Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

billion for a company with less than $50 million in sales. Wouldn’t younger VCs with the incentive to climb the ranks internally be better champions of one’s startup and more likely to want to fuel growth, regardless of the exit strategy? My own metric is that you need experience >= 1.5 Warning sign?

Silicon Valley 237

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 237

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

To keep you on a positive track with potential investors, I recommend the following logic principles, to balance your passion in presenting your vision of a new business: Make sure your plan includes some business metrics. Present a viable exit strategy for investors to cash out.

Exit Strategy 406

Exit Strategy Merger Angel Investor IPO 406

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Once you identify your ideal customer, you can tailor your marketing and sales plan to that person. Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Software Review 154

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan. Sometimes you can increase sales by upselling and cross-selling , or offering complementary services.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Berkonomics

JANUARY 16, 2014

Create roles and guidelines in the potential partnership: What role and responsibility will each of the partners have including operation, financial, sales, marketing, etc.? Perform preliminary due diligence: Review the business plan including marketing, sales strategies and financial needs. Is it by committee?

Technical Review 81

Technical Review Due Diligence Exit Strategy Partner 81

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Financial forecast and metrics. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Financial forecast and metrics. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so they can get their due return for that investment which has been tied up for the last few years. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Exit Strategy 248

Exit Strategy Valuation Acquisition Metrics 248

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2018

Tailor your marketing and sales plan to attract more people like your ideal customer. Components of this section include: Your marketing and sales plan. Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Marketing and sales plan. Key customers.

El Paso 61

El Paso Business Plan Technical Review Forecast 61

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team.

Exit Strategy 288

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 288

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

Marketing and sales plan. The target market section of your subscription box business plan identifies which subset of people you will focus your marketing and sales plan on. Creating a buyer persona puts you in the customer’s shoes to guide marketing and sales decisions. Marketing and sales plan. Operations.

Business Plan 63

Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Financial forecast and metrics. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

I previously posted a detailed presentation with sales technology tools useful for B2B sales. Many VC funds rely on general-purpose CRM and sales funnel solutions like Copper , Pipedrive, Salesforce , Streak , and ZenDesk. She is a model for us all! 5) Manage relationships (CRM). I used Ipreo heavily at one of my prior VC funds.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Hearpreneur

JULY 20, 2018

I was at a crossroads in my career and debating about starting my own sales and marketing consulting business. In my refreshed state, I reviewed what others said I had accomplished which was; empowering businesses with the ability to manifest sales results. NorthSide Metrics is a digital marketing agency based in the Chicagoland area.

Naming 81

Naming OTC Entrepreneur PPC 81

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Estimate your basic expenses and forecast sales to ensure that you can make a profit with your business. Create a marketing and sales plan. Outline key milestones and metrics. A strong brand is the key to customer loyalty and higher sales. Sales forecast. Know your exit strategy. Validate your idea.

Elevator Pitch 60

Elevator Pitch Startup Balance Sheet Forecast 60

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Describe your market penetration strategy, sales channels, pricing, and strategic partnerships. Financial forecast and metrics. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

An investor had few hard metrics other than the actual financials, and little technology to make the process scaleable. Over the past few decades, better metrics became available, and investors could take a more analytical, data-driven approach. is an AI bot which helps companies refine their sales pitch to VCs. Pitchbot.vc

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

Reid Hoffman

JULY 23, 2020

This week, I’d like to turn to the question of how current market conditions affect the approach entrepreneurs should take towards their exit strategy. The larger company has to decide, “What you do is key to one of my strategies, so I’ll buy you.” That focus on short-term financial metrics is shortsighted.

IPO 36

IPO Exit Strategy Acquisition Technical Review 36

The Next Web

MAY 26, 2013

There’s no magic metric in software startups (so don’t let anyone convince you there is). That said, it’s crucial to have a core KPI (key performance indicator) to benchmark your progress, and it’s typically ideal that such a metric be a revenue lever. Understand your sales funnel.

Software 151

Software Forecast Startup Exit Strategy 151

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team.

Exit Strategy 155

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 155

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so they can get their due return for that investment which has been tied up for the last few years. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Startup Valuation Acquisition 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

Customers may be attracted to your marketing message, but investors look harder at the startup team, seeking superior expertise in the key areas of growing a business, product domain, financial, marketing and sales. Specific elements of your marketing and sales plans. Potential investor return calculation and exit strategy.

