Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Believe in similar values and goals.

Software Review 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2010

Since my background includes software development, I often get the question about when to build a solution in-house, versus outsourcing it to a local company, near-shore service, or off-shore organization in China, India, or Eastern Europe. Don’t outsource your core competency. Outsourcing for services needs to be carefully managed.

Outsource Development 51

Outsource Development Outsource Software Offshore 51

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2022

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Slides 126

Slides Outsource Summary Conference 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2020

The short answer is that some banks will help, if you do your homework. The first thing to remember is that banks only do loans – they don’t do equity investments like angels and venture capitalists (and vice versa). If you don’t have that, there are things that you can do to compensate. Bankers do not contribute equity.

Technical Advisors 162

Technical Advisors Tips Startup Equity 162

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Continuous innovation is a mindset that you cannot outsource, or bring in through acquisition or consultants. Bezos believes that if you double the number of experiments you do per year, you’re going to double your innovation, and assure new business opportunities. Motivate volunteers for rapid-change teams.

Case Study 117

Case Study Outsource Development Outsource Customer 117

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

I believe it’s flawed. The line of reasoning goes, “Services businesses are not scalable and the market won’t reward this revenue so make sure that third-parties do your implementation or clients do it themselves. How do you get referenceable customers? We only want software revenue.”

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I don’t believe that one exists. But I do have more insight into understanding your startup team. Still, I believe I’m offering an accurate representation of the ideal configuration of the main technology leaders. I don’t believe it. I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

More and more customers today do their initial shopping on the Internet, and they won’t even believe you exist if you have no presence, or the content is stale. In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. They won’t find you. Make it a memorable experience for all.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Specialized services, such as accounting, require skilled people, training, and tools, and do not scale well. Every new business has unexpected pivots and adjustments, and outsourcing is easier to manage.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

Based on my experience, survival and success are both about doing the right things , and not about doing everything. Here are some key principles that I recommend to keep you on a track to maximum business results in the shortest period of time, in the unstructured world of startups: Don’t do “easy” tasks before “challenging” ones.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

socalTECH

AUGUST 7, 2014

We''ll do things like retouch photos for sites like HauteLook, which is now owned by Nordstrom, and Gilt Groupe. We''ll do things like retouch photos for sites like HauteLook, which is now owned by Nordstrom, and Gilt Groupe. We do a whole host of other back-office services in that space. Who are some of those companies?

Startup 231

Startup Technology Outsource Santa Monica 231

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. Outsourcing is defined as contracting the work to another company, usually located in a developing country, like India, China, or Eastern Europe. Factor in all the cost elements.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

Rationale: I am busy and do not have time to accomplish all of my mission-critical tasks. When a consultant attempts to earn your business, they will tell you that they adamantly believe in you and your venture. This causes even the most earnest third-party PR professional to champion your message in a measured, pedestrian manner.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Believe in similar values and goals.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. I believe that over capitalizing companies too early often favors the VC.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

They’re essential in helping us get our jobs done because they specialize in something we do not. They do a routine task over-and-over again all year long that we do only periodically. They outsource the critical negotiations and “trust their advisors to handle the details.&# “Why would I do that?&#.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Outsource 319

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2019

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Slides 85

Slides Outsource Summary Conference 85

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

As made clear in Kiss Of Death Contract Provisions , entrepreneurs can control the tempo of the contract process while ensuring that the agreement properly reflects the spirit of the respective parties’ discussions when they write the initial iteration of the contract and do not delegate the drafting process to dispassionate and uniformed lawyers.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2017

What's the secret to creating a profitable, successful, physical subscription based business--and to do that at the scale of large, consumer product goods (CPGs) companies? There's probably no board room at CPGs today which isn't looking at doing this, with retail going down, and thinking they ought to be looking at direct selling.

Startup 145

Startup Product Customer Custom 145

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I’m not against MBA’s (I have one myself from University of Chicago and my lovely wife was graduated from Wharton – she loves to remind me that they usually score higher in the rankings than we do). Not hard-core, just the stuff you’d do if you were in jr. MBA fine, but not required. So back to MBAs.

