Duct Tape Marketing

JANUARY 4, 2024

Our deep dive into the world of email newsletters unveils tactical strategies for transforming subscribers into revenue-generating assets. Key Takeaways: Russell Henneberry provides the tactical strategies to transform subscribers into revenue. Russell shares invaluable insights on the resurgence of email newsletters.

Revenue 91

Revenue Advertising Email ChatGPT 91

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. These areas include market, process, and team transitions.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2023

Solution and business model innovation require pushing the limits. A business model is not an after-thought. Passion and ego are no substitute for a business model that makes sense. Recurring revenue is the foundation for growth. Self-demanding beats boss-demanding every time.

Technical Review 229

Technical Review Due Diligence Business Model Demand 229

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

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. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Solicit funds from friends and family.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. A business only achieved critical mass by becoming cash-flow positive. Both have worked.

Revenue 434

Revenue Valuation Viral Retention 434

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Most business professionals I know have been conditioned to think of inflation as highly negative, driving up their costs, and reducing customer buying. I see it as an opportunity to find new ways to attract customers , make long-needed changes to improve productivity, and lower your own costs of doing business.

Technical Review 239

Technical Review Revenue Social Media Cost 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2022

MySpace, for example, boomed after launch for five years without a revenue model. When their deep pockets went empty, Facebook stepped in, but demanded revenue from ads. Build a business plan for profitability in your lifetime. Yet it took almost six years to become profitable, with revenue only from advertising.

Revenue 297

Revenue Widget Angel Investor Early Stage 297

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2020

Solution and business model innovation require pushing the limits. A business model is not an after-thought. Passion and ego are no substitute for a business model that makes sense. Recurring revenue is the foundation for growth. Self-demanding beats boss-demanding every time.

Technical Review 324

Technical Review Entrepreneur Due Diligence Business Model 324

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. All of these tend to override cost and usability.

Customer 432

Customer Social Media Dividend Technical Review 432

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Implement a modern real business model. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Great team members may take more time to find, and cost you stock options, but a qualified and highly motivated team that stretches your budget is a good calculated risk.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 17, 2011

“LTV” means “the total revenue you’ll get from a customer over its lifetime.” ” For a simple subscription business model the formula is easy to write but hard to compute : [LTV] = [monthly revenue] × [number of months in lifetime]. So total expected revenue is $RN/ p.

Business Model 245

Business Model Metrics Engineer Technical Review 245

The Startup Magazine

JULY 16, 2021

The lesson of the pandemic era is clear, as market conditions change, business models must evolve. Success is not, as you would think, about having stable business models across market conditions. There is one consideration that should be paramount in your thinking about your business model.

Business Model 167

Business Model Aggregator Revenue Analytics 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

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. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Join a startup incubator.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

So you’re interested in raising capital from a Revenue-Based Investor VC. A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors (“RBI”) are emerging. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. Rational burn profile, up to 50% of revenue at close, scaling down.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 30, 2015

Google is focused on expanding its already broad reach into the advertising market by increasing the span and coverage of its digital and mobile platforms, and the company’s 4Q14 results highlight how the company’s efforts to buttress its core services is paying off: Google’s revenue and gross profit climbed 15.3% billion and generated $4.1

Advertising 100

Advertising Revenue Mobile Intellectual Property 100

Steve Blank

APRIL 1, 2020

Any place with a fixed cost that relies on foot traffic will come under pressure. But other businesses like law firms, contracting firms, real estate firms, will take hits, too. Your revenue plans are no longer valid. What’s your monthly cash burn at your new low revenue level? Cut costs to stay alive for 24 months.

South Korea 334

South Korea Salary Business Model China 334

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

New space companies – If we are entering a future with access to space being as routine and inexpensive as commercial air travel, shipping or trucking… what new businesses does that unlock? Looking for companies creating tools to facilitate construction of or fine tuning models.

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176

Start Up Blog

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

1) A new technology + (2) A new business model If we only have one, the incumbents can usually adapt. They can plug the new tech into the existing business model. Or, they can revert the old technology into a new business model. Each time they sold the new tech in the old business model.

ChatGPT 90

ChatGPT Technical Review Generative AI Azure 90

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Year over year conversion trends according to Hubspot ( source ) Unlike 2021, when money was cheap and plentiful, the mantra for startups is no longer blitzscaling and growth at all costs. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the benchmarks on conversion, retention and churn for the key business models.

