Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

That story has to begin with a painful problem shared by a large collection of viable customers, with your competitive solution. Additionally, you need to be able to communicate the essence that story and value to investors in a couple of sentences – your elevator pitch. Lack of clear objectives/goals.

Software Review 307

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Early Stage 307

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from fellow investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Technical Review 369

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 369

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2021

The biggest challenge for every entrepreneur and every startup today is to get noticed and remembered in today’s information overload. Every one of these probably has a unique story, but in my years as a startup advisor I only remember hearing a few who capitalized on their story. Every story needs a main character.

Elevator Pitch 313

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Boston Sales 313

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2013

Investors tell me that startup success is all about execution, all while facing determined competitors and overcoming customers’ resistance to change. So here is my interpretation of the fundamentals he outlines, adapted to the language of a startup: Define the win for your business. A startup is not a parlor game.

Elevator Pitch 303

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Matching Leadership 303

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

You need to build business relationships with partners, team members, investors, and of course customers. As an introvert myself, I remember worrying that I could never be comfortable giving a sales pitch, or networking to find clients. Develop and practice your business vision and story.

Entrepreneur 261

Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Incubator 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2012

Investors tell me that startup success is all about execution, all while facing determined competitors and overcoming customers’ resistance to change. So here is my interpretation of the fundamentals he outlines, adapted to the language of a startup: Define the win for your business. A startup is not a parlor game.

Entrepreneur 286

Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Matching Leadership 286

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 273

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Many myths surround the subject of startup funding. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. You must have seen a lot of startups giving out promotions, discounts, and incentives at the early phase of their business.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

That story has to begin with a painful problem shared by a large collection of viable customers, with your competitive solution. Additionally, you need to be able to communicate the essence that story and value to investors in a couple of sentences – your elevator pitch. Lack of clear objectives/goals.

Software Review 250

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur 250

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 294

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

That story has to begin with a painful problem shared by a large collection of viable customers, with your competitive solution. Additionally, you need to be able to communicate the essence that story and value to investors in a couple of sentences – your elevator pitch. Lack of clear objectives/goals.

Software Review 246

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Early Stage 246

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Building a startup business is not the same as corporate executive experience, so prior titles in a big business may actually be seen as a negative. On the other hand, having failed in an earlier startup may be an advantage, if positioned properly, and some learning is evident. Focus on prior results, not titles.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Angel Investor 241

Angel Investor Technical Review Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 241

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Start with the problem and your solution.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch Matching 256

Steve Blank

MARCH 8, 2011

It was designed to bring together many of the new approaches to building a successful startup – customer development, agile development, business model generation and pivots. Startups, are not about executing a plan where the product, customers, channel are known. – not just web-based startups.

Lean 307

Lean Business Model Customer Development Guinea 307

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Close at least one initial customer.

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

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. Every one of these probably has a unique story, but in my years as a startup advisor I only remember hearing a few who capitalized on their story. Every story needs a main character.

Elevator Pitch 211

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Boston Sales 211

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Based on my experience and data from the field, over seventy-five percent of new startups fail, even with venture backing. 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

JUNE 22, 2012

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Start with the problem and your solution.

Technical Review 243

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 243

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2011

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Start with the problem and your solution.

Technical Review 237

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 237

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Close at least one initial customer.

Angel Investor 224

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

But Cafepress’s most memorable moment was when the founders used a “Lessons Learned” VC pitch to raise their second round of funding and got an 8-digit term sheet that same afternoon. The heart of the Cafepress presentation is the “ Lessons Learned from our Customers ” section.

Venture Capital 245

Venture Capital Silicon Valley RSS Hockey Stick 245

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2012

An Executive Summary is a one page elevator pitch of the whole plan (may be separate from the plan), which gives an investor a net perspective on the key business parameters. Don’t say things about your competitors or customers that you wouldn’t be able to defend if they were in the room with you. Trash your competitors.

Elevator Pitch 244

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Business Plan .Net 244

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

An Executive Summary is a one page elevator pitch of the whole plan (may be separate from the plan), which gives an investor a net perspective on the key business parameters. Don’t say things about your competitors or customers that you wouldn’t be able to defend if they were in the room with you. Don’t be negative.

Business Plan 242

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Technical Review .Net 242

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2020

We started the meeting going around the table and were each given two minutes to share what we did – our elevator pitch, a way to present our work in such a concise way that it could be shared within the span of an elevator ride. Reason #3: We make our elevator pitch about ourselves. It was a fiasco.

Elevator Pitch 289

Elevator Pitch New York Security Audience 289

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 17, 2018

As a startup co-founder with a growing team, here are the recruiting tips I’ve learnt over the last couple of years. You need to sell them on why your startup is the best. 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.

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Elevator Pitch Hiring Dividend 164

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

If you decided to start a digital marketing agency, you might figure out from the start, where you draw the line at customers. Do you want to tie your name to an oil industry, or offer a service that you may not be brilliant at, but that will attract a lot of customers? How will your customers get there? Startup costs.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Angel Investor 166

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

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Start with the problem and your solution.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Startup Angel Investor 120

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2010

A fter years of talking with many of you in the Israeli startup industry, investors and entrepreneurs alike, I was invited to present some tips for entrepreneurs at the Launch48 conference in London this weekend. The talk was titled “Tips to make your startup attractive for investors&#. Get feedback from your customers.

Elevator Pitch 102

Elevator Pitch Incubator Technical Review Startup 102

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

You’re in discussions with strategic partners and potential beta customers. Advisors agree your startup is on the right track. 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. Now is the time to get your web site up.

Elevator Pitch 100

Elevator Pitch Web Portfolio B2B 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

An "elevator pitch" is a concise, well-practiced description of your startup and your plan, delivered with conviction and enthusiasm, that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. A good elevator pitch is not just for an elevator discussion.

Elevator Pitch 283

Elevator Pitch Startup Differentiation Distribution 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

I see too many executive summaries that are simply heavy-duty customer pitches, or lightweight visions of the future. " Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Technical Review 120

Up and Running

MARCH 31, 2021

Uncertainty was a constant, sales and customer interest were wildly volatile and for many businesses, it became less about planning for the rest of the year and more about surviving the next few months. . The standard Seed round was once around $75,000 to $150,000 startup. These are sectors of small business that are in high demand. .

Small Business 116

Small Business Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 116

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Every startup and every new business needs a unique selling proposition (USP) to get people’s attention these days, and make it stand out in the information overload we all see. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days. Is the opportunity large and growing?

Intellectual Property 416

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Startup Algorithm 416

mashable.com

MARCH 24, 2011

He’s the founder of four companies, most recently WPEngine , and blogs weekly about startups and geekery. I’ve reviewed hundreds of startup pitches and I can tell you that everyone makes the same types of errors. Since this is the part you have control over, it makes sense to prepare. But this isn’t the case.

Programming 86

Programming Startup Technical Review Social Media 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Start with the problem and your solution.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 120