Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. What happened? People were building.

Valuation 466

Valuation San Francisco Ratchet Liquidation Preference 466

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 5, 2025

Your goals might include increasing market share or maybe launching a new product. Investing in employee development is not only going to boost their morale but also enhance their skills and productivity at the same time. Use this information to tailor your products, interactions and your services as well.

Software Review 147

Software Review Technical Review Retention Campaign 147

TechEmpower

MARCH 4, 2024

AI empowers businesses to craft more impactful marketing campaigns by utilizing data analytics for content personalization and market trend forecasting, thereby significantly enhancing campaign relevance and effectiveness. It also facilitates rapid prototyping, allowing for quicker iterations and thus shorter development cycles.

Generative AI 297

Generative AI CTO Hire Fractional CTO Software Review 297

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

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. He had a track record of taking small teams and growing them into successful product lines.

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 21, 2025

Additionally, constructive and future-oriented feedback motivates employees to synchronize their objectives with the organization’s vision, helping to create a workforce that is not only satisfied but also highly productive and aligned with company objectives.

Software Review 110

Software Review Technical Review Employee Agile 110

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

Juggling multiple responsibilities and ensuring productivity can be challenging without effective time management strategies. Goals should be revisited regularly to adjust to changes in business dynamics or market conditions, ensuring they remain aligned with overall business strategies.

Management 158

Management Entrepreneur Technical Review Dilution 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

As a starting point, I like the Wikipedia simple definition of innovation as “the application of better solutions to meet new requirements or market needs.” Many product innovations come from quality improvement focuses, like the Japanese Kaizen initiative. Solution innovations need to be perfected before going to market.

Technical Review 431

Technical Review Leadership Operations Networking 431

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2021

Every entrepreneur with a new technology tells me that his innovation will be industry-disrupting, meaning that it will render the existing technology obsolete, and create a new market. Entrepreneurs tend to look for big changes and big markets when seeking disruptive opportunities, when the opposite may be more effective.

Non-Compete 394

Non-Compete Technical Review Forecast Social Media 394

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Missions and products that are too broad confuse your team, your customers, and potential investors. Product development chasm. Marketing and sales chasm.

Technical Review 375

Technical Review Startup Dilution Early Stage 375

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

According to an old Harvard Business Review article, many people in history, famous for their inventions, like Thomas Edison, were entrepreneurs who only later were remembered as inventors of the products they commercialized. Technology limited to a single product is seldom enough for a business. Early adopters are not a big market.

Technical Review 391

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 391

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

This distrust for the scripted message has led to a new demand for unfiltered marketing, and the emergence of business credibility heroes, like Elon Musk, with his bold statements about space travel, and sometime villains, such as Mark Zuckerberg defending Facebook privacy practices. Real-time in-process updates vs after-the-fact stories.

Customer 433

Customer B2C Technical Review Social Media 433

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

For example, my dictate that entrepreneurs need to find a “ painful ” problem to solve (such as high cost, low productivity) to attract customers, doesn’t really account for many successful startup businesses today, including top social media platforms, dating sites, and new fashions. Play to exclusivity, uniqueness, and personalization.

Customer 432

Customer Social Media Dividend Technical Review 432

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

I have found it to be more productive and effective to lead with the model that no meetings will take an hour, and may be done in as little as five minutes. 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. Marty Zwilling.

Elevator Pitch 386

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Dividend Leadership 386

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.”

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. The problem is that innovations in most business areas are coming so fast these days that yours can be overrun while still being scaled up across geographies and other products. Product-line expansion. Geographic expansion.

Dilution 355

Dilution Startup Merger Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. It is required today for new innovation strategies, analyzing markets for new opportunities, and organizational changes. For a business, volatile markets are a source of great opportunities, as well as great risks.

Agile 379

Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 379

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

You may think that patents and copyrights are not required, since your products are so innovative, but you will find that competitors are quick to copy your idea if you don’t protect it. In addition to locking in his leadership position in electric vehicles, he has also used his patents to negotiate faster growth in his market.

Intellectual Property 432

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Technical Review Angel Investor 432

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. Leadership brand development.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2021

Some of us are proud to be technologists, while others love marketing or team building. Everyone sees your energy applied more productively, and has the urge to help. It allows you to change and learn as the market evolves, and your business needs change. Prioritize your passions in improving competence.

Leadership 435

Leadership Marketing Developer Entrepreneur 435

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Labor rates are lower in some countries, but culture and language match are the real keys to productivity. But trying to use it on call centers, affiliate marketing, or even data entry probably won’t be effective. Hire and train your own managers for internal and external work projects. Be flexible.

