Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor. Investors talk to each other and they love warm introductions to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Lack of clear objectives/goals. You don’t need surprises or disappointments either. Being unprepared for the next steps.

Software Review 250

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur 250

Up and Running

MARCH 13, 2019

Whether you are trying to raise money from angel investors or venture capitalists for your business, or just want to perfect your business strategy, a solid elevator pitch is an essential tool for achieving your goals. How to build a winning elevator pitch in 7 steps: 1. Define the problem. Simple as that.

Elevator Pitch 140

Elevator Pitch Video Forecast Oregon 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2013

If anyone in business ever needed mental toughness, it’s an entrepreneur. Investors tell me that startup success is all about execution, all while facing determined competitors and overcoming customers’ resistance to change. For social entrepreneurs, it’s all about making the world a better place. A startup is not a parlor game.

Elevator Pitch 303

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Matching Leadership 303

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 294

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. For aspiring entrepreneurs, or if your last startup failed, it’s all about standing out above the crowd of others like you, and demonstrating your readiness.

Elevator Pitch 390

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Due Diligence Angel Investor 390

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. I outlined what investors expect to see in an old article “ Adding Slides Does Not Enhance Your Investor Pitch. First, get their attention with your elevator pitch.

Technical Review 295

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Startup 295

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2012

If anyone in business ever needed mental toughness, it’s an entrepreneur. Investors tell me that startup success is all about execution, all while facing determined competitors and overcoming customers’ resistance to change. For social entrepreneurs, it’s all about making the world a better place. A startup is not a parlor game.

Entrepreneur 286

Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Matching Leadership 286

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. The goal of their startup in this stage becomes “getting funded.”

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Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 270

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea. In my experience, the key steps I look for always include the following: Testing the idea against customers who have money to spend. Prepare your marketing story for customers and investors.

Intellectual Property 235

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Harvest Technical Review 235

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2018

The biggest challenge for every entrepreneur and every startup today is to get noticed and remembered in today’s information overload. The number of entrepreneurs worldwide is huge, starting an estimated 50 million new businesses per year, or 137,000 per day. These attributes include the following: Specific moment-in-time indication.

Elevator Pitch 211

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Boston Sales 211

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 12, 2017

As a burgeoning entrepreneur, though, this can put your company at a serious disadvantage. Kristy Campbell, COO of Rev1 Ventures, describes your first website as a “step beyond your elevator pitch.” It may seem counterintuitive, but excessively novel or innovative web design is often a sign of an inexperienced entrepreneur.

Web 113

Web Design Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2013

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. angels entrepreneur funding gaps process startup' Lack of clear objectives/goals. Use them and win. Marty Zwilling.

Software Review 265

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Startup 265

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

Every entrepreneur needs a value proposition statement for his or her startup that can hook potential investors and partners in less than a minute -- the short time you might join them in an elevator on the way to their offices. Investors worry about competitors more than customer features.

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Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Differentiation Business Plan 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

You can’t win as an entrepreneur working alone. You need to have business relationships with team members, investors, customers, and a myriad of other support people. See my article from way back “ Entrepreneurs Learn Best From Business Networking ” on how and where to get started. Work on your elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch 351

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Social Network Networking 351

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Here are some key ones they look for: Talks and writes well.

Angel Investor 241

Angel Investor Technical Review Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 241

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2023

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. I still hear too many excuses for not working early on the elevator pitch, like wanting to fly under the radar, don’t have the team together yet, or can’t afford an agency. Requests for investment come later.

Elevator Pitch 315

Elevator Pitch Public Relations Social Media Startup 315

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2020

As an aspiring entrepreneur, one of the most important things you need is a memorable “ elevator pitch ,” to communicate your startup value proposition and leave a great first impression on friends, investors, employees, and future customers. Lead with your best marketing pitch and conviction.

Elevator Pitch 317

Elevator Pitch Intellectual Property Cost Technology 317

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. Ask some potential customers to see if there is real interest, and start thinking about price versus cost. Make ‘em want it bad (pitch it). Start by developing an “elevator pitch” that you can deliver in 30 seconds to hook a potential investor.

