Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

The video link is here and quick time-coded show notes at the end of the post in case you want to jump ahead to just one section. How do you get access to customers? how do you do pipeline reviews? how should a VC do due diligence on sales operations? What tools do you use? We covered much ground.

Software Review 300

Software Review Sales Tips Help 300

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

However, savvy startups can leverage LinkedIn to create a customer acquisition and a churn reduction tool. However, in some cases, especially with its larger customers, the company displaces a competitor. It’s not about helping them use our software. Businesses typically use LinkedIn to recruit employees. Bro Benefits.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Software Review Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2014

What we all need is a digital tool that can extract data from business cards, as well as sync it with your cell phone, your email, and the social networks you use. This smartphone app places all your contact information into a single QR code image. My experience is that shareware software is usually worth what you pay for it.

Tool 92

Tool Software Review Social Network Email 92

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

However, its unique-for-the-industry monthly subscription model has helped it maintain healthy profits from its loyal customer base in 2023. RunwayML Runway is an applied AI tool artists can use to create AI-generated media, like video, audio and text. Vibrant Planet's Land Tender tool. Organic milk formula product Bobbie.

Startup 196

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 196

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2020

For starters Uber itself has had to lay off 27% of its workforce due to the pandemic and has been severely impacted financially from the crisis with no immediate respite in sight. Customers were happy and restaurants focused on their in-store business. What is the Shopify of the restaurant industry?

SaaS 242

SaaS Customer Custom Technical Review 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

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. The Wal-Mart home page is customized for each shopper based on location, local weather, and the customer search and purchase history.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2016

Note: I invest almost exclusively in b-to-b software companies. I also pitched an expert marketplace to some of the world’s largest ISPs as a support tool, nine-months before the product was optimized for that purpose. As such, I understand the degree to which hand waving and vaporware can influence investors and potential customers.

Venture Capital 176

Venture Capital Product Software Review Technical Review 176

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

I suggest looking for painful problems to solve, rather than “easier to use” or “nice to have” solutions, for customers with money. Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Collaborate with customers to tune your solution.

Outsource Development 154

Outsource Development Social Media Software Review Customer 154

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 21, 2016

They can utilize seven tools to improve employee management. Among the tools are BoostSuite, Blue Coat, Boomerang, and QuickBooks. Other tools include Zenefits, Genbook, and HipChat. The software does keyword research, and it has an SEO checklist. The software does keyword research, and it has an SEO checklist.

Tool 40

Tool Software Review SEO Email 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

These can be as simple as how to handle customer over-payments, or more complex in how to handle the choices every employee may face between conflicting customer and company interests. While codes of behavior do not guarantee an ethical culture, they do clarify desired behavior and articulate for employees what is expected of them.

Entrepreneur 116

Entrepreneur Software Review Summary Examples 116

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. Regularly follow reviews and influencers in your industry. Use tools and analytics to identify trends and directions.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2023

Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews. Nurture dedicated customer advocates and fans. Consider advocates to be a step up from customer engagement.

Social Media 106

Social Media Software Review Course Networking 106

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Fast forward to almost exactly one year later, and a lot has changed for the payments and software startup. Since its 2017 inception, SpotOn has been focused on providing software and payments technology to SMBs with an emphasis on restaurants and retail businesses.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

socalTECH

JUNE 3, 2019

Citron previously founded and sold Mogreet, a developer of mobile marketing software, among other ventures. Pledgeling has built a technology platform that makes it super easy to integrate charity into their customer experience, and, as we say, grow through giving. What is Pledgeling? How did you decide to get into this as a company?

Technical Review 113

Technical Review Software Review Mogreet Platform 113

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 12, 2018

Both programmers, the two reconnected after doing stints as custom developers during and after college, and then when they were developing tools for their families’ businesses as residential contractors in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale. These kinds of technologies, unlike AI, don’t automate away workers.

Glendale 271

Glendale Los Angeles Startup Technical Review 271

Tech.Co

MAY 31, 2023

Business tools — from customer relationship management ( CRM ) platforms to accounting software — help to save startups time and money by automating key processes and maximizing efficiency. Yet, with so many tools vying for the attention of business owners, navigating the over-saturated market can be overwhelming.

Tool 117

Tool Startup Software Review Technical Review 117

StartUp Beat

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

With its finger on the pulse of this global marketing trend, Los Angeles-based Paladin Software has announced the release of a new social influencer marketing software, Campaigns. James Creech- Co-Founder & CEO at Paladin Software. “In

Social Media 40

Social Media Software Review Media Marketing 40

Tech.Co

JANUARY 3, 2020

Customers are happy, clients are beaming, and the revenue just keeps rolling in. As well as making purchases incredibly easy for your customers (encouraging more sales) you can offer loyalty initiatives on the spot, and track crucial details from inventory numbers to best-selling products and employee performance.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Software Review Social Media Platform 91

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 19, 2012

It's the same as when I've created financial models and then have it reviewed by a hard-core CFO, sophisticated investor or similar kind of expert. And in the case of defining mobile/web/software, there is even more variability in terms of form and format. I'm never trying to embarrass someone. I know how it feels.

