TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Two years after the Los Angeles-based fintech startup Dave launched with a suite of money management tools to save consumers from overdraft fees , the company is now worth $1 billion thanks to a nascent banking practice that had investors lining up. “We think the company is quite a bit more valuable than [$1 billion].

Companies 262

Companies Company Startup Tips 262

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is memorable, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. They noted that customers’ loyalty grew with their real preference for the unique product features offered.

Competition 123

Competition Customer Custom Examples 123

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 28, 2020

There’s a new company that’s sitting on top of some of the fastest growing consumer-facing businesses in the world — liquor and marijuana delivery — and its name is Pacific Consolidated Holdings Group. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. .”

Companies 188

Companies Company Los Angeles San Diego 188

Berkonomics

AUGUST 2, 2018

There can be nothing more important in your business planning that selecting the proper pricing niche, making your story clear using that niche, and the defending your position against the competition. There are five major classes or niches a company should examine and make its own in calculating positioning in the marketplace.

Pricing 226

Pricing Competition Examples Class 226

Berkonomics

MAY 16, 2019

There must be at least several companies out there right now positioning to compete with you. And although many positioning efforts cross the lines between these, great companies play to the strength of just one. Innovation certainly defines a number of companies catering to early adopters and the mass audiences that follow.

Companies 120

Companies Company Pricing Competition 120

Berkonomics

MARCH 25, 2021

Know the cost to move from your existing platform and estimate the switching costs for moving from a competitor’s product or service to yours. Email readers, continue here…] Recently, I received a hand-written letter from two co-CEOs of a company I had helped with a few hours of time. A personal story to illustrate the point.

Competition 156

Competition Customer Custom Email 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that many of you have your most creative ideas for your company’s first big bang , but often get bogged down with details as the company grows. When Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia with creative outdoor products, he pitched also a purpose of helping the environment.

Companies 148

Companies Company Ideas Mentor 148

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Companies with great service routinely spend 3% to 5% of salaries training team members – experienced as well as new. Make your service deliver process “happy.”

Competition 99

Competition Services Startup Training 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2023

Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment which I think makes even more sense today. Every existing business, as well as every startup, needs to reassess their product or service in the context of these five forces: Intensity of competitive rivalry. Way back in 1979, Michael E.

Competition 88

Competition Startup Framework Pricing 88

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

But what IS the right amount of burn for a company? Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it Conversely if you’re burning $600,000 per month (yes, some companies do) then you only have 5 months of cash left. Gross Burn vs. Net Burn.

Startup 383

Startup Companies Company .Net 383

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2021

Los Angeles-based XPRIZE says it has named two winners in its $20M, NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition. The competition challenged teams to convert CO2 emissions into valuable products. According to XPRIZE, it has awarded two companies--CarbonCure Technologies and CarbonBuilt, both working on ways to decarbonize concrete.

Competition 113

Competition UCLA Los Angeles Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2023

In this context, even “satisfied” is only a “meets-minimum,” and does not put you ahead of your competition. With pervasive access to social media, customers no longer differentiate poor product repair and replacement from a poor shopping experience or customer usage satisfaction. This results in more profits and growth for you.

Competition 109

Competition Services Customer Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

In case you hadn’t noticed, the key elements of a competitive advantage for your business have changed as businesses move online, and your domain is instantly global. As a business advisor, I have to recommend even to established companies that they review and revamp their competitive strategy now, even if it appears to be working today.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 22, 2011

Feature, not a company. Whether something is a feature or a company is clearly subjective. And sometimes features (say, Twitter) turn into companies. It’s intended in a discussion with an entrepreneur to get them to question whether there is really amazing underlying value in the product or service they’re offering.

Companies 295

Companies Company Gogii Google 295

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2019

Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. That says you are competitive today, have a real barrier to entry, and the potential to remain ahead of the competition for a long time.

Competition 120

Competition Patents Resource Invest 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2020

Porter proposed his Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive environment which I think makes even more sense today. Every existing business, as well as every startup, needs to reassess their product or service in the context of these five forces: Intensity of competitive rivalry. Way back in 1979, Michael E.

Competition 151

Competition Startup Framework Pricing 151

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

He wants to compete to be the lead drummer in the competitive ensemble and study under Terence, an obsessive instructor who is hell bent on winning competitions for the school. But the film has my brain buzzing all week about obsessive and competitive people. I absolutely loved the film. I loved the music. We revere musicians.

Competition 394

Competition Startup Writing Marketing 394

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

We believe that it is incrementally harder to differentiate on simple Internet products or mobile apps and while great companies are built doing this, our goal as a fund is to try and fund things that can be 100x returns if they work. We’re not Pollyannaish about this. In short, we’re after venture returns.

Companies 207

Companies Company CTO Coach Funding 207

Berkonomics

APRIL 11, 2019

An entrepreneur pitches using a deck with no slide for competition. We have no competition.”. Whether you have not been able to find companies doing “something like” the plan, or you has not considered the most obvious killer of new ideas – doing nothing, it is a faux pas that should never be allowed to happen. Do your homework!

