Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

Most startups are happy to find any customer, and will hang on for dear life to every one. Only later do they realize that some of these cost more than they are worth, or lead into commitments they can’t sustain, but no business wants to violate the golden rule that every customer needs to be treated as if they were the only customer.

Customer 150

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 150

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

It should talk about how many customers you think you will acquire and how much you’ll charge for your product. Do you really want to spent $100k building a product to discover through Customer Development that the market is too small? I care about the thought that you’ve given to the customer problem.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 27, 2021

That’s how much Los Angeles-based ServiceTitan , a startup founded just eight years ago is worth now, thanks to some massive tailwinds around homebuilding and energy efficiency that are serving to boost the company’s bottom line and netting it an unprecedented valuation for a vertical software company, according to bankers.

SaaS 292

SaaS Glendale Statistics Los Angeles 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, I find that I often have to remind them that the world of customers has changed since they started their last business. Pushing yourself on customers by touting features and price doesn’t work anymore. Use analytics to see why customers are buying, as well as what.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2015

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 100

Customer Custom .Net Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2014

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 98

Customer Custom .Net Competition 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2014

Most startups are happy to find any customer, and will hang on for dear life to every one. Only later do they realize that some of these cost more than they are worth, or lead into commitments they can’t sustain, but no business wants to violate the golden rule that every customer needs to be treated as if they were the only customer.

Customer 95

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Pricing 95

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2013

Most startups are happy to find any customer, and will hang on for dear life to every one. Only later do they realize that some of these cost more than they are worth, or lead into commitments they can’t sustain, but no business wants to violate the golden rule that every customer needs to be treated as if they were the only customer.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 98

InfoChachkie

APRIL 28, 2011

However, in the long run, entrepreneurs always benefit from delivering Maximum Utility for a fair price. Perhaps in part due to its dominant market share, WebEx adopted telecom-style pricing, which effectively penalized their users. The more a customer utilized WebEx’s services, the more they had to pay. Arbitrage Is Fleeting.

Entrepreneur 225

Entrepreneur SaaS Pricing Cloud Computing 225

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

It would not be a big stretch to image a well run service business like this making 15-25% net profit margins. Customer financing often comes in the form of your company agreeing to build a product with a “sponsor&# customer or two and helping them with the rollout / implementation. You own the IP you create.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

You will realize much more from the ultimate sale of your business even if at a considerably lower price than if splitting the proceeds with investors. Strategic investors validate a business, by their presence creating the very value they pay for with increased price per share purchased. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2022

In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions. In my experience, the top candidates will include the following: What if you have to cut your targeted price? Pricing is always a tricky issue.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 147

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2017

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Product Marketing 85

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

You will realize much more from the ultimate sale of your business even if at a considerably lower price than if splitting the proceeds with investors. Strategic investors validate a business, by their presence creating the very value they pay for with increased price per share purchased. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

We had the final terms of our agreement fairly well boxed in within a range of about 5-7% on price and within 30 days on move-in date. I obviously preferred the lowest price and I wanted the latest move-in date. She told me, “start with the price you want but the move in date he wants.&#. Very customer focused.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Outsource 319

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

In one of the biggest acquisitions out of Southern California's technology startup industry in recent years, Los Angeles-based Honey Science Corporation , which develops a savings discovery and price tracking tool, has been acquired by PayPal , in a deal worth approximately $4 billion. Honey was founded in 2012 by George Ruan and Ryan Hudson.

Southern California 133

Southern California Commerce Acquisition .Net 133

Berkonomics

AUGUST 21, 2013

The exception is for those venture-backed companies with a significant cash balance remaining in the bank, which ironically make the most attractive customers for banks to offer loans. To this net number, the lender will then apply a percentage, from 50% to 80% as the amount available for borrowing under the agreement.

Capital 153

Capital .Net Equity Pricing 153

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

I want to understand how many units the company is selling, whether this is increasing over time and how well they’re doing at retaining the customers that they do acquire. Do 20% of the customers make 80% of the revenue or do the top 3 customers represent 80% of the revenue. My first priority is to understand “growth drivers.”

