Steve Blank

DECEMBER 9, 2020

We just held our sixteenth session of our new national security class Technology, Innovation and Modern War. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed a class to examine the new military systems, operational concepts and doctrines that will emerge from 21st century technologies – Space, Cyber, AI & Machine Learning and Autonomy.

Acquisition 333

Acquisition Technical Review Technology Government 333

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

They look at your track record, industry leadership, marketing energy, moral values, and peer relationships. Quality of your technical and business teams. In this context, it’s always important to do your own due diligence on every potential investor, and not wait for them to come to you. You need to do the same now.

Valuation 368

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 368

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

New entrepreneurs, especially technical ones, are excited by early adopters, and tend to focus on their feedback, which will always suggest more product features and options. One person can build a product, but it takes a dedicated team, with strong leadership, to build a business. Focus first on finding more of the right customers.

Technical Review 400

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 11, 2020

We just held our seventeenth session of our new national security class Technology, Innovation and Modern War. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed a class to examine the new military systems, operational concepts and doctrines that will emerge from 21st century technologies – Space, Cyber, AI & Machine Learning and Autonomy.

Technical Review 369

Technical Review Taiwan Technology Design 369

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. In the investment community, these leadership elements are often called “goodwill.” Execution leadership. Leadership brand development.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. In the investment community, these leadership elements are often called “goodwill.” Execution leadership. Leadership brand development.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

I saw this challenge highlighted well in a new book, “ Leadership Skills that Inspire Incredible Results ,” by Fred Halstead. Even if you can learn and do everything, time is a killer in this rapidly evolving world of business and technology. You need to divide and conquer. Not trusting key team members to get required results.

Leadership 241

Leadership Technical Review Due Diligence Founder 241

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

Technical skills are important, but your ability to build and nurture relationships with others is more important for leadership growth and career advancement today. Businesses today include an increasing diversity of team members, as well as customers, due to remote work and a global market.

Leadership 304

Leadership Technical Review Social Media Global 304

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2022

Fortunately, it’s a skill you can start to develop at any stage in your career, which will pay off now, as well as in future leadership roles. Especially when team members can’t see you due to remote work or industry activities, may sure they know what you are doing and why. Be visible and communicate regularly with the team.

Leadership 297

Leadership Technical Review Startup Social Media 297

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Most of us have blind spots in our ability to build a business, due to lack of experience, too much ego, over-confidence, or unjustified faith in a subordinate. If I suggest your technology needs validation in the market before scaling, it’s fair to ask how long and how expensive that test could be.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership Search 317

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Too many entrepreneurs I know start by highlighting their new technology , and assume that it will sell itself. Unfortunately, technology doesn’t create a vision, and usually frightens customers away, unless they understand the vision and value first. Every balanced leader does marketing early.

Technical Review 332

Technical Review Metrics Leadership Technology 332

deal architect

APRIL 15, 2020

Alex Shootman, CEO of Workfront is one of my favorite tech execs because he is always positive - and that in an authentic way. I had enjoyed his book, Done Right (my review here) because he had so many examples.

Technical Review 326

Technical Review Leadership Conversion 326

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Eventually you need a VP of Product to handle your product roadmap, a CTO for engineering leadership and VPs of sales, marketing & biz dev. The “span of control” for a growing tech startup is probably 6-9 people. You help them prioritize their objectives and review the results. Leadership Startup Lessons'

CTO Hire 385

CTO Hire Entrepreneur Technical Review Leadership 385

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2020

As an angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. Under the stresses of a startup, visible leadership cues can make the difference between success and failure. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 308

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 308

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Actually, building and nurturing the right team is the hard part, requiring communication, hiring, and leadership.

Intellectual Property 432

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Technical Review Angel Investor 432

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Here I often find that you need to seek and work with a co-founder who can complement your technical skills with financial and marketing to start the business. You probably delegated a few things to keep these people earning their paychecks, but you are still reviewing and approving everything that comes in and out of your company.

Leadership 248

Leadership Technical Review Cofounder Social Media 248

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 3, 2020

According to the US job report from the labor department, US employers have given off nearly 30 million positions from payrolls due to the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown. Empathic Business Leadership. The post The Need For Empathic Business Leadership In The COVID Environment appeared first on Young Upstarts.

Leadership 189

Leadership Technical Review Java Software Review 189

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2013

We will have to build (or buy) technology in this area.” The thing is … what I see many sales execs do is burn up countless hours on mid-level campaigns that get torpedoed when the go up the organization due to lack of budget, a desire to own that core IP or other more pressing organization priorities.

