Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2023

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. “My My idea is just too far ahead of its time.”

Startup 135

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. In a two-minute video clip, you can introduce yourself, show your passion and the engaging personality you need to win over customers, partners, and employees.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2020

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. “My My idea is just too far ahead of its time.”

Entrepreneur 121

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Course 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. It’s the same for customers and products, where analytics have long proven their value.

Tool 121

Tool Statistics Entrepreneur Metrics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Historical and current statistics still show the chances of failure on any given startup are better than even. When you are starting a new venture, raising capital, and landing those initial customers, the obstacles keep coming, so you need all the flexibility and resilience you can muster.

Startup 128

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction News 128

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2014

I’m talking about volunteering to be on industry panels for visibility, participating in startup weekends for education, and talking to groups of distributors or potential customers on technology trends. It’s amazing how much more you can learn face-to-face, compared to an analysis of aging statistics alone. Face-to-face time is key.

Startup 100

Startup Tips Mentor Conference 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2014

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that most startups fail within the first five years. “My My idea is just too far ahead of its time.”

Startup 110

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 110

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

They don’t realize that according to statistics from Startup.co , almost 60 percent are funded with personal savings and credit, and another 25 percent get their money from friends and family. Identify customer executives who need your solution. Reach out to your biggest fans for investor leads.

Statistics 98

Statistics Entrepreneur Funding Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2023

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Not always to good effect. Failure to learn.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2010

In case you think that all of these are employed by big companies, listen to these statistics: According to an article in U.S. How can you beat finding someone who has been there and done that, able to mentor Gen-Y, has lots of connections to people in your industry, and is often willing to work for equity alone? Customer Service.

Mentor 75

Mentor Statistics High Tech Demand 75

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Asking for early-stage money before you have customers and revenue will likely kill your credibility with real investors. Seed-stage, meanwhil e, is technically that critical period when you need funding to do solution- and business-model development, to prove that your new product or service works, before you try to sell it to customers.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

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. The reality is that everyone wants to help – friends, investors, even customers, but you have to take the initiative.

Ideas 121

Ideas Writing Startup Entrepreneur 121

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2014

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Not always to good effect. Failure to learn.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Metrics Demand Statistics 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Based on my own experience as a mentor and angel investor, I find that as many as ninety percent of startups fail in the first five years, despite their best efforts. These are necessary to attract customers, investors, and give you a line of defense with competitors. Test your plan to get feedback from real customers.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2013

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Not always to good effect. Failure to learn.

Metrics 110

Metrics Entrepreneur Demand Statistics 110

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. It’s the same for customers and products, where analytics have long proven their value.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2023

Historical and current statistics still show the chances of failure on any given startup are better than even. When you are starting a new venture, raising capital, and landing those initial customers, the obstacles keep coming, so you need all the flexibility and resilience you can muster.

Startup 102

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur News 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. In a two-minute video clip, you can introduce yourself, show your passion and the engaging personality you need to win over customers, partners, and employees.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2015

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. In a two-minute video clip, you can introduce yourself, show your passion and the engaging personality you need to win over customers, partners, and employees.

Startup 104

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Slides 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2012

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. Statistics show that the failure rate for new startups within the first 5 years is as high as 50 percent. That’s not bad, but who wants to be average? How can you improve your odds? Idea has limited business opportunity.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Statistics 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Too 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. The reality is that everyone wants to help – friends, investors, even customers, but you have to take the initiative.

Writing 100

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. Statistics show that the failure rate for new startups within the first 5 years is higher than 50 percent. That’s not bad, but who wants to be average? How can you improve your odds? Idea has limited business opportunity.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2023

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. The reality is that everyone wants to help – friends, investors, even customers, but you have to take the initiative.

Writing 92

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2016

They don’t realize that according to statistics from Startup.co , almost 60 percent are funded with personal savings and credit, and another 25 percent get their money from friends and family. Identify customer executives who need your solution. Reach out to your biggest fans for investor leads.

Startup 61

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Funding 61

socalTECH

AUGUST 4, 2016

If you look at some of the statistics, getting a home loan is like pulling teeth, and it gets very poor customer ratings. He's my mentor, and I've known him since I was nineteen years old, when he was an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine. Because of that, it's very antiquated, both in terms of the process and the technology used.

Startup 100

Startup Platform Pepperdine CIO 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

In my experience, and from the thoughts of others who have “been there and done that,” here is my list of the top elements you should be looking for: Focused on customers and team, rather than “me, myself, and I.” These will provide the competitive edge you need with customers and less-focused team members. Never makes excuses.

Funding 55

Funding Satisfaction Custom Customer 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

According to recent statistics from the International Business Innovation Association ( InBIA ), there are about 7,000 business incubators and accelerators worldwide, with over 90 percent being non-profit and focused on incubator programs for community economic development. Direction, mentoring and resources required.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2016

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that most startups fail within the first five years. “My My idea is just too far ahead of its time.”

Startup 58

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2018

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. “My My idea is just too far ahead of its time.”

Startup 56

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 56

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2018

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. In a two-minute video clip, you can introduce yourself, show your passion and the engaging personality you need to win over customers, partners, and employees.

Startup 65

Startup Entrepreneur Slides Content 65

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2016

Historical and current statistics still show the chances of failure on any given startup are better than even. When you are starting a new venture, raising capital, and landing those initial customers, the obstacles keep coming, so you need all the flexibility and resilience you can muster.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction News 63

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2016

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Sales people tend to remember the latest product when selling to clients, not the one best for that customer. Not always to good effect. Failure to learn.

Metrics 60

Metrics Demand Statistics Sales 60

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2017

Even after many years mentoring entrepreneurs and advising businesses, I continue to be surprised by the primary focus on products and processes, and the often incidental attention to hiring and nurturing the right people. It’s the same for customers and products, where analytics have long proven their value.

Tool 53

Tool Entrepreneur Statistics Metrics 53