Steve Blank

JANUARY 5, 2023

We just wrapped up the second year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class – now part of our Stanford Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. government agencies, our federal research labs, and government contractors no longer have exclusive access to these advanced technologies.

Technical Review 376

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Technology China 376

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The market was down considerably with public valuations down 53–79% across the four sectors we were reviewing (it is since down even further). ==> Aside, we also have a NEW LA-based partner I’m thrilled to announce: Nick Kim. First in late-stage tech companies and then it will filter back to Growth and then A and ultimately Seed Rounds.

Technical Review 416

Technical Review Pre-Money Valuation San Francisco Valuation 416

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Some pundits argue that the E-Myth principle is now outdated, due to the instant access to information via the Internet, pervasive networking via social media, and courses on entrepreneurship at all levels of education. The Technician’s Perspective envisions the business in parts, constructed from the bottom up, based on technical tasks.

Technical Review 341

Technical Review Social Media Startup Internet 341

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. Some startups do nothing to prepare for the due diligence process, assuming the people and business plan documents will speak for themselves.

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Angel Investor 380

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Third-party risk management is the discipline of managing risks like these to prevent, or at least mitigate, any potential damage to your operation. A strong third-party risk management strategy will increase transparency, streamline operations, and cut costs. Ins and Outs of Third-Party Risk Management.

Software Review 264

Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence Management 264

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

View from Seed

APRIL 14, 2020

This led to a number of repercussions that most VC’s have lamented during this time, including higher prices, larger rounds, shoddy due diligence, and many companies raising large sums of venture capital that probably aren’t suited to VC funding. Firms will start to torture founders with endless diligence requests.

Early Stage 374

Early Stage Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence 374

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2021

A closer analysis often indicates the cause to be a lack of diligence in handling common business finances. If you fail to pay a cash obligation when it is due, the business is technically insolvent. Entrepreneurs should sign every check and manage cash personally, rather than delegate this task to anyone.

Technical Review 379

Technical Review Finance Startup Salary 379

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

MAY 22, 2020

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. How complex is the capitalization table? When did this effort really start, including pivots?

Technical Review 436

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 436

View from Seed

APRIL 6, 2021

You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have unbounded curiosity for emerging trends, a love for experimentation, and you’re always eager to dive into new products and technologies before others do.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Software Review Seed Stage Cofounder 317

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 13, 2020

The global lockdown, due to the pandemic, has forced companies to digitize their operations. Boasting extensive experience in technology, engineering, and research, Simone coordinates the TourScanner team, leading the strategy, business, fundraising, administration, and product management departments.

Technical Review 278

Technical Review United States China Cofounder 278

The Startup Magazine

MAY 1, 2023

Modern technology has made it possible for fleet managers to optimize operations, streamline vehicle acquisition, and leverage telematics innovations to their advantage. By adopting advanced technologies and data-driven strategies, companies can optimize their fleet operations and stay ahead of the competition.

Technical Review 154

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Management Software Review 154

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 4, 2023

We’ll explore the latest and most effective management techniques and strategies managers can use to retain their best employees and build a stronger, more engaged workforce. It’s an important metric for employers & managers because high turnover is often expensive and disruptive for the organization. So, let’s get started.

Employee 192

Employee Management Software Review Technical Review 192

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of discussion about bringing the work back home, since costs have gone up in less-developed countries, there are issues with intellectual property, and time zone and language differences make management difficult. Internal services, like marketing and accounting, are more manageable and have less customer visibility.

Intellectual Property 306

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Technical Review 306

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Leaders are judged on key elements of execution, including a focus on priorities, ensuring clear accountability, managing decision making, mobilizing others, adapting quickly, and communicating execution urgency. Good performance management is more about rewarding desirable behavior than penalizing bad performance.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

Leaders are judged on key elements of execution, including a focus on priorities, ensuring clear accountability, managing decision making, mobilizing others, adapting quickly, and communicating execution urgency. Good performance management is more about rewarding desirable behavior than penalizing bad performance.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 2, 2024

Many firms are drawn to the region for its combination of technical expertise and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, cultural compatibility and similar time zones make it easier for companies to manage projects efficiently. Their familiarity with advanced technologies and frameworks like Node.js

