SoCal CTO

MARCH 11, 2013

Yesterday, I was talking to a startup founder about their MVP and they said something that finally got me to write this post: "I have a few investors interested but they want to see a product." It is almost never the case that you are building an MVP to "show" to an investor the product itself.

Metrics 264

Metrics Venture Capital News Product 264

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2016

I answered in the same way I always do so I thought I’d just write it publicly. “I I spend hours thinking about the products, competitors, market opportunities, recruiting and financing of these businesses. I am much more attracted to technical product teams than to new business concepts or commerce types. I fall in love.”

Invest 254

Invest Writing Pricing Metrics 254

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2022

Based on their years of experience as successful executives and productivity consultants, they and I agree that focusing on these key positive elements will more likely get you the accountability you desire: Set clear and high standards of performance. Make sure they are seen as based on metrics, and belong to the performer.

Coach 145

Coach Slides Social Network Metrics 145

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 19, 2012

I was talking with an early-stage founder who has a product vision and wants to get it built. He wanted to get input from me on what he's doing, and he wants to begin to ask developers what it would take to build his product. Me : Product definition, use cases, feature list, wireframes, comps, really whatever you have.

Develop 354

Develop Development Technical Review CTO Coach 354

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list. Communication and writing skills are required. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2019

Even if it’s only a few PowerPoint slides or typed paragraphs, writing something down is the first step toward making it real. Always write in the future tense, what you will do, and name yourself as the key person responsible. Set target date milestones and metrics to gauge progress.

Ideas 99

Ideas Slides Writing Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2019

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list. Communication and writing skills are required. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 79

Social Media Media Invest Platform 79

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Yet, in the interest of full disclosure, and an honest intent to save future entrepreneurs some grief and money, I would remind you that starting any business has key dependencies on at least five major elements, including product design and delivery, the right people on the team, adequate funding, a sizable market opportunity, and marketing.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

functional workgroups vs. product workgroups). 8:17 How did you decide to go with either shrinkwrap or web only product? 41:00 Transitioning from software to writing. 48:30 Vanity metrics. 52:00 Actionable metrics. 48:30 Vanity metrics. 52:00 Actionable metrics. what is the importance of social media?

Social Media 301

Social Media Startup Metrics Media 301

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2022

Don’t be afraid to write down what you expect, and what you are willing to commit to. This simply means making it standard practice in your new startup of building a paper trail of contracts (no verbal contracts) between partners and vendors, customer transactions, and internal processes with team performance metrics.

Startup 116

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Writing 116

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

It’s a hard topic to write about because it’s almost an accepted norm that total transparency is good. They told you, “Yeah, man, I’ll gladly write the first $250,000. How can you show “traction” on a product that just launched? CEO transparency. It almost sounds uncontroversial. Are tacking.

Startup 417

Startup Course Venture Capital Writing 417

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Some objections are real and they end up becoming changes to your product, your service plan or your pricing / bundling. As a founder, when you’ve been dealing with these kinds of objections for a couple of years it becomes natural and you easily handle objections on price, product & competition without much thought.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Jim Semick: I’ve been launching and managing software products for 15 years now, going back to when you and I worked together at Expertcity before it was acquired by Citrix. I have always worked on early stage products. Some of the products I’ve helped validate and launch include GoToMyPC, GoToMeeting and AppFolio.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2017

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list. Communication and writing skills are required. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 66

Social Media Media Tips Platform 66

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Anyone who has worked in a large company further knows that timing a product launch or a new marketing strategy has more to do with internal politics than reading market forces. Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. Some more on metrics design and quantification. How can you practice timing?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

I love good causes and social entrepreneurs, but a recent pitch to me about eliminating world hunger with a new product (harvesting algae at low cost) seemed to forget that really hungry people don’t have any money. Writing down key parameters will force you solidify the specifics, and mentally commit to them.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2017

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media may be low on your list. Use strong communication and writing skills. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 58

Social Media Media Platform Tool 58

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

Five major elements of every business include your people, product, opportunity, money and marketing. Innovative products and services always take longer to develop than anticipated, and quality problems pop up where least expected. Written product specifications and business plans pay big dividends.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2013

