Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2022

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. I define self-leadership as the capacity to set direction and make decisions, to positively drive your own performance. Leadership in business starts with making good personal choices.

Leadership 285

Leadership Reputation Venture Capital Global 285

Duct Tape Marketing

JULY 19, 2024

Transform Your Leadership: The Power of Thoughtfully Fit written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Darcy Luoma, an expert on leadership and personal development. Book your call today, DTM world/ scale. (01:05):

Leadership 91

Leadership Framework Agile Campaign 91

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

With today’s rapidly changing environment, I see many business leaders reverting to the “ command and control ” leadership model, in an effort to be more responsive, rather than leading with their heads and heart. I believe that a fully engaged team is the key to both productivity and agility in the face of change.

Leadership 280

Leadership Agile Demand Search 280

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

As a business consultant and angel investor, I often ask for your own assessment of marketing ROI , or customer acquisition cost (CAC). Thus I was pleased to see this subject, and related strategy decisions, covered well in a recent book, “ Brand Vision ,” by Jim Everhart. Are you making the proper investment, and is it paying off?

Acquisition 250

Acquisition Cost Customer Sales Cycle 250

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2022

Most of the entrepreneurs and business owners I work with recognize that they must occupy and practice a primary leadership position , but many will admit that they are not thriving in this role. Accept the fact that authenticity is necessary for leadership effectiveness. This is a tough challenge for every coach and mentor.

Leadership 227

Leadership Entrepreneur Agile Demand 227

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Consult with Ease: Personalize Your Customer Stragtegy Using AI written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with David Edelman In this episode of the Duck Tape Marketing Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Edelman , a seasoned digital transformation and marketing expert.

Customer 77

Customer Generative AI ChatGPT Cloud 77

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2019

A design mindset is not product-focused - it’s solution focused and action oriented towards creating better customer experiences and value. In businesses, this requires a new internal culture and leadership. By understanding experiences, you will better understand the needs of people around you, including your customers and partners.

Leadership 242

Leadership Design Dividend Framework 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. In the investment community, these leadership elements are often called “goodwill.” Execution leadership. Leadership brand development.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. In the investment community, these leadership elements are often called “goodwill.” Execution leadership. Leadership brand development.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2023

The pervasiveness of social networking and the Internet has caused a new focus and value on “openness,” which leads to a new element of leadership, called “open leadership.” The mantra of open leadership is “Be Open, Be Transparent, and Be Authentic.” This is also becoming prevalent in decisions with customers on products.

Social Media 281

Social Media Media Software Review Social Network 281

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

One 11-year study of over 200 companies over a decade ago, detailed in the book “ Corporate Culture and Performance ,” found that those working on their culture improved revenue by 516%, and increased net income by 755%. I saw a good summary of these in the classic book, “ Ethical Leadership ,” by Andrew Leigh, an expert in this area.

Software Review 291

Software Review Offshore Entrepreneur Leadership 291

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2020

Many passionate entrepreneurs fight to add more features into their new products and services, assuming that more function will make the solution more appealing to more customers. Focus is the art of limiting your scope to the key function that really matters for the majority of customers.

Startup 424

Startup Bandwidth Distribution Agile 424

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

I also enjoyed the classic book, “ 63 Innovation Nuggets for Aspiring Innovators ,” by George E. In reality, the best business process innovations usually come from regular employees on the front line of your business, just trying to do a better job and better serve customers. Innovation must be driven top down by visionary leaders.

Technical Review 431

Technical Review Leadership Operations Networking 431

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

In the classic book, “ Fish Can’t See Water ,” Kai Hammerich and Richard D. Incidentally, I love that book title, which seems to me applicable to most aspects of business (and even people), as well as business culture. A particularly critical moment is when the founders hand over the leadership to a more managerial regime.

Dilution 355

Dilution Startup Merger Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Providing business leadership is a challenge under the best of circumstances, but it is especially difficult in times of market and customer crises. It’s amazing what you can learn from customer-facing teams in anticipating a crisis, and looking at solution alternatives. Yet, we all know a few leaders who surged ahead.

Leadership 305

Leadership Business Model Customer Small Business 305

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2022

They don’t realize that it takes more to succeed in business or a career – it takes leadership skills to get people to follow you, including peers, a team, business partners, and customers. Luckily, you can learn needed leadership skills. Celebrate small successes in your leadership efforts.

Leadership 285

Leadership Startup Networking Engineer 285

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2023

The most valuable assets of a new startup are the people on the team, and the most challenging task of the entrepreneur and team leaders is to spend their leadership time and energy productively. Most new startup founders start out by assuming they need to spread their leadership efforts evenly across all team members. Rising stars.

Employee 267

Employee Leadership Cofounder Matching 267

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

In my business of mentoring new entrepreneurs and advising small company owners, I recognize that most don’t start as experienced leaders, and most don’t realize that people leadership is a primary key to their future success. I just completed a new book, “ The Self-Evolved Leader ,” by Dave McKeown.

Developer 311

Developer Leadership Demand Entrepreneur 311

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2023

They bristle quickly when investors or even potential customers raise issues with real value, competition, risk, and sustainability. I like the specifics on how to do this in the classic book, “ The Agenda Mover: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough ,” by leadership expert Samuel B.

