Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Products so innovative that they define a new category.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

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

DECEMBER 16, 2009

This is part of my new series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. They spot opportunities that aren’t being met and the design products to meet these needs. If you haven’t spent time over there you should.

Entrepreneur 306

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Customer 306

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 29, 2010

This is part of my series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. Entrepreneurs play to win and they take losing seriously.

Competition 296

Competition Entrepreneur Startup GRP Partners 296

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

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.” Poorly implemented this category was the definition of shelfware.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

socalTECH

APRIL 18, 2017

How to you take the recurring revenue model--which has been popular with software and other online services--an apply that to physical products and services? Employees love it, because not only are they getting better tasking, healthier products, but also because they are continually discovering new snacks.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Services Sales Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs realize that doubling their revenue each year puts them in a premium category with investors, so that may be your first target. This can be projected top down from market share assumptions, or bottom up from actual costs and sales results. Investors will test your savvy by asking where your business breaks.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Trying to do everything is a sure way to maximize stress, lower job satisfaction, and minimize productivity. If you are a genius at invention, for example, then that is the role you should seek to keep you motivated and productive. We all need to play to our strengths, and team with others for complementary needs.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

That great productivity drain that we somehow all buy into. So I ask you – if you’re being reactive to somebody else’s emails are you really being as productive in your company as you could be? 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

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. Both of these approaches are a waste of your time and theirs.

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Technical Review Statistics Startup 119

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2017

Most entrepreneurs believe they are “different,” but they can’t quite understand how. The classic book, “ Hunting in a Farmer's World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini makes the case that entrepreneurs are hunters, while the rest of us (large majority) are farmers.

Entrepreneur 54

Entrepreneur News Slides Startup 54

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. The challenge is to transform and hardwire your entire team to think in these terms, rather than the default focus on distinct towers of product quality, closing the sale, or fixing a complaint.

Customer 106

Customer Custom Startup Competition 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2015

For example, if it’s getting harder to charge a price premium for the product you’re marketing, or others are offering your subscription service for free, it may be time to start thinking in a new box. Another example is seeing substitute versions of a product, like eBooks, for a low price displacing hardcover books. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur eBook Metrics Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2015

Most entrepreneurs believe they are “different,” but they can’t quite understand how. The classic book, “ Hunting in a Farmer's World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini makes the case that entrepreneurs are hunters, while the rest of us (large majority) are farmers.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur News Slides Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. Both of these approaches are a waste of your time and theirs.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2014

Most entrepreneurs believe they are “different,” but they can’t quite understand how. A recent book, “ Hunting in a Farmer''s World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini makes the case that entrepreneurs are hunters, while the rest of us (large majority) are farmers.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup News Slides 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2022

For example, if it’s getting harder to charge a price premium for the product you’re marketing, or others are offering your subscription service for free, it may be time to start thinking in a new box. Another example is seeing substitute versions of a product, like eBooks, for a low price displacing hardcover books.

eBook 111

eBook Metrics Examples Startup 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

The recent pandemic was a strong signal for change, and I see most of you entrepreneurs and business owners responding to the business changes required and new opportunities presented. Scan for unmet needs to match new products. In addition to total sales, you need to look at categories and trends at lower levels.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 14, 2016

The most obvious, is to drive sales. We also wanted access to development resources, and we have our product team here, the engineers and designers, all based in Santa Monica. However, our approach is a whole new product category, part of the marketing cloud. We provide an event and experiential marketing platform.

Sales 100

Sales Santa Monica Startup Orange County 100

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Andrew Schydlowsky: We work with manufacturers of products, things you might use, the clothes you might wear, things you use around the house, things you use in the car, and what you buy in stores, and are now buying online. We provide analytics on the velocity of sales across their channels. How are you able to do all this?

