Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2023

I’m not suggesting that a startup should ever disclose patent details to others before filing, but I can’t imagine why a startup would not seek visibility and feedback for their idea and solution while they could still make changes with minimal cost. You can’t get any word-of-mouth or media activity by hiding.

Marketing 105

Marketing Startup Search Engine Optimization Ideas 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

For an inventor , the product is everything, and managing cash flow in a business may be the least satisfying part. Working for a well-funded existing company, or pursuing your dream as a hobby, may be more satisfying and productive. Assess your connections, both social media and financial.

Social Media 105

Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. I’m a technologist, so I always love to learn about the product, but every investor needs to make sure you have a business, as well as a product.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Registered patents and other intellectual property. Rather than hide seemingly non-productive gaps in your work to-date, investors look for logical actions, and iterative small steps that could be quick to market or quick to fail. Evidence of adaptability and flexibility. Expert in your chosen domain.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Use social media for early marketing. Social media is not rocket science. In this case, the primary cash outflow would be for product development and operating expenses, with potentially enough runway to build the initial product, get a patent, attract some early adopters, and build the initial revenue stream.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

For example, I’m not sure the world needs one more social media niche site, or another dating site, or yet another flavored drink alternative. Ideas to improve the usability of an existing product, or ways to extend its audience, are not likely to be unique to you, and difficult to win over competitors.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2020

I’m not suggesting that a startup should ever disclose patent details to others before filing, but I can’t imagine why a startup would not seek visibility and feedback for their idea and solution while they could still make changes with minimal cost. You can’t get any word-of-mouth or media activity by hiding.

Search Engine Optimization 174

Search Engine Optimization Ideas Startup Customer 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. They only want a quick overview of the product, not detailed features and patent secrets. It’s always impressive to have stand-alone supporting documents for product specifications, sales plan details, and backup financial reports.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2020

As an angel investor, I see plenty of startups focusing on building an innovative product, but I’m looking for the few who are also leading with an exponential growth strategy, to put them in the category of the next Amazon or Google. Produce memorable product demonstrations or videos. Market an image of exclusivity or premium only.

Marketing 170

Marketing Startup Examples Customer 170

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

But they can otherwise save you much time and effort, and are also safer and more productive than the old-fashioned approach of broadcast emailing or cold-calling every investor you can find in online directories, or responding to the risky spam offers you get for funding on social media.

Platform 94

Platform Equity Invest Technical Advisors 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

An excellent example is the initiative by Elon Musk and Tesla Motors a few years ago to give away their battery patents, to infrastructure and competitive car providers, without transactional agreements. Social media relationships fuel the scaling fire. Maintain the agility to quickly pivot or quit. Not everything will work.

IBM 131

IBM IBM Startup Examples 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2021

You have done everything to register your brand legally , including domains, copyrights, patents, and trademarks. The push is always on to grow your market with new geographies, new products, and new market segments. Pay close attention to social media and online feedback, and never respond defensively.

Examples 170

Examples Customer Custom Social Media 170

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2020

Yet I find a big difference between “starting a new business” and “creating a new product.” In my experience, most successful entrepreneurs have indeed created a new product, but most people who claim to be inventors have a hard time starting a business. Two people with complementary skills are often equal to three.

Startup 124

Startup Entrepreneur Customer Custom 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Registered patents and other intellectual property. Rather than hide seemingly non-productive gaps in your work to-date, investors look for logical actions, and iterative small steps that could be quick to market or quick to fail. Evidence of adaptability and flexibility. Expert in your chosen domain.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Highly saturated domains (more than 10 existing players), such as niche social media sites, are highly risky. Skip the fill words and fuzzy phrases, like better, cheaper, easier to use, or more productive. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

Customers today quickly get beyond these, and put a competitive priority on the experience of others, reflected in reviews and social media, and their own total experience with your sales process, delivery, returns, and support on their schedule. Find funders who seek long-term returns. Money-making is different in the digital age.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. They only want a quick overview of the product, not detailed features and patent secrets. It’s always impressive to have stand-alone supporting documents for product specifications, sales plan details, and backup financial reports.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

