Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

All startups, including non-profits, need revenue to thrive, such as such as from subscriptions, retail, online, licensing, or services. They want to see revenue to share in the return. Here I recommend a 5-year projection of revenues, expenses, and funding requirements. Provide specifics on the customer business model.

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Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. Long-term stability requires revenue growth and profit. Both have worked. Traditionally, it was simple.

Revenue 434

Revenue Valuation Viral Retention 434

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. Look for examples of similar companies and revenue multiples achieved from acquirers. When did this effort really start, including pivots? How much and when can I reasonably expect a payback?

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Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

For example, Mark McClain, cofounder and CEO of SailPoint Technologies , created an employee growth culture resulting in growth of forty percent a year, with more than $100 million in revenues. The company has since gone public, and is still a market leader. Plan a long-term strategy, and avoid crisis moves.

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Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Deferred payments start with stretching the payables period but, more importantly, include giving employee equity in lieu of a higher salaries and negotiating vendor deferred payments out of future revenues. Think of these alternatives as paying interest on a loan, and manage them wisely. Be a miser with contract services and facilities.

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Burn Rate Hockey Stick Management Salary 258

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. Don’t attempt to scale it until you have a proven repeatable business model that predictably generates revenue.

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Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

Short-term earnings per share may be low, even as revenues and cash burned are high. In many cases, growing the ecosystem is so important that your best competitive move may be to invest in facilitating “competition,” such as Tesla Motors giving away their battery patents to other auto providers, without royalties, to build the ecosystem.

Software Review 355

Software Review Algorithm Global IPO 355

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

Often the Boomer is more willing to work for equity, and easily convinced to step aside when revenues reach that next threshold. Every young entrepreneur needs an experienced partner for credibility with investors, and as a trusted cohort for strategy and growth discussions. Member of the Advisory Board.

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Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2020

Even good social causes need to bring in revenue to continue their worthy efforts. All your friends may love your idea on how to find the nearest bar or gym, but how many people are willing and able to pay money for your solution? Ask domain experts to quantify value for you. Choose projects with financial resources within your reach.

Technical Review 434

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Internet 434

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Experiments on today’s revenue engine necessarily focus on short-term financial goals. The trick is not to sweep everything aside, but to balance relevant aspects of now while making room for what is new. Sponsor experiments and measure like new investments.

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Framework Engineer Leadership Revenue 402

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 5, 2025

Whether you are trying to increase your revenue or improve your customer satisfaction, taking your business to the next level means looking at all of your strategic opportunities. Running a business often means constantly seeking new ways to grow and improve. You must have a strategic plan of how you will take your business to the next level.

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Software Review Technical Review Retention Campaign 147

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

Yet don’t assume that any of these will override the basic need of every business to be self-sustaining via revenue to meet expenses over time. A single bad or inconsistent experience will jeopardize their brand loyalty, and a history of positives will generate real “value” that rises above cost and other decision criteria.

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Customer Social Media Dividend Technical Review 432

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Opportunity and revenue projections based on deep market and customer analysis are a smarter risk. Providing everything free, and growing users to the max for years, like Twitter and Facebook, is a high risk approach requiring deep pockets.

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Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 19, 2025

We increased our revenue by 20% last year. Many clients express initial skepticism but find that the comprehensive support and expertise provided lead to substantial increases in revenue, staff, and resources. .” The impact shows in concrete business growth metrics.

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Rhode Island Ohio Web Development Social Media 88

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Before you bring on partners, develop intellectual property, raise capital, or generate revenues, you need to establish an official business entity. Minimum viable products (MVPs) are recommended for validating the market, with iterative enhancement to quickly meet market feedback.

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Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 404

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2022

MySpace, for example, boomed after launch for five years without a revenue model. When their deep pockets went empty, Facebook stepped in, but demanded revenue from ads. This simply means you need to be sensitive to costs, revenue projections, and a timeline, such that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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Revenue Widget Angel Investor Early Stage 297

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2021

Many startups see initial revenue from customers, and love the fast growth, but fail to anticipate the cost of early vendor payments, monthly overhead costs, and later taxes. Thinking you are profitable once money begins to flow in. Considering the job done once a client has been invoiced.

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Technical Review Finance Startup Salary 379

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

One 11-year study of over 200 companies over a decade ago, detailed in the book “ Corporate Culture and Performance ,” found that those working on their culture improved revenue by 516%, and increased net income by 755%. Building an ethical business is more than just compliance and meeting legal requirements, and it has big paybacks.

Software Review 291

Software Review Offshore Entrepreneur Leadership 291

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

You need a stable customer base with an automatically renewing revenue stream, such as the subscription model. Strive to make real customers your best advocates for the initial rollout. Minimize one-time sales in your business model.

Merger 386

Merger Software Review Acquisition Social Media 386

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

For example, I commonly see metrics to keep track of revenue per employee, overtime, and absenteeism, but I don’t often see measures of overall customer satisfaction with individual employees. Yet, as a business consultant, I often find minimal focus on improving employee engagement and assessing their customer-facing performance.

