Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Word of mouth is not adequate for marketing and sales.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

No matter how passionately you believe that everyone needs one, and positive feedback from friends and early adopters (false positives), before you invest in scaling the business, make sure you set and meet good metrics in cost of customer acquisition, recurring sales, and margin. Mergers and acquisitions also require new skills.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Outsource Development 99

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2015

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. Even when orders are clearly on the upswing, you need more funding to cover inventory and lagging accounts receivable. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2016

You need to quantify measurable criteria for success, using business metrics. It’s time for the executive team and advisory board to commit the necessary funds and people resources to complete the plan. For startups, this will likely require a funding effort with friends and family, or grants. A dream is not enough.

Startup 56

Startup Metrics Entrepreneur Resource 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2016

It’s easy to declare yourself an entrepreneur, but it’s not so easy to convince investors, your team and customers that you are that special one to fund and follow. Sets realistic goals with milestones and metrics to gauge progress. And don’t even think you can fake the important attributes once the going gets tough.

Startup 58

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. I still see entrepreneurs who spend money and time for months on a new business idea without any separation of personal and business funds, and any formal accounting system for their new business.

Ideas 62

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Competition 62

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2015

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Word of mouth is not adequate for marketing and sales.

Startup 107

Startup Sales Customer Custom 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2016

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. Even when orders are clearly on the upswing, you need more funding to cover inventory and lagging accounts receivable. Marty Zwilling.

Search Engine Optimization 55

Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Social Media 55

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

We spent a lot of time talking about what type of company we wanted to create, how many employees we’d eventually have, whether we would take funding, our lifestyle, and a dozen other things that had nothing to do with writing software. Semick: We’re a very metrics driven company, and we have been from the beginning. I’ve been there.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 10, 2011

Metrics-Guided. He gave his talk (with plenty of jokes and punchlines to keep it light-hearted) with a level of certainty of someone who’s given similar advice to many others, on some cases been ignored, and probably had the satisfaction of having a few ‘I told you so’s. Lean Approach. Model-Focused.

Startup 86

Startup Santa Monica Los Angeles Custom Development 86

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Luckily, I had always been a “hands-on” professional, and I had learned the pragmatics of people leadership, marketing, management tools, and funding. Adopt a project-based revenue model with metrics. It also highlights all aspects of required customer service, satisfaction, testimonials, and referrals to friends in the business.

Social Media 56

Social Media Software Review Customer Custom 56

Steve Reich

JUNE 11, 2012

Originally funded by the Pasadena Angels , the Company is now backed by “A” list VCs, and growing phenomenally, with tens of thousands of customers. MBO is very metrics driven, and their shareholder reports are dense with detailed, disciplined reporting that remind you that Rick is former Naval officer.

Customer 97

Customer Custom Software Review SaaS 97