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Why Startups Need a Well Articulated Strategy (And How to Think About Yours)

Both Sides of the Table

He calls this competing with “non consumption” It was the most profound business strategy book I had read and greatly influenced how I thought about company building and certainly how I think about investing. But a clear, crisp articulation of: What problem you are solving for today’s users of your product (really.

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Understanding the Underbelly of Online Marketing & Why You’ll Lose if You Don’t

Both Sides of the Table

But being best-in-class at online marketing is also a sine qua non to standout from your peer group. I wish more startups were rigorous in defining market needs and competitive differentiate versus throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks but it seems as an industry we’re breeding the culture of the latter.

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The Changing Structure of the VC Industry

Both Sides of the Table

” The pioneering fund of funds realize that their source of differentiation is much more about the latter than the former. The value capture in the private markets has also led some hedge funds and other major non-private-market investors to become late-stage VCs.

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Startup Stock Options – Why A Good Deal Has Gone Bad

Steve Blank

Stock options for all employees of startups served several purposes: Because startups didn’t have much cash and couldn’t compete with large companies in salary offers, stock options dangled in front of a potential employee were like offering a lottery ticket in exchange for a lower salary. Why would they do that? That made sense.

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What Happens When Startups Turn from Their Innovation Stage to Operational Excellence?

Both Sides of the Table

You start out with vision, you must adapt and have intellectual honesty once you stare at your data and know where your true sources of differentiation and value are. We have well financed competitors whom despite competing with we respect deeply and when you see your competition launching in many markets it’s tempting to follow suit.

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When Security Can Become Your Business Differentiator, Everybody Wins

YoungUpstarts

Non-cyber security small-to-medium sized businesses are focused on creating value around their core competency, not cyber security. According to a study by Towergate Insurance, “… ninety-seven percent of smaller companies neglected to prioritize online security improvement for future business growth.”

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[Review] The Three Rules – How Exceptional Companies Think

YoungUpstarts

More importantly though, Raynor and Ahmed uncovered three very simple rules that differentiated the best from the rest: 1. Many other business commentators have stated this maxim before (in various other ways as well), but the idea is simple: find a position that’s based on non-price value i.e. do not compete on price.