Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 4, 2020
Business success is all about having the best team, yet the average entrepreneur has little prior experience with hiring people and building top-notch teams. It’s no wonder that 45 percent of startups fail in the first five years, and an even smaller percentage ever see a return for their years of effort. Most new entrepreneurs assume their passion will attract and motivate the right team members.
View from Seed
MARCH 4, 2020
In a few months, we are likely to see the annual Forbes Midas list of top performing early stage VC investors. There is always some debate about the methodology and accuracy of the list, but I think it’s a pretty interesting data set that reflects some of the things that have been happening in tech and VC over time. Given that it’s a new decade, I thought I’d do a lookback and compare the list today to the one 10-years ago to try to tease out the changes that have transpired in the VC industry o
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YoungUpstarts
MARCH 19, 2020
by Chad Ruff, Chief Technology Officer at Swiftpage. If you’re looking for a strategy to get ahead when it comes to customer acquisition, machine learning can be your secret weapon. While machine learning does fall under the larger category of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s a bit more specific and can be extremely effective technology to pair with your customer and prospect database.
ReadWriteStart
MARCH 11, 2020
Due to their unique oversight, governments have a surplus of data at their fingertips. Used properly, this available data could enable them to create beneficial programs that tackle problems in economics, policy, transportation, and civic life. Unfortunately, the majority of that data is untapped. Here are the facts about AI startups needing data , and how that helps governments.
Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic
Every startup and innovation project exists within an ecosystem that either helps or hurts that project. As innovation managers, we need to keep a pulse of that ecosystem and make sure we're helping those innovation projects we're managing every step of the way. In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in
Hearpreneur
MARCH 13, 2020
Each business has a story. No matter if the business is a Goliath like Wal-Mart, or a local business owned by a couple or family, the business has roots in an idea. For each business owner, the story of their journey can range from monetary needs or the passion for a unique project. Each story is different though the reasons may be the same. No matter the tale, the background behind each and every business is what fuels each and brand.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 25, 2020
You might be wondering: is QuickBooks Desktop being phased out? QuickBooks consistently gets rated as the best accounting software but most of those reviews talk about QuickBooks Online. This makes it understandable why many people fear the desktop version of the software application is being phased out. The first step of any QuickBooks Desktop “101 level” overview is to identify if the application is going to be around for the long-term.
Start Up Roar brings together the best content for start up professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
View from Seed
MARCH 11, 2020
When a founder is raising money, he/she should expect that any serious investor will conduct some level of due diligence before getting to yes. This could look somewhat different depending on the maturity of the business. Seed stage companies will mostly face questions around the team and market. More mature companies will have to answer more detailed questions around their tech, product, and business.
YoungUpstarts
MARCH 4, 2020
by Troy R. Underwood, author of “ How to Launch Your Side Hustle: Start and Scale a Business with Minimal Capital “ Congratulations. You’ve come up with a brilliant business idea, and you’re ready to get started as a brand-new entrepreneur. But do you have the grit to persevere? Are you a Necessity Entrepreneur? Necessity Entrepreneurs Build Exceptional Businesses.
ReadWriteStart
MARCH 31, 2020
Venture capital investment is one of the top places startups look out for when seeking funding for their business alongside other popular options like angel investing and crowdfunding. Moreso, there is a lot of competition with investors doing all they can to determine the viability of a business before putting their money into it. When anyone asks what investors look for in startups , typical answers include an experienced management team, a large market for their product or service, growth pot
Feld Thoughts
MARCH 13, 2020
I’ve been involved with a number of leaders in the Colorado tech community since Wednesday morning as we’ve aggressively mobilized to address the Covid-19 crisis. Following is a joint statement that a bunch of us have signed on to. A group of us are working quickly to create more mechanisms for a coordinated response, collective action, funding for critical resources, and ideas for things to do that will have a positive impact.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 21, 2020
If you have a business website, then you must already be aware of how difficult it is to run one. Starting from its development, build-up, and even after its launch, you need to keep it updated, build the user experience, and so on. It is a consistent job that requires a lot of dedication and care into it. Therefore, in such a case, it may help you to hire an ecommerce developer who can take responsibility for your website and develop it further.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 21, 2020
Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Others will work hard on a business plan, and then mail it indiscriminately to every potential investor they can find on the Internet. Both of these approaches are a waste of your time and theirs.
Version One Ventures
MARCH 25, 2020
In these unprecedented times, we know that controlling the spread of novel coronavirus requires social distancing and testing. While all of us are doing our parts to stay at home, there’s a lot of confusion, chaos and frustration surrounding coronavirus testing in the US. . Before going further, I want to be clear that I am not a medical doctor or researcher.
YoungUpstarts
MARCH 18, 2020
Why is visual marketing important as a part of your overall small business marketing strategy? The answer is simple: images and videos are proven to be more appealing and engaging than any other marketing material. . People retain more information when they see it in action instead of reading or hearing about it. That is why 80% of marketers have already incorporated visual assets in social media marketing campaigns.
ConversionXL
MARCH 19, 2020
“Rare is the business that has a formal disaster plan, let alone one that covers a global Black Swan event.” Tim Stewart, trsdigital. An article on growth and marketing in the middle of a crisis—the current one or any other—can seem tone deaf. But nothing gets better if we stand still. Work can be a welcome intellectual distraction. It can also keep your employees employed or help you retain your job—a modicum of security in uncertain times.
Feld Thoughts
MARCH 28, 2020
Governor Jared Polis had an excellent and extremely data-driven press conference yesterday to provide quantitive support for his stay at home order (among other things.) The presentation is embedded and worth paging through. Colorado Governor Polis #DoingMyPartCO Presentation – 03-27-2020 from Brad Feld. The basic message is that unless it is absolutely necessary for you, please stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 17, 2020
If you want to get a big picture view of where your business stands in the market, see if it’s operating cost-effectively, identify areas where you should focus your resources, predict what potential issues may slow down your growth, and implement a tangible roadmap that’ll steer the company in the right direction — you need to conduct a marketing SWOT analysis.
