Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Look impartially from all angles and do the follow-up on all relevant previous roles.

Software Review 154

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 154

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Final startup grind from msuster. And the folks at Startup Grind have been kind enough to invite me to present this morning in Mountain View on the topic. And you need to be careful about giving up control to cofounders as much as VCs. PMs are a vital part of a tech startup. figure out roles. identify gaps. and so forth.

Startup 388

Startup Slides Outsource Development Sales 388

Berkonomics

JULY 10, 2014

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked away from deals where the entrepreneur insists on a start-up premoney valuation that is so high, no angel could expect to make a return upon the investment, even with a reasonable sales price for the company down the road. Starting up Raising money'

Startup 179

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Venture Capital 179

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 24, 2020

Los Angeles-based Credit Key , a startup which helps e-commerce merchants offer up instant point-of-sale financing to customers, has raised $33.85M in its Series A funding. The startup--led by startup veteran John Tomich--integrates with e-commerce payment systems, appearing as a payment option at checkout.

Commerce 113

Commerce Outsource Los Angeles Sales 113

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

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. But the “no sales people” mantra isn’t what I’m here to take on.

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

Startup Exits: A Primer from msuster. I speak privately a lot about getting an exit at a startup. We also are going to talk a lot about startups getting exits and ultimately: Companies are bought, not sold. Outsourcing can be cheap. Later today I’m presenting at the annual Rincon Ventures Summit in Santa Barbara.

Startup 323

Startup Technology Venture Capital Santa Barbara 323

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Managing to specific goals, priorities, and a plan. Solution development and delivery.

Outsource Development 115

Outsource Development Startup Competition Ideas 115

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

Start with the “matrix method.”. You and your advisors, board or partners should start by completing what you can of the matrix shown on this page. Find up to ten likely candidates that fit your business. And strengthen that at the expense of other areas of your enterprise which may easily be outsourced or reduced in scope.

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Paramount Outsource Research 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

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.”

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 123

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Startup High Tech 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

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.”

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

As a startup investor, I often see business proposals looking for funding that really look like expensive hobbies looking for donations. This is the first business process that every startup needs, that I wouldn’t expect to find for a hobby. Managing to specific goals, priorities, and a plan. Solution development and delivery.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Startup Competition 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2020

I’m sure you have all seen entrepreneurs and startups with great ideas that never seem to live up to their potential, while others with more mundane solutions seem to take off quickly and never slow down. If you tell me that you have been working on your startup for two years, but can’t quite quantify the progress, I’m not impressed.

Startup 123

Startup Outsource Development Entrepreneur Outsource 123

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people. A few people have asked me to try and define the perfect startup organization chart. But I do have more insight into understanding your startup team. Often I’m asked by startup CEO’s about how to best build an engineering team.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 57

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2014

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 98

Technical Advisors Startup Outsource Development High Tech 98

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

As an entrepreneur and startup investor, I have helped create companies which achieved two IPOs which collectively raised over $100 million, as well as two acquisitions which totaled $385 million. 1) Expect Independent Channel Sales Reps To Perform Missionary Sales. Rationale: I cannot afford to hire a direct sales force.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

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?

Tips 111

Tips Startup Outsource Ideas 111

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

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. Minimize one-time sales in your business model.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2021

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. Starting an Internet business is a new lifestyle, so you need to understand the implications.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Case Study Software Review Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. Starting an Internet business is a new lifestyle, so you need to understand the implications.

Startup 107

Startup Technical Review Case Study Software Review 107

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 22, 2014

You have probably already absorbed many obvious caveats about setting up your own startup; don’t blow money you don’t have on fancy equipment or splash out on expensive rental space. Paying for an accountant when you’re just starting out may seem like a luxury you can’t afford, but it will more than prove its usefulness.

Startup 97

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 17, 2015

Santa Monica-based customer support outsourcing provider TaskUs --which is based in Santa Monica, but has a vast operation in the Philippines--said it has opened up a new office in Melbourne, Australia. TaskUs says its facility in the Philippines that is being used has full PCI compliance. READ MORE>>.

Santa Monica 100

Santa Monica Outsource Customer Custom 100

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2016

Zeevo Group , a new startup aiming at providing operations support to the aircraft leasing industry, has launched, and is looking at LA as one of its first locations. The company has initially set up operations in Seattle, but says on its web site that it is in the midst of setting up a Los Angeles location. READ MORE>>.

Startup 100

Startup Web Los Angeles Sales 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

In my experience as an advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often encounter the myth that an initial startup requires investors. Outside funding is not a startup entitlement. Entrepreneurs who don’t have someone else’s cash for outsourcing come up with the more innovative and creative approaches to get things done.

Entrepreneur 67

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Outsource Development 67

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Look at the big picture first of development, finance, and marketing/sales. Look impartially from all angles and do the follow-up on all relevant previous roles.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

There is no substitute for diving into the key details of a new startup. Others hire consultants, or outsource much of the real work. These executives won’t survive long in a startup environment. Team members and customers expect startup founders to be innovative. Strategy and the resultant plan must match up seamlessly.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Template Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2014

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.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Commerce 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

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.”

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2012

So how do you fight this, and get real momentum going in your startup? For example, a result is not forty hours of work, but a prototype complete, partner contract signed, or first customer sale. Tell people what results you expect, tell them how they measure up so far, and tell them how much you appreciate their efforts.

Startup 102

Startup Outsource Entrepreneur Research 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The sales professional.

Technical Advisors 105

Technical Advisors Outsource Development Startup High Tech 105

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 13, 2009

In addition to all of them reaching the pinnacle of their chosen professions, they also all started their careers performing the same job. Sales – Many publishers, including Grit, encouraged newspaper boys to create new routes and expand existing ones by aggressively selling subscriptions to non-subscribers.

Web 2.0 222

Web 2.0 Web Sales Outsource Development 222

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2014

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.

Cloud Computing 217

Cloud Computing Outsource Development Outsource Startup 217

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Fallacy: Startup ventures tend to evolve, especially after you begin speaking with pesky customers and demanding partners. Public relations at a startup is a sales process. Grant Exclusivity.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2019

When you are starting a new business, every resource is precious, including time, funding, and people. It’s always tempting to think that more product variations will satisfy more customers and lead to new sales. As your business starts to scale, you can’t do everything manually anymore.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Metrics Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2015

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?

Startup 103

Startup Outsource Invest Ideas 103