Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. The cost of any new product these days must include education and rollout marketing, perhaps equal or greater than the development costs.

Product 141

Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2022

In my experience as a mentor and advisor, I find that many of you expect these relationships will just happen , without any overt effort on your part. In my own experience networking as a startup investor and business executive, I always gave extra consideration to someone who didn’t immediately pitch me about their great idea or background.

Product 102

Product Mentor Startup Activity 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. For the rest of us, we need a business plan, as well as a product plan. Professional investors and even customers invest in people, rather than just a product.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

TechEmpower

DECEMBER 11, 2023

This vast pool of talent showcases a wide range of experience and portfolios, quality of work, and inquisitiveness. Ensure that you investigate the designers' past work, samples of their work product, and their process. Here's what to consider Experience and Portfolio: What type of projects has the company completed?

Software Development 295

Software Development Software Review Develop Development 295

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

I bring my passion for numbers to the classroom every day, drawing from my experience to inspire my students. Every day, I channel my enthusiasm into creating exciting and engaging math lessons, leveraging my wealth of experience to motivate my students. Are you a founder or CEO or head of product?

Generative AI 295

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence TechEmpower Tips 295

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2020

Don’t believe that urban myth that all you need is a good idea, a little fun work, and the money will start rolling in. Thomas Edison called every failure an experiment (now it would be a pivot), and each one told him successfully what didn’t work. Make each move forward a planned experiment. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 125

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 125

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2015

Today’s customers demand more than a good product; they expect a great customer experience. People love Apple’s whole customer experience, and willingly pay a premium for the product. Much has been written about product design, but designing the total experience from the front rarely happens yet.

Design 61

Design Product Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

In my experience, the right team culture is critical to every business and startup success, so every business leader wants to know how to create it. He is always open to the ideas of his team, and even if he doesn't agree that an idea will work, he'll say so, but he often supports and funds it anyway.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2023

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. All the great ideas in the world won’t make a business, if the ideas never get implemented.

Startup 155

Startup Ideas IBM IBM 155

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

Today’s customers demand more than a good product; they expect a great customer experience. People love Apple’s whole customer experience, and willingly pay a premium for the product. Much has been written about product design, but designing the total experience from the front rarely happens yet.

Design 105

Design Customer Custom Product 105

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

How do you make your product go viral? What are the elements needed to focus upon in making the attempt to take a product viral? Some apps, like Discord, attach a brand link to the bottom of each message so that every recipient can click upon the link and become a user of the product without further marketing by the company.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Berkonomics

MAY 11, 2023

The latter can start new businesses, flush with the experiences gained from the previous effort and much the better for it. But the investor’s cash is lost forever – and the experience gained usually is just another notch in their investor belt. The post Is it YOU or your great plan?

Statistics 156

Statistics Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 156

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2015

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. All the great ideas in the world won’t make a business, if the ideas never get implemented.

Ideas 115

Ideas Startup IBM IBM 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2019

Much has been written recently about the requirement to focus today on the total customer experience, as a competitive edge or even for survival. The challenge I hear from savvy business owners and entrepreneurs operating on a shoestring is that providing a superior customer experience costs money.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Coach Pricing 96

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

In fact, some totally avoid it, assuming their product or solution will speak for itself later. Contributing to industry blogs, or starting your own, is an ideal way to express your positive values, and build a reputation that can save you later if your product stumbles, or you receive some negative challenges.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Everyone has ideas, but only a few can make them happen. Experiment and pivot to avoid ‘big bang’ expectations.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. There are many ways to add levity to a tough challenge, and engaging the team occasionally in some fun activities will work wonders for your team’s productivity and motivation.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2017

In my experience advising startups, I have found that the invention is usually the easy part, and the hard part is turning the invention into a business. It takes a special kind of person to turn an idea into a business, with strengths often opposite those of an inventor. As a new business, you are the brand before you have a product.

Ideas 67

Ideas Product Startup Satisfaction 67

Berkonomics

MARCH 16, 2023

As an early-stage investor, the first test for me is whether “my” entrepreneur is flexible in both the plan and execution of their vision (since from experience almost everything about a business plan changes over time), and whether that person, no matter what age or experience, is coachable. Let’s test your flexibility.

