Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea. Thus, unless the visionary highlights a cofounder who can take the vision and execute, I assume the worst.

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Founder Cofounder Bandwidth Matching 329

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 16, 2020

Business valuation is defined as a way to determine the overall economic value of a company , and is a necessary component of a sound business plan and strategy. Reasons for a business valuation run a gamut from selling the business due to retirement or health reasons to financing expansion efforts to adding shareholders to a buyout situation. Any of these situations will demand a valuation to determine current and future projected value. .

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Valuation CPA Software Review Revenue 162

ConversionXL

JUNE 16, 2020

Enterprise SEO has been my topic of choice for extracurricular “thought leadership” over the years. Last year, I gave a presentation on how we generated 40% year-over-year organic revenue growth by focusing on out executing the competition, not outsmarting them. While my presentation focused on the in-house side of enterprise SEO, I’ve also experienced (and written about ) getting things done—or trying to get things done—at an agency.

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SEO Technical Review Software Review XML 121

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 17, 2020

Building trust is important for every business , but it’s even more essential for startups. If no one has heard of your product yet, and nobody trusts your brand, how can you expect your business to take off? Here is how you can use video to build client and consumer trust in your startup. The Early Stages of Promoting Your Startup. If you’re in the early stages of promoting your startup , you’ve probably thought about trying every possible marketing tactic out there: emails, blog posts, t

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Video Software Review Startup Audience 150

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

Startup

Version One Ventures

JUNE 16, 2020

Today we’re excited to announce that we led DemandStar ’s $2m seed round. The Seattle-based company provides an online marketplace for business-to-government commerce – it connects local and national suppliers with government procurement officers. . It should come as no surprise that government procurement is riddled with inefficiency. $1.5 trillion is spent in the local government procurement market, but billions are wasted due to scarce competition and outdated processes.

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Government Seattle Software Review Aggregator 125

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 15, 2020

by Mahendra Gupta of Saviom Software. Organizations are trying to switch to remote working with the help of technologies and work culture to obtain similar or better operational efficiency than before. There are many factors that help remote working cultures to thrive. This post will dive into an aspect whose importance often goes unnoticed i.e. documentation management.

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Management Software Review Technical Review Later Stage 165

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 18, 2020

How to Embrace a Competitors Mindset to Grow Your Business written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. Marketing Podcast with Jake Thompson. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast , I interview Jake Thompson Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day. Through Jake’s experience as an athlete, entrepreneur, and speaker, he has learned how we can be move closer to the career, health, and life we desire by changing just a few of our choices each day.

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Software Review Channel Naming Search 101

deal architect

JUNE 16, 2020

I have been doing video interviews with a number of CIOs, software executives and practitioners about acrobatics they have been seeing in various vertical sectors during the COVID-19 crisis and the "New normal" they can expect as the economy wakes.

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Vertical Conversion Video Software 394

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2020

The world as we know it has irrevocably changed after 31 st December 2019. The novel coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) quickly spread throughout the world, infecting almost 7.9 million people, and claiming 435000+ lives so far. There is no vaccine yet. There is no definite cure yet. The only way to manage this disease is by prevention through the practice of social distancing.

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Video Advertising Technical Review Viral 229

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 18, 2020

The popularity of cost-per-lead advertisements, or CPL ads, is on the rise, and many businesses and companies are incorporating this type of advertising campaign into their digital marketing strategy for a good reason. CPL One, at cplone.com, is one such affiliate marketing platform that helps people, even with no previous marketing background, carry out cost-per-lead ad campaigns through a unified software interface.

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Affiliate Software Review Product Marketing 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2020

Technical entrepreneurs love their technology, and often are driven to launch a startup on the assumption that everyone will buy any solution which highlights this technology. Instead, they need to validate a customer problem and real market need first. Don’t create solutions looking for a problem , since investors ignore these, and customers other than early adopters will be hard to find.

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Technology Marketing Sales Cycle Social Media 317

deal architect

JUNE 15, 2020

I listened to Christian Klein's keynote from the virtual Sapphire event today - watch replay here. It was his first as CEO and he came across very well. Energetic, professional and very comfortable in a digital setting. His keynote focused.