Non-disclosure Agreement 340

Non-disclosure Agreement Elevator Pitch NDA Entrepreneur 340

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Whether you are trying to raise money for your business or just want to perfect your business strategy, a solid elevator pitch is an essential tool for achieving your goals. An elevator pitch can be delivered either verbally, ideally in 60 seconds or less, or as a one-page overview of your business. Simple as that.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Forecast Oregon Differentiation 166

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. entrepreneurs intestors startups characteristics business'

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 273

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

You’re in discussions with strategic partners and potential beta customers. Think of your first B2B web site as one step beyond your elevator pitch. It’s the first place a potential customer will go to check you out. What value will customers receive from doing business with your company? Plan to iterate.

Elevator Pitch 100

Elevator Pitch Web Portfolio B2B 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Lack of clear objectives/goals. You don’t need surprises or disappointments either. Being unprepared for the next steps.

Software Review 246

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Early Stage 246

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2023

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. Customer data integrity and security. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups.

Elevator Pitch 272

Elevator Pitch Social Network Agile Technology 272

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2020

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. I still hear too many excuses for not working early on the elevator pitch, like wanting to fly under the radar, don’t have the team together yet, or can’t afford an agency. Requests for investment come later.

Elevator Pitch 312

Elevator Pitch Public Relations Marketing Social Media 312

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2020

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. Customer data integrity and security. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups.

Technology 412

Technology Elevator Pitch Social Network Agile 412

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 17, 2018

As a new entrepreneur or business owner, the most important thing you will do is hire talent. Think of it as an elevator pitch for recruiting. impactful work (we point to specific features that are being used by 100s of customers) and 3. by Felix Winstone, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Talkative. Hiring = Sales.

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Elevator Pitch Hiring Dividend 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. I outlined what investors expect to see in another article “ Adding Slides Does Not Enhance Your Investor Pitch. First, get their attention with your elevator pitch.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch Matching 256

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2010

Yesterday I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Tags: entrepreneurs funding startups business. Lack of clear objectives/goals. Being unprepared for the next steps.

Software Review 239

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Startup 239

Up and Running

OCTOBER 22, 2014

The problem you are solving: How are you helping your customers? Make sure your product or service is addressing your customer’s needs. Your customer: Who is your ideal customer? A great exercise is to create a buyer persona, but you can just jot down some notes at this stage about who your customer is.

Business Plan 130

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Forecast Partner 130

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Show them that you have done your homework with industry experts and potential customers, and convince them you are not asking for charity or a donation.

Sweat Equity 274

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Startup Equity 274

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Sure, there will always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won. So what can entrepreneurs do to get to the head of the venture capital investment queue and position their startup for a winning IPO?

Venture Capital 252

Venture Capital IPO Elevator Pitch Initial Public Offering 252

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

Some of these businesses are founded by people who are passionate about a cause, like Saha Global ’s mission to help with the world water crisis, others are entrepreneurs seeking to fill an underserved niche, as these 12 business owners did. Pin down your elevator pitch. Who are your customers?

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Elevator Pitch Technical Review Affiliate Global 100

Hearpreneur

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Ultimately, we went with On Site because we wanted to give a clear indication of what made us different – kind of a micro elevator pitch in our name. When opening up my men’s clothing shop, I wanted to replicate the feeling of home and for my customers to walk out feeling better than when they walked in.

Naming 157

Naming CPA Entrepreneur Software Review 157

Gust

JULY 23, 2014

So even if my own mother asked me to meet with you, and you were pitching me a biotech opportunity for a $10 million investment at a $90 million valuation, I might take the meeting, but it wouldn’t be particularly useful for either of us. In this case, it’s not a lack of interest, just a lack of time and efficiency.

Angel Investor 153

Angel Investor Elevator Pitch Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review 153

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Your concept has to be understood by customers and investors in 30 seconds or less, and everyone needs to immediately see how awesome it would be, or that they would be nuts not to have it. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days.

Intellectual Property 240

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Algorithm Social Media 240

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Make your focus and priorities clear.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228