amazon e-commerce site. Supply and demand ignored. We all believe that supply and demand meet to create stable prices (reflexive). Cheap money.

Demand 145

Demand Google Commerce Pricing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2023

Every entrepreneur and business executive I know wants to emulate that boss, but most can’t even describe the attributes required. In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). Adapt the job or organization to fit the talent.

Oracle 94

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 94

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2011

This morning, Pasadena-based Perfect Market (www.perfectmarket.com) announced a new, $9M round of funding for the firm's technology, which is used to help publishers monetize their content. An example of that is when the BP oil spill occurred, people started to search for information about old oil spills, like the Exxon Valdez.

Marketing 232

Marketing Funding Content Writing 232

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. A few examples of well-known benefit corporations in the USA include Kickstarter, Etsy in New York, Patagonia in California, and Seventh Generation in Vermont.

Startup 149

Startup Organization Customer Custom 149

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

As an investor in startups, I most often see entrepreneurs who are technologists, or at least have a real passion for a specific product. They rarely highlight their marketing and relationship skills , even though, in my experience, these are more often the key to success in business than product skills.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2015

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked. Operational.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Marketing Customer 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

Every startup lucky enough to get some traction gets to the point where they decide to hire some “regular employees” for sales, marketing, and administrative tasks. What they should be doing is hiring only “entrepreneurs,” meaning people who think and act as if this is their own business. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Startup 134

Startup Training Sales Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2023

Most of the entrepreneurs and aggressive business owners I meet in my consulting practice are focused on finding new disruptive solutions and killing competitors as the key to success. Begin with a perspective on improving the current market reality without needing to disrupt what is. Seek innovation with non-disruptive value.

Capital 142

Capital Netflix Resource Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Customer 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. A passionate entrepreneur I met a while back had found that a certain algae could be grown cheaply, and could end world hunger.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Fallacy: Startup ventures tend to evolve, especially after you begin speaking with pesky customers and demanding partners. Perform China Syndrome Market Analysis. “Learn from the mistakes of others. Grant Exclusivity.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

As a long-time business executive and adviser to entrepreneurs, I see a definitive shift away from customer trust in traditional business messages, and the executives who deliver them. I believe that the sooner every entrepreneur and brand builder adapts to this emerging trend, the sooner they will find success.

Customer 173

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2017

Every startup lucky enough to get some traction gets to the point where they decide to hire some “regular employees” for sales, marketing, and administrative tasks. What they should be doing is hiring only “entrepreneurs,” meaning people who think and act as if this is their own business. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Training Sales 69

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 5, 2013

It is most often missed assumptions about the market, the competition, the speed of adoption, or other critical metrics you’ve researched, or selected, or even just guessed at to create your plan. Where did you get the data to drive your assumptions of market size or market share?

Metrics 239

Metrics Startup Marketing Demand 239

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. For example, I believe Bill Gates would have failed without his partners Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2011

I suspect the real challenge is not the semantic web technology , but new attractive business models from smart entrepreneurs. According to Michael Tasner, in his book “ Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First ,” here are the five key components to watch: Micro-blogging.

Web 95

Web Entrepreneur Doc Examples 95

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Every entrepreneur and business executive I know wants to emulate that boss, but most can’t even describe the attributes required. In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). Adapt the job or organization to fit the talent.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2013

Does it really take a few flaws to make a great entrepreneur, or are the rest of us just confused about what a perfect business person is all about? The entrepreneur with the positive traits to calmly and patiently handle tough customers, vendors, and personnel situations, balancing all the issues, I would evaluate as a great one.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Demand Customer 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2022

We have all heard the examples of the great new company cultures, popularized by Google, Zappos, and Facebook, which seem to imply that company perks are the secret to success. Traditional business leadership practices, including autocratic, reactive, and narcissistic, aren’t good enough. Benton and Kylie Wright-Ford.

Customer 152

Customer Custom Coach Satisfaction 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. His checklists cover everything from building a vision, to consistently delivering results, for entrepreneurs up to mature business executives. I wish it was that easy.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Want to be an entrepreneur? In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine recently included UCSB in its Top 50 Schools For VC Backed Entrepreneurs at number 37. The TMP is an example of lean academia. This allowed the curriculum to efficiently find its product / market fit. Don''t go to Wharton or Harvard. Organic Academia.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2018

With the pace of change ever escalating, entrepreneurs today can’t afford to acquire talent through traditional hiring alone, and need to revise the perception that “talent” is only full-time employees. For example, if your first scaling effort is a global one, you should be prioritizing “global launch experience.”

Demand 92

Demand Startup Training Outsource Development 92

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup Founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. For example, is the person who starts a new trend likely to be the one who controls it through the growth phase? Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Statistics Equity Satisfaction 107