Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2023

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

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Startup Ideas Organization Entrepreneur 82

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2022

Most entrepreneurs who start a company alone soon come to the conclusion that two heads are better than one – someone to share the workload, the hard decisions, costs, and tasks you don’t like. This would be a mistake, and could easily cost you your startup. Most startups can’t afford that. All decisions will be made jointly.”

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Startup Satisfaction Writing Entrepreneur 140

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business. Startup and development stage. Business owners get their satisfaction from happy customers and happy stakeholders.

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Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Unfortunately, these goals are often mutually exclusive, and focusing on the wrong ones won’t bring you that business success and satisfaction you crave. Timing is critical for every startup. Of course, if you wait for the perfect time, you may never start. Should I start out alone, or assemble a team first?

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2022

Startup work environments are always chaos, but they can still be great environments to work in, or they can be terrible. You as the founder are the starting point and definer, so you need to get it right. It’s up to you, as the authority figure, to define the standards and communicate roles correctly.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. The reality is that starting a business, as well is working an existing business, has always required perseverance.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2019

Many experts have tried to clearly lay out the criteria for survival in a way that allows you to judge your own situation and your own temperament, and make a rational decision before starting down this path. In other words, make sure your solution will scale up. In a startup, the entrepreneur leader has to do two things.

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Satisfaction Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 78

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. The result, called resourcefulness, allows entrepreneurs to create opportunities in the face of scarcity.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2023

Here is a summary of my recommendations for picking the right battles in a business environment, and how to fight challenges most effectively for satisfaction and growth: Set personal objectives and make your own decisions. Follow your own interests and business insights to increase satisfaction and long-term success.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Perhaps sparked by the recent pandemic, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Don’t let it make your startup dysfunctional in resolving future challenges.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2020

Otherwise, in my experience, the startup will fail. I recommend his checklist as a starting point for developing team connections and building engaged team members as a key step in becoming an effective team leader, even if your team is spread all over the country: Consciously reduce time spent on outside activities.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2020

Hopefully, between the two of us, more of you with big business dreams will follow the leads and generate more successful business results: Start by getting your hands dirty. A business entity has to be created and real resources applied. Never give up in the face of adversity. The time to get started is now.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2020

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business which builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. Many of the major business successes started this way. Many of the major business successes started this way.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Every new entrepreneur has to initiate the right actions to be perceived as a leader in their chosen business domain by their team and by their customers, or the road to success and satisfaction will be lost along the way. Authentic leaders are willing to open up and establish a connection with everyone around them.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

After many years working in business and investing in startups, I’m convinced that the primary reason for new business and career failures is NOT a lack of skill or money, but people giving up too quickly on their dreams and goals. He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

By definition, all of you entrepreneurs are leaders, by taking the initiative to start a new company. Yet I have learned over the years as a startup advisor that all business leaders are not the same. Create innovative change from existing resources. You generally don’t fix things by throwing them away and starting over.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. Measure to see if you have an increase in revenue, a lowering of costs, and improvement in customer satisfaction. Start now to look at where social media will be in two to ten years, and prepare for it.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2021

As I work with aspiring you new venture leaders, I always wish I had a definitive checklist of all the right attributes that I could share with you, encourage you to develop and highlight in your efforts with potential investors, and guide your own actions in starting the next billion dollar company.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Out of curiosity, I often ask aspiring entrepreneurs like you, who come to me for help, what drives them to take on the workload and risk of a new startup. Of course, drivers have to be backed up by some realities, like necessary resources, adequate skills, relentless determination, and a market of people interested in supporting your dream.

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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.”

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Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Otherwise, in my experience, the startup will fail. I recommend his checklist as a starting point for developing team connections and building engaged team members as a key step in becoming an effective team leader, even if your team is spread all over the country: Consciously reduce time spent on outside activities.

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Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 127

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

Great entrepreneurs pride themselves on their ability to isolate opportunities that have minimal risk, by virtue of their trusted relationships, their own expertise, and access to resources. At some stage of your education, you realize that you can learn faster, and get more satisfaction, in the real world than in a academic environment.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2022

High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. Perceived authorities guide decision making, by investing time, resources, and activity in earning a position of influence, leading to a community of loyalists who follow their recommendations. Startups earn relationships and resulting stature the same way.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2023

For your own happiness and satisfaction, I recommend you start instead working from that higher purpose and passion. Even experienced business owners can’t keep all the requirements for starting or growing a business in their head, so organizing it on paper is critical to making it consistent and complete.

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Satisfaction Customer Custom Social Media 114

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Each of these will help you in achieving success and satisfaction while tackling your toughest business issues: Stop attacking symptoms – dig first for the root cause. A broken process or a subtle quality issue can generate a flood of customer satisfaction problems, cost overruns, and loss of market share. Then pick the best one.

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Satisfaction Mentor Study Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Resolve conflict, accept outcomes, and rebuild communications.

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Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2021

Based on my own long experience in business, team satisfaction, engagement, and productivity continues to be a challenge. Playing to your strengths improves your overall engagement and productivity, as well as satisfaction and happiness. Getting peers to help others also is a great source of satisfaction and engagement.

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Satisfaction Coach Resource Tool 168

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Here is my list of key principles for creating and capitalizing on a balanced focus as a business professional or an entrepreneur: Start by marketing your vision and purpose. Too many entrepreneurs I know start by highlighting their new technology , and assume that it will sell itself. Listen to customer feedback and tune your vision.

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Technical Review Satisfaction Metrics Startup 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2020

Based on my own experiences in startups, and many years of advising new business owners, I’m convinced that there are a few common frustrations that we all need to anticipate and prepare for, rather than let them be a surprise and a painful dent in your enthusiasm and personal satisfaction from living your dream.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses. Your startup’s survival, as well as people performance, is at stake. Make sure required data, resources, and tools are provided early.

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Coach Satisfaction Resource Entrepreneur 93

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 17, 2020

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

Startup 131

Startup Ideas Organization Entrepreneur 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. The wealth of online education offerings is a great start, but is not enough.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. You don’t have enough control over your time, investors, the market, or your startup. But nobody said it would be easy. It’s very frustrating.

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Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Allocate your time and resources to customer expectations and competitor challenges. In my experience as a startup investor, I have become convinced that the biggest reason for business failure is giving up too early. Make your mantra one of job satisfaction and delivering customer value, rather than avoiding failure today.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2021

As I “grew up” in business in big companies, including IBM, I always wondered why the real innovations seemed to come from startups, while we had more resources and more experience. Yet we never even dreamed of a new potential for personal use of computers , until startups like Apple and Microsoft stepped into the fray.

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Marketing IBM IBM Resource 117