Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

Of course it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business. If you have been working alone, perfecting your idea, with no new business track record, your best strategy is to license the technology to a company or team with real business startup experience. Commercialization requires infrastructure.

Technical Review 391

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 391

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 22, 2024

In March 2022 I wrote a description of the Quantum Technology Ecosystem. Just as a reminder, Quantum technologies are used in three very different and distinct markets: Quantum Computing , Quantum Communications and Quantum Sensing and Metrology. have different error rates and causes of errors unique to the underlying technology.

Technical Review 267

Technical Review Illinois Algorithm Software Review 267

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

All of us are struggling to keep up in this age of technological acceleration, where we learn every day that we can’t trust links in our email, marketing guarantees, or phone requests from people we don’t know. I’m sure that all of you recognize that the technology available for marketing has changed.

Customer 433

Customer B2C Technical Review Social Media 433

TechEmpower

MARCH 4, 2024

Focusing on generative AI applications in a select few corporate functions can contribute to a significant portion of the technology's overall impact. This technological integration into software engineering not only enhances the productivity of development teams but also ensures that IT infrastructures are robust and reliable.

Generative AI 295

Generative AI CTO Hire Fractional CTO Software Review 295

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2021

Every entrepreneur with a new technology tells me that his innovation will be industry-disrupting, meaning that it will render the existing technology obsolete, and create a new market. Pick a technology that somehow seems inferior to the major incumbents. So why would any investor ever believe any of these claims?

Non-Compete 394

Non-Compete Technical Review Forecast Social Media 394

Steve Blank

MARCH 22, 2022

Tens of billions of public and private capital are being invested in Quantum technologies. Countries across the world have realized that quantum technologies can be a major disruptor of existing businesses and change the balance of military power. Currently this is a nascent commercial technology in search of a future viable market.

Technology 436

Technology Algorithm Stealth Distribution 436

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

Market your solution and user benefits, not the mysterious technology behind it. A better approach might be to use your marketing power to tell people that you can now ring their smartphone in front of their favorite store for a special sale, and allow them to “opt in,” rather than surprising them with your new technology.

Technical Review 342

Technical Review Customer Social Network Software Review 342

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

We just had our first week of our new national security class Technology, Innovation and Modern War. If the past is a prologue, they’ll go off to senior roles in defense, policy and to the companies building new disruptive technologies. Technology to Weapons to Doctrine. And that has happened to us. As we described how the U.S.

Technology 436

Technology China Russia Silicon Valley 436

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Nations decline when they lose allies, decline in economic power (the UK in the 20th Century); they lose interest in global affairs (China in the 15th Century); internal/civil conflicts (Russia in the 20th Century); a nations military can miss disruptive technology transitions and new operational concepts. See all the class sessions here.)

Technology 418

Technology Russia China Intellectual Property 418

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2021

Some get stuck in a rut and get run over by competitors with new technology, like Eastman Kodak, and others get pushed into a crisis, like Apple did, before they reinvent themselves into a new market. The best immerse themselves in these technologies, and invent new businesses, rather than fight in the old one to the death.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Entrepreneur Due Diligence Institutional Investors 417

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

They couldn’t possibly understand the new social media culture, new technologies, or have the determination to beat their younger counterparts in the market. In fact, they are well-qualified overall, having worked with high technology and computers for at least 20 years, are highly educated, and highly motivated.

Advisory Board 368

Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

TechEmpower

AUGUST 7, 2023

Exploring new technologies? Instead, given a startup project, they’ll default to building everything in-house, using technologies that they’re already familiar with. This is especially true when a founder has a strong vision but limited knowledge of the technology needed to make it a reality. What does the role demand?

CTO Hire 260

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Fractional VPE Developer 260

TechEmpower

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Are specific technologies or platforms involved in your project? Do they have experience with the technologies involved in your project? Or is your project a clean slate? Are there complexities revolving around algorithms or databases? Do you anticipate scale issues presently or in the future? Make certain you explore these projects.

Software Development 295

Software Development Software Developers Software Review Software 295

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Marketing is everything these days.

Marketing 353

Marketing Technical Review Social Media Technology 353

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 6, 2020

We just held our third session of our new national security class Technology, Innovation and Modern War. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed a class to examine the new military systems, operational concepts and doctrines that will emerge from 21st century technologies – Space, Cyber, AI & Machine Learning and Autonomy.

Technology 426

Technology Afghanistan Iraq Vietnam 426

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. Don’t count on these as short-term solutions to a growth problem. If you go this route, make sure your solution is strategic.

Product 354

Product Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Dividend 354

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

As a logical and data-driven business advisor, I have long focused on facts, technology, and quantifiable pain in guiding entrepreneurs. Other startups use technology to provide personalized products to all customers. Build positive relationships with potential customers.

