Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

I recently wrote a post about why I didn’t think early-stage startups should have COOs. What a luxury in a startup to have the number one person in the business get to focus on just strategy? This person can do budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, legal, HR, office moves, etc. I find them strange. What will it do?

Operations 292

Operations CTO Hire Startup Early Stage 292

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Don’t rely on conservative forecasts to reduce risk.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Don’t rely on conservative forecasts to reduce risk.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

Sales forecasting is much easier than you think, and much more useful than you imagine. You review and revise your forecast regularly. Since sales are intimate with costs and expenses, the forecast helps you budget and manage. Since sales are intimate with costs and expenses, the forecast helps you budget and manage.

Forecast 119

Forecast Sales Aggregator Software Review 119

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

This is part of my Startup Advice series. So I was surprised at the sheer volumes of decisions that had to be made when I became a startup CEO. The company had less than $5 million in revenue yet we had a multi-tab spreadsheet doing activity-based costing on our customer service staff, operations and technology.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Fractional CTO Technical Review CTO Hire 414

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

Consumer spending is 70% of the economy and will continue to be stretched – We can look all we want at tech innovation, VC funding cycles and hot M&A deals, but ultimately growth and therefore investment must be underpinned by revenue. The IMF just raised its global growth forecast from 2.5%

Technical Review 269

Technical Review Stock Hawaii Early Stage 269

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

Thoughts on startups by investors that fund them & entrepreneurs that run them. One of my earliest excursions into market research was working for a research firm doing a 1979 forecast on ATMs. Investment and startups problem : we all want disruptive and game-changing businesses. Subscribe by email. Invested Interests.

Startup 180

Startup Forecast Angel Investor Software 180

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 9, 2012

Using your data, here are the basic elements of the projection process, which are measurable by milestones, and can be tracked to show when a re-forecast is required: Start with sizing per-unit profitability. This forecast is really their commitment. The holy grail is break-even, when revenues first catch up with the outflow.

Forecast 238

Forecast Burn Rate .Net Business Model 238

Hunter Walker

JULY 22, 2014

I don’t believe the forecast you show me. You know the one that inevitably has you at $100 million in revenue by Year Three? Just* committing to grow customers or revenue or usage can still create a hollow company. But how to set a forecast? Bottom Up Forecasting. Top Down Forecasting. Yeah, that one.

Forecast 109

Forecast Early Stage Seed Stage Startup 109

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

Forecasting is sometimes done by dragging the mouse based on many assumptions, because it’s hard to predict the future. While there isn’t a single magic number or set formula, understanding industry benchmarks can be really helpful to keep a finger on the pulse to measure the health of the company and make more informed forecasts.

B2C 141

B2C Technical Review Startup Retention 141

Steve Blank

AUGUST 23, 2010

It reminded me of the differences in Customer Discovery between a scalable startup and a big company. The bad news is that the meetings become far more formal and more crowded, than one that a startup would have. So to get new divisions launched large optimistic forecasts are the norm. That’s the good news.

Customer Development 239

Customer Development Developer Customer South America 239

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

Another topic we debated early in the program was “lean startup” vs. “ fat startup ” where we both took the obvious hedge and said “it depends.” But truthfully both Dana and I are more aligned with the lean startup principles and believe you only go FAT when you’ve really proved out your product / market fit.

Partner 240

Partner New York City Cofounder Syndicate 240

Steve Blank

APRIL 1, 2020

So here’s a five-day playbook to help CEOs of cash-flow negative startups, or ones about to go negative, assess the new normal and respond with speed and urgency. Your revenue plans are no longer valid. For companies burning cash, such as startups, how much cash do you have? Forecasted recovery date. External Assessment.

South Korea 334

South Korea Salary Business Model China 334

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 27, 2022

Running your own business is incredibly liberating and fulfilling, but it can also be a particularly challenging journey, especially considering the large percentage of startups that fail during their first year. As long as you remain resilient in the face of adversity, you will be able to reap the rewards of long-term startup success.

Startup 149

Startup Australia Web Development Forecast 149

VC Cafe

JANUARY 24, 2021

“It follows that the goal of forecasting is not to see what’s coming. It is to advance the interests of the forecaster and the forecaster’s tribe.” As a fan of prediction lists, I collected a number of interesting reports and expert forecasts for 2021 in the spaces we cover at Remagine Ventures. Fortnite alone made $1.8

Technical Review 207

Technical Review Audio Forecast Social Media 207

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 17, 2020

Michael Majeed is quick to note the vast numbers of new startups that launch each year on the Canadian landscape, and he’s keenly interested in helping young business owners make the most of their opportunities, especially when it comes to their finances. An accountant by background, he enjoys helping clients receive substantial tax refunds.

Finance 217

Finance Forecast Balance Sheet Angel Investor 217

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 28, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Lessons. Our sales forecasts were revised downward – many times. I know that we haven’t brought in revenue as quickly as we had hoped. They haven’t hit their revenue targets. Building companies is hard work. But still we made progress. But here is the problem.

PR 331

PR Software Review Ireland Germany 331

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

Over time you start to figure out who you customers are and how to sell to them or how to get them to adopt your products if you’re a consumer-oriented startup. And I’ve also been convinced that it can be quite useful to have another startup company CEO on your board. How to build a great forecast.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Early Stage Software Review Los Angeles 325

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. My first startup was no different. These days there are even startups like SalesCrunch to make this easier for all of us. This is why I tell startups that most seasoned sales execs aren’t right for startups.

