article thumbnail

If You Don’t Define Your Personal Brand the Market Will

Both Sides of the Table

I have long advised startup companies that if you don’t control your messaging somebody else will and your potential customers will form impressions of you shaped by somebody else or by nobody at all. For 1991 I was very technical and also had a lot of practical business implementation experience in technology. ” F**k.

article thumbnail

5 Strategies Recommended For Successful Bootstrapping

Startup Professionals Musings

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often hear the desire to run their own company, to avoid having someone else telling them how to run the business. They then ask me to help them find investors who can provide the funding they need. For directors, your credibility and their ability to help is at stake.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Interview with Julie Novack, PartySlate

socalTECH

Looking for someone who can put together that perfect wedding or corporate event? PartySlate (www.partyslate.com)--which is backed by a slate of LA area investors--offers up a place to browse photos on events, find venues, and most importantly, planners who put those events on, so your next big event can be an unforgettable one.

article thumbnail

Startup Mentors

SoCal CTO

I've had several Startup CTO Consulting sessions recently where it became apparent that the Founder needed help with the business and product as much or more than the technology. Then we discussed how they could go about finding this startup business advisor. These are not mutually exclusive and good mentors and advisors get into both.

CTO Coach 259
article thumbnail

Interview with Erik Rannala, MuckerLab

socalTECH

If you're familiar with YCombinator or TechStars, you know that companies also get access to a deep network of top tier mentors and advisors, who help them with a variety of things, such as product marketing, go-to-market, and funding. I think the tighter knit the ecosystem is, between investors and entrepreneurs, it really helps.

article thumbnail

10 Marketing Lessons for Early-Stage Tech Startups

Both Sides of the Table

If I can help you avoid some of my first-time mistakes it would be a victory. Most people totally advise against stealth. I worked with an entrepreneur who was to appear at a startup networking event where he was to talk about his company’s plans. It also helps to keep down issues with crowds getting too big, too early.

Marketing 380
article thumbnail

Apply Hospitality-Driven Thinking to Your New Venture

Startup Professionals Musings

Unfortunately, too many of the technical entrepreneurs I mentor and advise are focused on their technology, and assume that the value will be self-evident to customers. Tech may be the tool, but hospitality – making life a little easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for your customer, is the winning focus.