Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2022

Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. In business, entrepreneurs hunt for new innovative solutions to problems, new ways of beating competitors, new markets, and new customers. These are the ultimate hunters.

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Entrepreneur Marketing News Slides 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. The result, called resourcefulness, allows entrepreneurs to create opportunities in the face of scarcity. Marty Zwilling.

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Resource Entrepreneur Competition Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2015

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. More features and inventory added early will be wasted as you will need to pivot to match the real market.

Resource 105

Resource Startup Entrepreneur Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2018

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. More features and inventory added early will be wasted as you will need to pivot to match the real market.

Resource 52

Resource Training Entrepreneur Activity 52

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. The result, called resourcefulness, allows entrepreneurs to create opportunities in the face of scarcity. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. More features and inventory added early will be wasted as you will need to pivot to match the real market.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2023

If you are one of these, you may be missing win-win opportunities to incrementally expand existing markets, create new ones enabled by new technologies, or do good for society in this new age. Begin with a perspective on improving the current market reality without needing to disrupt what is. Seek innovation with non-disruptive value.

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Capital Netflix Resource Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Listen to your customers to arrive at acceptable and marketable solutions.

Startup 135

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review 135

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. Because market is such a broad topic, I’m restricting these lessons to PR marketing (as opposed SEO, SEM, product marketing, etc.). I call this “marketing futures.&# You need some guidelines to make decisions.

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Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. If the customer need is obvious and large, the calculated risk is in the quality of your solution, your team, and marketing.

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Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Companies at this stage must have a large market, good traction, and be focused on scaling infrastructure and market adoption.

Startup 122

Startup Funding Organization Incubator 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

A few are still trying to make a profitable business out of nurturing startups, but it’s a challenge to make money when your customer startups don’t have many resources to give. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors.

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Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Listen to your customers to arrive at acceptable and marketable solutions.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

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.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. If the customer need is obvious and large, the calculated risk is in the quality of your solution, your team, and marketing.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

Most of our mentors are people who have been successful entrepreneurs and investors, who have been there, and understand how to get a company to the next sage. They really have to have an understanding of why their product exists, why their project exists, who the market is for their product. That kills companies and waste resources.

Startup 172

Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

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. Pivot early, as required, to tune your features and marketing to meet the market and technical realities.

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Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

The result is fewer and fewer new ideas are volunteered by prospective leaders and key team members, and the business suffers from poor customer satisfaction or loss of market share. The challenge is for leaders to really listen to their team and the market, and for every team member to anticipate pushbacks and respond effectively.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

Disney has applied a lot of corporate resources to companies in its accelerator, lending serious brand assets and marketing power to products coming from its accelerator companies, in addition to access to Disney mentors and other resources. READ MORE>>.

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Burbank Resource Entertainment Mentor 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2020

Also the same applies to dealing with the business elements, such as marketing, business operations, and finances. He invented BASIC and Windows, snagged Steve Ballmer for marketing, and Microsoft helped change the world. He invented BASIC and Windows, snagged Steve Ballmer for marketing, and Microsoft helped change the world.

Ideas 151

Ideas Entrepreneur Resource Knowledge Base 151

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. It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. Continuous improvement (replace it).

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Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2021

The best leaders are mentors to their team, and they are stewards of a company’s assets and vision. Your task is follow-up in support, mentoring, and setting goals. Maintaining the velocity and flexibility to keep up with the market and competitors is a requirement for survival. Communicate the vision, then execute.

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Tips Startup Mentor Press 170

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

I’m fully convinced that success is all about you rather than the market. Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. Allocate your time and resources to customer expectations and competitor challenges.

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Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

In my own business career, many years as a business advisor, and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I have validated the following strategies to practice and guide you. A broken process or a subtle quality issue can generate a flood of customer satisfaction problems, cost overruns, and loss of market share.

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Satisfaction Mentor Study Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

As a long-time business advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs, I consistently find that the most thriving businesses are people-centric, and those team members create the best processes, rather than the other way around. You need their full support in today’s rapidly changing market.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Start Engine, modeled after the YCombinator and TechStars accelerators, is running its first class of startups in January; the group is investing $20,000 in those companies, and providing other resources, mentors, and a program to help those startups get funded and into the market. READ MORE>>.

Funding 214

Funding Southern California Activision Class 214

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. In my experience, a healthy team is a prerequisite for a thriving business, innovation to meet market needs, and high customer loyalty.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2022

Offense, for entrepreneurs, means leading with a new business model, new marketing, and new technology. This knowledge is required for you to turn quickly or pivot based on new input from the market, without loss of competitive position. Leverage the resources of mentors, investors, and peers. Set your targets high.

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Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Training 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2022

Most of these are predictable, like think big and create new markets, but I found a few, like the ten below, that will likely raise the hackles of many people outside this lifestyle, and many “wannabe” entrepreneurs. With the Internet and a plethora of other resources, you can warm up any call quickly, and not waste your time or theirs.

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Entrepreneur Startup Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

In my role as advisor and mentor to many new entrepreneurs, I often find myself suggesting that they think bigger. You may be a product expert, but have little experience with running a business, or marketing, or sales. Communicate and market your solution to the max. Marketing should begin even at the idea stage.

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Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2021

In my role as mentor to many of you aspiring entrepreneurs, I often find you convinced that all you need to start is a unique innovation or idea , and now you are ready to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride. They always give credit to the many things they learned, and the resources they needed, before risking their own career.

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Satisfaction Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 135

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

But privately, as a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I see mindsets and attributes that may be equally critical to success, but are not readily admitted, for fear of being too wacky. While others like to minimize risks of all sorts, and bend an existing market, real success comes from defining a new market and new customers.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day.

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Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Many entrepreneurs I have mentored make big mistakes in this area, by hiring low-cost friends and family, with minimal skills or training, and expecting them to have the same work ethic , passion, and business knowledge as the founder. In addition, you can reduce to soft costs of mentoring, relationship building, and socializing.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Listen to your customers to arrive at acceptable and marketable solutions.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, and an angel investor, my passion is to find and nurture those entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and acumen, to make them into successful business owners. Market research and a business plan should be the focus at this stage. Startup and development stage.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

As an entrepreneur mentor, my mission is to foster the attributes in you as a startup founder that I believe will lead to success. Idea people must surround themselves with people who build momentum and get things done, including production, marketing, finance, and sales. Paul Allen was the idea visionary. Start today.

Entrepreneur 136

Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Mentor 136