Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

He’s an incredibly smart investor and somebody that I actually consider to be a mentor to myself. He called me 15 months later excited to show me his metrics and wanted to talk about his A round. I reviewed a deal for a friend of mine tonight. He wanted to know what I thought of his technology deal. Fair enough. My response?

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2020

Both Bill Gates and Warren Buffet , although extremely successful in their own domains, share a great relationship as mentors for each other in learning how to deal with today’s challenging business and social problems. Use metrics in lieu of feelings to measure progress. People who listen are always more resilient.

Startup 173

Startup Mentor Activity Entrepreneur 173

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2020

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. Using data metrics alone for decisions, without seeking the root problem and alternative solutions, kills creativity. Failure to learn.

Metrics 157

Metrics Demand Statistics Sales 157

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

What metrics are going to be the key startup metrics and how do we get those metrics without too much cost? What do we need to do to make sure we can survive technical due diligence by investors and partners? What specific technical innovations might make sense? What can we build that might be protectable?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

It’s important to define your growth strategy, document it, communicate it to your team, and align metrics and employee rewards to target goals. Utilize outside expertise and mentoring. No matter how much energy, experience, and passion you have, there is always more you can learn from an Advisory Board of external experts or a mentor.

Technical Review 160

Technical Review Technical Advisors Startup Mentor 160

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

In my role as advisor and mentor to many new entrepreneurs, I often find myself suggesting that they think bigger. In the startup world, even the best-laid plans are probably wrong, so there is a need to be able to launch fast, have metrics in place to measure progress, learn from real customer feedback, and pivot as required.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2022

That means making sure you are utilizing coaching and mentoring, as well as training to keep up with changes in technology and the marketplace. Adopt some key metrics to measure your change agility. New blood and new ideas are keys to agility. Demand and reward speedy analysis and execution.

Competition 148

Competition Metrics Demand Customer 148

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

In my own business career, many years as a business advisor, and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I have validated the following strategies to practice and guide you. Make sure that you implement a metric with each solution, to prevent the issue from recurring, and check for side effects and follow-on side effects.

Satisfaction 152

Satisfaction Mentor Study Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Starting and running a business requires many different skills and interests, and not many of us have all of them.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I also encourage an entrepreneur exit focus early, and I really like the specific steps outlined in the classic book, “ Exit Signs ,” by Pamela Dennis, who has helped companies through this critical transition for decades. New startup founders keep all the operating metrics they need in their head.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Berkonomics

JANUARY 16, 2014

community in many ways, including his weekly Internet TV program on entrepreneurism, and participation in several mentoring programs. . Clarify operation responsibilities and metrics used to measure performance. JJ is a successful entrepreneur and technologist giving back to the entrepreneurial.

Technical Review 204

Technical Review Startup Examples Metrics 204

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. I realized that he and I see several common patterns that account for a large percentage of new venture failures.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2020

Implement the key business metrices you will live by. Identify the three most important metrics your business must hit every week to achieve growth goals. Increase you focus on coaching, training, and mentoring. These are the timeless principles that must guide all hiring, marketing, and execution decisions.

Metrics 140

Metrics Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction 140

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. Using data metrics alone for decisions, without seeking the root problem and alternative solutions, kills creativity. Failure to learn.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. Productive processes start with a plan, and end with metrics that measure value delivered. Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2015

In my perspective as an advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs, there are a set of basic strategies that can be applied to every startup to dramatically improve the odds of success, no matter what the business domain. Define metrics to keep on track for the journey.

Startup 101

Startup Metrics Resource Mentor 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. Finding win-win deals is a manageable risk, versus a battle with one winner.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Customer 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2021

As a mentor, my mission is to recommend actions that can strengthen your image with investors and peers, as well as help you get the startup job done. Define and use real metrics to measure progress. In my view, it starts with your communication of real personal values , and ends your focus on results. Don’t play the blame game.

Customer 157

Customer Custom Metrics Ideas 157

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. Using data metrics alone for decisions, without seeking the root problem and alternative solutions, kills creativity. Failure to learn.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Metrics Demand Statistics 113

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. Using data metrics alone for decisions, without seeking the root problem and alternative solutions, kills creativity. Failure to learn.

Metrics 110

Metrics Entrepreneur Demand Statistics 110

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. Finding win-win deals is a manageable risk, versus a battle with one winner.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

Implement metrics and set objectives for every organization. Growing the company means growing people through mentoring and training. Now the experiments are over, and high productivity is the objective. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Balance your own life for the long haul.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2022

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to get satisfaction from this lifestyle. Put it behind you by setting your own realistic metrics for success and happiness. Only 13 percent of workers are fully engaged in their job. The sad part is that it seems to be getting worse, rather than better.

Satisfaction 153

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Writing Startup 153

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. Finding win-win deals is a manageable risk, versus a battle with one winner.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 115

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Here are the key principles she espouses, extended to leadership teams, based on my own background and mentoring new entrepreneurs: Learn to trust yourself and your team. Use metrics to support judgment in decisions. Metrics are necessary to acquire knowledge and turn it into action. What gets measured gets done.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

Here are the key principles she espouses, extended to leadership teams, based on my own background and mentoring new entrepreneurs: Learn to trust yourself and your team. Use metrics to support judgment in decisions. Metrics are necessary to acquire knowledge and turn it into action. What gets measured gets done.

Develop 103

Develop Development Coach Metrics 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Unfortunately, many aspiring leaders I mentor are not aware of the signals people are looking for, or are not attuned to the subtleties of their own actions. Define metrics to measure what you want to achieve. Show humility while acting as a mentor and coach. Granting trust is a strong signal that motivates returning the favor.

Mentor 98

Mentor News Summary Coach 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Use metrics to measure results of marketing initiatives. Finding win-win deals is a manageable risk, versus a battle with one winner.

Startup 113

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2020

Implement metrics and set objectives for every organization. Growing the company means growing people through mentoring and training. Now the experiments are over, and high productivity is the objective. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Balance your own life for the long haul.

Startup 125

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 125

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. Setting your own metrics, and measuring yourself , will facilitate accountability. Be available for mentoring and coaching to others.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

Image via Pixabay As a mentor to many small business owners, I always caution them that you can never relax completely, just because your initial solution or product set appears to be getting traction, and the market buzz is positive. Document processes and metrics for economies of scale.

Metrics 86

Metrics Startup Training Customer 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2019

Based on my own experience in large and small businesses, as well as mentoring entrepreneurs, here is my list of behaviors which will keep you ahead of the pack: Focus on managing relationships more than tasks. That means a priority on coaching and mentoring, as well as training and tools, before focusing on results metrics.

Tips 97

Tips Mentor Coach Metrics 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2022

Thus, over the years of my mentoring and consulting efforts with entrepreneurs, I have a key list of practices that I recommend to everyone starting and growing a business. Use metrics on key deliverables to assure quality results. Big growth takes big investment.

Startup 134

Startup Training Tool Demand 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

For example , Bill Gates shared a mentoring relationship with Warren Buffett that increased the credibility of both, although their business domains were quite different. Proactively use metrics and customer feedback before a crisis hits, to recognize when a pivot or product adjustment is required.

Marketing 133

Marketing Customer Custom Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Keep your plan updated, and don’t be caught off guard.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

socalTECH

AUGUST 28, 2017

The last thing, is you really need to understand what your business metrics are, and make sure you are looking at the most important metrics. Don't be enamored with vanity metrics like for us, growth of photos.

Technical Advisors 100

Technical Advisors Technical Review Metrics Startup 100

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. Define key metrics to measure progress and success. Use comparable metrics for managing team member results.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98