Competition 120

Competition Slides Research Sales 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

socalTECH

OCTOBER 9, 2012

What's the best way to share competitive intelligence and company announcements with your employees? So far, the company says it has signed up 50 companies across the U.S. and Europe for the enterprise product.

News 150

News Companies Company San Diego 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Within the startup realm, there is a big difference between having an innovative product versus an innovative business. Others take an existing product, and give it new life with a creative business model. The most competitive startups do both, all the time and every time. Creativity is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Companies 90

Companies Company Competition Netflix 90

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Certainly that has been the strategy of many companies, and has worked in the past, but today’s customers and workers are looking for more. With the pervasive and instant communication of social media and the Internet, businesses can no longer hide behind the mask of their own hype, either inside the company or outside.

Competition 110

Competition Sales Customer Custom 110

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 16, 2013

Tracy DiNunzio, Founder and CEO of Tradesy , recently shared her insights regarding the best approach for entrepreneurs to address competition. Tracy addressed the issue of competition head on, telling the largely student audience, "As I started to think about launching Tradesy, I looked around and there was a lot of competition but.

Competition 254

Competition SaaS Santa Barbara Entrepreneur 254

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

Having great company culture is no longer just an option. In fact, fantastic company culture is almost expected along with other traditional benefits. It has established what the company culture is, and fitting into that culture is the most important thing managers look for when hiring. What does that culture look like?

Examples 100

Examples Companies Company Google 100

Tech Coast Venture Network

AUGUST 11, 2015

Having great company culture is no longer just an option. In fact, fantastic company culture is almost expected along with other traditional benefits. It has established what the company culture is, and fitting into that culture is the most important thing managers look for when hiring. What does that culture look like?

Examples 100

Examples Companies Company Google 100

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 9, 2020

The CEO of the high-performance Italian motorcycle manufacturer offered that point of optimism, as her Modena based EV company remains closed by government decree. The coronavirus pandemic has forced Energica to hit the brakes on production of its battery powered machines that can reach top speeds of 168 mph.

Technical Review 277

Technical Review Competition Demand Sales 277

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

Another example is Facebook , maintaining motivation with food, stock options, collaborative office space, an on-site laundry, and a competitive atmosphere that fosters personal growth and learning with great benefits. Investors have long agreed that you invest in the team, more than the product. Building morale is not a one-time task.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2020

A business startup is not an academic environment, or a big company research organization. On the other hand, there are many technology companies successfully started and run by non-technologists. They are attracted to people who agree, but may not be able to help. Test them with problems outside their comfort zone. Are you there?

Competition 174

Competition High Tech Startup Social Media 174

Berkonomics

APRIL 8, 2021

Discord is a great example of a company going viral mostly from word of mouth. How do you make your product go viral? What are the elements needed to focus upon in making the attempt to take a product viral? Sometimes, it is just the right idea to brand your product inside that of a known presence. Third: cost.

Sites 156

Sites Product Social Network Press 156

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

The new era of highly connected and interactive technology is changing not only how business employees interact with customers, but also how they interact with each other, and with their company. I am happy to see reports that young companies are leading the way in these trends, on both the customer and the employee side.

Competition 127

Competition Case Study Platform Yahoo 127

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

The traditional model for hiring permanent employees who can grow their career with your company just doesn’t work, and can jeopardize your business before it even gets traction. Many successful new companies have moved more to self-management, or decentralizing the decision-making with few managers.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

socalTECH

AUGUST 28, 2018

Los Angeles-based online electronics retailer Newegg says it is launching a new promotion it calls "Smart September", with a new focus on smart home products. The company said it will focus on such areas as voice controllers; DIY smart security products; smart energy saving devices; and home automation for the holidays.

NewEgg 100

NewEgg Product Social Media Competition 100

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 12, 2023

Let’s examine the relationship between time, quality and competitiveness. On a larger scale, there are epoch stories of giant companies eating massive losses in a recall of product, often based upon limited testing before release. We have heard the “haste makes waste” ditty since childhood. Where was the waste?

Software Review 156

Software Review Examples Competition News 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

Foster collaboration rather than competition. Relationships are key to happiness and productivity. This fosters a positive team culture, and communicates company values that are important for everyone. Today your team and company culture are more important than ever in driving strategy and value, not the other way around.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Berkonomics

JANUARY 12, 2023

Some types of businesses generate more and more recurring revenues over time, often growing to a size where recurring revenues pay all of the overhead of the company – an enviable position. There is a phenomenon I have observed time after time with mature companies receiving over 75% of their revenues from recurring sources.

Sales 296

Sales Customer Custom SaaS 296

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2019

Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is memorable, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. They noted that customers’ loyalty grew with their real preference for the unique product features offered.

Product 124

Product Customer Custom Examples 124