Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 16, 2011

After college Joanne worked for 4 years in retail apparel at Macy’s where she initially managed sales reps on the floor and then worked as a buyer of clothing. This is where she first developed sales skills. She doubled her salary by going into sales. to $12m in sales. “A lot of sales is innate.

Startup 311

Startup Sales Venture Capital Entrepreneur 311

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you don’t, somebody else WILL!”

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

A great recent example of this was a successful group of entrepreneurs who had created a company that will do $10-12 million in revenue at their system integration business (read: services business) in 2011 after having done $5 million or so in 2010 and $2-3 million in 2009. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

InfoChachkie

MARCH 23, 2015

As crazy as this scenario sounds, it is very similar to the “scoring process” companies engage in when they track Net Promoter Scores. A company''s Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a beloved metric slavishly tracked and reported by product marketing and customer support executives of both established and nascent enterprises.

.Net 100

.Net Startup Satisfaction Technical Review 100

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

InfoChachkie

JULY 18, 2011

Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham and Marcia Brown’s Stone Soup , the seemingly innocuous board game Monopoly has played a pivotal role in the edification of several generations of entrepreneurs. In addition to the Luxury Tax board space, there are also Chance cards that require you to pay a percentage of your net worth in taxes.

Entrepreneur 216

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Paramount 216

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. That is, how much should your company be willing to lose in cash every month as you make investments in staff and equipment that funds technology, sales, marketing and management.

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

There were tons of young entrepreneurs showing their latest Web 2.0 I will quote a prominent, well-known entrepreneur whom I like and respect and who told me when he was raising money, “I don’t know how much I’m going to charge for my product so why should I create an artificial spreadsheet? 66% Net Operating Margins?

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

Although many are entertaining, most fail to provide entrepreneurs with a sufficient return on their time investment. Unfortunately, most business books do not offer entrepreneurs an adequate payoff. The brief chapters lend themselves to multiple sittings, allowing a busy entrepreneur to read each chapter in short increments.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Or if you’re a VC raising from LPs you have to list all of your deals, your investment value, your carrying value, your multiples, your IRRs, TVPIs, DPIs, etc along with net cashflows plus your previous LPAs. Most entrepreneurs (and VCs raising from LPs) think this means progress. Some people find this elitist?—?I It doesn’t.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

But the real asset became obvious at almost exactly 5 PM that day, when all eight stopped what they were doing and began using a tool they had licensed from a Florida company to find other Internet gamers to join them in playing intense first party shooter games over the ‘net. And a month later the bubble burst.

Sales 149

Sales Web Design Web Entrepreneur 149

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 8, 2015

Email readers, continue here…] First there comes a sense of relief, knowing that you no longer need to worry over daily cash or threats to your net worth. But what most entrepreneurs fail dramatically at is to celebrate the moment. The do as all good entrepreneurs do. Many fail multiple times. Take a long breath.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Writing .Net Sales 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2011

In some recent surveys, as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so a specific education level is at least irrelevant. At any rate, I had trouble thinking of famous entrepreneurs with an MBA. What’s different about the entrepreneurial environment? Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Education .Net Class 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2013

Every entrepreneur wants to know how they can improve their odds on the road to success, and why some entrepreneurs seem to be able to squeeze success out of even a marginal business case. Every existing and budding entrepreneur should internalize these reality principles: Ready yourself as a founder.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Course Ideas .Net 103

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

In some reputable surveys , as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so a specific education level is at least irrelevant. On the other hand, I had trouble thinking of famous entrepreneurs with an MBA. He built an overnight competitor to the U.S. Postal Service.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Education .Net Class 105

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. The startup was so nascent that the sale would have been considered a short-term gain for tax purposes, which would have significantly reduced the Founders’ proceeds, making their small fortune even smaller. The payout was also unique.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Acquisition Pricing 124

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. The startup was so nascent that the sale would have been considered a short-term gain for tax purposes, which would have significantly reduced the Founders’ proceeds, making their small fortune even smaller. The payout was also unique.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Acquisition Pricing .Net 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2020

Every entrepreneur knows that good demand generation marketing is the key to growth these days, but very few have the discipline or know-how to measure return in a world of a thousand tools and techniques. Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Lead management performance.