I suggest you use social media, blogging, crowdfunding, or documented research to quantify a real demand from people who can afford it, and don’t have a better alternative already out there. Any startup with no patents, trade secrets, or other secret sauce is very high risk today. Make the product or service come alive.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Thus it’s a waste of time for most entrepreneurs to be looking for investors until they have a product and some customer revenue. Most founders bootstrap product development. I exhort entrepreneurs to keep it simple, start with a minimum viable product (MVP), and test it out with early customers.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur Customer 101

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 25, 2009

Team – higher requirements for caliber of team members Product – focus on truly differentiated and not me-too Market – is it really big enough to provide investor returns** Traction – need more users, partners, patents, etc Timing – are you building for yesterday or 2 yrs from now?

Startup 150

Startup SEM IP SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Highly saturated domains (more than 10 existing players), such as niche social media sites, are highly risky. Skip the fill words and fuzzy phrases, like better, cheaper, easier to use, or more productive. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2017

Get an NDA before detailed patent disclosures. Entrepreneurs should never disclose the details of a planned or current patent application to any outsiders, until after a non-disclosure or other contract has been signed. Some entrepreneurs avoid the patent process, since patent details become public once a patent is issued.

Technical Review 61

Technical Review Patents Ideas Social Media 61

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Use social media for early marketing. Social media is not rocket science. In this case, the primary cash outflow would be for product development and operating expenses, with potentially enough runway to build the initial product, get a patent, attract some early adopters, and build the initial revenue stream.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2014

The same is true for filing patents, registering trademarks, and filing copyrights. Social media facilitates marketing and sales. For startups, social media and color printers have essentially replaced the need for external public relations and marketing services. Work out of your home, and keep your own books.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Commerce 104

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

An excellent example is the initiative by Elon Musk and Tesla Motors a few years ago to give away their battery patents, to infrastructure and competitive car providers, without transactional agreements. Social media relationships fuel the scaling fire. Maintain the agility to quickly pivot or quit. Not everything will work.

Startup 124

Startup IBM IBM Examples 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Use social media for early marketing. Social media is not rocket science. In this case, the primary cash outflow would be for product development and operating expenses, with potentially enough runway to build the initial product, get a patent, attract some early adopters, and build the initial revenue stream.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2018

Here are the specifics that I recommend to improve your odds of success: Sell the market concept before building a product. Highlight positive social and environmental impacts. For example, if your new product reduces pollution or world hunger, this adds immediate value and confirms a positive long-term strategy for customers today.

Marketing 92

Marketing Demand Examples Social Media 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2017

A good social cause doesn’t always imply a viable business. With interactive social media and blogging, you have every opportunity to test and tune your idea before spending any real money. The first is for people who might buy your product, and the second is for people who might buy a chunk of your business.

Ideas 74

Ideas Social Media Startup Customer 74

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2014

In their passion and excitement about a new product or service, entrepreneurs tend to continually narrow the scope of potential competitors, and often claim to have no direct competitors. Here are some of the key ones: Patent protection in place as a barrier to entry. Order-of-magnitude cost reduction or productivity increase.

Competition 93

Competition Startup Patents Slides 93

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Use social media for early marketing. Social media is not rocket science. In this case, the primary cash outflow would be for product development and operating expenses, with potentially enough runway to build the initial product, get a patent, attract some early adopters, and build the initial revenue stream.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer Custom 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

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. Low cost and low margin products can be winners, if the volume is high enough.

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Come with a product built and a proven business model. If your solution and brand are really new and innovative, you need to protect them with a patent, trademark or trade secret. Highlight existing presence on the Internet and social media. In addition, your company and social media names are key intellectual property.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2015

Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. They only want a quick overview of the product, not detailed features and patent secrets. It’s always impressive to have stand-alone supporting documents for product specifications, sales plan details, and backup financial reports.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Statistics 109