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6 Tips For A Marketing Focus To Match Your Solution

Startup Professionals Musings

Getting customer attention often takes more innovation today than solving the tough technical problems. As a business adviser, I still see too many new venture founders who skimp on their marketing focus, or start too late. For example, Warby Parker boosted selling glasses online a while back with “Try five frames at home for free.”

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Get a Technical Degree But Entrepreneurial Spirit

Startup Professionals Musings

We can all point to examples of successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college, but still went on to make a big impact. Take advantage of inside and outside advisers at school. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs. Some college faculty members have great practical experience.

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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. If you’re not in the mood for a personal essay as an example of personal brand management you might want to wait for my next post.

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Startup Mentors

SoCal CTO

Then we discussed how they could go about finding this startup business advisor. Great question and I believe that just like finding a Technical Advisor for your startup is critical, finding a good mentor is critical. These are not mutually exclusive and good mentors and advisors get into both. For me, I'd use LinkedIn.

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6 Ways To Make You An Entrepreneur Before The Product

Startup Professionals Musings

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. In fact, some totally avoid it, assuming their product or solution will speak for itself later.

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5 Priorities For New Business Leader Self-Development

Startup Professionals Musings

In my business of mentoring new entrepreneurs and advising small company owners, I recognize that most don’t start as experienced leaders, and most don’t realize that people leadership is a primary key to their future success. Building a business is not a one-person job, and leading by edict rarely works today.

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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. We're providing seed funding, office space, and put them through a three month, structured program.