Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2010

Since my background includes software development, I often get the question about when to build a solution in-house, versus outsourcing it to a local company, near-shore service, or off-shore organization in China, India, or Eastern Europe. Don’t outsource your core competency. Protect your intellectual property.

Outsource Development 51

Outsource Development Outsource Software Offshore 51

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

Outsourcing the entirety of building a new system. Outsourcing may look like a quick and easy solution, but you can’t let a partner or supplier drive your business strategy and direction, and it will never absolve you of the responsibility of providing business success. Not having a means to measure holistic impact.

Outsource Development 140

Outsource Development Outsource Startup Metrics 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2021

Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply. I summarize here my interpretation of his key points: Take heed of serious next generation customer expectations. Upgrade to modern information technology tools.

Custom 173

Custom Customer Social Media Outsource Development 173

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2023

For example, the development of reusable rocket technology by SpaceX and Amazon, who could not match NASA supplier budgets, has opened huge new opportunities in space travel and exploration. I’m often asked for the secret to this attribute in developing a team culture. Outsourcing of manufacturing is another option.

Resource 111

Resource Competition Outsource Development Startup 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

When you wave your arms and describe your future product, everyone sees what they want to see, and it looks great. Many ideas I hear sound great, but I have no idea if they can be implemented. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. Quantify the implementation challenges.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 124

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Contract for service : An independent contractor should work under a written contract with the company, defining the end result expected, time to achieve, lump sum or unit cost, ownership of intellectual property created and more. This is tricky when a contracted CFO assumes a position of directing an accounting department.

Outsource Development 177

Outsource Development Tool Services Report 177

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Not every great idea is a viable business. Social causes are great, but your ability to sustain your value contribution is directly linked to your ability to find paying customers. Dreams may motivate your team, but customers expect real solutions. Jumping into a crowded space is a great way to get lost quickly.

Startup 124

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 124

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 17, 2019

Now, more than $35 million dollars later , the company has been awarded a multi-year contract to build and operate its own rocket launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. That contract, awarded by The 45th Space Wing of the Air Force, is the first direct agreement the U.S. space and missile defense program.

Sites 217

Sites Outsource Development SpaceX Inglewood 217

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

Not every great idea is a viable business. Social causes are great, but your ability to sustain your value contribution is directly linked to your ability to find paying customers. Dreams may motivate your team, but customers expect real solutions. Jumping into a crowded space is a great way to get lost quickly.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 5, 2010

He gossips with the office manager who tells 3 software developers. I don’t like distributed development teams in early stage businesses. As your company develops you’ll obviously need to hire sales talent in multiple locations. I’m fine with key developers being in a remote location.

Technical Advisors 335

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Offshore Startup 335

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2023

In the classic book, “ Global Vision ,” by NYU Stern School of Business scholar and leader Robert Salomon, I finally found some great insights on what to look for, and how to make the necessary changes. The potential for large currency swings may change the way you need to manage transactions, specify contract terms, and project futures.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur Summary 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2020

I’m sure you have all seen entrepreneurs and startups with great ideas that never seem to live up to their potential, while others with more mundane solutions seem to take off quickly and never slow down. Initially, you may be able to do everything in your startup, including product development, marketing, and shipping orders.

Startup 123

Startup Outsource Development Entrepreneur Outsource 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Conflicting visions won’t work.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

When you wave your arms and describe your future product, everyone sees what they want to see, and it looks great. Many ideas I hear sound great, but I have no idea if they can be implemented. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. Quantify the implementation challenges.

Ideas 107

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

What I love about my job is getting to see teams of super-early-stage companies develop ideas that while raw have potential to make an impact on the market. For a well-funded seed company I have controversially recommended hiring a great office manager that doubles as an administrative assistant. Great startups have budgets.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

With his wealth of business experience and expertise as a top economic development consultant, he confirms my own view that the top five myths in starting a new business commonly include the following: You have to be able to do every job in your business. In business, if you take no risks, don’t expect any rewards.

Software Review 98

Software Review Ideas Outsource Development Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2014

When you wave your arms and describe your future product, everyone sees what they want to see, and it looks great. Many ideas I hear sound great, but I have no idea if they can be implemented. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. Quantify the implementation challenges.

Outsource Development 105

Outsource Development Startup Ideas Tool 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2020

In the classic book, “ Global Vision ,” by NYU Stern School of Business scholar and leader Robert Salomon, I finally found some great insights on what to look for, and how to make the necessary changes. The potential for large currency swings may change the way you need to manage transactions, specify contract terms, and project futures.

