Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan. Because the product plan is aimed internally, it can assume the reader has the relevant technology and jargon background. Technology, architecture, and feature descriptions.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2010

And we’re left with a city with idyllic weather, major commerce, the media center of the world, and a great emerging technology scene. But we have a great city for building technology companies. You can find very talented technology executives. But we do have great technology developers. You don’t.

Company 290

Company Companies Technology Startup 290

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Most sophisticated investors ignore them, focusing their attention on an entrepreneur's pitch and presentation materials, financial forecast and executive summary. As such, the primary goal of your executive summary is to open the door to an in-person meeting. Entrepreneurs routinely seek my advice regarding their executive summaries.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Summary Technical Review Template 211

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan. Because the product plan is aimed internally, it can assume the reader has the relevant technology and jargon background. Technology, architecture, and feature descriptions.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

It is with this backdrop that I was really happy to learn from my friend Ethan Anderson (HBS alum & founder of RedBeacon) about an awesome program at HBS run by Tom Eisenmann called Launching Technology Ventures. That student is Erin McCann who formerly worked in sales at Google, so she has some ground to stand on in her assertions.

Startup 319

Startup Sales Course Competition 319

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2023

Indeed, while the rules and technologies for lead generation have changed, Forrester and other experts still see it as the most effective way for businesses with limited budgets to maximize their return on marketing investment (ROI). Technology and consumer feedback have indeed changed the landscape.

Marketing 114

Marketing Invest Social Media SEM 114

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2022

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.”

Customer 146

Customer Custom Startup Course 146

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2023

Foreign markets typically have less information available and more variability in sales estimates, which is a setup for failure. The cost of doing business in any market is heavily dependent on local transportation, energy, technology, and financial services. Do more local homework and validate cautiously.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur Summary 110

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know all of this because every VC knows this because we’ve all either funded companies that have marketing technology or we’ve seen a pitch with a company that does this. So while it might seem obvious that you should send it via a link, I’d like to make the counter-argument that it is not an obvious choice.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Quick summary: Be careful not to have too many co-founders. Your first sales people should be consultative sellers who can fuel evangelical sales. Don’t hire “relationship management” sales people too early. Tech teams are comprised of three distinct managements skills: people, process & technology.

Startup 388

Startup Slides Outsource Development Sales 388

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2023

Use your favorite search engine and keywords describing your solution to find online sales reports, trade association statistics, and online newsletters with the latest statistics. Pay particular attention to the titles discussing the latest issues having big opportunities, like alternative energy, global warming, and technology trends.

Statistics 120

Statistics Research Report Newsletter 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2023

Here is my edited summary of their ten principles, which I like and may convince you that you don’t need a business plan at all, or at the very least will help you write a better one later: A new venture is a means, not an end. These include financial management, marketing and sales, and the appropriate production ability.

Startup 142

Startup Capital Resource Research 142

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

For reference, here is a quick summary of key elements which most investors include in their due diligence process: Key personnel review. A hard look will be taken at the technology maturity, the current development progress, and customer satisfaction with early product shipments. Status of the solution. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2020

Indeed, while the rules and technologies for lead generation have changed, Forrester and other experts still see it as the most effective way for businesses with limited budgets to maximize their return on marketing investment (ROMI). Technology and consumer feedback have indeed changed the landscape.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

Here is a quick summary of the priorities normally covered by the due diligence process: Evaluation of key players. This will cover the technology, the current state of development, and customer satisfaction. Sales and marketing strategy. This is the highest priority item. Validation of product.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2020

Foreign markets typically have less information available and more variability in sales estimates, which is a setup for failure. The cost of doing business in any market is heavily dependent on local transportation, energy, technology, and financial services. Do more local homework and validate cautiously.

Marketing 134

Marketing Outsource Development Social Media Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

Here is a summary of the key stages along the way: Idea and seed stage. Business owners know that growth as a business versus a startup requires replicable and documented processes, a focus on marketing and sales, personnel management skills, and detailed planning. Seeking a stable environment now versus a better future one.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

By now you have many smart people around your board but probably people who don’t totally understand the nuances of your employees, customers, sales reps, marketing messages, technology challenges, competitors and strategic choices. how much energy to put into channel partners vs. direct sales. And here’s the thing.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Still, I’ll bet that functionally you divide areas of competence like sales & marketing, product, engineering, biz dev, etc. “I need a COO to focus on the business while I focus on M&A and strategic discussions.&# The company that wrote me this told me they were doing $4 million in sales.