Coach 156

Coach Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Resource 156

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

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.” Pragmatists create a minimum viable product (MVP), test it in the market and iterate to success.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Knowledge Base 153

Berkonomics

JULY 7, 2022

But we all should be aware of the three levels of leadership that each of us experience as we create, grow and nurture our various enterprises, no matter what their size. Visionary leadership is not performed in a vacuum. Email readers, continue here…]. Second: strategic thinking and planning.

Metrics 293

Metrics Ideas Conference Email 293

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

This week’s insight came from personal experience and from a good friend who advanced the notion of the “teacher-customer” years ago. All companies whether service or product-oriented must fight to gain and maintain quality of product or fall to the bottom of the competitive heap. Find one to teach you.

Customer 156

Customer Custom Design Conference 156

socalTECH

MAY 28, 2013

To bring that ability to name your own price on products, Los Angeles-based Greentoe (www.greentoe.com) recently launched, allowing consumers to name their own price to retailers of everything from electronics to baby products. Joe Marrapodi: GreenToe is a name your own price marketplace for products. What is Greentoe?

Pricing 273

Pricing Product Help Sales 273

InfoChachkie

MAY 7, 2012

Ideas are infinite, and in the absence of competent execution, they are worth nothing. Thus, if both ideas and money are abundant, what is the scarce constraint in the fundraising equation? Skilled entrepreneurs bring ideas and money together by building a bridge of trust. Think Stewardship. The same precept holds true today.

Ideas 251

Ideas Venture Capital Education Entrepreneur 251

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2019

Is your marketing focus product-centric or customer-centric ? If you only sell products, it’s time to realize that times have changed. With a wealth of products now available, customers look for the most memorable experience , not just the best product. Lifetime value is not intended to relate to length of life.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Metrics 85

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2017

Based on my own experience as a startup investor, and feedback from like-minded friends, we all get pitches for at least ten startup ideas for every one new business plan. New business founders need to remember that investors fund business implementations, not ideas. A good social cause doesn’t always imply a viable business.

Ideas 74

Ideas Social Media Startup Customer 74

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). If you are approaching a recognized venture capital group, or even an accredited angel investor, a non-disclosure agreement is counter-productive. Sharing trade secrets.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Ideas Sample 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2015

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). If you are approaching a recognized venture capital group, or even an accredited angel investor, a non-disclosure agreement is counter-productive. Sharing trade secrets.

Ideas 106

Ideas Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2014

Early-stage ideas fall in the same category. I have the greatest respect for inventors and idea people who think outside the box to envision and create solutions never before seen. But I have also learned from experience that there is often quite a distance between a great invention and a great business. Don’t get me wrong.

Ideas 106

Ideas Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2017

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the inspiration to drive a great business is a lot harder to find. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I often get asked for next sure-fire idea. I have to tell them that anyone can find ideas, but only you as a person can find the passion to transform one into a successful business.

Ideas 54

Ideas Study Entrepreneur Customer 54

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2019

Having a breakthrough idea or technology alone does not assure business success. “ Successful businesses require innovative people, who have built an abundance of innovation capital, to win support and resources for their ideas. As you create an innovative product, put an equal effort into a compelling vision. The cycle repeats.

Product 93

Product Ideas Resource Capital 93

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

All I regularly do is offer some personal anecdotes and lessons from my own experiences, and recommend that you do your own research on the experiences of others who have been on the many sides of the business equation. Sometimes you need to focus on the next idea rather than saving the current one.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Ideas Satisfaction Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

In this context, I definitely agree with the need for new ideas and principles, as was expressed in a new book, “ Wild Thinking: 25 Unconventional Ideas to Grow Your Brand and Your Business ,” by branding though leaders Nick Liddell and Richard Buchanan. A great business purpose is better than a great product.

Ideas 77

Ideas Customer Custom Competition 77

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. A written plan is helpful for communication to others Assemble a team with the right skills and experience.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2023

You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money. Just because it was your idea doesn’t mean you “deserve” 90% of the equity. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so I see no equity value in the idea alone. Experience and connections in your business area.

Equity 99

Equity Patents CTO Hire Startup 99

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

Such ideas require little-to-no capital, usually last for a relatively short duration and are of nominal size. Note that I am not purporting that these are particularly amazing or unique ideas. Investors invest in people, not ideas. If you just ask yourself, “then why bother?” – read on friend, read on. From Small to Tall.

Ideas 153

Ideas Startup Pricing Entrepreneur 153

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178