Marketing 134

Marketing Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2018

When you wave your arms and describe your future product, everyone sees what they want to see, and it looks great. Many ideas I hear sound great, but I have no idea if they can be implemented. Don’t spend your whole development budget, before finding that you need another iteration. Quantify the implementation challenges.

Ideas 53

Ideas Outsource Development Tool Outsource 53

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Similar values and goals.

Software Review 107

Software Review Entrepreneur CTO Hire Outsource Development 107

socalTECH

AUGUST 26, 2019

For this morning's interview with an entrepreneur, we spoke with Thomas Russell , the Ceo and co-founder of ETC Solar (www.etc-solar.com), a Los Angeles startup developing technology to improve the efficiency and cost of solar cells. We expect our products to be ready in mid-2020, and are targeting the flat solar cell market.

CalTech 113

CalTech Outsource Development IP Marketing 113

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Thus, you must first create the playbook by which an independent sales rep can readily sell your product, including: identifying objections and developing strategies to overcome them, creating reference accounts and establishing meaningful customer adoption.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2018

Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply. I summarize here my interpretation of his key points: Take heed of serious next generation customer expectations. Upgrade to modern information technology tools.

Demand 71

Demand Custom Customer Tips 71

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2015

Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply. I summarize here my interpretation of his key points: Take heed of serious next generation customer expectations. Upgrade to modern information technology tools.

Custom 97

Custom Customer Social Media Outsource Development 97

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Similar values and goals.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Conflicting visions won’t work.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

Background This post partly really came about as a result of a great conversation yesterday with David Croslin a former CTO at HP who recently conducted an interesting experiment. And a big factor is how big is the Founder Developer Gap. Unfortunately for a lot of founders, it’s hard to know the gap.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170

Xconomy

JUNE 23, 2016

The center also asked the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Firms are still pretty dependent on government contracts for their business,” but the industry has moved over the past two years to more private sector customers, said Michael Combs, a CBRE research manager in San Diego and chief author of the study. .

San Diego 69

San Diego Study Outsource Development Report 69

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. Markets develop for a complex set of factors that are often beyond all of our control.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 2, 2012

I joined ranks with an Austin App developer, taking the role of Creative Director and setting up their design team and process. There was a distinct disconnect between apps developed by stand-alone companies, such as Gowalla or Path, versus what “work for hire” companies were producing. Mobile does that. Refinement.

Design 94

Design Mobile Web Design Outsource Development 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2018

Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply. I summarize here my interpretation of his key points: Take heed of serious next generation customer expectations. Upgrade to modern information technology tools.

Demand 56

Demand Custom Customer Tips 56

InfoChachkie

JUNE 30, 2011

Value Prop Twitter Style : TestFlight helps developers build better apps. We developed it for ourselves. TestFlight does simple, elegant, over the air distribution of apps that are in development and haven’t been made available in the App Store yet. In the development world, it is always about patterns. That’s our goal.

Outsource Development 229

Outsource Development SaaS Tool Summary 229

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2014

Their expectations of relationship and personalization are taxing businesses today, and their power through social media will kill those who can’t or won’t comply. I summarize here my interpretation of his key points: Take heed of serious next generation customer expectations. Upgrade to modern information technology tools.

Custom 96

Custom Customer Social Media Outsource Development 96

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

I am not a government contracting expert. In the parlance of government contracting, this approach is termed a “prime and sub-prime relationship.” The Downside Of Government Contracting. Many a small business has been driven out of business attempting to satisfy a marginally profitable government contract.

Startup 207

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 207

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2015

Not every great idea is a viable business. Social causes are great, but your ability to sustain your value contribution is directly linked to your ability to find paying customers. Dreams may motivate your team, but customers expect real solutions. Jumping into a crowded space is a great way to get lost quickly.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Writing Ideas 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

A big trend in business these days is hiring freelancers or contract personnel for the duration of a project, rather than permanent staff. Here are some key strategies that I recommend to every worker today: Develop and highlight your competitive differentiation. Develop the courage to move on.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2018

We then allow you to use the print cloud, where we develop, print, and mail pieces very easily. We are taking a lot of the modern tools that most digital marketers expect, and we are applying that to an old school industry, which is proving to be a lot of value to people. It's been a year and a half, and it's been great.

CTO Hire 100

CTO Hire Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Marketing 100