Cost 346

Cost Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 346

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Product descriptions and listings require tedious editing to make them engaging - especially after the fortieth one. Are you a founder or CEO or head of product? Go through your product right now and look for empty text boxes. Each one represents a great opportunity to make your users more productive and happier.

Generative AI 297

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence Houston America 297

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Viral marketing costs real money, and your support staff and hosting systems cost even more. There is no substitute for market research to confirm that your passion matches a real need in the market. Finish the product before marketing begins. Marketing should start before product development.

Intellectual Property 312

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

As VC funds emerge from its period of cautious dealmaking, consumer confidence returns, and industry leaders hunt for the best solutions for their organizations, a diverse range of tech companies are offering targeted solutions and addressing new trends in the market. Expect to see more enterprises adopt this in the years ahead.

Artificial Inteligence 95

Artificial Inteligence Engineer Software Software Engineering 95

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 4, 2024

Whether it’s a logo, product design, software, or a unique business process, safeguarding your IP is essential to maintaining a competitive edge and protecting your business from theft or unauthorized use. These can range from intellectual property theft to employee disputes, contract disagreements, or product liability issues.

Intellectual Property 119

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Entrepreneur Limited Liability Company 119

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2021

The CEO is the check and balance on the constant parallel pushes for more development, more marketing, and more growth. Most founders are product guys. They need an operational CEO who knows the market and the marketing game. Craft an operational plan and make it work.

Exit Strategy 407

Exit Strategy Leadership Founder Networking 407

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2023

In reality, based on my experience as a startup advisor and investor, these constraints lead the best entrepreneurs to the most innovative solutions and new markets otherwise overlooked by their peers and competitors. In fact, that feeling of autonomy makes everyone more productive, more loyal, and feel valued.

Technical Review 277

Technical Review Partner Matching Channel 277

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2021

His job was to find new commercial markets for this bacteria at scale. And he wanted to chat about how to best enter a new market. His market research found that the concrete industry contributes between 5 and 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. Your product is not someone’s problem. There was silence for a moment.

Product 433

Product Advisory Board Green Customer 433

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 19, 2025

For example, these professionals can develop detailed cash flow forecasts that consider market trends and business-specific challenges. Reduce Inventory Costs with Smarter Management For startups that deal with physical products, inventory can tie up significant amounts of cash.

Management 143

Management Startup Forecast Finance 143

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Here investors are looking for feature problems or quality issues on the current product. A hard look will be taken at the technology maturity, the current development progress, and customer satisfaction with early product shipments. Status of the solution. In addition, manufacturing and inventory levels will be reviewed.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Bankruptcy 296

Steve Blank

APRIL 20, 2021

Shawn immediately said the name I had given the four steps was confusing – I had called it market development – he suggested that I call it Customer Development – and the name stuck. Many of them get hung up on understanding how to select the right minimal viable product. Your mission is your baby.

Product 436

Product Viral Channel San Francisco 436

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. In my experience, a healthy team is a prerequisite for a thriving business, innovation to meet market needs, and high customer loyalty.

Technical Review 353

Technical Review Cofounder Employee Global 353

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. Influencers are recognized experts and pseudo celebrities who can pick favorite products or start new trends. Produce marketing events to get visibility and attention. They won’t find you.

Technical Review 355

Technical Review Social Media Channel Flash 355

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

Most of these startups spend the lion’s share of their marketing budget in today’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Snap, TikTok and so on because?—?no founders, marketers, investors?—?and no surprise?—?that’s that’s where the customers are. For these companies, it looks like a rosy picture. Why Did I Invest in Trust?

Founder 424

Founder Product Cofounder Acquisition 424

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

For example, only a few people today still think of Amazon as an online provider of books and related goods, now that they have exploded their business world-wide into every product arena, added web services (AWS), television and film production (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), a bricks-and-mortar grocery chain (Whole Foods), and more.

Partner 350

Partner Operations Metrics Leadership 350

Hunter Walker

OCTOBER 14, 2024

The order is important because I fell in love with the product before I even knew about the company, and the hustle of its founder/CEO Sandro Roco. Through this process, I was able to piece together bits of information, like where to manufacture products and which distributors to work with. I’m a Sanzo drinker.

New York City 107

New York City Hockey Stick Distribution Angel Investor 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. Skip the generic marketing phrases like more user friendly, massive opportunity, and paradigm shifting. If you want investor interest, the business parameters of a deal should be presented as clearly as the product parameters.

Technical Review 369

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 369