Retention 109

Retention Conversion Churn Rate B2C 109

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 22, 2024

Therefore, from the inception of their venture, startups must prioritize client retention strategies in their business model. Repeat customers offer a consistent revenue stream, shielding the startup from the erratic fluctuations of the market. Conversely, retaining existing clients proves to be a more cost-effective endeavor.

Retention 133

Retention Reputation Startup Social Network 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Thus I offer the following outline for how to organize and present your business plan, with specific examples: Start with outlining the customer problem, and your solution. For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” Use non-fuzzy terms to quantify customer value.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2014

Most large companies manage three types of innovation: process innovation (making existing products incrementally better), continuous innovation (building on the strength of the company’s current business model but creating new elements) and disruptive innovation (creating products or services that did not exist before.).

Acquisition 334

Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 334

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 24, 2017

Subscription business models have been around for a pretty long time, but thanks to modern technology, this model has evolved from milk or newspapers delivery to a versatile eCommerce experience. As a starting entrepreneur, you might wonder: why on earth would I want to start a subscription (box) business? Conclusion.

Churn Rate 149

Churn Rate eCommerce Business Model Bootstrapping 149

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Minimize one-time sales in your business model. You need a stable customer base with an automatically renewing revenue stream, such as the subscription model. Every new business has unexpected pivots and adjustments, and outsourcing is easier to manage. Take advantage of low-cost modern tools and automation.

Merger 386

Merger Acquisition Software Review Social Media 386

Steve Blank

JUNE 26, 2014

We’re changing the order in which we teach the business model canvas and customer development to better-fit therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. The Lean LaunchPad class uses the three “ Lean Startup ” principles: Alexander Osterwalders “ business model canvas ” to frame hypotheses.

Intellectual Property 290

Intellectual Property Lean IP Open Source 290

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 17, 2024

If you’re a Black female founder with revenue struggling to raise and you see two straight white dudes get $5 million for their Powerpoint presentation, it’s only logical to assume the process is stacked against you. If I’m known to invest in mobility startups, I review a ton of different business models.

Technical Review 166

Technical Review Cofounder Startup Equity 166

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Implement a modern real business model. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Great team members may take more time to find, and cost you stock options, but a qualified and highly motivated team that stretches your budget is a good calculated risk.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2018

This can happen through early marketing, independent of whether you have yet delivered a single product, proven your business model, or have any real customers. If Elon Musk is an advisor to your transportation startup, that is major traction, even without a product or revenue. Build an experienced technical and executive team.

Advisory Board 199

Advisory Board Technical Review Metrics Business Model 199

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. These areas include market, process, and team transitions.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Tech IPO prices exploded and subsequent trading prices rose to dizzying heights as the stock prices became disconnected from the traditional metrics of revenue and profits. Startups wrote business plans, generated expansive 5-year forecasts and executed (hired, spent and built) to the plan.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Steve Blank

JUNE 27, 2017

Initially, a startup has no business model and no market share to defend. Its employees and investors don’t depend on an existing revenue stream. If they select a business model that targets industry incumbents, they don’t have to worry about upsetting existing customers, partners or distribution channels.

Startup 304

Startup New York City Valuation Distribution 304

Gust

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, or an inadequate revenue model.

Business Model 91

Business Model Green Revenue Operations 91

VC Cafe

OCTOBER 23, 2022

The CEO shared the revenue target for the year at X, and the revenue target for next year at 3X. One of the board members asked a simple question: “Why is revenue our North Star KPI? One of the board members asked a simple question: “Why is revenue our North Star KPI?”

Metrics 179

Metrics Revenue B2C Portfolio 179

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. So what is Revenue Based Investing?

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

For a business to survive, it needs to be profitable. It needs to maintain a positive cash flow , taking in revenue in excess of expenses, and reliably enough that it can continue to sustain your business model. One of the best steps you can take is establishing multiple streams of revenue. New niche exposure.

Revenue 232

Revenue Affiliate Portfolio Advertising 232

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2018

Solution and business model innovation require pushing the limits. A business model is not an after-thought. Passion and ego are no substitute for a business model that makes sense. Recurring revenue is the foundation for growth. Self-demanding beats boss-demanding every time.

Technical Review 233

Technical Review Due Diligence Business Model Demand 233