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Software 291

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2020

If you don’t think there’s a millennial behind your favorite business or franchise, think again. Millennials are increasingly becoming sought-after and successful entrepreneurs. That follows the data. Believe it or not, millennials—defined as anyone born between 1981 and 1996, or ages 24–39 — have launched twice as many companies as baby boomers, according to a report by BNP Paribas Global.

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Entrepreneur Technical Review United States Mobile 207

Board Effect

JUNE 18, 2020

When board directors choose to invest their time in an organization, they’re looking for assurance that their participation is valuable and that they’re making a difference. Stakeholders in an organization are also looking to for assurance that they’re making a wise investment of their time and money in organizations that are honest, ethical, transparent, and accountable.

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Government Technical Review Security Restful 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. The simple answer is that with all the staging of TV lights and billionaire investors, it’s nothing like Silicon Valley. Yet the process is eerily realistic, and every entrepreneur can glean some important lessons.

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Angel Investor Due Diligence Silicon Valley Green 317

deal architect

JUNE 15, 2020

I have been doing video interviews with a number of CIOs, software executives and practitioners about acrobatics they have been seeing in various vertical sectors during the COVID-19 crisis and the "New normal" they can expect as the economy wakes.

Vertical 248

Vertical Conversion Video Software 248

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2020

For many young professionals, reaching a leadership stance within their respective professional trajectory is an accomplishment worth celebrating. After garnering an extensive education, working diligently to gain pertinent experience, and proverbially cutting their teeth to rise amongst the ranks of a particular company, these young professionals prove to be the most worthy of leadership roles, promotion, and management titles.

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Leadership Technical Review Operations Management 147

Board Effect

JUNE 15, 2020

One of the industries that’s been hit from all angles due to COVID-19 is colleges and universities. Study abroad programs have been affected. Graduations have been canceled. Students can’t access labs or complete board exams. Research programs have had to stop. Hiring for grad students will be more challenging than ever. Student loans will be affected.

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Technical Review Programming Hiring Hosting 52

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2020

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. This approach only makes these important constituents question your integrity, intelligence, and your understanding of business basics. Pointing out flaws in others does not give you strength.

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Intellectual Property Cloud Leadership Global 313

View from Seed

JUNE 16, 2020

We’re in a global pandemic. The simple truth is that all venture capitalists have told their portfolio Founder/CEOs that if they don’t absolutely need to raise capital now that they shouldn’t be out there attempting to do so. Wait. Wait until fall. Wait until 2021. Wait until the situation changes. So why should you follow a different approach?

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Early Stage Venture Capital Portfolio Distribution 227

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 17, 2020

With the world becoming more interconnected through the internet; many business owners are embracing the concept of managing their companies remotely. The recent Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the demand for businesses to diversify or risk losing relevance. While it’s true that any business can adapt to running remotely, it’s nonetheless very different from managing a traditional office.

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Technical Review Hiring Operations B2B 147

Up and Running

JUNE 16, 2020

Starting a food truck business is an attractive alternative to opening a restaurant. The initial costs are significantly lower than opening a traditional restaurant and the popularity of food trucks only continues to grow. This doesn’t mean that food trucks are cheap, though. It can cost anywhere from $5,000 to over $100,000 to open a new truck, so you’ll want to make sure you understand the risks.

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Business Plan Forecast Social Media Cost 161

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2020

Too many entrepreneurs tell me they are looking for an investor, and can’t differentiate between venture capital (VC) investors versus accredited angel investors. They argue that the color of the money is the same from either source. They fail to realize that the considerations are quite different for each, which can make or break their investment efforts, and ultimately their startup.

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Angel Investor Entrepreneur IRR Valuation 314

VC Cafe

JUNE 18, 2020

It seems to be the season for startup lists and the glory hasn’t skipped Israeli startups. This week saw several of them get global recognition. Below are the ‘winners’, who were recognised this past week: World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers 2020. The WEF Technology Pioneers is a prestigious list launched in 2000 that highlights the “future headline-makers addressing global issues with cutting-edge technology” and technologies “using innovations to protec

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Artificial Inteligence Global Startup Algorithm 145

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2020

by Neil Gordon. The first time I ever went to a Chamber of Commerce meeting was also the last time I went to one. It was a fiasco. 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.

