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

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2020

And we saw a record number of 278 million clicks to local web pages as more consumers looked to connect with businesses locally. MomentFeed clients were well-positioned to amp up their digital presence and continue to remain visible online, even when consumers weren't passing by their store offline.

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Software Review Organic Search Startup 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

A few years ago, I first saw an interesting step in that direction via the classic book “ Entrepreneurial DNA ,” by Joe Abraham , with his assessment web site. His framework seems to be picking up some traction, and is already in use informally by several entrepreneurship platforms, universities, and even high school programs.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Of course, starting and running your own business comes with financial and personal risks, so I always recommend that you do your homework first, and follow some tried and proven strategies to improve your odds of success. These days, you can’t start and run a business alone. Pick a name, location, and marketing strategy early.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

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. Start with a service you know and love. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

One of the great joys of doing the web series This Week in VC every week is that I get to spend time with great people debating the issues of our day including how our industry is evolving as well as insights into how companies got started, got their initial traction and dealt with adversities. We then spoke about startups.

Startup 286

Startup Venture Capital Web Ideas 286

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

Every new business dreams of growing from a startup to a global market leader in a few years, like Amazon.com, but that goal is elusive. In my view, every startup in today’s world would do well to adopt a management system with the same key objectives: Start with a customer-obsessed business model.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

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. Start with a service you know and love. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2016

The report also indicates that customer problem experiences continue to increase, up four percent to 54 percent since the last study. As an adviser to startups, I’m convinced that most understand the need, but many still simply don’t know how to show their customers that extra love and support. Carey School of Business.

Customer 56

Customer Custom Startup Satisfaction 56

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2012

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? Get attention and reach your audience. That’s where the money is.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Startup 98

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Created by consultants to generate additional fees, such scores attempt to rate a company’s overall customer satisfaction. The higher your company’s NPS, allegedly the higher your customer satisfaction. BDCs can afford to fixate on such esoteric measures, while startups must generate tangible financial results.

.Net 168

.Net Satisfaction Customer Custom 168

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Here is my list of the basics that some people in business tend to forget: Showing up consistently must still be priority one. Customers and peers still expect follow-up and timeliness. It’s not how many things you start, it’s how many you finish. I’m not talking about clocking in to work and physically putting in your time.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Social Media Satisfaction 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2019

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? Get attention and reach your audience. That’s where the money is.

Social Media 98

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2011

I deal often with early-stage startups, and many of these don’t have any customers yet (but wish they did), so it’s not surprising they still don’t think of customers as their friends. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and customer satisfaction these days is one the most critical success factors to every business.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Startup Training 90

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Created by consultants to generate additional fees, such scores attempt to rate a company’s overall customer satisfaction. The higher your company’s NPS, allegedly the higher your customer satisfaction. BDCs can afford to fixate on such esoteric measures, while startups must generate tangible financial results.

.Net 182

.Net Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer 182

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2013

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? entrepreneur goals startup metrics social media' Project the future.

Social Media 102

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 102

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Smart matching offline connections startup, At The Pool , has today launched a mobile app that is set to reinvent the way people connect and interact. The web platform was founded to end loneliness associated with online interaction by replacing it with person to person meeting. Social networking isn’t social.

Mobile 92

Mobile Social Network Examples Organization 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Being a consultant is a role that works with big companies, but I have found that it doesn’t get much traction in small businesses and startups. I learned this the hard way, when I left IBM a few years ago to share what I had learned with the exciting world of startups in Silicon Valley.

Social Media 56

Social Media Software Review Customer Custom 56

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

Something from a motivational panel, discussing Biz Dev strategies or maybe how to launch a lean start up. Her description starts off with a standup meeting with her product team. The challenge is in getting clear numbers, but not often as cleanly as a basic web analytics report. Web analytics, pretty clear.

Product 87

Product Fandango Design Startup 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2017

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? Get attention and reach your audience. That’s where the money is.

Social Media 69

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 69

Xconomy

AUGUST 10, 2016

On the day after Intel announced its acquisition of San Diego machine learning startup Nervana Systems, investor Steve Jurvetson told me he was feeling a sense of satisfaction about a call he made three years ago, and how it has been playing out.