Develop 354

Develop Development Technical Review CTO Coach 354

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2021

Take advantage of software tools to automate routine business functions, like taking and delivering orders. Provide website forums to help customers solve their own problems. Use free e-commerce software and services like PayPal before building an expensive customized solution. Automate to the max.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Case Study Software Review Startup 124

TechCrunch LA

JULY 19, 2022

to develop some sweet inventory-planning software. Murthy and Kaplan intend to use the debt offering as a factor relationship to act as an intermediary and purchase receivables for brands that don’t have access to those kinds of relationships due to it being a nonfrequent sale for some brands. Syrup Tech bags $6.3M

Product 191

Product Funding Technical Review Equity 191

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

However, 10 years after the software was first released, the kanban-based system is getting a major overhaul. The software now offers Timeline, Table, Dashboard, and Calendar views. Table can also be useful for keeping track of personal and team workloads with its advanced filter tools. Tempted by Trello? Trello Views.

Software Review 139

Software Review Guide Technical Review Class 139

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it. He came to work in our offices at Upfront Ventures as an EIR and immediately began building software to improve how storage was picked up, photographed, scanned and routed to a warehouse.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2020

Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews. Nurture dedicated customer advocates and fans. Consider advocates to be a step up from customer engagement.

Tips 124

Tips Social Media Software Review Course 124

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

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 20, 2014

To put this into perspective, I have less than 8,000 Twitter followers, yet 3% are classified as "fake" by StatusPeople''s online forensic tool. He noted that, " Throughout the year I review my Twitter followers looking for bots, accounts that have been abandoned, or that are tweeting links with viruses and I remove them. The Downside.

Social Media 274

Social Media Media Technical Review Software Review 274

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2019

For example, I come from a software background, and back in the early PC days, it could easily cost half a million dollars for a team of professionals to produce a commercial product. Now, with powerful high-level tools and open source software, winning smartphone apps can be built by a good hacker for a few thousand dollars.

Startup 105

Startup Software Review Technical Review Social Media 105

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2011

We actually built that about a year and a half ago, and are bringing that back due to overwhelming demand. But, with the economy turning south in 2008, lots of those customers went out of business. In the meantime, Groupon came along, and our media customers started to lose advertising. We were crowd sourcing artists and design.

Platform 263

Platform Training Software Review Advertising 263

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2013

What we all need is a digital tool that can extract data from business cards, as well as sync it with your cell phone, your email, and the social networks you use. This smart phone app places all your contact information into a single QR code image. Yet my experience is that shareware software is usually worth what you pay for it.

Software Review 99

Software Review Social Network Email Google 99

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2013

“Invoice price” is an equally meaningless marketing tool. Work on budgets, submit RFPs, answer customers support calls, work the bug-tracking software, and trying to meet the next sprint release schedule. But I digress. While back at the office the other 98% of the staff actually have to build stuff. Sell stuff.

Conference 398

Conference Technical Review Truecar Software Review 398

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2019

These can be as simple as how to handle customer over-payments, or more complex in how to handle the choices every employee may face between conflicting customer and company interests. While codes of behavior do not guarantee an ethical culture, they do clarify desired behavior and articulate for employees what is expected of them.

Software Review 77

Software Review Summary Examples Offshore 77

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 26, 2013

Tools to understand and communicate with their readers. By bringing sophisticated marketing tools to mobile, the platform empowers digital publishers to derive more value from their apps.”. Readers into customers. Boon for both traditional and corporate publishers.

Mobile 83

Mobile Technical Review Tool Software Review 83

socalTECH

OCTOBER 8, 2015

Four of the companies in this year's accelerator class (FEM, MakieLab, Littlestar, and HYP3R) now have operations in Los Angeles, three having set up shop in Los Angeles due to their involvement in the program.

Artificial Inteligence 100

Artificial Inteligence Class Burbank Software Review 100

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

9 Reasons Why Many Smart People Go Nowhere - Life Beyond Code , March 29, 2010 You would have met many smart people who live a mediocre life. Death By Competitive Analysis - Steve Blank , March 1, 2010 Trading emails with a startup CEO building an iPhone app, I asked him why potential customers would buy his product.

Startup 150

Startup Software Review Competition SoCal 150

socalTECH

JANUARY 26, 2009

Pasadena-based X1 Technologies, a developer of desktop and enterprise search software, is setting its sights on the eDiscovery market, saying this morning that it has created a new offering specifically aimed at the eDiscovery market. The new tool is focused on helping companies who need to produce electronic documents, due to lawsuits.

Idealab 113

Idealab Software Review Technical Review Pasadena 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2020

Analytic process automation platforms are organizing what were once patchwork point solutions that cost customers time and resources, bringing streamlined processes and the human back to the center of problem solving.

Southern California 140

Southern California Technical Review Platform Organization 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2019

Take advantage of software tools to automate routine business functions, like taking and delivering orders. Provide website forums to help customers solve their own problems. Use free e-commerce software and services like PayPal before building an expensive customized solution. Automate to the max.

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Case Study Software Review Startup 97