Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Yet as a business advisor I am convinced that making the jump from a startup to a the next unicorn takes a different mindset, and actions most entrepreneurs are reluctant to face. In my experience, less than half of founding entrepreneurs even aspire to stay and scale their company. Switch your focus from product development to sales.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2014

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market-research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Statistics Research 97

InfoChachkie

MAY 19, 2011

This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. In Part II of this series, I suggest that entrepreneurs seek agreements in which “what is good for the goose is good for the gander.” Relinquish Press Release Capabilities.

Outsource Development 193

Outsource Development IP Technical Review Entrepreneur 193

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

What price? Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. What stage?

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

What price? Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. What stage?

Startup 361

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review 361

InfoChachkie

MAY 9, 2011

This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions. Entrepreneurs should never agree to the following provisions when negotiating with a BDC, no matter how lucrative the potential relationship. Relinquish Press Release Capabilities.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Entrepreneur Press Technical Review 124

InfoChachkie

MAY 5, 2011

Just as Batman repeatedly avoids Poison Ivy’s kiss of death, so too must entrepreneurs avoid the Kiss of Death provisions which BDCs attempt to include in their agreements. Relinquish Press Release Capabilities. Agree to Bundling Without a Minimum Price. Press Release Rights. Give up Branding. Surrender Arbitration.

Outsource Development 244

Outsource Development Entrepreneur Resource Press 244

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

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. They present a convincing story that every entrepreneur has the same potential, but most get sidetracked and bogged down by their technology, competitors, and internal organization.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. It doesn’t prove your business model of pricing, distribution, and support. milestones entrepreneur startup funding business' Traction means forward progress. Marty Zwilling.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2020

We all face pressure in our lives, but there’s nothing like that of an entrepreneur facing customer crises and the competitive challenges of a new business. Thus, here is my own reframing of the authors generalized rules into some specifics for an entrepreneur or business leader: Reframe competitive threats to opportunities.

Startup 134

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Press 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank. Martin Zwilling.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I even prefer to fund entrepreneurs who have experience some level of set-backs in their careers or startups because I think it brings a humility to decision-making that I find healthy. In London when founders failed they were ostracized in the press and culturally I believe it became harder to raise capital.

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

Nobody commits, nobody wants to set a price, nobody wants to stick their neck out then BOOM! Many entrepreneurs let the early rejections get to them and it’s normal because when you hear “no” you think “what’s wrong with me!?” When you read about the funding in the press it sounds like it was a walk in the park.

Press 232

Press Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 232

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 5, 2022

A few minutes away from downtown Atlanta, Collab Studio ATL describes itself as “a tech-based one-stop shop for content creators, HBCU students and young entrepreneurs to achieve their business goals.” Black Founders Matter presses VCs to pledge commitment to diversity. A post shared by Collab Studios (@collabstudiosatl).

Platform 210

Platform Social Media Netflix Content 210

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. With public shareholders and high liability risks, every public company must disclose and answer to shareholders and the press on all material information regarding the company, its operations, and its management.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Startup Report Summary 95

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

This was an audience of mostly first-time entrepreneurs. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. I suppose I should have imagined that this line would get more press than all other comments combined. So here is what I have been telling entrepreneurs privately for the past 6 months. I believe that. Fair enough.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

This sometimes frustrates entrepreneurs who just want to “get back to running the business.&# But if you understand it you’ll see that it is perfectly rational and it should also influence how you form relationships with investors. For this reason I tell entrepreneurs the following: Meet your potential investors early.

Invest 411

Invest Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 411

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2013

If you’ve been following the press about VC funds you’ll know this is no small feat. Wouldn’t we be a bit hypocritical if we talked with entrepreneurs about innovation and change but we weren’t willing to take it on ourselves? We also saw that the same types of entrepreneurs were repeatedly getting funded.

Funding 343

Funding Santa Monica Venture Capital Startup 343

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2015

Entrepreneurs could learn about loneliness of success: nobody talks about. He suffered publicly as the press called his wife fat and begged people at concerts to be kinder to his wife. Success can be lonely because it is only a heartbeat away from failure and the press love a rise-and-fall story. But needed to be seen.

Press 150

Press Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2011

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. With public shareholders and high liability risks, every public company must disclose and answer to shareholders and the press on all material information regarding the company, its operations, and its management.

Startup 94

Startup Entrepreneur Report Summary 94

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

In case you don’t know – as VCs we have have 2 sets of customers: LPs (limited partners) who invest money in our funds and entrepreneurs (who we in turn give money to and help support them in building businesses we hope will be valuable). Who else is going to tell a VC if he got a bad reference from an entrepreneur or fellow VC?

