Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

I second his list of top innovation challenges and strategies to capitalize on untapped global startup opportunities: Create new markets rather than disrupt existing ones. Even here, Elon Musk faced this issue with Tesla, needing a support ecosystem as well as new technology. Target a global market rather than a local from day one.

Global 345

Global Silicon Valley Marketing Indonesia 345

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

As a frequent advisor to new entrepreneurs and startups, I often hear your frustration with being treated differently from other startups by investors, on expectations for valuation , traction, and market size. On the other hand, if the market is super-hot, many will be willing to jump in to make your case.

Artificial Inteligence 436

Artificial Inteligence Marketing Valuation Startup 436

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 7, 2013

This is the fifth article in a series on novel ideas for SaaS metrics, which started with The unprofitable SaaS business model trap , COC: a new metric for cancellations , The mistake of 1/c in LTV , and SSEBITDA: Steady-state profit metric. Metrics summarize tons of processes, causes, and effects into a single number.

Metrics 244

Metrics Technical Review Revenue Cost 244

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. Every business and brand has unique requirements to fit into their market environment. Stable and friendly work environment.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

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.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

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. Every business and brand has unique requirements to fit into their market environment. Stable and friendly work environment.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

ConversionXL

JULY 22, 2021

The technical elements of your website’s SEO are crucial to search performance. In this article, you’ll learn how to conduct a technical SEO audit to find and fix issues in your website’s structure. Using a technical SEO audit to improve your SEO performance. Think of a technical SEO audit as a website health check.

Technical Review 162

Technical Review SEO Software Review XML 162

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Most of the entrepreneurs I meet as an investor and advisor have no shortage of right-brain thinking, showing vision and creativity, but often don’t realize that their potential is being limited by a balancing focus on results, metrics, and customer specifics. Every balanced leader does marketing early.

Technical Review 332

Technical Review Metrics Leadership Technology 332

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

As a consumer, I rarely pay attention to your marketing pitch, but I certainly always remember a exceptionally positive total experience with your team, based on a memorable set of interactions from first contact to discussions with friends. Incentives should be a combination of metrics and recognition to highlight results.

Customer 369

Customer Technical Review Metrics Employee 369

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

This post previously appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Three types of organizations – Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Studios – have emerged to reduce the risk of early-stage startup failure by helping teams find product/market fit and raise initial capital. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

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. How will you be taking this to market? What are your key Startup Metrics ? Do you have a custom algorithm or other technology?

Developer 520

Developer Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 520

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2012

A closer analysis often indicates the cause to be a lack of diligence in handling common business finances. A required metric is average days to payment compared to expected. If you fail to pay a cash obligation when it is due, the business is technically insolvent. This difference will kill your profit margin.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Startup Finance Cost 273

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

When polled 88% of marketing professionals said they couldn’t accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and the majority said lack of ROI measurement is their single greatest frustration with social media (Forbes). Clicks are also a simple measure that you can get from basic link tracking packages.

Technical Review 307

Technical Review Marketing SEM Campaign 307

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

There are obvious reasons the industry has had less-than-desirable returns, including: massive over-funding of the sector, huge increases in inexperienced venture capitalists that took a decade to peter out, and the massive correction in the value of the public stock markets that closed many exit opportunities for half a decade.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

A closer analysis often indicates the cause to be a lack of diligence in handling common business finances. A required metric is average days to payment compared to expectations. If you fail to pay a cash obligation when it is due, the business is technically insolvent. This difference will kill your profit margin.

Technical Review 251

Technical Review Entrepreneur Salary Finance 251

Steve Blank

AUGUST 21, 2013

In the real world a big pivot in life sciences far down the road of development is a very bad sign due to huge sunk costs. Other pivots involved moving from a platform technology to become a product supplier, moving from a therapeutic drug to a diagnostic or moving from a device that required a PMA to one that required a 510(k).

SBIR 321

SBIR Technical Review Lean Startup 321

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 25, 2020

Knowingly or unknowingly email has become a big part of our lives and that is why when it comes to marketing, email is the king. Email marketing is all about informing, influencing, and gaining the loyalty of a contact base that’s interested in your product or services. Email marketing works wonders when it is personalised.

Email 232

Email Sales Marketing Campaign 232

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

Compelling in the sense that you solve a real problem a target group of potential customers has with a product that is significantly better than the alternatives on that market. In my opinion no amount of clever marketing or chest beating at conferences can create a market if you don’t have an amazing product to begin with.

Technical Review 401

Technical Review Startup Business Model Non-Compete 401

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

Thus, brokers should regularly review resources provided by authoritative bodies like the FMCSA to ensure they meet all necessary legal standards. Utilizing Technology to Optimize Operations Technology is pivotal in streamlining freight brokerage operations in today’s digital age.

