Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Even in this age of videos and text messages, the quickest way to kill your startup dream with investors, business partners, or even customers, is embarrassingly poor writing. You have to be able to communicate effectively in all the common forms, including business writing, as well as talking, presenting, and producing videos.

Writing 109

Writing Entrepreneur Summary Email 109

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 17, 2009

I often talk with entrepreneurs who are kicking around their next idea. Sometimes they’re working full time at a company or sometimes they’ve already left their employer and they’re bouncing around ideas with friends. Even if you keep it dormant for 2 years while you work on your idea. Not worth it.

Startup 365

Startup Technical Advisors IP Ideas 365

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

I’m over-paying for every check I write into the VC ecosystem and valuations are being pushed up to absurd levels and many of these valuations and companies won’t hold in the long term. However, to be a great VC you have to hold two conflicting ideas in your head at the same time. By definition?—?I’m The legends of Silicon Valley?—?two

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

This blog started from a series of conversations I found myself having over and over again with founders and eventually decided I should just start writing them.It The desire to be better than anybody else in one’s field. Last week’s obsession was about obsession itself. I don’t know Mark Zuckerberg.

Competition 394

Competition Startup Writing Marketing 394

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

One thing I have learned the hard way in business is that implementing new ideas is usually much more difficult than conceiving the idea in the first place. That’s why I caution my aspiring entrepreneur clients against proclaiming to investors that they are a great “idea” person. For example, I have a friend with a Ph.D.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Steve Blank , January 25, 2010 10 Tips for Adding Game Mechanics to a Non-Gaming Service - ReadWriteStart , September 21, 2010 Startups & VCs: Learn How to Design, Market, & Eat Your Own. -

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Coach 378

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Profile Blurbs and Writing Prompts Let’s look at our job matching site in more detail. So instead, we fill it with a completely custom blurb, written just for him: Hello! This gives Mark more control over the process, without requiring him to write much, and gives the LLM more to work with.

Generative AI 295

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence TechEmpower Tips 295

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. In my experience, building a business is much more about getting things done than having great ideas. It’s time to get the help you need.

Ideas 121

Ideas Writing Startup Entrepreneur 121

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 1, 2011

And even the best teams combined to create big innovations sometimes don’t time markets well, are surprised by unexpected technology breakthroughs by competitors or just don’t find the magic the leads to mass customer adoption. I started by writing 3-4 times / week. Less than 100 people read that original post 2 years ago.

Startup 391

Startup Blogging Venture Capital Writing 391

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2011

It was a pleasure to write them myself. He presented the idea at the TED conference in the mid 90′s and was literally boo’d while he was on stage. The idea actually came to him from the Yellow Pages business. He came up to Bill after the event and said, “clever idea, we should do that with you.&#

Competition 350

Competition Idealab Product CitySearch 350

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

What every entrepreneur needs more than anything else, after they have built an innovative new product or service, is visibility, credibility, and trust by customers, potential employees, and future business partners. It makes customers feel special, and gives you the opportunity to highlight your broad experience and credentials.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

Define your customers, partners and other relevant people to your organization (e.g. That’s blogging to the echo chamber unless they’re your target customers. Don’t just write a carbon copy of what somebody else is doing. I didn’t want to run out of things to write about in the first 6 months.

Blogging 286

Blogging Startup Writing Summary 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2013

The point of PUCCKA was to develop a common methodology to make sure our whole team approaches sales with the same mindset and to give us a language to talk with each other about our prospects, as in, “have you identified your customers pain point yet?”. The goal is to get the customer speaking about their organization.

Sales 367

Sales Slides Startup Custom 367

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2010

So, I ended up writing that first book, and Bruce helped me with the research, and that was one way we got to know each other before we were even dating. Someone had written to me -- Debbie at Debbie.com, and I thought it was such a funny idea, and thought it would be great if Lynda.com was available. At the time, I got Lynda.com.

Startup 242

Startup Web Design Writing Web 242

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2009

Well obviously that’s meaningless if your startup idea sucks. I’m looking for the person that just “gets it.&# They know instinctually how customers buy and how to excite them. You can practically hear the “voice of the customer&# when they’re presenting their concept.

Entrepreneur 306

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Custom 306

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

One way to mitigate this is by using early money to create a prototype, to perform market research, to complete the first generation of the product, or to deliver the service to a satisfied customer. A great idea often fails from the inexperience or inability of management to bring the idea to market. Second: Market risk.

Outsource Development 200

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2019

They can talk with passion about their innovative new idea, and ask lots of questions, but never seem to really get started. The challenge we all have as business founders is to move from the idea stage to a real business. Always write in the future tense, what you will do, and name yourself as the key person responsible.