Startup 292

Startup CTO Hire Sales Email 292

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Use your favorite search engine and keywords describing your solution to find online sales reports, trade association statistics, and online newsletters with the latest statistics. Pay particular attention to the titles discussing the latest issues having big opportunities, like alternative energy, global warming, and technology trends.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person. Bloom’s classic book, “ The New Experts: Win Today's Newly Empowered Customers.”

Customer 124

Customer Custom Startup Course 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Too much detail at first contact is just as much of a turnoff as no information.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Startup Statistics Social Media 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2022

I believe these same mindsets are equally applicable to the entrepreneurs I mentor, and all of you small business leaders, so I offer you my summary of the authors’ conclusions, paraphrased here, with my own insights: Be bold in vision, strategy, and resource allocation.

Template 109

Template Demand Social Media Summary 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

For reference, here is a quick summary of key elements which most investors include in their due diligence process: Key personnel review. A hard look will be taken at the technology maturity, the current development progress, and customer satisfaction with early product shipments. Status of the solution. Traction in the marketplace.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2020

Here is my edited summary of their ten principles, which I like and may convince you that you don’t need a business plan at all, or at the very least will help you write a better one later: A new venture is a means, not an end. These include financial management, marketing and sales, and the appropriate production ability.

Startup 143

Startup Capital Resource Research 143

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

Invoca is now doing 10s of millions in recurring revenue and is growing > 75% year-over-year but it took the first 3 years to really build out the technology and acquire our initial enterprise clients. If I use Invoca as an example: we handle tens of millions of phone calls for customers who want to drive sales calls into call centers.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2020

Here is a summary of the key stages along the way: Idea and seed stage. Business owners know that growth as a business versus a startup requires replicable and documented processes, a focus on marketing and sales, personnel management skills, and detailed planning. Seeking a stable environment now versus a better future one.

Ideas 127

Ideas Entrepreneur Satisfaction Summary 127

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan. Because the product plan is aimed internally, it can assume the reader has the relevant technology and jargon background. Technology, architecture, and feature descriptions.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business for 4-6 months. “COGS” represents the amount that each sale costs you.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

controlling your psychology ) you no doubt have heard me say that raising capital is a sales & marketing process. This is Sales 101. If you’ve read any of my ongoing series on fund raising from venture capitalist (episode 1?— ?controlling that’s a lot riding on your pitch and the willingness of the sponsoring partner to advocate.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2010

I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people. Because more technology people probably read startup blogs I’m guessing this post will come under more scrutiny. Still, I believe I’m offering an accurate representation of the ideal configuration of the main technology leaders.

CTO Hire 400

CTO Hire Fractional VPE Startup Outsource Development 400

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

They have created two internal technology “products&# and wanted to figure out how they could turn their services business into a product business that could be financed. I could go on-and-on with all of the sales-blocking messages you will hear when you try to charge for a product. This team is talented. They wanted advice.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

Passionate entrepreneurs tend to talk on and on about their disruptive technology, their intent to change the world and free services, but if a business can’t provide quantifiable value to real customers, the dream will likely turn into a nightmare. Skip the sales pitch and avoid preaching. Build up for the punch line at the end.

Startup 104

Startup Summary Patents Examples 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

The first page of the business plan better be an executive summary which gives the investor a taste of the financials, as well as opportunity, competition, and key executives. “I I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” Too much detail at first contact is just as much of a turnoff as no information.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. Distribute an Executive Summary and Recommendations report, as well as transcripts of your interviews, to all the key players in your company.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2015

when a technology startup, its investors or the market believe in robust growth rates writ large. On the other hand a certain amount of growth is fauxmentum caused by the over-funding of the startup markets and ebullient buyers of technology products (both businesses and consumers). __. faux·men·tum. fōˈmen(t)əm,fəˈmen(t)əm/.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2013

Just because you or your friends think it is a great idea or great technology, that doesn’t mean that a large number of customers will buy it. Draft a business plan summary. Don’t be surprised if your base idea changes considerably as you learn more about the market, technology, and the sales process.

Ideas 106

Ideas Startup Summary CalTech 106