Developer 130

Developer Technical Review Software Review Reputation 130

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

get the attention of the market they choose. On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth. When it comes to the technology ecosystem, clusters are vital.

Las Vegas 309

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Arizona Montana 309

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

Exactly what is that customer experience that every modern marketer is talking about, and how do you measure it? Show how production workflow software expands customer reach, streamlines processes and reduce costs, rather than merely introducing the latest technology. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.”

Customer 213

Customer Product Technical Review Marketing 213

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

They don’t realize that these are still rare, require a large risk, and may not be the best way to keep up with change in the market. As an alternative, I usually recommend more incremental innovation , derived from recognized market changes, done on a regular basis, without the big-bang expectation.

Technical Review 252

Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review Metrics 252

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 4, 2025

Key Takeaways Discover why short-form video is revolutionizing brand marketing. What is Short-Form Video Marketing? In the fast-paced digital age, platforms like TikTok spearhead a revolution in how brands engage with consumers through short-form video marketing. Learn key strategies for crafting engaging content.

Video 103

Video Marketing Audience Social Media 103

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

A version of this article is in the Harvard Business Review. Uber , Zenefits , Tanium , Lending Club CEOs of companies with billion dollar market caps have been in the news – and not in a good way. Technology cycles have become a treadmill, and for startups to survive they need to be on a continuous innovation cycle.

Founder 281

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 281

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. Strategic threats, including new competitors, market changes, and environmental issues need deeper analysis and full resolution, before they jeopardize your business survival. Don’t make growth a big-bang event.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. As I like to say, “If you’re really on to an enormous idea then other people in the market are going to spot that and want to compete with you. You may have leverage when you DO need to fund raise. ” The Details.

Startup 418

Startup Revenue Technical Review Flash 418

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2020

I second his list of top innovation challenges and strategies to capitalize on untapped global startup opportunities: Create new markets rather than disrupt existing ones. Even here, Elon Musk faced this issue with Tesla, needing a support ecosystem as well as new technology. Target a global market rather than a local from day one.

Silicon Valley 312

Silicon Valley Indonesia Venture Capital Global 312

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

Words alone, like “improved efficiency”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince people to follow you. For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers.

Metrics 387

Metrics Technical Review Leadership Framework 387

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2014

Dino Vendetti a VC at Bay Partners, moved up to Bend, Oregon on a mission to engineer Bend into a regional technology cluster. Today with every city, state and country trying to build out a technology cluster, following Dino’s progress can provide others with a roadmap of what’s worked and what has not. Tech investing is risky.

Early Stage 295

Early Stage Silicon Valley Oregon Technical Review 295

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. What sized team can I afford in order to sell, market & provide service to these customers? How profitable is my product or service?

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Up and Running

DECEMBER 6, 2021

If you’re one of the 47% of small business owners who run marketing completely on their own, it’s likely this function is one of the many hats you wear. And chances are unless you’re running a marketing business yourself, you don’t have a professional marketing background. Common small business marketing mistakes to avoid.

Small Business 153

Small Business Marketing Software Review Technical Review 153

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 20, 2023

With so many startups facing a tough journey right from their inception, the pressing question becomes: How does one successfully navigate the tech industry? The key lies in having a groundbreaking idea and understanding the broader tech landscape and the forces shaping it.

Technical Review 137

Technical Review Startup Silicon Valley Agile 137

VC Cafe

MARCH 31, 2025

So I thought it’s a good time to share the video where lists are the key learnings from YC on how to start a technical startup: Start with a strong technical co-founding team: You need two to four co-founders with at least 50% engineering background. Regularly review your monthly spending to identify areas for reduction.

Cofounder 88

Cofounder Silicon Valley Technical Review PR 88

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2013

get the attention of the market they choose. On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Phoenix or a similar location. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth. When it comes to the technology ecosystem, clusters are vital.

Silicon Valley 256

Silicon Valley Las Vegas Phoenix Montana 256

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Focusing on specific metrics can help you gain insights into the stability, growth potential, and security of DeFi platforms. With the right data, you can respond strategically, adjust your positions, and avoid unnecessary risks, even in unpredictable markets. This metric shows its popularity and usage.

Metrics 157

Metrics Valuation API Distribution 157

Steve Blank

AUGUST 3, 2012

The core team — a cross-functional team who could make all the business and technical decisions within a set envelop ? That earned us the right to ask questions of fact about their department’s mission, goals, operations, volumes, tools, methods, and success metrics. Humility had crumbled the walls between marketing and engineering.

San Jose 261

San Jose Technical Review Customer Development Software Review 261

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. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322