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This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 15, 2020

There have been a lot of calls for VC firms to make more hires from the Black and Brown community, as well as to hire more women. Not all hires, however, are made equally. In venture, it’s all about getting an opportunity to make partner and being included in the carry—the economic upside of a fund. Not only is carry a means of economic mobility, but it’s also a reflection of where decision-making authority is within a fund.

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Venture Capital Institutional Investors Later Stage Limited Partner 131

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 17, 2020

I have a few minutes each morning between when I wake up and when I go downstairs to meditate. I do two things during this time: (1) basic hygiene stuff and (2) let whatever thoughts are in my head roll around. This morning I had the following thought. It would be nice to just fast forward to 2025. During some of my recent public talks, I’ve described how the Covid crisis has accelerated work and technology change in a dramatic way.

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Venezuela Technology Video Marketing 112

VC Cafe

JUNE 17, 2020

In a recent series of virtual events organised by FirstMinute Capital, I got to hear Peter Fenton, partner at Benchmark and a fixture of the Forbes Midas List , since 2007. Peter invested in companies like Cloudera, Elastic Search, New Relic and Zuora, to name a few. On the chat, he mentioned a book he recommends to every startup CEO he invests in: The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni.

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Portfolio Conversion Management Restful 135

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 19, 2020

If you’ve not been keeping up with tech news in the last decade, you probably should learn this fact: AI has been completely changing the face of business in the US and around the world. Most new businesses and startups heavily rely on AI to power their products and services, and if you don’t join them, you’ll likely fall behind and lose out on potential revenue.

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Algorithm Security Demand Revenue 234

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 19, 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak has dealt a huge economic blow to China. The country’s supply chains are collapsing, many manufacturing firms have closed down. There is minimal human interaction, and consumer behavior has changed in unprecedented ways. However, as in all known crises, a lot of new business ideas and opportunities have come out of the prevailing crisis.

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China Demand Cloud Social Media 118

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 15, 2020

As I begin to work my way through the NY Times Antiracist Reading List (by Ibram X. Kendi), I thought I’d start with The Blacker The Berry by Wallace Thurman. I started with the Wikipedia page for Wallace Thurman. Langston Hughes described Thurman as “…a strangely brilliant black boy, who had read everything and whose critical mind could find something wrong with everything he read.” Thurman’s dark skin color attracted comment, including negative reactions from both

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Community 108

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 19, 2020

Over the past few months, businesses have realized how important social media has become to their marketing. Companies that previously didn’t have a social media marketing plan have embraced social channels for interacting with clients and offering products. However, social media companies want to go further than that. According to Forbes , Instagram intends to start providing shopping as part of their app experience.

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Social Media Channel Media Sales 112

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 15, 2020

by Anne E. Beall, PhD, CEO and Founder of Beall Research, Inc and author of “ Strategic Market Research: A Guide to Conducting Research that Drives Businesses “ “We’re all in this together.”. “We’ll get through this and emerge stronger.”. By now, the entire nation is familiar with these COVID-19 era mantras that brands are repeating on the airwaves, social media and in stores.

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Marketing Chicago Boston Social Media 213

crowdSPRING Blog

JUNE 17, 2020

Brand awareness and recognition are critically important if you want to grow your business. Today, the best strategy for most businesses to create brand awareness and recognition is to build an online presence and leverage social media. Social media is a direct line to interact with your customers on their turf. And, there’s no doubt that your customers and prospective customers are using social media.

Social Media 111

Social Media Media Matching Internet 111

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 19, 2020

Today, I participated in the Juneteeneth 4.0 Celebration that was hosted by OHUB , ThePlug , and Living Cities and led by Rodney Sampson. In addition to being part of a panel, I made several commitments as part of the #RacialEquityEcosystemPledge. Here’s the fact sheet released by OHUB today. I’ve agreed to: Do a monthly podcast called Equity.District with Rodney on racial equity in entrepreneurial ecosystems and other issues around racial equity in entrepreneurship.

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The Startup Magazine

JUNE 16, 2020

Google AdWords could be a great addition to your marketing strategy. Not every brand is leveraging PPC marketing these days, meaning that it could be a great opportunity to gain an advantage over your competition. Those who have no experience might find it harder simply because it takes a bit of time to learn. But once you get the basics out of the way, you can move on to more complicated stuff.

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PPC Non-Compete Campaign Social Media 111