Europe 167

Europe Software Developers Software Development Technical Review 167

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks to save money, are recipes for failure. The challenge is to avoid the bad risks, while actively seeking and managing the smart risks. Risk is more manageable with subscriptions and even freemium pricing.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

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

View from Seed

JULY 6, 2020

You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have unbounded curiosity for emerging trends, a love for experimentation, and you’re always eager to dive into new products and technologies before others do.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Software Review Hiring Seed Stage 257

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

We all just need your help in managing personal data correctly, and making sure you are part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Market your solution and user benefits, not the mysterious technology behind it. That challenge is a major business opportunity, as well as a risk, for startups. Don’t take shortcuts on these.

Technical Review 342

Technical Review Customer Social Network Software Review 342

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

If you are the hot-shot technical innovator that invented your solution, make sure you have an equally adept business and marketing expert to complement your skills. “If Bill Gates was the technical genius, but Steve Ballmer, from Procter & Gamble, ran the business side of the equation. The market is unpredictable and changes fast.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

This post previously appeared in the Harvard Business Review. But these look for founders who have a technical or business model insight and a team. Accelerators provide these teams with technical and business expertise and connect them to a network of other founders and advisors. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Of course, we all realize that this approach will take longer, and could jeopardize both roles if not managed effectively. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Set expectations accordingly.

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

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

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 14, 2023

Yet, we know tech startups will weather the storm. For startups that sell to businesses, however, this pain creates new opportunities as forward-thinking companies look for permanent, technical solutions to these cyclical problems. An odd feature of the current downturn is the persistently tight labor market.

Technical Review 148

Technical Review Ukraine Software Review ChatGPT 148

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2021

Every technical entrepreneur is an early adopter of technology, so naturally they build things with people like themselves in mind. In fact, it’s all about understanding the differences between early adopters and mainstream customers, and managing your own marketing and development efforts to cross this deadly chasm.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Product Customer Restful 294

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Of course, we all realize that this approach will take longer, and could jeopardize both roles if not managed effectively. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Set expectations accordingly.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 12, 2020

This article will discuss what a content management system is, its benefits, and other details. What is a Content Management System? A content management system (CMS) enables businesses or content creators to manage their digital content. Let’s start with its definition. Businesses moving to online.

Technical Review 246

Technical Review Architecture Software Review Demand 246

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2020

When McDonald’s was still a small company, Ray Kroc, the CEO, had a penchant for asking a store manager to help him clean up trash in their parking lot. The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. Then it extends to the hiring process.

Technical Review 308

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 308

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. While this approach appears to cost more on the surface, it often actually costs you less, when you consider the hidden costs of rework, poor customer satisfaction, employee management, and training required.

Technical Review 308

Technical Review Due Diligence Startup Employee 308

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

Here are my recommendations for training and managing your team to keep their delivery memorable for customers, as well as profitable for your business: Hire team members who enjoy customer interaction. Provide training, tools, and required decision authority.

Customer 369

Customer Technical Review Metrics Employee 369

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

by Aaron Adlem, Managing Director at Mercury IT Solutions UK. With a nation-wide reliance on remote working schemes calling for countless employees to carry out the business’ essential processes from their own homes – proficient IT support and management has never been so important. Data Storage and Management.

Technical Review 246

Technical Review Software Review Security Agile 246

TechEmpower

JULY 24, 2023

At TechEmpower, we frequently talk to startup founders, CEOs, product leaders, and other innovators about their next big tech initiative. After all, that’s what tech innovation is all about. Do you have a custom algorithm or other technology? Content Management How often will the application’s content need to change?

Developer 520

Developer Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 520

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Source Leverage Advanced Technologies Harnessing advanced technologies can transform how startups operate and compete. For this type of company, using AI inventory management systems can be particularly beneficial. Reviewing customer feedback about competitors also sheds light on market expectations and common complaints.

Technical Review 145

Technical Review Startup Differentiation Social Media 145

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Today we’re announcing that my partner Kara Nortman is becoming Co-Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome her to her new role. Marketing, recruiting, building data products & tools, event management, analyzing the portfolio, etc. She had all of the skills and traits we sought?

Partner 361

Partner Management Cofounder San Francisco 361