Hearpreneur
MARCH 25, 2020
When the going gets rough in business, you’ll need motivation to keep moving. Motivating yourself can be hard but practicing consistent habits such as reminding yourself of why you started can be a major boost. A network of friends and partners can also serve as a great assurance and reminder that you’re not walking. Here are the various ways entrepreneurs and business owners stay motivated in business. #1- Switched to something fun and doable.
Steve Blank
MARCH 17, 2020
“Winter is coming.”. This is the one blog post that I hope I’m completely wrong about. With the Covid-19 virus a worldwide pandemic, if you’re leading any startup or small business, you have to be asking yourself, “What’s Plan B? And what’s in my lifeboat?”. Here are a few thoughts about operating in uncertainty in a pandemic. Impact. Social isolation and a declared national emergency have had an immediate impact on industries that cluster people; conferences, trade shows, airlines/cruise ships
YoungUpstarts
MARCH 18, 2020
by Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing and author of “ Virtual Assistant, The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA “ As more and more look to work from home given the present state of things, it’s important to know some ways to implement it. If you haven’t done it previously it can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be.
deal architect
MARCH 31, 2020
I was talking to a vendor exec last week and I mentioned the agility and innovation I am seeing in various sectors - agile manufacturing, re-jigged supply chains, reshaped shopping experiences, last-mile delivery, telework, telemedicine, teleschool- as we are fighting.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 8, 2020
Every new entrepreneur who has not spent years in corporate life has the advantage of an unbiased look at business opportunities, but at the same time has the disadvantage of missing critical business experiences that can cost them dearly in their first startup venture. In my experience, building a successful business is more difficult than building an innovative solution.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 5, 2020
An inter-process communication system that helps and allows the data to be communicated or shared between the different applications of an operating system such as Windows is known as dynamic data exchange. In this type of system, there are a set of commands and shared memory along with message formats and protocols for carrying out data communication and sharing.
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 5, 2020
I am due to speak at the SaaStr conference next week: Wednesday, March 11th at 10:45 AM. I had originally signed up to talk about the “VC Market Trends” overall but it seemed inauthentic to speak about VC funding without addressing the virus in the room. So I wrote a brand new deck outlining some Upfront views on what we may see in the funding markets ahead.
Steve Blank
MARCH 4, 2020
If you’re a busy startup founder, you’re likely delegating the task of scheduling key meetings about things you want/need to your admin. This is a mistake. That’s because the dialog you have in setting up the meeting is actually the first part of your meeting, not some clerical task. Treat it this way and you’re much more likely to achieve the objective you’re hoping to.
YoungUpstarts
MARCH 12, 2020
When it comes to starting any business, the strategy and organization you choose to utilize can make a big difference. Different ways of working are better suited to different industries and business sizes, so it’s crucial to consider these sorts of things before you begin hiring or go to market. From different software systems to overall philosophies, there are many ways that business strategies can inform the way you run your company.
deal architect
MARCH 25, 2020
The one thing I vividly remember from my first few days as an audit rookie at PwC was a class where the instructor said "never forget - an internal control should deliver more savings than the burden it puts on.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 9, 2020
A common pain of startups after an exhilarating first surge of early adopters is a long and frustrating plateau of slow growth, where it seems like nothing you do will get your business to profitability. Too many entrepreneurs don’t know what to do at this point, largely accounting for that disappointing 50 percent of startups that fail in the first five years, according to Gallup.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 29, 2020
As technology continues to develop, it’s only natural that the marketplace is gradually shifting towards the digital realm as well. The internet is becoming the main platform for research and shopping – as cited in Forbes, 82% of consumers carry out research on the Internet and 79% of people are shopping for their goods online, according to Tech Crunch.
Feld Thoughts
MARCH 13, 2020
The following from C. S. Lewis. was on my fraternity email list this morning. It was written in 1948 after the dawn of the atomic age. In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are
Version One Ventures
MARCH 8, 2020
It has been almost 10 years since Union Square Ventures launched the first Opportunity Fund , creating a strategy that has since been copied by many other VC’s. An opportunity fund is basically a separate pool of capital that allows a VC to continue to invest in its most promising portfolio companies once the core funds have exhausted their follow-on reserves.
YoungUpstarts
MARCH 15, 2020
by Dawn Parzych, Developer Advocate for LaunchDarkly. As a former teacher, I firmly believe we should always be learning. Every night at dinner we talk about what we learned that day. Learning something new can be intimidating and a huge time commitment, but it doesn’t have to be. Running small experiments is an effective way to learn and try out new ideas.
deal architect
MARCH 19, 2020
Somebody once told me I could make a brown paper bag sound interesting. Not sure if that was a compliment but I do find interesting aspects to most anything. While there is so much doom and gloom around the coronavirus.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 11, 2020
I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground.
The Startup Magazine
MARCH 3, 2020
Dean Vagnozzi, a 50-year-old financial entrepreneur and president of A Better Financial Plan, LLC, believes in empowering middle-class investors to generate returns typically reserved for the uber rich. He offers investment opportunities that sidestep the volatility and uncertainties of Wall Street, and consistently generates high single- to low double-digit returns for clients.
Feld Thoughts
MARCH 10, 2020
Most people don’t understand exponential growth. It can be counterintuitive and is easily misinterpreted. Understanding it is particularly important right now around Covid-19. The following eight-minute video is extremely well done and uses the historical Covid-19 data to help understand exponential growth. There’s a magic number in this that we should be focusing on, but gets lost in the fog of hysteria.
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