Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks.

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in Angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Software Review 123

Software Review Seed Funding Funding Startup 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Will the solution give you an “unfair competitive advantage,” meaning no competitor already has it, or can replicate your solution without your skills or intellectual property. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here. Do include some quantification.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Now get real (cook it).

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Will the solution give you an “unfair competitive advantage,” meaning no competitor already has it, or can replicate your solution without your skills or intellectual property. Don’t try to explain your technical implementation, your patent algorithm, or your unfair competitive advantage here. Do include some quantification.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2019

At present, no world patents or international patent process really exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once.

Marketing 94

Marketing Patents Offshore Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

The elevator pitch should be the first few paragraphs of your business plan, your executive summary, your investor presentation, and the first page of your web site. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Unlike [competition], we [differentiation].”

Startup 113

Startup Patents Template Competition 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

A business plan is the outward facing definition of the business you hope to drive with your hardware solution, with a hardware overview in the intro to highlight customer value and competitiveness. For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2016

As an investor, I always listen carefully to what an entrepreneur says, and does not say, about competition. Every business area has competition and every customer has alternatives, so a smart entrepreneur needs to acknowledge these as a positive in defining a big market, and position the features of a new solution in this context.

Competition 62

Competition Entrepreneur Patents Customer 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

" Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology. Include your sustainable competitive advantage. Focus on a specific market segment to match your solution.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2015

At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once. Marty Zwilling.

Patents 106

Patents Startup Offshore Demand 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Make it clear that you have considered competition in the broadest sense, including indirect competitors and alternative solutions available. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 100

Startup Competition Patents Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Slides 93

Slides Competition Sample Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2012

Is it competitive to the current alternatives? File a provisional patent as a place holder, a full patent, trademark, copyright, or all of the above. Patents may slow down competition, but they are not a real barrier to entry. Even a single-product startup better assume twice the cost if they want any profit.

Patents 95

Patents Journal Ideas Competition 95

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

At present, no world patents or international patent process really exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once.

Marketing 54

Marketing Patents Offshore Startup 54

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Offshore 97

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Most sophisticated investors ignore them, focusing their attention on an entrepreneur's pitch and presentation materials, financial forecast and executive summary. Patents and Trademarks. Competition. Business Plans are dead. As such, the primary goal of your executive summary is to open the door to an in-person meeting.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Summary Technical Review Template 211

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Make it clear that you have considered competition in the broadest sense, including indirect competitors and alternative solutions available. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 102

Startup Competition Patents Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2011

Is it competitive to the current alternatives? File a provisional patent as a place holder, a full patent, trademark, copyright, or all of the above. Patents may slow down competition, but they are not a real barrier to entry. Even a single-product startup better assume twice the cost if they want any profit.

Technology 95

Technology Patents Journal Ideas 95

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2012

At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once. Marty Zwilling.

Marketing 104

Marketing Startup Patents Offshore 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

The elevator pitch should be the first few paragraphs of your business plan, your executive summary, your investor presentation, and the first page of your web site. Do you want their business card, to schedule a full presentation, to ask for a referral? Who is your competition? What is your competitive advantage?

Startup 93

Startup Competition Summary Patents 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

If your solution and brand are really new and innovative, you need to protect them with a patent, trademark or trade secret. These are required to show that you have a defensible competitive advantage or at least a barrier to entry. Prepare an executive summary and investor presentation.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

For example, “I have patented a new LCD with double the intensity at half the cost, already proven locally, and I just need resources to scale for this market.” Your second sentence should acknowledge competition, but highlight your added value. Your second sentence should acknowledge competition, but highlight your added value.

Startup 104

Startup Summary Patents Examples 104

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

This is also the place to first mention patents and any other differentiators that put you ahead of competition. Every new offering has competition and alternatives, so it’s not credible to claim no competitors. Name the three top ones, and present your sustainable advantage as well as barriers to entry for new startups.

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2019

Much has been written recently about the requirement to focus today on the total customer experience, as a competitive edge or even for survival. Many, like me, would prefer that someone else do the shopping for them, and present them with the best choices currently available.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Coach Pricing 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

At any rate, here is my summary of the top ten from my experience with hundreds of elevator pitches, business plans, and executive presentations: “Our product is truly disruptive technology.” It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2013

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in Angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Software Review 106

Software Review Funding Startup Seed Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2011

At present, no world patents or international patent process exists, so you need to apply in every relevant country. Trying to get patent protection worldwide at the beginning is prohibitively expensive, so pick your geographies and timing carefully and strategically. Don’t try to do it all at once. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Patents Offshore Startup 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2010

Being first to offer something is often used to cover the fact that you have no patent or intellectual property. Make it clear that you have considered competition in the broadest sense, including indirect competitors and alternative solutions available. Always present a balanced and honest picture. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 89

Startup Competition Patents Entrepreneur 89

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Now get real (cook it).

Ideas 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Over half of the survivors remaining are eliminated during live presentations, and another 6.5% File a patent and trademarks to show real intellectual property. Build an investor presentation and summary. are eliminated during due diligence. Reserve the company name on social networks to protect it.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Now get real (cook it).

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

The customer pain point must be defined before the solution is presented, so it doesn’t look like you have a solution looking for a problem. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. I’ve asked this question many times of presenters in angel meetings, and often get a blank look.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed. File at least a provisional patent and one or more trademarks. Pitching” is the insider term for presenting your product idea to people who could conceivably buy it or fund your efforts. Now get real (cook it).

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56