Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with their position. They realize that their productivity is suffering, as well as their health, but they don’t know what to do about it.

Demand 103

Demand Activity Email Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

Every business needs repeatable processes to grow and thrive, but modern business processes need the right people to make them efficient and productive. The right people make productive processes, not the other way around. On the other hand, I see teams with almost no process that are tremendously productive.

Coach 128

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

You need a faster and more flexible on-demand hiring strategy, based on the current gig-economy of remote freelancers, contract personnel, and specialists. Freelancers and consultants have to demonstrate results, without training and mentoring, so they can help you more quickly and probably at a lower total cost.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

In our personal lives we’re having to change our routines and figure out how to remain productive?—?often It goes without saying that if you find yourself in a really negative headspace PLEASE reach out to any trusted mentor, friend or family member. How long is my cash runway if this demand doesn’t recover for the foreseeable future?

Demand 215

Demand Guide Customer Custom 215

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. I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

For example, I’m an introverted product guy who doesn’t care so much about building the personnel relationships needed to keep a motivated team. The competition will improve, the market will change, and your customers will demand more. Relentlessly drive improvement, change, and growth.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2014

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business.

Demand 92

Demand Entrepreneur Startup Training 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2023

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Tricked by recency.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2023

For example, witness the current creation of the space tourism industry, vaccines to control new viruses, or simply providing a free product to the needy for every product sold. As a mentor to many business professionals, I find many who are risk-averse or not confident in their own abilities to make forward-looking decisions.

Capital 142

Capital Netflix Resource Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2022

One of the dysfunctions I often see in my coaching and mentoring work with small businesses is team member burnout. The impact is low employee engagement , low productivity, and ultimately business failure or lack of growth.

Coach 120

Coach Organization Demand Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. For investors, this is the idea stage , where you may have a great idea, but no plan, product, or customers, and probably no success record in this business domain. Congratulations!

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

But privately, as a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I see mindsets and attributes that may be equally critical to success, but are not readily admitted, for fear of being too wacky. You need to listen to customers on how to tune existing products, but most existing customers actually fear change and avoid new technologies.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Every one of you business leaders I know struggles with the competing demands of finding and keeping employees motivated and satisfied, versus building and enforcing a set of repeatable processes that work. Engaged people are more productive than your best process. Obviously, both are required for a company to stay healthy and growing.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2022

Thus, over the years of my mentoring and consulting efforts with entrepreneurs, I have a key list of practices that I recommend to everyone starting and growing a business. You may think it’s great that demand exceeds your supply chain, but customers only remember it as a loss of your credibility, and will tell others.

Startup 134

Startup Training Tool Demand 134

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. You need the funding and support, but venture capitalists can be very demanding, and set high targets.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These should come as no surprise to you, since they haven’t changed in many decades, and I expect will serve you well in the current turbulent times we all face: Spend time nurturing productive work relationships. In my experience, relationships are still the key to career opportunities, new clients, and collaborative results.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

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

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

As an Angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Don’t demand or expect immediate gratification.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Product Startup Activity 63

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2022

Then there are the additional challenges of balancing the demands of family and friends. Regular non-work breaks, like a trip to the gym, or time with family will be ultimately more productive than slugging it out all night on a given problem. Discuss the tough ones with a mentor. Get a good night’s sleep.

Startup 123

Startup Tips Entrepreneur Mentor 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2020

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Tricked by recency.

Metrics 157

Metrics Demand Statistics Sales 157

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 8, 2021

This is an incredibly rewarding milestone and an apt tribute to the vision of my late mentor, Norman Rostoker,” said TAE’s current chief executive officer, Michl Binderbauer, in a statement announcing the company’s achievement.

Technology 354

Technology Artificial Inteligence Google Orange County 354

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. I believe that a fully engaged team is the key to both productivity and agility in the face of change. Show humility by being honest about mistakes.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 17, 2020

. “As Impact continues to evolve the way that global talent is discovered, projects are developed and how the creative industry connects, this partnership demonstrates both companies’ commitment to improving the development system in order to generate more original, quality IP to meet the growing demand.”

Netflix 137

Netflix Entertainment Hollywood Writing 137

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2021

A key part of her message that resonated with me, as a mentor to entrepreneurs, is her guidance on how to deal with the constant demands and requests that every business founder faces. Otherwise don’t let guilt trick you into thinking you are actually doing something productive for you. If yes, apologize, then do better.

Startup 172

Startup Tool Coach Satisfaction 172

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. For investors, this is the idea stage , where you may have a great idea, but no plan, product, or customers, and probably no success record in this business domain. Congratulations!

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

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. The next phase of evolution will demand device independence, enabling an uninterrupted computing experience as we move from device to device throughout our daily lives.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2022

The most productive and respected business people know their limits and assertively protect them. Time spent building and maintaining key work relationships can dramatically improve your productivity, reduce stress, and raise your melting point. Establish boundaries and say ‘no’ more often. Learn to delegate more as well.

Class 148

Class Activity Coach Satisfaction 148

Tech.Co

JANUARY 10, 2018

Purchasing products from a brand you trust can be more of an emotional buy, and trust is one of the key factors to attracting the female shopper. If they know a product is good enough for their family and children, they will share that information with friends. This is especially true when providing a product/service to children.”

Tips 71

Tips Customer Custom Dollar Shave Club 71

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Unlike most university programs that are over architected and underfunded, the TMP evolved organically, based on the demands of its students and input from the local community. This allowed the curriculum to efficiently find its product / market fit. The TMP began in the late 1990''s as a single class inside the Engineering College.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

The first electric bulb was actually invented by Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, who demonstrated the concept, but gave up trying to develop a practical product after only three attempts. Don’t be hesitant to use coaches, mentors, and other resources to test and improve your image by others, and your perceptions of business realities and biases.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Many entrepreneurs I have mentored make big mistakes in this area, by hiring low-cost friends and family, with minimal skills or training, and expecting them to have the same work ethic , passion, and business knowledge as the founder. In addition, you can reduce to soft costs of mentoring, relationship building, and socializing.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

Image via Pixabay As a mentor to many small business owners, I always caution them that you can never relax completely, just because your initial solution or product set appears to be getting traction, and the market buzz is positive. That means written processes and measurements to maximize quality and productivity.

Metrics 86

Metrics Startup Training Customer 86

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2019

Image via Pexels Every business needs repeatable processes to grow and thrive, but modern business processes need the right people to make them efficient and productive. The right people make productive processes, not the other way around. On the other hand, I see teams with almost no process that are tremendously productive.

Coach 94

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 94