Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Why is it that his idea which seemed so fundable only months ago fails to attract investors today? The idea here is following a process can actually force you to think. The team is the same.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2019

Having a breakthrough idea or technology alone does not assure business success. “ If we build it, they will come ” may have worked as a movie theme for Kevin Costner, but as an investor, I tell entrepreneurs a great solution is not enough. Professional investors are adept at looking for innovation capital, beyond the passionate pitch.

Product 93

Product Ideas Resource Capital 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2016

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. That’s productivity. That is a huge hit on productivity. Why is this so hard?

Product 60

Product Entrepreneur Framework Social Media 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2021

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. That’s productivity. That is a huge hit on productivity. Why is this so hard?

Framework 153

Framework Product Entrepreneur Social Media 153

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Why is it that his idea which seemed so fundable only months ago fails to attract investors today? The idea here is following a process can actually force you to think. The team is the same.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2019

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” There must be something deeper that slows people down. Irrational fear of failure or embarrassment.

Startup 126

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Knowledge Base 126

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

A theme I often hear from the entrepreneurs and startups I advise is that once they see that first surge of traction from customers, they can relax and enjoy life for a change. A great business purpose is better than a great product. The reality could not be further from the truth. It’s time for new strategies for growth and survival.

Ideas 77

Ideas Customer Custom Competition 77

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2014

If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, you may be more of a “wanna be” than a real entrepreneur: You are a dreamer, not a do-er. Most people in this category actually prefer to think of themselves as “idea people,” rather than implementers. Neither is productive. Not focused, or easily distracted.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Organization 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2013

Entrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. It’s the people that count anyway, not the idea.

Ideas 92

Ideas Demand Patents Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. I assert that designers have a lot in common with entrepreneurs, since both must innovate and start a deep understanding of what their customer really wants (“customer-centered”).

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

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. Well obviously that’s meaningless if your startup idea sucks. They spot opportunities that aren’t being met and the design products to meet these needs.

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

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Why is it that his idea which seemed so fundable only months ago fails to attract investors today? The idea here is following a process can actually force you to think. The team is the same.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 97

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. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2013

If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, you may be more of a “wanna be” than a real entrepreneur: You are a dreamer, not a do-er. Most people in this category actually prefer to think of themselves as “idea people,” rather than implementers. Neither is productive. Not focused, or easily distracted.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Organization 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

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. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

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. I really can’t find any worthy competitors in this space.”

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Technical Review Statistics Startup 119

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

As a frequent advisor to new entrepreneurs and startups, I often hear your frustration with being treated differently from other startups by investors, on expectations for valuation , traction, and market size. This is normally the domain of technologists and idea people, often using the term “disruptive innovation.”

Marketing 174

Marketing Startup Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 174

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

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. The most elegant products have the highest price tags, thus limiting market size.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

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. I really can’t find any worthy competitors in this space.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Successful entrepreneurs are usually hard-driving, and highly focused on some specific goals, like being the dominant player in a given domain, or the low-priced provider of their product. Many people are very hesitant to set specific goals, due to lack of self-confidence or whatever.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Writing Organization Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2011

If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, you may be more of a “wanna be” than a real entrepreneur: You are a dreamer, not a do-er. Most people in this category actually prefer to think of themselves as “idea people,” rather than implementers. Neither is productive. Not focused, or easily distracted.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Organization 97

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

When Fred Wilson funded Twitter I guarantee you it wasn’t obvious that it was a billion dollar idea. When the early teams: angels, lowercase capital & first round capital funded Uber they had no idea it would be one of the most revolutionary ideas of our time. Far from it. It was an early and smart bet.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2015

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 101

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? What's the idea behind SnackNation? We are also launching beverages and coffee, two new categories, next month. Sean Kelly: We think of ourselves as Snacking-as-a-Service.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Services Sales Customer 124

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. Ramen-profitable.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2014

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2011

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. I assert that designers have a lot in common with entrepreneurs, since both must innovate and start a deep understanding of what their customer really wants (“customer-centered”).

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2010

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Why is it that his idea which seemed so fundable only months ago fails to dazzle investors today? The idea here is following a process can actually force you to think. The team is the same.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 87

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” Free and freemium products need a solid base. What does traction really mean to investors, and how much is enough? First of all, a definition.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2012

Investors tell me that they invest in people, more than the idea. It’s especially important to highlight your uniqueness in some easy to remember way, so people will think of you and what you do, in case they need your product or service. Dominate the category (even if you have to create a new one).

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Customer Custom 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2017

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2015

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” There must be something deeper that slows people down. Irrational fear of failure or embarrassment.

Startup 114

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Knowledge Base 114

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that their idea and passion are so great that failure is not a possibility. They relate quickly to one of the big successes out there today, including Facebook, Airbnb, or Snap, and can give you a dozen reasons that they are in the same category.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2021

Successful entrepreneurs are usually hard-driving, and highly focused on some specific goals, like being the dominant player in a given domain, or the low-priced provider of their product. Many people are very hesitant to set specific goals, due to lack of self-confidence or whatever.

Writing 121

Writing Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur 121

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 5, 2015

As a Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at UC Santa Barbara , students ask me dozens of times each quarter, “What do you think of my idea?” My response is typically, “What I think of your idea is irrelevant. The reality is that what I think about anyone’s nascent idea is totally meaningless. Wise And Feld To The Rescue.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Santa Barbara 100