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Berkonomics

JULY 16, 2020

The exception is for those venture-backed companies with a significant cash balance remaining in the bank, which ironically make the most attractive customers for banks to offer loans. To this net number, the lender will then apply a percentage, from 50% to 80% as the amount available for borrowing under the agreement.

Companies 156

Companies Company .Net Equity 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

The purest form of capitalism has always meant charging a fair price and making a fair profit. Most modern investors still look for a business model that embodies a gross margin over 50%, and a net margin in the 20% range. High customer loyalty and high team passion. Re-investing profits to grow the business is organic growth.

Organization 173

Organization Invest Customer Custom 173

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

That bid was enough to convince Davita and Martin Macauley, a couple who own a home in Los Angeles’ Gramercy Park neighborhood and are two of United Dwelling’s first customers. “[I] changed the price by 11 percent and walked that through and continued to move forward,” Dietz said.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions. In my experience, the top candidates will include the following: What if you have to cut your targeted price? Pricing is always a tricky issue.

Startup 123

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 123

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2021

It’s a virtue of the laws of large numbers ($100 million in ARR ) plus strong growth compounding off of large numbers plus large customers relying on our products for 7+ years or longer. And while it hasn’t been an “overnight success,” we’ll happily follow in ProCore’s footsteps.

Venture Capital 363

Venture Capital Capital Funding Startup 363

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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

With those two funding rounds all equity-based, to buy up property itself and provide $10,000 cash advances to all sellers, Sundae previously also raised a debt fund from high net worth individuals, and it has a “very large” debt facility from Goldman Sachs that it also non-dilutive, Stech said.

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 3, 2011

The collective 28-minutes required to view the videos will net you far more than another episode of Modern Family. Collaboration – Share your results, data, customer feedback, fans, etc. Combiner: The Beatles, Run-D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash. I implore you to watch Everything Is A Remix , especially Part III. with those who inspire you.

Startup 255

Startup High Tech SaaS .Net 255

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2014

We do everything from picking, packing, and shipping to customer service, fulfillment, and providing the technology that powers the e-commerce site, online marketing, creative design, and digital imaging and photography. The way we get compensated, is we receive a percent of net sales that flow through the website.

Commerce 203

Commerce Venture Capital Internet Brands Startup 203

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

If there happens to be a gas station along the way where you can fill up for a reasonable price, great. One way to combat reckless spending is to instill a sense of pride in your employees to never pay full price. Rather, you should be ashamed to pay full price. Encourage all of your employees to ask, “Is that your best price?”

Startup 221

Startup Pricing Entrepreneur Email 221

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I have experienced many first-time entrepreneurs with too much hubris if fund-raising came easily and press was fawning and employees joined in droves and customer adoption has been rapid.

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

You will realize much more from the ultimate sale of your business even if at a considerably lower price than if splitting the proceeds with investors. Strategic investors validate a business, by their presence creating the very value they pay for with increased price per share purchased. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 174

Venture Capital Invest Class .Net 174

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2015

In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions. In my experience, the top candidates will include the following: What if you have to cut your targeted price? Pricing is always a tricky issue.

Startup 103

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 103

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

And the company is hoping to grab more, and different, customers with the Sportback. And of course there are special interior and exterior finishes – 13 paint colors in all — and a first edition version customers can buy. The base price of the Sportback is 71,350 ($79,000). The Sportback 55 will come to the U.S.

Design 162

Design Los Angeles .Net Course 162

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2009

Once you get to 300-500 customers, it blows up, because it was never intended to scale. For example, we support promotions for Sony movies, a combination of database and telecom work for interactive TV shows like the Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, the Game Show Network, and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

IP 165

IP Pasadena Angels Pasadena Los Angeles 165

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Startup 118

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 118

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2009

Nick Desai: FitOrbit delivers a proven solution for fitness and weight loss over the Internet, for the first time, at a price people can afford. The trainer makes you a daily, customized meal plan and exercise and activity plan. Nick Desai: With FitOrbit, there's an extremely high value, at a low cost price.

Media 168

Media Pricing Sites Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Startup 114

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Customer 113