Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2013

Every entrepreneur can learn from a mentor, no matter how confident or successful they have been to date. Even one of the richest, Bill Gates , still values his friend Warren Buffett as his mentor. Yet these relationships require special efforts on both sides to be productive and satisfying.

Mentor 103

Mentor Product Startup Summary 103

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 30, 2013

Mentor relationships are not immune to the laws of human interactions. Without active management on the part of the protégé, the meetings with their mentor will become less frequent and less impactful, ultimately accelerating the end of the relationship. Stages Of A Typical Mentor Relationship. Access part I HERE.

CTO Coach 241

CTO Coach Mentor Activity Satisfaction 241

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business. Startup and development stage. Business owners get their satisfaction from happy customers and happy stakeholders.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

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. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

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Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. The reality is that starting a business, as well is working an existing business, has always required perseverance.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

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. How many times have you actually made up work to keep an idle person busy? Rethink or reframe the challenge.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Unfortunately, these goals are often mutually exclusive, and focusing on the wrong ones won’t bring you that business success and satisfaction you crave. Timing is critical for every startup. Of course, if you wait for the perfect time, you may never start. Should I start out alone, or assemble a team first?

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. Otherwise, in my experience, the startup will fail.

Technical Review 130

Technical Review Startup Development Team Review Activity 130

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

If you are seriously looking to start the next billion-dollar startup, you need to get beyond the realm of enhancing a current solution. What I don’t see often are new solutions that force me to rethink how we work together, or really use AI to make the collaboration process more productive. Be forever curious and optimistic.

Startup 134

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

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. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. Otherwise, in my experience, the startup will fail.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 127

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Ask a mentor for support. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 129

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 129

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Ask a mentor for support. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 61

Startup Product Mentor Satisfaction 61

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

There is always the next generation of workers coming of age who expect more, as well as the current generation already having the lowest engagement and productivity levels that business has ever seen. It seems they are both looking for more personal satisfaction and sense of purpose for their efforts.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

After many years working in business and investing in startups, I’m convinced that the primary reason for new business and career failures is NOT a lack of skill or money, but people giving up too quickly on their dreams and goals. He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2023

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. How many times have you actually made up work to keep an idle person busy? Rethink or reframe the challenge.

Resource 112

Resource Ideas Competition Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. In my experience as a startup investor, I have become convinced that the biggest reason for business failure is giving up too early. We all have strengths and weaknesses.

Mentor 104

Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2022

It’s been happening for some time, but business changes, accelerated by the recent pandemic, have highlighted the need for all of us to review our positions, image, and satisfaction at work. Build a personal marketing plan, as you would for a new product, including regular highlight reports, progress, and results. Do I need new skills?”

Social Media 125

Social Media Summary Startup Mentor 125

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. According to recent reports , these come from all the way up and down the age and experience spectrum, including up to ninety percent of the current Baby Boomers, as well as Millennials. Higher worker engagement and satisfaction.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

By definition, all of you entrepreneurs are leaders, by taking the initiative to start a new company. Yet I have learned over the years as a startup advisor that all business leaders are not the same. You generally don’t fix things by throwing them away and starting over. The time to get started is now.

Coach 162

Coach Startup Resource Competition 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring. Even with the perfect product, your customers won’t even know you exist without marketing.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2022

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. As a team member, low self-esteem leads to low confidence, poor productivity, and no job satisfaction. Fortunately, both can be fixed. Forgive yourself for past mistakes and poor decisions.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Disruptive office politics start to show.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

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. You need to listen to customers on how to tune existing products, but most existing customers actually fear change and avoid new technologies.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. I believe that a fully engaged team is the key to both productivity and agility in the face of change. You need both to create better outcomes and increase job satisfaction.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

After years mentoring young aspiring entrepreneurs , I am now convinced that getting along and becoming more productive with other people is a skill that any professional can learn, or accomplish via a dedicated strategy. Start by coming up with two or three ideas you want to test out on a difficult colleague.

Startup 114

Startup Examples Satisfaction Mentor 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. Your startup’s survival, as well as people performance, is at stake. Set the standards for good performance in each role.

Coach 93

Coach Satisfaction Resource Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Whether you are a business professional in a big company, or an entrepreneur with a startup, innovation is a key strategy. 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.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

By definition, every startup is predictably unpredictable, since new solutions have no proven track record, startups are usually building a new market, and the world around them is changing faster than ever. Five major elements of every business include your people, product, opportunity, money and marketing.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2021

In some cases it may be fear of retribution by the boss, but more often they just hate to disappoint others, and end up instead with high stress and low credibility in a crisis to deliver. Be sure to follow-up as promised, to maintain your credibility. Clearly decline without using the word no. Skip the “maybes” or “I’ll try.”

Startup 172

Startup Tool Coach Satisfaction 172

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

In my experience, it means it will likely be necessary to supplement your product business plan with some key personal initiatives that define you as a business leader role model for all to see: Take a visible leadership role in your industry. Be self-starting and tenacious on key challenges.

Mentor 145

Mentor IBM IBM Social Media 145

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

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. Within each of these types, I can easily highlight strengths and weaknesses that we both see every day in startups: Technicians. Hunter franchisees move on quickly, or end up owning the entire franchise system.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Marketing News Slides 124

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. It’s an amazing ride, and there is no satisfaction like creating something out of nothing.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2013

No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. Make a concerted effort to wake yourself up to the positives, and re-engage in processes that once excited you. Start a log on your efforts and progress. Ask a mentor for support. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 101

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2022

In my role of business advisor to startups, I often recommend these to increase initial brand identity and market penetration. With the rate of market change today, and the advent of worldwide competitors, you need every strategy you can muster to keep up, and respond quickly to new threats.

Marketing 119

Marketing Social Media Mentor Conference 119