Technical Cofounder 341

Technical Cofounder Founder Cofounder Mobile 341

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. In fact, I believe modern entrepreneurs need to be super sales people, in the most positive sense, to their team as well as customers. You and the customer have to be on the same side.

Sales 348

Sales Startup Bootstrapping Technical Review 348

YoungUpstarts

JULY 10, 2020

by Deb Boelkes, author of “ Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring “ Happy employees are the best kind. They work hard, keep customers loyal, and stick around to help your organization accomplish its mission. “You can’t do blanket leadership.

Employee 275

Employee North America Leadership Technical Review 275

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

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

During my time in Silicon Valley, I was struck by the fact that most successful entrepreneurs seemed to personally know and regularly hear from all the “movers and shakers” who had the investment capital and leadership they needed. Ability to relate aspirations to customer needs. Marketing your personal brand and your vision.

Silicon Valley 284

Silicon Valley Technical Review Leadership Metrics 284

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

They bristle quickly when investors or even potential customers raise issues with real value, competition, risk, and sustainability. I like the specifics on how to do this in the classic book, “ The Agenda Mover: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough ,” by leadership expert Samuel B.

Technical Cofounder 315

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Mobile Differentiation 315

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

It’s what every customer looks for in every transaction. Most people will tell you this is impossible, but I found a classic book, “ Army of Entrepreneurs ,” by Jennifer Prosek, where she seems to have actually accomplished this. The reality is that all entrepreneurial skills are learnable skills.

Startup 337

Startup Technical Review Employee Hiring 337

Duct Tape Marketing

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

Gottlieb, an inspirational business leader, and Harvard Business School executive education alumnus, champions a leadership philosophy centered on strategy, empowerment, and consistent execution while founding charitable initiatives like “Windows for a Cause” and “Baths for the Brave.” Yeah, you'd call it a leadership book, I suppose.

Wisconsin 91

Wisconsin Cofounder Leadership Employee 91

Duct Tape Marketing

AUGUST 22, 2024

As businesses increasingly seek scalable marketing leadership, the demand for fractional CMOs has surged. Leadership: Many businesses lack strategic marketing leadership, especially in the $3 to $30 million range. By designing journeys that customers ACTUALLY want to follow, your business can drive growth more effectively. [12:00]

Leadership 88

Leadership Technical Review Retention Campaign 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2022

A design mindset is not product-focused - it’s solution focused and action oriented towards creating better customer experiences and value. In businesses, this requires a new internal culture and leadership. By understanding experiences, you will better understand the needs of people around you, including your customers and partners.

Design 267

Design Dividend Leadership Framework 267

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2022

We are living in a new generation of business, where customers drive the experience, and highly engaged employees are required to keep up with customer expectations. Traditional business leadership practices, including autocratic, reactive, and narcissistic, aren’t good enough. Benton and Kylie Wright-Ford. Marty Zwilling.

Leadership 380

Leadership Customer Employee Channel 380

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2023

Many passionate entrepreneurs fight to add more features into their new products and services, assuming that more function will make the solution more appealing to more customers. Focus is the art of limiting your scope to the key function that really matters for the majority of customers.

Startup 287

Startup Bandwidth Distribution Agile 287

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it. As companies get this initial customer feedback on their product they start to have to ask harder questions about unit economics: How much does it cost us to acquire a new customer?

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2023

A common initiative I hear from business owners today is their effort to improve the customer experience. To achieve real growth, business leaders need to improve both employee as well as customer experiences. Flexible – listen to allow flex hours and customization. Proactive – timely communication to build trust.

Employee 282

Employee Matching Customer Leadership 282

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 6, 2020

In his new book, “Tech Debt 2.0 : How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Tech Bottom Line” , senior global business and technology executive Michael C. Rather than leave it up to leadership to connect these dots, my team and I wanted to develop a more intelligent way to uncover these underlying root causes.

Technical Review 246

Technical Review Small Business Software Review Security 246

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In the short term you need customers to find you at any price, and in the longer term you need revenue, profit, and return loyalty. Based on my own experience in both large and small companies, I agree it can be done, with the essential principles outlined in a new book, “ Winning Now, Winning Later ,” by David M.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2019

Their assumption is that customers and investors will be wowed by this into buying, ignoring the evidence that large-scale change takes a long time, most often fails, and scares away customers and investors alike. Due to qualms of customers and governments, he sold less than 30,000 of the devices over the next five years.

Technical Review 226

Technical Review Leadership Portfolio Matching 226

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2020

In the entrepreneur world, your perception is equally critical, except the “managers” in this world are your investors, customers, vendors, business partners, and team members. Use the idea to kick-start your relationships with co-founders, investors, customers and business partners. Remember the rule of one.

Startup 331

Startup Technical Review Social Network Reputation 331

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

For a hands-on guide in developing data-driven people strategies, I found some practical techniques in the classic book, “ The Data Driven Leader ,” by Jenny Dearborn and David Swanson. Based on many years of HR leadership at SAP and elsewhere, these authors start by highlighting the risks of not leveraging data analytics.

Analytics 303

Analytics Hiring Open Source Employee 303