Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. Needed help can be your biggest burden. Paul Allen was the technical visionary, Test the viability of your business parameters.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, crowdfunding still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Funding 141

Funding Startup Outsource Development Satisfaction 141

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. Of course triangulation is a mathematics term that is used in sailing and other activities to help you better navigate when you don’t have your bearings. What is a founder to do? For example: 1.

Startup 407

Startup Framework CTO Coach Sales 407

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2017

She speaks from years of experience mentoring and facilitating independent contractors and helping large companies, since well before the term “gig economy” was even coined. As a new business advisor and mentor myself, I enjoyed her recommendations on many of these issues. Quantify value to the client as price boundaries.

Pricing 68

Pricing Entrepreneur Mentor News 68

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. If a checklist like this one helps you get it done, then by all means find one and use it. I wish it was that easy. But don’t be bound by it.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

You need other people with skills that complement yours, are not “yes” people, and have relevant experience rather than a low price-tag. The ability to build a team, as well as the intelligence to ask for help, is a huge bit of luck. Building a successful business takes more than one person.

Startup 143

Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Dig deep to get beyond the best price or best service, to find a higher cause or unique benefit that they can remember and be happy to advocate. For example , Bill Gates shared a mentoring relationship with Warren Buffett that increased the credibility of both, although their business domains were quite different.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

In a bear market executives are paid to: consolidate the number of contracts and renegotiate prices. A seed deal hasn’t already been “priced up” to a range where a new investor might be concerned about the valuation relative to performance. Valuations may have changed and “price discovery” in private markets is harder to determine.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2023

Based on my years as a business executive and mentoring entrepreneurs, I’m convinced that the principles of reframing can be learned, and apply equally well to any domain, certainly including business. When you find yourself saying, “I need to keep lowering my prices,” you just put more pressure on yourself.

Entrepreneur 82

Entrepreneur Competition Press Commerce 82

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 help hiring managers raise the bar for every interview. My simple answer is that they keep their focus on customers, rather than technology.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2019

Based on my years of experience mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, you need to attack problems and challenges with a mindset of success, or it is unlikely that you or your business will survive. Laughter helps you stay mentally healthy, and makes you feel good, even after the laughter subsides.

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Help Mentor Customer 119

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

You have to decide how hard to help with downstream marketing for your deals. A little Groucho Marx always helps. If we got an offer to raise $25 million to grow would she take it or be too worried about exit price, dilution, valuation expectations, etc. I don’t believe in paying the highest price to win deals.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. If you can explain the problem to a mentor, or even write it down, you will more likely get to the root cause quickly, and avoid emotional and blame-infused responses. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

He had an idea for a startup that would help consumers better book service jobs and would take on Service Magic, which he believed had a business model that could be disrupted. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. When Ethan was considering leaving Google we talked about it. The company was called Red Beacon.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

He shared tons of information about how how they were using marketing to quantitatively make marketing decisions at HauteLook and acquire customers for prices that were far cheaper than similar companies. The feedback was always universal, “that was the most helpful marketing meeting I’ve every had.”

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

These are the people who will help you to thrive and prosper. They include real mentors, facilitators, visionaries, motivators, and negotiators. One of the prices that you pay for being a CEO is giving up a lot of the social relationships within the company. Avoid associating with them.

Startup 127

Startup Social Network Mentor Networking 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2017

I was mentoring some graduate students at a local university recently, and I sensed again that profit seems to be a dirty word these days to many aspiring entrepreneurs. I’m certainly not a fan of customer rip-offs, but even non-profits have to be cash-flow positive, or have deep pockets, to help anyone for long.

Pricing 66

Pricing Customer Custom Advertising 66

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2012

They sat down, told them how they know how to build businesses and grow them, and that they think they could help. Those mentors and others have given us really tangible advice. That strips out the volatility, and just helps us lock in the price of fuel at the day's rate. Similarly, pilots seem to love us. READ MORE>>.

Startup 240

Startup Mentor Technical Review Santa Barbara 240

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2020

Based on my years as a business executive and mentoring entrepreneurs, I’m convinced that the principles of reframing can be learned, and apply equally well to any domain, certainly including business. When you find yourself saying, “I need to keep lowering my prices,” you just put more pressure on yourself.

Startup 134

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Press 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Jonathan Simkin: What makes us unique from other sites, is we're here to help students save time, in addition to money, when they buy books. Every price comparison out there, whether that's Google Products, Bizrate, or other sites, can find books, but you can only do it one at a time. They act as mentors and help companies grow.

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In the short term you need customers to find you at any price, and in the longer term you need revenue, profit, and return loyalty. This means identifying initiatives early, communicating openly with your team, and asking for their help on the dilemmas of production cuts and layoffs. Attract, train, and reward only the best leaders.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

His challenge is to focus on one market, with a specific design, cost, and price. Expand your own learning and knowledge by helping others. For example, I have a friend with a Ph.D. in Physics who talks passionately about starting a business producing nuclear powered batteries. Yes, there are a lot of bridges to cross.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

Tech.Co

MARCH 1, 2018

The event is open to tech enthusiasts who want to join an event filled with some of the top leaders, investors and mentors from tech industry to network, find mentors and build their companies. InSpirAVE is helping people “save for what matters,” and reduce impulsive spending. The Mentor Method (Washington, D.C.).

Startup 79

Startup Mentor Platform Help 79

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2019

Many employees stay self-centered or focused on internal politics as they fight for change, new systems, or bigger budgets, rather than communicate how their interests are really aligned with helping customers and growing the business. Help your owner get beyond the misleading metrics of employee overtime and salary increases.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Startup Satisfaction Customer 75

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2011

One of the most helpful aspects of Venture Deals is that it dissects the typical venture term sheet, provision by provision, and highlights which relate to (i) economics, (ii) control, and (iii) other. In my review of the book, my biggest concern was the rather elevated list price of $49.95. It gets discounted on Amazon to $30.

Venture Capital 224

Venture Capital Writing Entrepreneur Blogging 224

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 2, 2011

Let’s be honest – as professional investors we have ALL been to meetings with other groups of investors where we talk about whether there’s a bubble, price creep, etc. They could chat about it with their peers or mentors. Should entrepreneurs have convertible debt or priced equity? Same thing. So my final word?

Email 287

Email Blogging Venture Capital Writing 287

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

A friend helped him get out of this situation and changed Matt’s life forever. Get connected to the right mentors and your business may catapult to the next level. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program? The answer?

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. If a checklist like this one helps you get it done, then by all means find one and use it. I wish it was that easy. But don’t be bound by it.

Technology 86

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 86

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2013

The issue in these cases was usually not the technology per se, but the bigger business picture of marketable prices, ease of use, and support infrastructures. Even the best have mentors they really use. A mentor is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, while friends and associates often tell you what you want to hear.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Startup 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2017

Based on my years of experience mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, you need to attack problems and challenges with a mindset of success, or it is unlikely that you or your business will survive. Laughter helps you stay mentally healthy, and makes you feel good, even after the laughter subsides.

Guide 60

Guide Entrepreneur Help Mentor 60

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Remember, you have only one chance to make a great first impression, so it helps to know the lingo when dealing with investors. These funders often offer convertible notes, rather than the traditional priced equity. Business accelerators like YCombinator and TechStars are sometimes able to help startups looking for seed-stage funding.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost.

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107