Ideas 99

Ideas Slides Writing Startup 99

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 31, 2024

One way to mitigate this is by using early money to create a prototype, to perform market research, to complete the first generation of the product, or to deliver the service to a satisfied customer. Email readers, continue here…] A great idea often fails from the inexperience or inability of management to bring the idea to market.

Outsource Development 294

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 294

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

Attempt To License An Idea. Rationale: My idea is so mind-blowingly fantastic, I can sit back and collect licensing fees while someone else does all the work required to turn my idea into a successful business. Fallacy: Ideas are worthless, while skillful execution is priceless. Rely On A Public Relations Agency.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

PTO examiners consider a very narrow set of criteria which does not include the commercial efficacy of an idea. There is a common misconception that an idea can be protected by documenting it, placing it in an envelope and then mailing it to yourself. However, a more appropriate question is “ Should we get a patent on that?”.

IP 256

IP Patents Company Companies 256

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I have often thought that creative endeavors where one has a quick turn-around between idea and realization of one’s work as one of the more fulfilling experiences in life. In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. There was no money train. It was 1991.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Thus, you must first create the playbook by which an independent sales rep can readily sell your product, including: identifying objections and developing strategies to overcome them, creating reference accounts and establishing meaningful customer adoption. 3) Attempt To License An Idea. 3) Attempt To License An Idea.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. I LOVE this part of my job. That’s fun. Maybe 10-15%.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

.” Here’s what I mean … Let’s start with what it takes for a journalist to want to write a story. Do I have an “angle” from which to write the story (first company to do X, company does biggest X, consumer behavior is doing X)? I am a VC. I hand out money. How differentiated is that?

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2009

This post covers the first out of 10 that I’ll write about. The moderator asked the question, “if an entrepreneur writes an email to a VC and doesn’t hear back what should they do?&# This VC responded, “Move on. You had no idea how important that brand name was until you left it behind.

Entrepreneur 338

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Google 338

Berkonomics

JULY 3, 2024

Each new customer, each mention in the press or online adds to the feeling of early accomplishment. And it is more satisfying because it is yours, from idea to execution. Especially when starting a company with personal savings or money from relatives and friends, early signs of success are intoxicating.

Startup 156

Startup Hollywood Writing Press 156

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Here is my edited summary of their ten principles, which I like and may convince you that you don’t need a business plan at all, or at the very least will help you write a better one later: A new venture is a means, not an end. So keep your eyes open and respond to new customers, new markets, and new partnerships.

Writing 102

Writing Startup Entrepreneur Capital 102

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 5, 2010

But when I’m looking to write my check I need to look in the eyes of the captain — the maestro who brings the whole orchestra together. But to me if you’re not willing to quit and take a risk on yourself, then you’re not confident enough in your own idea and skills. Why should I be? I finally called bullshit. They finally quit.

Entrepreneur 293

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital CTO Hire 293

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2009

This can often happen when there is a good product built but no real customer adoption yet. When I founded my first company along with Brian Moran (whose idea it was) I had no real experience running startups. This is what happened to me. I had worked for Accenture building computer systems for large corporations.

Startup 299

Startup Venture Capital Technical Review Training 299

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2013

They look at the following high level definition of Lean: and they interpret that as write up an executive summary with your ideas and hand it to developers to build. Have you conducted Problem, Solution and Feature Interviews with customers? What's going to go wrong? See Investors, MVPs and Evidence of Traction.

CTO Coach 219

CTO Coach Metrics Framework Software Development 219

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 20, 2013

It’s a shame because the ability to nail these presentations at key conferences can be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to influence journalists, business partners, potential employees, customers and VCs. So I thought I’d write a piece on how not to suck when you give a presentation. But the core idea is right.

Slides 399

Slides Startup Conference Writing 399

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

As a mentor to many business professionals and owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find a wealth of innovative ideas, but often less insight on what it really takes to transform ideas into an income stream that can excite new customers into long-term business success. A great innovation starts with at least three ideas.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Great Startup Ideas Come From Everywhere. "At "At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top – I'm afraid that's not quite right." Along with your cash, customers and employees, a healthy startup culture will prove to be one of your most precious assets. .

Tips 275

Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down. The discipline of writing down your plan is the best way to make sure you understand how to transform your idea into a business, and how to communicate it. Offer free solutions to bring in more customers.

Startup 174

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

27:45 Eric: The thing that is supposed to fail fast is your bad ideas, not your company. 41:00 Transitioning from software to writing. 57: 00 How do you rectify company mission and customer demand. Most people are working on failing ideas. Little money. 25:40 The fundamental goal should be to eliminate waste. 34:00 Imvu.

Social Media 301

Social Media Startup Metrics Media 301

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

I find it amusing when a journalist writes an article about a prominent startup (either privately held or preparing for an IPO) and decries that, “They’re not even profitable!” If you had huge customer growth but just didn’t focus on revenue that’s a different story. One of them is profitability.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418