This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
It was like having a bunch of mini- Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions all in one room. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm doing as a Part-Time CTO or Technical Advisor for startups. And it made me come to a new realization: Every early-stage web/mobile/online startup should have at least one technical advisor, probably two.
One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. A solution I often recommend, as least in early growth, is the use of outsourcing for critical tasks. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced. with experience.
Startup founders make decisions on a daily basis – significant decisions that will have lasting impact on their business. Actually, many startups need two kinds of technical advisors. This is especially important with outsourced development teams. We’ve talked about this before in Startup CTO or Developer.
I’m a very big proponent of the “lean startup movement&# as espoused by Steve Blank & Eric Ries. In the late 90′s I saw a dangerous trend creeping into the startup world, which was that companies were suddenly raising huge amounts of money too early in their existence. This post originally appeared on TechCrunch.
The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. If you’re an early-stage enterprise startup services revenue is exactly what you need. We like software.
In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. However, I’ve now begun questioning how and what an early-stage / startup CTO should be. What worries me a bit is how often I read that startups should hire a developer / hands-on lead developer. What do we build in-house or outsource?
We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure. Let’s cut costs by outsourcing all from this point forward.” Be flexible.
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.
I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. Later he posted about his experience in Challenges of Startups.
We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure. Let’s cut costs by outsourcing all from this point forward.” Be flexible.
Investors will tell you that they love to put money into startups that are scalable, and ready to become the next unicorn. Investors don’t invest in services startups. Here are some pragmatic tips on how to make your startup more scalable and investable: If you need investors, start with a scalable idea.
We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure. Let’s cut costs by outsourcing all from this point forward.” Be flexible.
It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. Almost anyone can start a company today on a shoestring budget, following these cost-cutting recommendations: Establish a solid legal structure for your business.
A startup''s marketing launch strategy should resemble an inverse funnel. This approach allows your venture to "fail in the small" and make course corrections before spending significant marketing resources. It also facilitates determining your proper product and market fit before your startup is under a white-hot media spotlight.
We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure. Let’s cut costs by outsourcing all from this point forward.” Be flexible.
We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure. Let’s cut costs by outsourcing all from this point forward.” Be flexible.
That one thing, in the case of Los Angeles-based FamousBirthdays.com , is creating an online resource all about--you guessed it--famous birthdays. Evan Britton: People love looking up who was born on their birthday. It''s up 30 to 40 percent, and we had 2 million visits in May, all organic. What is FamousBirthdays.com?
Maybe we haven’t seen the results yet, but there are thousands of startup opportunities to offer new alternatives and services, to replace those destroyed by the crisis. Other countries can provide e-commerce with different business models, outsource manufacturing at low cost, and a huge market for new products.
Investors will tell you that they love to put money into startups that are scalable, and ready to scale. Investors don’t invest in services startups. Here are some pragmatic tips on how to make your startup more scalable and investable: If you need investors, start with a scalable idea. But what does that really mean?
We caught up with founder and CEO Grant Kirkwood --a serial entrepreneur and veteran of providing infrastructure to the enterprise markets--on the vision behind the company. Companies were saying--we want to outsource these kinds of things, because they''re not our core competency. Each client ends up looking like their own P&L.
Startups that sell innovative new products seem to get all the attention these days, but services may be the quicker way to larger profits and faster growth. The authors outlined the multitude of services that every company should consider offering, whether they be startups or more mature organizations. Process outsourcing services.
The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. Capture your “secret sauce.” Are you ready to make it happen?
In this context, it’s time for every business, not only startups, to take a fresh look at the basics of business success. Once you have a proven business model, you need to scale the business up quickly to stay ahead of competitors. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. If you want to be feared.
Think like a startup, with little resources, a limited window of time, and few dollars to spend on expensive experts. This insight comes from a fellow CEO who explains that he leverages his financial resources for growth by dividing his hiring decision into these two boxes. Divide the hiring decision into two boxes.