Artificial Inteligence 40

Artificial Inteligence San Diego Framework Venture Capital 40

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2010

He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? Tags: business growth entrepreneur startup social metrics.

Social Media 84

Social Media Metrics Media Satisfaction 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2012

In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Yet most startups I know experience the same shock of disappointment when they first open up their website to offer their “million dollar idea” product, and nobody comes. Set up an award, and show winners. People buy from people.

Search Engine Optimization 96

Search Engine Optimization Entrepreneur Sites Advertising 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2012

I deal often with early-stage startups, and many of these don’t have any customers yet (but wish they did), so it’s not surprising they still don’t think of customers as their friends. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and customer satisfaction these days is one the most critical success factors to every business.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Training Services 96

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

With the current strong economy I’m seeing a continued resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. There is additional encouraging news for aspiring entrepreneurs on many fronts, just in case you are thinking about joining the existing ranks: Valuations of successful startups have hit an all-time high.

Startup 128

Startup Social Media Satisfaction Entrepreneur 128

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2015

Since the recession, and at least partially sparked by it, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased about 10 percent, from 280 out of 100,000 adults in the 2014 Startup Activity Index, to 310 out of 100,000 adults in the 2015 Index.

Startup 108

Startup Social Media Entrepreneur Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2010

I deal often with early-stage startups, and many of these don’t have any customers yet (but wish they did), so it’s not surprising they don’t have a formal customer service program in place. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and customer satisfaction these days is one the most critical success factors to every business.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Services Training 85

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2013

Since the recent recession, and at least partially sparked by it, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. It still adds up to over 20 million non-employer businesses out there today, with more starting every day. No wonder 90% of the successful startups still bootstrap.

Startup 109

Startup Entrepreneur Social Media Satisfaction 109

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

I continue to collect great content that is the intersection of startups, products, online and technology. Equity-Only CTO and Equity-Only Developers - SoCal CTO , November 1, 2010 I had a recent email dialog with the founder of a company looking for a CTO for their startup. Was it a Startup Founder Developer Gap ?

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2019

With the cost of starting an online business today at an all-time low, I can’t imagine why everyone doesn’t have a web site and an LLC to mitigate liability and minimize taxes. Keep up with modern business tools and online processes. New tools make it easy create your own web site, and manage accounting.

Startup 73

Startup Tool Study Web 73

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2014

There’s a healthy balance between allowing a design team to dream up functional requirements, talk with customers, analyze competitors and for technical projects – research the latest cool-kid tools to play with. If you pull hard at the time end of the spectrum you end up shipping inferior product.

Software 344

Software Startup Design Course 344

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2018

With the current strong economy, and sparked by the last recession, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. An unprecedented number of startups, almost 200 at last count, are now valued above $1 billion, according to a recent Forbes article.

Entrepreneur 66

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Satisfaction 66

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2018

What do you do, if you grew up and became an adult, and now are starting a familybut you never learned to cook? If you're part of the generation that grew up always going out for food or buying pre-prepared food, you might feel a bit overwhelmed with the cooking that comes with becoming a parent and having a family.

Startup 100

Startup Resource Los Angeles Organization 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2015

Others admit to surfing the web even during religious services. If you are looking for a way to get a competitive edge, now is the time to start building a relationship with your customers, which includes active listening. Questions that start with “why” invite a defensive response, and usually don’t lead to a productive dialog.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Startup Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2022

Others admit to surfing the web even during religious services. If you are looking for a way to get a competitive edge, now is the time to start building a relationship with your customers, which includes active listening. Questions that start with “why” invite a defensive response, and usually don’t lead to a productive dialog.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Product Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

Starting and running a business is hard. Don’t believe the old myth that with a few hours of work a day and a great web site, you can get rich while you sleep. As an angel investor in startups, I often find myself looking harder at the quality of the team and the leadership, than at the details of the product and business model.

Funding 55

Funding Satisfaction Customer Custom 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2020

Others admit to surfing the web even during religious services. If you are looking for a way to get a competitive edge, now is the time to start building a relationship with your customers, which includes active listening. Questions that start with “why” invite a defensive response, and usually don’t lead to a productive dialog.

Customer 128

Customer Custom Activity Social Network 128