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

New investors sometimes want early investors to put in money to “prove” they have confidence in the new price. some may get caught out paying too high of prices for what perhaps will be great deals but not at the prices being paid. Much of this historically didn’t matter to entrepreneurs.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2010

There is a telltale sign of an inexperienced startup entrepreneur. I’m doing due diligence on a company of another entrepreneur in LA whose company was apparently doing very well. They always have big lovey-dovey press releases. Want to cut prices and go for market share? They get premature merge elation.

Technical Review 276

Technical Review Startup Press Pricing 276

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 31, 2013

My immediate family members were entrepreneurs from as far back as I can trace. So it seemed perfectly natural that my brother and I find our separate callings as entrepreneurs from the very start. So it seemed perfectly natural that my brother and I find our separate callings as entrepreneurs from the very start.

Startup 153

Startup Press Entrepreneur Training 153

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Local Press / Websites / Organizational Tools – New York has an amazing startup scene and the energy and momentum is palpable. And so you have great local tech press like Business Insider who covers the industry very well. Local press matters. Every city should have a “BuildIn” program. Maker Studios.

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Press San Diego 378

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

Successful entrepreneurs make similarly educated guesses. Today’s entrepreneurs should take these historical commonalities to heart, as a means of predicting the future. Entrepreneurs who recognize such ramifications are well positioned to shape and commercialize emerging innovations. 130-years later, scientists discovered X.

Examples 100

Examples Startup Press Entrepreneur 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2010

But in my experience as an entrepreneur and now spending my time amongst investors I can generalize that almost all VC investments in early stage technology & Internet investments come down to just four key factors. This post was prompted by an email exchange I had with a young entrepreneur. I was interested in learning more.

Startup 360

Startup Venture Capital Invest Slides 360

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2019

Traditionally, you just worried about the quality of the sales transaction (price, speed, service), but the “customer experience” now includes ease of pre-sale shopping, post-sale support, with a connected relationship throughout.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Coach Pricing 96

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

She was everything I was looking for in an entrepreneur to back. Kara on one side of the table showing me market sizes, competitive dynamics, product roadmaps, pricing plans for physical products with COGS and gross margins. She helps write press releases. So, Mark, enough entrepreneur love. ladies, show me what you got.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

I’m an entrepreneur at heart so I’m always inspired when I hear stories about innovation. It’s why my investment philosophy is called, “ the entrepreneur thesis.&#. Passionate Entrepreneurs & Ambassadors. You need to have passionate tech entrepreneurs who want to build businesses locally.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank. Martin Zwilling.

Research 87

Research Marketing Statistics Report 87

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. The best VCs don’t try to help entrepreneurs. So I prefer to watch what works first and pay a higher price to get in when it’s proven.”

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2017

Eighteen months ago, when MAKE IT IN LA's launch from Mayor's Garcetti's office was featured in a White House press release, we announced an audacious goal of reaching 1,000 entrepreneurs with our programming by the end of this year. But once people hear stories from the entrepreneurs and innovators, they get inspired.

USC 113

USC Startup News Entrepreneur 113

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

I pointed to several Economist articles I had read that mapped historical prices of real estate for 400 years and how on average property values grow at no more 1.5% above inflation yet in many markets in the US & Europe prices were rising at 10-25% per year. We jockey to make sure the press release has our names on it.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

Tech Coast Venture Network

MAY 15, 2011

Guest luminaries from the start-up, entrepreneurial, funding, technology and political worlds will mingle with local entrepreneurs and business leaders to discuss the current state of small business innovation and advancement in the Orange Coast. The price increases to $65 after April 23rd and $125 at the door. REGISTER AT: [link].

TCVN 113

TCVN Technology AeA Press 113

Eric Greenspan

JULY 3, 2012

Make It Work sold its services in pre-paid hours, at a discount from our pay-as-you-go pricing. Since 2008, the company has been forced to lower it’s prices, from $120/hour to $80/hour. As an entrepreneur, my greatest lesson learned here was how difficult it is to find capital for a services business. We missed payroll.

Capital 234

Capital Pricing Press Customer 234

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 9, 2013

As I outlined in my talk, I believe the greatest Internet companies created over the past 15 years have been “deflationary” meaning they are driving down the prices or goods & services. Declining prices & margins in a small market is much less interesting. Prices down. Network Up. But what else?

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361