Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

Three types of organizations – Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Studios – have emerged to reduce the risk of early-stage startup failure by helping teams find product/market fit and raise initial capital. He had a track record of taking small teams and growing them into successful product lines.

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.”

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Product descriptions and listings require tedious editing to make them engaging - especially after the fortieth one. Are you a founder or CEO or head of product? Go through your product right now and look for empty text boxes. Each one represents a great opportunity to make your users more productive and happier.

Generative AI 295

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence Houston America 295

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. The only real alternative is to find a cofounder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product. If your team has trouble finding you, you won’t make productive connections.

Leadership 318

Leadership Technical Review Technical Cofounder Development Team Review 318

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2021

The conversation got interesting when I asked, “How are you going to describe the product to potential customers in the concrete industry?” Your product is not someone’s problem. He believed that if used as an additive to concrete, his bacteria could strengthen it while reducing CO2. There was silence for a moment. Lessons learned.

Product 433

Product Advisory Board Green Customer 433

Steve Blank

APRIL 20, 2021

Many of them get hung up on understanding how to select the right minimal viable product. He came up with the concept to simply the search for product/market fit by using an MVP Tree. Many startups fall into the trap of building toward a “mission” rather than a minimum viable product (MVP). Your mission is your baby.

Product 436

Product Viral Channel San Francisco 436

deal architect

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

I was invited to an analyst summit on SAP's Data and Analytics portfolio of products. What a remarkable difference from last year! I had flown to a similar event in Vancouver - first to Seattle, then taken a bus across.

Analytics 488

Analytics Software Review Seattle Portfolio 488

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2020

Studies of software teams, for example, show differences as great as ten to one in productivity between working team members. Much has been written about the external influences of office environments, motivation, and personal health impacts, but I see evidence that there are personal productivity tactics that contribute just as much.

Product 433

Product Internet Management Software 433

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Missions and products that are too broad confuse your team, your customers, and potential investors. Product development chasm. Marketing and sales chasm.

Technical Review 375

Technical Review Startup Dilution Early Stage 375

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

For example, my dictate that entrepreneurs need to find a “ painful ” problem to solve (such as high cost, low productivity) to attract customers, doesn’t really account for many successful startup businesses today, including top social media platforms, dating sites, and new fashions. Nurture relationships with popular social influencers.

Customer 432

Customer Social Media Dividend Technical Review 432

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

As a VC, one of the key things I’m looking for in any new investor is “product-founder fit” e.g. does this founder have an insight or advantage that makes them uniquely suited to successfully build this product and business? Founders, marketers and growth leaders?—?join join the Trust waitlist here.

Founder 424

Founder Product Cofounder Acquisition 424

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

Many product innovations come from quality improvement focuses, like the Japanese Kaizen initiative. Thus I recommend the minimum viable product (MVP) approach with iteration, to test innovations until the product or service really meets today’s customers. Innovation must be driven top down by visionary leaders.

Technical Review 431

Technical Review Leadership Operations Networking 431

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Process myth: Why building a product leads to failure. This doesn’t work when attacking unknown problems with untested solutions.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

In other parts of the world, innovators often need to develop both the ultimate product or service, as well as the enabling infrastructure that underpins it. Silicon Valley’s conventional model is to integrate local experienced engineering, product development, and marketing people for the big push.

Global 345

Global Silicon Valley Marketing Indonesia 345

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

According to an old Harvard Business Review article, many people in history, famous for their inventions, like Thomas Edison, were entrepreneurs who only later were remembered as inventors of the products they commercialized. Technology limited to a single product is seldom enough for a business. Lock in your sustainable advantage.

Technical Review 391

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 391

TechEmpower

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

A strong development team should have the following: A high service level and availability of their product/system. cto , infotech , innovation , product , project , saas It’s useful to approach this problem from the opposite direction. What are some characteristics of a strong team? A high throughput of effective change.

Development Team Review 260

Development Team Review Developer Software Review Technical Review 260

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. The problem is that innovations in most business areas are coming so fast these days that yours can be overrun while still being scaled up across geographies and other products. Product-line expansion. Geographic expansion.

Dilution 355

Dilution Startup Merger Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. Every person requires some level of positive human interaction with co-workers and others to be satisfied and productive.

Technical Review 353

Technical Review Cofounder Employee Global 353

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. An agile business doesn’t wait for their current product line to fail, before planning some enhancements. Most small businesses have now forgotten the recent pandemic, and are back to “business as usual.” The days of the “cash cow” are gone.