Customer 432

Customer Social Media Dividend Technical Review 432

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Neither breakthrough technology nor maximum features will assure that “if we build it, they will come.” In fact, NISI recommends starting with the minimum focused set of features and technology that will drive a customer purchase. Nail the solution. Process myth: Why building a product leads to failure.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Organizations are assigned value by how well they take advantage of the best technology, and turn information into action. This means adapting to social trends, new technologies, economic conditions, regulatory requirements, and worker demographics. Stable and friendly work environment.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

TechEmpower

AUGUST 21, 2023

It provides findings and recommendations intended to foster a mutual understanding between business and software leaders, shedding light on the current state of your technology and your team. Our goal is to build a decent understanding of your business, your product, and your technology. Why TechEmpower?

Technical Review 260

Technical Review Development Team Review Software Review Architecture 260

Steve Blank

JUNE 8, 2021

Project Agrippa , for example, piloted a new “ Hacking for Strategy ” initiative inspired by their experience in Stanford’s “ Technology, Innovation and Modern War ” class that Raj Shah, Joe Felter and I taught last fall. Steve Weinstein , 30-year veteran of Silicon Valley technology companies and Hollywood media companies.

Lean 417

Lean Security Asia SBIR 417

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money. I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. So the first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity is that person worth?

Cofounder 435

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Equity Intellectual Property 435

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

We just completed the sixth week of our new national security class at Stanford – Technology, Innovation and Great Power Competition. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed the class to cover how technology will shape the character and employment of all instruments of national power. Class 2 focused on China, the U.S.’s

Artificial Inteligence 397

Artificial Inteligence Russia Technology China 397

TechEmpower

AUGUST 14, 2023

The Strategic Technical Advisor looks at the business and determines what makes sense from a technology perspective in the short-term and longer-terms. Conclusion Bottom line – if you are an early-stage startup with online or mobile technology as part of your solution, you ABSOLUTELY NEED a technical advisor.

Technical Review 260

Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO Software Review 260

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Adopting innovative tools and technologies is crucial for modern businesses. Businesses must keep pace with the ever-changing technological landscape, ensuring their processes remain relevant and competitive. Innovative Tools Transforming Workflows The role of technology in shaping modern workflows cannot be overstated.

Technical Review 167

Technical Review Software Review Agile Operations 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. If you have ten minutes, that means no more than ten slides.

Technical Review 369

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 369

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

Although I’m not an aficionado of checklists in general, I really appreciate one he has included for keeping up with some of the latest technological trends that are reshaping business strategies, which should be the driver for startups to fill in the gaps. Are you driving the technology, or is it driving you? Cloud Computing.

Technology 334

Technology Social Media Cloud Retention 334

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

Many technologists have a passion for a new technology, but only a few are able to communicate the value in terms of future impact on society. If your business is health-technology related, I urge you to share this with your team, and with customers, and ask for their help, versus leaning on profitability, price, and process.

Technical Review 357

Technical Review Green Social Media Lean 357

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

Even here, Elon Musk faced this issue with Tesla, needing a support ecosystem as well as new technology. 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. Build for sustainability and resilience, as well as growth.

Global 345

Global Silicon Valley Marketing Indonesia 345

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Look for technologies to adapt from other domains. Elon Musk with SpaceX is an example of a new business bringing in technologies from artificial intelligence and solar power to develop smart and reusable rockets to do satellite delivery and space travel. Be willing to share technology to promote standards.

Artificial Inteligence 286

Artificial Inteligence Technology Leadership Business Model 286

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2023

For example, the development of reusable rocket technology by SpaceX and Amazon, who could not match NASA supplier budgets, has opened huge new opportunities in space travel and exploration. I encourage you to be proactive, even with constraints, in exploring variations on your base technology that can expand the market.

Technical Review 277

Technical Review Partner Matching Channel 277

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

New digital technologies, business models, and regulatory rulings are forcing all of us to think outside of our silos and rethink what it means to operate effectively. It is fair to bring in outside technology to reduce the risk and speed the implementation.

Partner 350

Partner Operations Metrics Leadership 350

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 12, 2024

This is especially true for businesses that rely heavily on technology and outsourced services, such as those utilizing Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Leveraging Technology to Simplify Document Management Technology plays a pivotal role in creating and managing business documentation.

Technical Review 121

Technical Review Software Review Operations Technology 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

With modern technology, and worldwide reach, it should be seen as an important tool for building an efficient, lean, and competitive business, optimized to give you more time for strategic focus. If you don’t know where you are going, you probably won’t get there.

Cost 346

Cost Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 346

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

We just wrapped up the third year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class –part of Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. government agencies, our federal research labs, and government contractors no longer have exclusive access to these advanced technologies.

Technology 288

Technology China Artificial Inteligence Russia 288

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

These days, with markets and technology changing so rapidly, it’s impossible to verify an innovation before taking it to market. The focus must be on five discovery skills of associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. Solution innovations need to be perfected before going to market.

Technical Review 431

Technical Review Leadership Operations Networking 431

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2022

Here are some recognizable entrepreneurial examples I like, just from the technology space: Driven by an epic ambition. All of them have created massive new capital, be it financial or technological, social or spiritual. Consistently produce results. All of them have transformed the condition of mankind – for the better.

Technology 328

Technology Entrepreneur Social Network Networking 328