Startup 337

Startup Venture Capital Study Course 337

Frank Addante

MAY 12, 2007

► February (1) What do you do when a reporter you admire misrepre. Outsourcing ► April (1) GoogleClick - Who owns your cash register? Outsourcing By Frank Addante (Part 5 of a 5 part series: " So, you need to develop a product? ") Outsourcing has become a popular topic and practice these days.

Outsource Development 40

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Startup 40

Tech Coast Venture Network

APRIL 21, 2010

Web businesses are obviously an ideal small business, but there are plenty of others that you can also do from home. Start on your own, and outsource later. While outsourcing labor may prove a much easier time for you as a small business owner, it will also add additional costs that you may not yet have the money to pay for.

Outsource 100

Outsource Tips Venture Capital Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Believe in similar values and goals.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2017

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Funding 60

Funding Slides Outsource Summary 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2014

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Startup 107

Startup Venture Capital Slides Outsource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2012

Knowing, accepting, and liking who you are encourages others to do the same. Knowing, accepting, and liking who you are encourages others to do the same. Work smart and focus on results in everything you do. Figure out what you love to do, and what you can do well, then hire people to complement your abilities.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Demand Outsource Satisfaction 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

The short answer is that some banks will help, if you do your homework. The first thing to remember is that banks only do loans – they don’t do equity investments like angels and venture capitalists (and vice versa). If you don’t have that, there are things that you can do to compensate. Bankers do not contribute equity.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Entrepreneur Equity Ideas 75

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Always have a developer do a test project before hiring them to make sure they deliver quality work. You can do this by really understanding your target market and creating them a PDF outlining the solution you will be creating for them. Below are some take away tips… and the video of the of the panel. Ask for is code samples.

CTO Hire 81

CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop Development 81

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2016

Prove you can do the job before asking for the title. I’m a strong proponent of letting your results do all the talking. In a startup, you can’t afford to outsource too many functions. Smart startups, including Whole Foods, Etsy, and Patagonia, have figured out how to do both for long-term impact and success.

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur News Outsource Activity 60

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2012

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Slides Outsource Summary 94

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

I believe that the resourcefulness to turn constraints into competitive differentiators and new opportunities is a trait that separates the great entrepreneurs from the “wannabes.” Do it yourself with new tools rather than hire outside help. It’s better to use creativity and tools to find better ways of doing things.

Startup 57

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Outsource 57

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

Knowing, accepting, and liking who you are encourages others to do the same. Knowing, accepting, and liking who you are encourages others to do the same. Work smart and focus on results in everything you do. Figure out what you love to do, and what you can do well, then hire people to complement your abilities.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Demand Outsource Satisfaction 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Continuing with my military analogy, here are some logistics, suggested ammunition, and an assault strategy (the bold points apply to every aspect of building the business): Do your reconnaissance first. But believe me, investors are, if anything, tougher now than then. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Slides 95

Slides Outsource Summary Conference 95

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2011

I had just sold my last company, Phonetag, and was starting to look at doing new things. I had been doing some angel investing, and incubating several projects. Now, spam is a solved problem--most people do not see spam, and most people do not see that spam as it goes to a different place as it's sucked out of their mailbox.

Newsletter 216

Newsletter Startup CTO Hire Blogging 216

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 1, 2013

If you caught the firestorm of protest from the tech sector against it, I am here to tell you, believe the hype — this show stinks. Perhaps some insider knowledge on problem-solving, hiring the right engineer, scaling, outsourcing or even footage of Silicon Valley. They can’t believe people are not lining up to give it them.

Startup 90

Startup Technical Review Software Review Outsource Development 90

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 11, 2012

The firm says nearly 20% of all brides now shop for or sell a gently used wedding dress online, compared with just 6% in 2009 and they firmly believe Recycled Bride is helping make the sales even more possible. Do you recycle? Who can use it, what do they gain? Why the name? month Recycled Bride Pro account.

Design 84

Design Social Media Sales Sites 84

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 13, 2013

Our mobile phones are capable of doing almost anything these days. Your chores can be outsourced through Porter. You don’t have to do them yourself and you can free up time. How did you find all the people to do all these services? How did you find all the people to do all these services?

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Mobile Startup Los Angeles 87