Agile 379

Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 379

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Key Takeaways Efficient workflows can significantly boost productivity and reduce stress. Embracing these tools is pivotal to unlocking new levels of productivity. These benefits collectively skyrocket productivity by eliminating the silos and inefficiencies that often hinder progress.

Technical Review 167

Technical Review Software Review Agile Operations 167

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Research has confirmed that culture is a primary driver for financial performance, customer experience, and team productivity. They look for the use of talent analytics, such as productivity per employee, as well as the practices and attitude toward employee satisfaction. Performance accountability processes.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2023

In fact, that feeling of autonomy makes everyone more productive, more loyal, and feel valued. Don’t hesitate to look for new business partners who can mitigate your constraints, including distributors, new channels, or even competitors with complementary products. Position challenges as future growth opportunities.

Technical Review 277

Technical Review Partner Matching Channel 277

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2021

These may be people who can’t afford existing products due to income levels or location, but need the solution. The most disruptive products are ones that never existed before, and no forecasts are even available to size the opportunity. Look for sizable customer populations unattractive to incumbents.

Non-Compete 394

Non-Compete Technical Review Forecast Social Media 394

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. If you want investor interest, the business parameters of a deal should be presented as clearly as the product parameters. An obvious effort to keep talking after the time limit won’t save your day with investors.

Technical Review 369

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 369

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Here investors are looking for feature problems or quality issues on the current product. 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. In addition, manufacturing and inventory levels will be reviewed.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Bankruptcy 296

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2023

Work on habits that improve your productivity, and find better tools every day. Develop productive relationships with people around you. The most productive people get things done by working in concert with others, not demanding actions and results, but by orchestrating win-win relationships. Make sure that person is not you.

Management 291

Management Leadership Demand Founder 291

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. Working the circuit of big groups of strangers is minimally productive. Don’t waste your time following up.

Marketing 353

Marketing Technical Review Social Media Technology 353

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Finding a customer for your product in the Department of Defense is hard: Who should you talk to? Looking for DoD customers How do you know if they have money to spend on your product? How do you get their attention? It almost always starts with a Program Executive Office. So I wrote one. phone book.

Programming 249

Programming Customer Portfolio Government 249

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Product pre-order model. With this model, a startup pre-sells their product early, at a cheaper price, in exchange for a pledge. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Accredited Investor 352

Accredited Investor Startup SEC Equity 352

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Finish the product before marketing begins. It’s never too early to start marketing, since it usually takes as long to build marketing momentum as it does to build a product. Marketing should start before product development. Entrepreneurs need to spend time working on the business, as well as in the business.

Intellectual Property 312

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

For example, only a few people today still think of Amazon as an online provider of books and related goods, now that they have exploded their business world-wide into every product arena, added web services (AWS), television and film production (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), a bricks-and-mortar grocery chain (Whole Foods), and more.

Partner 350

Partner Operations Metrics Leadership 350

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These should come as no surprise to you, since they haven’t changed in many decades, and I expect will serve you well in the current turbulent times we all face: Spend time nurturing productive work relationships. In my experience, relationships are still the key to career opportunities, new clients, and collaborative results.

Flash 303

Flash Angel Investor Technical Review Social Media 303

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

In a regulated market, the government controls how products and services are allowed to enter the market, what prices may be charged, what features the product/service must have, safety of the product, environmental regulations, labor laws, domestic/foreign content, etc. In the U.S. But startups? telephone service.

Washington 319

Washington Government Marketing Silicon Valley 319

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Labor rates are lower in some countries, but culture and language match are the real keys to productivity. Hire and train your own managers for internal and external work projects. With the high-speed Internet, our workers can be anywhere in the world.” As with real estate, it’s still about location, location, location.

Cost 346

Cost Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 346

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

Juggling multiple responsibilities and ensuring productivity can be challenging without effective time management strategies. Avoid Multitasking Multitasking may appear beneficial but often leads to decreased productivity and increased mistakes.

Management 159

Management Entrepreneur Technical Review Dilution 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2023

This intent is often negated, according to new studies, by remote workers , especially parents and team members with long commutes, who are more satisfied and productive than onsite employees. Make people feel more productive by providing continuous feedback on work accomplished, process improvements, and current training.

Employee 282

Employee Matching Customer Leadership 282

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2021

Everyone sees your energy applied more productively, and has the urge to help. No one fully trusts someone who claims to have never failed, or continues to repeat an approach that doesn’t work. We all gain confidence and self-esteem when we learn new things, and see progress as a result. Avoid making excuses and putting blame on others.

Leadership 435

Leadership Marketing Developer Entrepreneur 435