Product 120

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Burn Rate 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. For progress and success assessment, each of these needs some metrics defined, a training plan, and responsibility assignments within your team.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 120

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

When you put together a business plan, you have to spend time thinking about things like your target market , your sales, and marketing strategy , the problem you solve for your customers, and who your key competitors are. If you have “traction” in the form of early sales and customers, that’s even better. An exit strategy.

Business Plan 138

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Exit Strategy 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

Investors look for sales at full price, to people you don’t know, to validate demand, price, and margin. Show an aggressive marketing and sales plan. The smart ones identify and budget innovative approaches, and use metrics to tools to monitor effectiveness. Build a long-term growth strategy and exit plan.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy 120

BeyondVC

DECEMBER 23, 2003

As with any smart executive who cares about the value of equity, the question I am often asked is, “What is your exit strategy.” However, if you try to force it and shop your company, that shows a sign of weakness and more often than not will result in a fire sale. Remember, companies are bought and not sold.

Exit Strategy 78

Exit Strategy Balance Sheet IPO Valuation 78

BeyondVC

DECEMBER 23, 2003

As with any smart executive who cares about the value of equity, the question I am often asked is, “What is your exit strategy.” However, if you try to force it and shop your company, that shows a sign of weakness and more often than not will result in a fire sale. Remember, companies are bought and not sold.

Exit Strategy 68

Exit Strategy Balance Sheet IPO Valuation 68

Gust

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

The company was relisted on AMEX, financial performance and traffic metrics improved, and its stock price climbed from about $2/share in July 2004 to $12/share cash offered a year later by FIM, a newly created unit of News Corporation. Part of the deal was bringing in a new CEO, Richard Rosenblatt.

Valuation 98

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Merger Vesting 98

Up and Running

OCTOBER 1, 2014

Statdragon is a Saas platform that allows businesses to access and analyze metrics about their existing videos and optimize their video marketing strategy. Nelson suggests creating a projected sales forecast and planning how you’ll achieve it, realizing of course that you’ll make adjustments to these numbers as you grow.

Bootstrapping 107

Bootstrapping Cofounder Portland Burn Rate 107

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Just don’t invest the time in creating a lengthy version of your business plan with overly detailed metrics and milestones for the next five-plus years. Sales and expense projections that far into the future are just wild guesses, especially for startups and new businesses. What kinds of high-level sales targets do you hope to achieve?

Business Plan 83

Business Plan Lean Forecast Exit Strategy 83

Up and Running

MAY 22, 2018

Demonstrating to investors that you have a handle on key business metrics as they relate to your business model and forecast is essential. If you don’t want to get into the core of accounting, at least make sure you know and understand how to calculate the important financial metrics. Nerdy term: Sales lifecycle.

Exit Strategy 90

Exit Strategy Angel Investor Search Elevator Pitch 90

Up and Running

AUGUST 19, 2015

Yet, in our haste to make a sale, we often fail to ask ourselves this question at the outset. In my business, I always tell my clients that they are going to get increased revenue and profitability opportunities, enhanced prestige in their markets, and the chance to significantly reduce their sales cycles.

Small Business 60

Small Business Audience Exit Strategy Sales Cycle 60

market-by-numbers.com

DECEMBER 7, 2009

The driving force helps shape technology choices, importance of design, market segment, and business model as well as company culture, growth plan and exit strategy. one component of the business is the driving force of the strategy — the company’s so-called DNA. Examples include Steel, Oil refineries, printing.

San Diego 40

San Diego RSS Lean Elevator Pitch 40

Duct Tape Marketing

DECEMBER 3, 2019

So being together and obviously the company’s grown a lot, but the principles and just the passion and values around growing a business the right way where there really, truly is no exit strategy and we’re in it for the long run and focusing on our customers and our employee experience. ” You want to talk about that?

SMS 51

SMS Metrics SEO Cloud 51

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

Are you landing a big sale? If you say in year one I’m going to do one hundred thousand in sales or, a million in sales or whatever it might be. Food, technology, bioscience, services, you need to know the metrics for your model. These are the metrics for the SaaS model that we have. How much is going to sales?

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Exit Strategy 60

Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

JUNE 19, 2010

The biggest deal I’ve ever done was a sale of a $100,000 website. Either as an exit strategy or as a profit strategy, buying and selling websites is an option for everyone in this room, especially if you want to maybe leave a marketplace and you’ve got a website that’s making money.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Software Review Prospectus Audience 76