Marketing 174

Marketing Invest Demand Metrics 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. The best entrepreneurs stay close to the innovation process – talking to customers and technology leaders directly. Net result and reward.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2021

These are usually characterized as owner-operated, with five employees or less, and less than $250,000 in sales. Dal LaMagna, in his humorous classic “ Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets It Right ,” leads with the foundational principle of micro-businesses, which is to start small.

Entrepreneur 121

Entrepreneur Writing .Net Commerce 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

When an entrepreneur first incorporates a business, they may find themselves the proud owner of 10 million shares of common stock, commonly called founder’s shares. Make sure the government waits for a stock sale to collect taxes. This is where things get technical, but the principles are really quite simple. In the U.S.,

.Net 96

.Net Startup Entrepreneur Acquisition 96

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 senior sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business 6 months. I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective?

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder is able to self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Venture Capital 174

Venture Capital Invest Class .Net 174

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

One of the big differences between an entrepreneur and an employee of a big business is that employees tend to have a very narrow focus on their job, while entrepreneurs have to keep the broader focus on business. entrepreneurs consistently claim to be happier , and have a higher net worth than employees. In fact, U.S.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Customer Custom 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2011

Every entrepreneur wants to know how they can improve their odds on the road to success, and why some entrepreneurs seem to be able to squeeze success out of even a marginal business case. Every existing and budding entrepreneur should internalize these reality principles: Ready yourself as a founder.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Course Ideas .Net 92

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

But the real asset became obvious to me at almost exactly five PM that day, when all eight stopped what they were doing and began using a tool they had licensed from a Florida company to find other Internet gamers to join them in playing intense first party shooter games over the ‘net. Everyone withdrew to consider a response.

Sales 120

Sales Web Design Web Design 120

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

It was recommended to me by my friend, Net Jacobsson , who was trying to do some basic Life Hacking. But Net had told me that he picked up some valuable lessons from the book, so I thought, “WTF? Obviously if you’re in a customer support role, a sales role or a customer service industry this can be impossible.

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2013

I tell entrepreneurs that Google was an “exception” to all the investment and startup rules, but I’ve always wondered what it takes to be an exception. Here are some lessons from the book that all entrepreneurs should wish they could emulate: Independently outstanding, but complementary founders. Act like one and you too may be one.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Google Advertising .Net 93

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

Almost all angel investors are “high net worth” individuals who made their money running a successful business in your domain, and they will mentor your team as well as demand the discipline you need to make your business work. High-travel sales and buyer positions. Retail sales to Gen-X and Gen-Y. Angel Investor.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Mentor Demand High Tech 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. From time to time, include customers and sales members in ideation sessions. Net result and reward. No risk, no innovation. Idea management.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. From time to time, include customers and sales members in ideation sessions. Net result and reward. No risk, no innovation. Idea management.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2010

I didn’t mean to be so insulting and I didn’t mean for the net to be cast so wide that many people wondered whether I was talking about them when I was speaking of “job hoppers.&# I learned a lot from reading the comments. But in our first year of sales (and those were really shitty years to be selling software) we sold $2.1

Startup 285

Startup Venture Capital Sales Software Review 285

InfoChachkie

JULY 11, 2011

As Fred points out, many entrepreneurs hear the word “debt” and promptly run the other direction. Equity funding would have diluted the Founders while simultaneously complicating the company’s equity structure, thus making a potential sale of the company more cumbersome. Go ahead, I will wait…. welcome back. Equity Is Forever.

Equity 235

Equity Startup Invest Funding 235

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2021

Every entrepreneur wants to know how they can improve their odds on the road to success, and why some entrepreneurs seem to be able to squeeze success out of even a marginal business case. Every existing and budding entrepreneur should internalize these reality principles: Ready yourself as a founder.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Course Ideas .Net 145

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2018

Every entrepreneur wants to hear “yes” during the fund-raising process but I would argue that being too risk averse and not pushing hard enough and be willing to hear a “no” is what holds back many people from “yes.” Possibly offend and entrepreneur leading to reputation risk amongst other entrepreneurs.

Funding 189

Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Venture Capital 189

Berkonomics

JANUARY 13, 2022

You no longer need to worry over daily cash or threats to your net worth. What most entrepreneurs fail dramatically at is to celebrate the moment. Not many founders or entrepreneurs do experience the success of a favorable sale of the business they dreamed would make them rich. Then do as all good entrepreneurs do.

Writing 156

Writing Entrepreneur .Net Sales 156