Artificial Inteligence 140

Artificial Inteligence Startup Commerce Sales 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Traction is evidence that your product or service has started that “hockey- stick” adoption rate which implies a large market, a valid business model, and sustainable growth. As an investor, I would like to see one month of sales, and see how that compares to your projections. Free and freemium products need a solid base.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. Super-angels.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2020

The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. The challenge is to transform and hardwire your entire team to think in these terms, rather than the default focus on distinct towers of product quality, closing the sale, or fixing a complaint.

Customer 168

Customer Custom Services Startup 168

Tech.Co

OCTOBER 28, 2020

They'll need to open a TikTok For Business account and select a product to feature, before auto-generating video ads that can link any interested TikTokkers directly to the merchant's Shopify store. Fitting the right audience to the right product will be tricky, but the potential upside is big. Who Will Take Advantage?

Help 149

Help Platform Startup Social Media 149

InfoChachkie

JULY 26, 2010

Entrepreneurs can emulate de la Guerra’s strategy and make their adVenture appear far larger than reality and thus increasing its influence and market reach while discouraging competitive threats by creating an industry alliance. BDC employees are used to playing by the rules, so give them a rulebook.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Santa Barbara Startup Conference 168

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. Both of these approaches are a waste of your time and theirs.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Whenever a VC assesses a potential investment opportunity, they attempt to match the entrepreneur(s), their solution, and intended markets with a pattern they have previously encountered. Conversely, even if a venture is pre-revenue, the operational risk is reduced if the entrepreneurs have a relevant track record of success.

Technical Review 244

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital RSS 244

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

Most entrepreneurs realize that doubling their revenue each year puts them in a premium category with investors, so that may be your first target. This can be projected top down from market share assumptions, or bottom up from actual costs and sales results. Investors will test your savvy by asking where your business breaks.

Startup 123

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 123

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Most entrepreneurs believe they are “different,” but they can’t quite understand how. The classic book, “ Hunting in a Farmer's World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur ,” by serial entrepreneur and business coach John F. Dini makes the case that entrepreneurs are hunters, while the rest of us (large majority) are farmers.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur News Slides Startup 95

socalTECH

MAY 17, 2019

For today's interview, we sat down and spoke with David Loo , the founder and CEO of Perspectium (www.perspectium.com), a startup which is developing service management applications designed to help connect different, enterprise service management software products together. Perspectium recently raised a funding round from TVC Capital.

SaaS 113

SaaS Startup Customer Custom 113

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 senior sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business 6 months. I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective?

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 16, 2013

Turn on your phone and look at the productivity folder. You’ll be more productive within three weeks time. No folders, submenus, or “category-container-box-lists” Write your reminder with a string of hashtags: #todo #pickup autobiography of arnold schwarzenegger from #amazon. We’ve been there.

Product 99

Product Ideas Email Organization 99

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Richards--a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in a number of technology companies here, including NTI Group (sold to Blackboard), Internships.com, MP3.com, I've learned a lot, and my partner Paul has through our companies, and as a result, a lot of mistakes you make as an entrepreneur, we're not going to make.

Content 193

Content Social Network Coach Help 193

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Last month, the product launched with $1.2 Creators and influencers like Bernstein are forging a path from content creator to full-fledged business, with multiple revenue streams via podcasts, licensing deals, branded merchandise and even software products. “A million in funding from Rebecca Minkoff and other unnamed investors.

Platform 170

Platform Marketing Tool Venture Capital 170

socalTECH

JANUARY 25, 2012

That's what Braden Richter , the CEO of Los Angeles-based LuxeYard (www.luxeyard.com) is looking to do with the new startup, which combines the world of home furnishings with the concept of flash sales. As a designer of those products, I've seen in home furnishings over the last twenty years lots of cycles.

Sales 178

Sales Startup Sites Design 178

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. Is it one product line or multiple?

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2016

Not since the initial popularity of Twitter in 2007 has a product so befuddled people. Now here is the important thing for you to understand — many of my target customers — entrepreneurs between ages 21–35 — are on Snapchat! We’re going to try and do some post-production if we can. Why would a VC do that?

Snapchat 200

Snapchat Blogging Venture Capital Writing 200