They cite sources like a recent BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this NY Times article. In fact, they are probably in such a hurry to give you money that they don’t want you to waste time writing anything down and passing it along to new investors.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Technical Review Writing Slides 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2012

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list. Communication and writing skills are required. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 95

Social Media Media Startup Platform 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Product development process.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

seed and they are writing $1.25m of it you can expect them to require a board seat) The competitive landscape (If you have several sources of capital you can likely politely decline the board request or can grant them a seat but ask for it to be “common appointed” and those revokable if you need in the future). But it’s quite rare.

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2011

Assess social media relevance to your product or service. If your business is industrial B2B products, social media should be low on your list. Communication and writing skills are required. These days, video production is also a useful skill. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different.

Social Media 93

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Platform 93

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Joey Flores: For starters, we're smart enough not to believe anything until it is in writing. We had some investors very interested but wanted us to validate some metrics, so we spent time building things to prove those metrics. So, our priorities are to improve the product and catalog for listeners.

Software Review 100

Software Review Startup Metrics Content 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. Funding process.

Startup 102

Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 102

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

I didn't really set out to write a book. What are the operational things you need to do, to get product market direction, to get product market fit, how to know when you've achieved it, and what you do when you have achieved it. A customer development person is a cross between a sales person and a product marketer.

Sales 113

Sales Startup Custom Development Framework 113

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

And if you’re lucky and hit product/market fit straight out of the gate – awesome. Money when you find product / market fit is an extreme differentiator. Overfunding after product / market fit is essential to competing and winning. why do I write p.s.’s sometimes? You grow from 8 to 45 people over night.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2019

Don’t be afraid to write down what you expect, and what you are willing to commit to. This simply means making it standard practice in your new startup of building a paper trail of contracts (no verbal contracts) between partners and vendors, customer transactions, and internal processes with team performance metrics.

Startup 91

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Writing 91

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2: As expected at least one person accused me of writing this post because I want to see lower valuations. As an early stage investor you’re often planning around 10x your investment at the time your write your first check so in this case you’d be going into your investment expecting an exit of $800 – $1.2

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2012

Alain Theriault, better known as StartupCoach , tells entrepreneurs that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start by writing a cook book (business plan), you work in the kitchen for a while, you learn some tools of the trade, you experiment with a few recipes, you test on willing clients. then you can start writing a recipe.

Startup 96

Startup Writing Metrics Marketing 96

TechEmpower

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

Focusing on the metrics that ultimately drive the business, often the bottom line, has provided a reality check, a counter-weight to the desire to consume all new technologies. Imagine your prototyping is over, and you're building a production system. You're in the thick of it and about to write a small chunk of server-side code.

Web 200

Web Platform Technology JavaScript 200

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

The minute you try to monetize now they have metrics with which to beat you up and say you’re business has limitations.” Should I write off my $2.5 Delaying going out of business gives you way more chances at product / market fit than any other strategy I know of. As an investor that’s a no brainer.

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2010

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. Funding process.

Startup 95

Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Product development process.

Outsource Development 92

Outsource Development Training Outsource Metrics 92

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

skip to main | skip to sidebar SoCal CTO Tuesday, February 20, 2007 Innovation and Geography I ran across a post in Read/Write Web - Does Location Matter in Web Innovation? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0 ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO?

CTO Coach 150

CTO Coach Southern California CTO Hire Social Media 150

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

In this period (less than 2 years) he has brought on incredibly talented senior execs is sales, marketing, product management, client services, finance, vp engineering and more. He did it yesterday, “Mark, I’m going to write a blog post following on from your VC’s aren’t dumb. ” I know it sounds obvious.

Tips 365

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 12, 2017

Admittedly, that last part is an exaggeration but they were bad enough that I am writing this essay in the hopes that you will read it and not make these mistakes. Tip: After writing you answer, re-read the question and ask yourself, “Is there anything in what I wrote that is not actually answering that question?”. The #EpicNovelFail.

Tips 70

Tips Startup Statistics Metrics 70