Sales 316

Sales Technical Review Matching Hiring 316

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2016

In fact, investors recognize that founders usually learn more from mistakes than from success, so a well-explained startup failure can improve their odds of funding the next time around. As an active angel investor and startup advisor, I’ve seen many of the same stumbling blocks repeated all too many times.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Forecast Angel Investor 120

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

For manufacturing startups, here are several ways to achieve effective supply chain management: Understand Your Supply Chain Elements. Too many startups mistakenly believe that their “widget” comes from one source. trillion in profits due to cost-saving and increased revenues.

Management 145

Management Los Angeles Forecast San Francisco 145

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2013

As the end of the year approaches, it’s a good time for every startup to assess the metrics, technology, and platforms they’re using to manage the business. For example, sales productivity is simply actual revenue divided by the number of sales people. annual review business entrepreneur metrics startup' Size of gross margin.

Metrics 252

Metrics Technical Review Retention Acquisition 252

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2018

The entrepreneur who founded and grew the largest startup in the world to $10 billion in revenue and got fired is someone you have probably never heard of. Durant took his money from his carriage company and bought a struggling automobile startup called Buick. And a founder of Neuralink a brain-computer interface startup.

Michigan 301

Michigan Cofounder Stock Forecast 301

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Similarly, customers are more knowledgeable, aware, and conscious to choose from the variety out there, which slows down the company’s revenue and growth. Nearly Accurate Forecasts: One of the most significant advantages of data-driven decision making and planning is getting more credible forecasts.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Forecast Analytics Social Media 158

Up and Running

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Develop a forecast: Basic forecasts and budgets are critical; And tracking them is even more so. This form of planning condensed the business model onto one page and is most useful for high-growth, technically focused startups (think Silicon Valley). Do startups have a manual? Lean Planning is born.

Lean 147

Lean Silicon Valley Forecast Technical Review 147

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

The past year was a wild ride for startups and founders, giving a whole new meaning to the ”rollercoaster” aspect of being an entrepreneur. A combination of competition for top talent and an effort to bring employees back to the office drove startups in Israel to throw extravagant parties and all-inclusive retreats abroad.

Founder 187

Founder Startup Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 187

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Don’t rely on conservative forecasts to reduce risk.

Startup 120

Startup Forecast Stock Options Technical Review 120

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

The point here is not to do a granular forecast of revenue or number of users/customers, but to put a stake in the ground so investors understand what you believe is achievable with X amount of resources given Y timeframe.

Part-Time VPE 195

Part-Time VPE Seed Stage CTO Hire Forecast 195

Up and Running

APRIL 22, 2020

They often require that you’ve been in business for a couple of years, or, when do they lend to new companies or startups, they generally expect the owners to have experience in the industry. Many startups are small, local businesses with hopes of eventually rapidly scaling—but they’re still establishing a track record.

SBA 139

SBA Forecast Software Review Business Plan 139

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 5, 2024

They also assist with revenue management by analyzing market trends and optimizing rental rates. It is forecasted to soar to $26 billion by 2033. Diversify Revenue Streams Think beyond just rental fees. You might want to contemplate providing supplementary services to create extra revenue channels.

Security 147

Security Technical Review Operations Revenue 147

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Don’t rely on conservative forecasts to reduce risk.

Forecast 161

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 161

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

It’s that time of year when Startup CEOs are building their 2022 Revenue Plan. If they are optimists like me, they can forecast growth rates and get motivated about how big the startup can become. If they fall behind on their sales recruiting numbers, they understand how that will impact revenue targets two quarters out.

Revenue 72

Revenue Retention Forecast Sales 72

VC Cafe

JULY 21, 2022

The global games and services market is forecast to reach $188 billion in 2022, a 1.2% forecasted decline year on year according to research from Ampere Analysis after two years of massive growth. While mobile game revenue was down 6.6% Typically, a large percentage of the funding raised by gaming startups goes to marketing.

Forecast 190

Forecast IP Mobile Acquisition 190

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 8, 2023

million people and generate monthly revenue. 2 Brainstorming, Forecasting, and Modeling Brainstorming within an expert team can be as effective as monitoring market trends. Most startups are driven by high-end technology, innovations, and agile testing, with the help of which new trends are being born.

eCommerce 185

eCommerce Technical Review Software Review Analytics 185

The Startup Magazine

MAY 7, 2024

Planning For The Future Forecasting is crucial in small businesses’ strategic tax planning and financial stability. By anticipating future revenue, expenses, and business growth, owners can make informed decisions that minimize tax liabilities and leverage tax benefits.

Small Business 156

Small Business Software Review Technical Review Limited Liability Company 156

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 24, 2024

Improving the Efficiency of the Sales Process Improving the sales process impacts revenue growth by making it more efficient and effective. Improved forecasting methods also aid in predicting market changes, allowing retailers to stay ahead of the competition.

Operations 167

Operations Software Forecast Software Improvement 167

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Yet every business requires revenue and volumes, as certainly as it requires a product to sell. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Forecast 369

Forecast Burn Rate Startup Widget 369