If you want to make a great first impression on a startup investor or an advisor like me, don’t try to convince me or show me how busy you are. I’m sure you all know someone who always seems to be overworked, but often comes up short on the delivery side. As an entrepreneur starting a new business, you have a lot to learn.
Investors will tell you that they love to put money into startups that are scalable, and ready to become the next unicorn. Investors don’t invest in services startups. Here are some pragmatic tips on how to make your startup more scalable and investable: If you need investors, start with a scalable idea.
In 2012, total entrepreneurial activity in the United States hit its highest level since their survey started in 1999, according to Babson College. In this context, it’s time for every business, not only startups, to take a fresh look at the basics of business success. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage.
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.
It wasn’t so many years ago that starting a new e-commerce business on the Internet was a complex custom development project, usually costing a million dollars or more. Almost anyone can start a company today on a shoestring budget, following these cost-cutting recommendations: Establish a solid legal structure for your business.
Most of you prefer to ignore the feedback from analysts that your chances of creating the next unicorn startup may be as low as one in five million. Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Facilitate rapid growth through contracted resources.
What is the biggest resource constraint on business owners? It’s not that the owners aren’t working hard enough; it’s that they are wasting their most precious resource. If not, consider delegating it if you have staff or outsourcing if you do not. How steep is my learning curve? What is the value of your time?
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.
We provide a turnkey, back end, managed service offering for brands and retailers on an outsourced basis. We are an option for brands who don''t want to build it themselves in-house, from soup to nuts, or don''t want to outsource to a single vendor. John Tomich: We started our company in 2004, and we''re now about ten years old.
Most new business owners I know feel the challenges of not enough time, money, and resources, and see these as problems rather than a competitive advantage. Many are quick to call this innovation, but I believe it is often just the resourcefulness of a highly motivated owner and team, who never give up in the face of a survival challenge.
Think like a startup, with little resources, a limited window of time, and few dollars to spend on expensive experts. This insight comes from a fellow CEO who explains that he leverages his financial resources for growth by dividing his hiring decision into these two boxes. Business management is a series of trade–offs.
If you have a software development background like mine, Im 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.
Guest luminaries from the start-up, entrepreneurial, funding, technology and political worlds will mingle with local entrepreneurs and business leaders to discuss the current state of small business innovation and advancement in the Orange Coast. said Kevin McDonald, President of TCVN. Media Contact: Jan Johnson.
Even when your startup is a one-man show and lots of fun, a “business” needs some discipline and controls to keep it from being defined as a hobby by investors, and assure some financial return. Here are eight key business tasks that relate to almost every startup, generally prioritized by criticality. Manage human resources.
Strategic partnerships in this context can take the form of joint ventures, intellectual property licensing, outsourcing agreements, or even cooperative research. Always start with a formal proposal, limited in scope to a specific common objective or technology, for a limited amount of time, bounded by a two-way non-disclosure statement.
Investors will tell you that they love to put money into startups that are scalable, and ready to scale. Investors don’t invest in services startups. Here are some pragmatic tips on how to make your startup more scalable and investable: If you need investors, start with a scalable idea. But what does that really mean?
► August (1) Stay Positive ► July (2) Go Fast, but Don’t Hurry The DNA of an A++ Team ► June (1) Setting up Shop - Picking an Office Space ▼ May (3) Startup 6.0 - the Rubicon Project: Internet Advert. Outsourcing ► April (1) GoogleClick - Who owns your cash register? Startup 3.0:
Here are six results that you can achieve by building a prototype, which are really the reasons that investors and partners will give you a whole new level of credibility as they evaluate your startup for potential funding: Something you can touch and feel helps validate opportunity. As a startup, you need all the leverage you can get.
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. Here are eight key business tasks that relate to almost every startup, generally prioritized by criticality. Manage human resources.
Here are the key objectives that you can achieve by building a prototype, which are really the reasons that investors and partners will give you a whole new level of credibility as they evaluate your startup for potential funding: Something you can touch and feel helps validate opportunity. As a startup, you need all the leverage you can get.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content