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Customer Technical Review Metrics Employee 369

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Perhaps the most powerful content creation of all, which is growing in popularity is coding, catapulting companies like Lovable which hit $17M in annualised recurring revenue in February 2025, up from $7M at the end of 2024. These costs represent an ongoing tax on revenue, requiring careful consideration in business model design.

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Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Business agility is simply to ability and intent to make small changes, on a daily basis, to penetrate new markets, add new revenue streams, reduce costs, and prune out products that are no longer carrying their weight. Managing an agile business means managing change, not solidifying a status quo.

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Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 379

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

Some startups not only ignore this and don’t budget for it, but they actually plan on the free viral marketing to generate enough revenue from click-through advertising to fund operations and future growth. That’s a double death wish.

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Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 348

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

If you can convince investors that your startup will generate a solid revenue stream, and the market won’t go away any time soon, they may see an opportunity for an ever larger return. The buyer has the challenge of scaling the business, and managing all the operational growth requirements. You can kick-off your next startup.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 21, 2025

These partnerships can lead to innovative solutions and revenue opportunities for all parties involved. Collaborating on projects that promote sustainable transportation strengthens community ties, expands your network, and increases visibility in the market.

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Government Operations Demand 144

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Price-to-Sales (P/S) Ratio The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio measures the market cap relative to a protocol’s revenue, similar to traditional finance metrics. This metric is especially useful for DeFi projects generating revenue through transaction fees.

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Metrics Valuation API Distribution 157

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Should SaaS companies trade at a 24x Enterprise Value (EV) to Next Twelve Month (NTM) Revenue multiple as they did in November 2021? We drew this conclusion after a meeting we had with Morgan Stanley where they showed us historical 15 & 20 year valuation trends and we all discussed what we thought this meant.

Technical Review 416

Technical Review Pre-Money Valuation San Francisco Valuation 416

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Even though many of these challenges may seem obvious to you, I still see them often overlooked by aggressive business leaders, resulting in a large percentage of expensive new initiatives that fall well short of growth and revenue expectations. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 05/11/2023

Product 354

Product Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Dividend 354

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

With the best solutions, the customer gets value which exceeds your revenue. Too many entrepreneurs, especially ones with work-at-home schemes and multi-level marketing, believe that someone has to lose to help them win. Like many salespeople, they see themselves as hunters. You are not the servant of your customer.

Sales 348

Sales Startup Bootstrapping Technical Review 348

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

A recurring expense was turned into a recurring revenue. A few years ago, Safeway and other big retailers struggled with the growing problem of plastic bag cost and pollution, before realizing they could actually sell reusable cloth bags to customers, as a win to all. Openly acknowledge current challenges in your business.

Social Media 330

Social Media Entrepreneur Revenue Internet 330

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Start by conducting a thorough analysis of your start-up costs, ongoing expenses, and potential revenue streams. Flexibility in pricing can cater to a broader client base, enhancing your revenue potential. Only 48% of small businesses have their financing needs met , emphasizing the importance of strategic financial planning.

Mobile 88

Mobile United States Technical Review Business Model 88

Duct Tape Marketing

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

He shares his journey from struggling home service contractor to helping thousands of contractors increase their revenue. Key Takeaways Providing high-quality service and multiple options can significantly increase revenue for home service contractors. How to Win Clients, Double Profit, and Grow Your Home Service Sales. powered by

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Cloud Bankruptcy Widget Kansas City 88

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

The post 7 Tips To Build A 7-Figure Revenue Startup appeared first on Young Upstarts. Leah Wise shares seven tips that can help put startup founders on the pathway to wealth and long-term success.

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Revenue Startup Founder Entrepreneur 242

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2023

Recurring revenue is the foundation for growth. Investors love this and other recurring revenue models because they facilitate growth through scaling. Markets change rapidly these days, so the strategy that brought you success the first time, may lead to your demise the second time.

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Technical Review Due Diligence Business Model Demand 229

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

The most successful venture studios are founded by entrepreneurs that have previously built companies with $10+M in revenue and had 100+ employees. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, I advise entrepreneurs to ask these four questions: Is the studio run by a former founder and does it have former founders as full-time employees?

Technical Cofounder 368

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 368

Duct Tape Marketing

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Get instant access to the Fractional CMO eBook, jam-packed with: 50 pages of concentrated, no-fluff content featuring a proven system to generate over 6+ figures in annual recurring revenue Over 28 years of proven strategies to scale your agency and earn back your entrepreneurial freedom Agencies & Marketing Consultants Get Your Ebook Now

Small Business 80

Small Business Hiring Marketing Jordan 80

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 7, 2023

The post Evolving Mindset, Thriving Business: Your Path To Seven-Figure Revenue appeared first on Young Upstarts. Jennifer Dawn offers six crucial tips to help you navigate the path to seven-figure success in business by nurturing an evolving mindset.

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Revenue 246