Sales Cycle 375

Sales Cycle Sales Technical Review Campaign 375

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

In my view, the quality of incubator leadership is the single biggest potential value provided and learning opportunity for entrepreneurs. Every successful incubator has strong leadership and staff with business and investment credentials. Expert mentoring and training. Facilities support. Learn by doing. Marty Zwilling.

Incubator 366

Incubator Technical Review Due Diligence Venture Capital 366

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We did a full-court press led by Steven because once we decided this was the team we wanted to work with and this opportunity mapped to our belief system that content + tech will build a generation of great Internet companies. Tech Market Analysis Upfront Ventures' Ability to build without a massive budget. And Seriously.

Technical Review 373

Technical Review North America Los Angeles Cofounder 373

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

As an angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. Under the stresses of a startup, visible leadership cues can make the difference between success and failure. Marty Zwilling

Technical Review 269

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 269

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

According to a classic survey conducted by Dimensional Research for Zendesk , 90 percent of respondents asserted that positive online reviews influenced buying decisions, and 86 percent admitted buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews. It all starts with agile leadership.

Agile 379

Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 379

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Heralding a new era of digital transformation, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are being infused exponentially into the world around us. Most notably, the ground-breaking development and rapid global distribution of mRNA vaccines highlighted the speed and scale of technological advances to outsmart humanity’s most dire threats.

Artificial Inteligence 166

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Global Technology 166

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2011

After 10 minutes I felt like we were old buddies because we had both been through the trenches of startup tech land and had had similar experiences. Leadership – It’s hard to be a real leader. Whether they succeed or not does not defeat their leadership and willingness to try. For the good of your people.

Leadership 418

Leadership Technical Review Software Review PR 418

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Get outside the company regularly to get feedback on future customer needs, emerging technologies, and the views of influencers and experts in the field. Connect operations today with long-term goals.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. To win in this environment, you may need to expand your leadership in industry conferences and community activities. Incent these early.

Product 354

Product Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Dividend 354

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Abraham Gin, an entrepreneur, business coach, and CEO of Gin Consulting Group , which provides unique leadership development and training platforms. Abraham serves his clients with both forward-looking business growth strategy and digital marketing through leadership applications partners. What problems does it solve?

Leadership 167

Leadership Founder Technical Review Entrepreneur 167

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

I have personally used this approach in leading startups as well as large organizations, in highly technical roles as well as business development and marketing. If you are always hard to find, too busy or unavailable behind closed doors, no leadership or mentoring relationship can work effectively.

Elevator Pitch 386

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Dividend Leadership 386

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2022

I recommend you review the business startup experiences of some successful entrepreneurs with a heavy military influence, such as R.Riveter, which landed $100,000 from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank a while back, to enlist military spouses from across the country to make fashion handbag components.

Technical Review 313

Technical Review Marketing Social Media Leadership 313

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Mentoring should happen every single day, not just a few times a year during performance reviews. They may think they aren’t as good as others or as prepared as others to assume a leadership role. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. Mentor in the moment?

Technical Review 204

Technical Review North America Texas Employee 204

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Many companies don’t reach the next phase either because their leadership doesn’t adapt as an organization or because they don’t design processes that lead to scaled outcomes.

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

All of us are struggling to keep up in this age of technological acceleration, where we learn every day that we can’t trust links in our email, marketing guarantees, or phone requests from people we don’t know. I’m sure that all of you recognize that the technology available for marketing has changed. Take your first step today.

Customer 433

Customer B2C Technical Review Social Media 433

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

This is largely due to callers craving human interaction. Invest in tech. As we have all experienced, tech during lockdown has boomed with the use of tools like Zoom, Google meets, and Microsoft teams. As we have all experienced, tech during lockdown has boomed with the use of tools like Zoom, Google meets, and Microsoft teams.

Customer 279

Customer Technical Review Social Media Leadership 279

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

These days, with markets and technology changing so rapidly, it’s impossible to verify an innovation before taking it to market. When people change, due to new leadership, new motivation, or business changes, innovations occur, which can lead to culture change, rather than the other way around.

Technical Review 431

Technical Review Leadership Operations Networking 431

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 1, 2015

As president I had to convince a bunch of college-age students to pay dues, turn up at weekly meetings, manage budgets, doing community service and avoid the kind of behavior that might make your organization defunct. I learned about leadership again in my first job out of school. The hardest leadership challenge is in the home.

Leadership 150

Leadership Technical Review Developer Hiring 150