Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In a move to convert that huge pile of data into something much more meaningful, Los Angeles-based Ninja Metrics (www.ninjametrics.com) launched a new predictive analytics product for the industry. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Explain what Ninja Metrics is doing? READ MORE>>.

Metrics 113

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 113

Berkonomics

JULY 9, 2020

And with the rise of modern technology-driven businesses, the same is true of management in the business world. You should consider creating such a dashboard or reviewing the one you use if already driving with one at hand. Find metrics that will be “leading indicators” of trouble to come. Managers need real time information.

Metrics 156

Metrics Software Review Statistics Technical Review 156

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In a move to convert that huge pile of data into something much more meaningful, Los Angeles-based Ninja Metrics (www.ninjametrics.com) launched a new predictive analytics product for the industry. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Explain what Ninja Metrics is doing? READ MORE>>.

Metrics 100

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 100

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2007

Most often I'm being brought in the early stage, Start-up or Expansion (as the company looks at new product lines). Basically, the role is to support both the business strategy and technical strategy. Roger Smith ) This helps explain where I normally play. During Stabilization, often the focus is transitioning to a full-time CTO.

Startup 231

Startup CTO Hire Technical Advisors Technical Review 231

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. Most often at the earliest point in the life of a startup, the dominant need is certainly to produce product to get something in the market, get funding, etc. What technologies will we use?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. It’s hard to recover from a tarnished image.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

In the interests of helping you work smarter and last longer, I would like to offer my top ten list of key resource drains to avoid in early businesses and startups, based on my years of advising entrepreneurs and my own business experience: Expanding your product line too quickly for scaling. Use multiple small orders at first.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Exploit your product and service differences. You must be able to highlight these differences between your products and services, and those of your competitors.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Marketing 85

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Startup 155

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 155

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. By being proactive, and empowering and rewarding your frontline employees for improving processes, you will enhance your business productivity and growth in both the short term as well as the long term.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. Maxwell Wessel, in a classic article in the Harvard Business Review on this subject, points out the exception successes of Zappos in Las Vegas, Sendgrid’s massive growth in Colorado, and RightNow’s $1.5

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

For example, if your idea is so new and different that it implies real social or technological change is necessary before widespread acceptance, investors will define your market as nascent or unproven, and be very reluctant to fund you, no matter how convincing your projections may be. Typical valuations range from 3x-5x revenues.

Marketing 174

Marketing Startup Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 174

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. It’s hard to recover from a tarnished image.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

As an investor in startups, I most often see entrepreneurs who are technologists, or at least have a real passion for a specific product. They rarely highlight their marketing and relationship skills , even though, in my experience, these are more often the key to success in business than product skills.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Leaders have found that keeping everyone on top of changes in technology, competition, and customer demands is critical to success. Make your service deliver process “happy.”

Competition 99

Competition Services Startup Training 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2022

Technology, competitors, and customers are changing every day, so the “ tried and trusted ” ways you do things need to be reviewed and updated regularly. If you dig deeper, you may find the root cause to be new competitors, or your key product has quality problems. Put metrics in place to track decision results.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Customer Custom Social Media 120

Berkonomics

AUGUST 15, 2013

And with the rise of modern technology-driven businesses, the same is true of management in the business world. You should consider creating such a dashboard, or reviewing the one you use if already driving with one at hand. Earliest warning metrics: What good is information if you can’t act upon it in a timely manner?

Metrics 184

Metrics Software Review Statistics Technical Review 184

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

As a result, Google has become a verb, and the company is a tech giant with record growth rates and a revenue of $74.5 Continuous improvement applies to the business model as well as the product. Set business goals and milestones, and use metrics to track performance. Optimize team efforts with the latest technology and tools.

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Leaders have found that keeping everyone on top of changes in technology, competition, and customer demands is critical to success. Make your service deliver process “happy.”

Startup 154

Startup Training Customer Custom 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

In a new book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2019

Now, if your web site is not clear and clean, or you don’t have a chat robot for a product question online, you may be abandoned as providing poor customer service, just as certainly as having to wait in a long product exchange line after the holidays. Technology enhances experience, not impedes it.

Customer 84

Customer Custom Company Companies 84

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. Maxwell Wessel, in a classic article in the Harvard Business Review on this subject, points out the exception successes of Zappos in Las Vegas, Sendgrid’s massive growth in Colorado, and RightNow’s $1.5

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea. Some dreams sound great, but may not yet be viable or proven with today’s technology. Make the product or service come alive. Even a non-profit needs income to operate.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2019

You are so engaged in building and selling your product or service, that you “don’t have time” to focus on strategy and the next round of changes for the business to survive and grow. Highlight your competitive value, not your technology. before developing new products or carving out a new and untested space for your business.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Customer Custom Competition 87

LATechDigest

MAY 12, 2016

Santa Monica-based talent management software firm Cornerstone OnDemand announced the launch of its suite of people analytics products at its annual Convergence Conference. We’re bringing the powerful data science models to the world of HR that mega industries such as retail, finance and energy rely on to make the smartest decisions possible.

Cornerstone OnDemand 40

Cornerstone OnDemand Product Artificial Inteligence Organization 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. It’s hard to recover from a tarnished image.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 115

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

I did a presentation this week at Coloft that looked at how Non-Technical Founders can go about getting their MVP built. Investors my tell you that, but what they can look at your product on paper and tell what it does and they will understand if it can be built. " Once you have the metrics defined, it focuses your effort.

Technical Review 338

Technical Review CTO Hire CTO Coach Software Review 338

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2014

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Startup 108

Startup Resource Metrics Technical Review 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2018

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and business owners, I rarely find someone who doesn’t proclaim that the business world is changing rapidly, with new technology, new customer expectations, and new cultures. You need to communicate quantified and updates goals quarterly, including the metrics to assess progress and success.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Customer Custom Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. It’s hard to recover from a tarnished image.

Startup 113

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. It’s hard to recover from a tarnished image.

Resource 64

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 64

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Now it’s all about how fast you recognize and adapt to market change, new competitors, and new technology. Define and use market metrics to tune your plan. You need metrics to spot these changes, and regular new initiatives to test new and old alternatives. Regularly update internal process tools and technology.

Social Media 67

Social Media Metrics Startup Technical Review 67

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2015

On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Phoenix or a similar location. Maxwell Wessel, in a classic article in the Harvard Business Review on this subject, points out the exception successes of Zappos in Las Vegas, Sendgrid’s massive growth in Colorado, and RightNow’s $1.5

Startup 109

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 109