Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

My introduction to startups really came when I first worked in IBM with Philip Donald Estridge back in 1981. Known as Don Estridge, he led development of the original IBM Personal Computer, and thus is known as "father of the IBM PC" He’s gone now, but I still remember him fondly. He and Bill Lowe somehow managed to convince then CEO Frank Cary to give them a dozen engineers, a small budget, and a few months, to set up a small skunk-works called Entry Level Systems in Boca Raton, Flori

Software Review 185

Software Review Startup Florida Technical Review 185

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2010

Even though 1984 passed uneventfully over 25 years ago, there is still a large population out there worried about George Orwell , and the animals taking over the farm. Why is everyone so paranoid these days? My plea to entrepreneurs and startups is to recognize it as an opportunity, and go the extra mile to make people comfortable rather than paranoid.

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Technical Review Entrepreneur Internet Social Network 212

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

The universal challenge of every startup founder is to get everything done that needs to get done, and still have a life. Even outside of business, everyone wants to accomplish more, while working less. I’ve been a student of these techniques for some time, but recently I saw a great summary that seems to pull all the key principles together. Stever Robbins, known on the Internet as the Get-It-Done Guy, just published his book “ 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More ,” which outlines his strategies.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

Most people think innovation is all about ideas, when in fact it is more about delivery, people, and process. Entrepreneurs looking to innovate need to understand the execution challenge if they expect their startup to carve out a profitable niche in the marketplace, and keep innovating to build and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage. Everyone thinks they know how to make innovation happen, but I can’t find much real research on the subject.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2010

By Adam Hoeksema According to a report distributed by the Angel Capital Education Foundation , total startup funding from venture capital funds, state funds, and angel investors totals approximately $20.8 billion annually. Surprisingly, friends and family contributed nearly three times the amount of capital to thousands of startups each year. With approximately $60 billion in startup funding coming from friends and family, entrepreneurs must consider this as an option as they seek to launch new

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Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Startup Venture Capital 225

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2010

The first question most people seem to ask when contemplating a new startup is where they will get the money. That’s certainly a valid question, but all the money in the world won’t make your business a success if you hate what you are doing, and you aren’t prepared to do the job. I suggest that there are several other questions even more important than the money one.

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Angel Investor Bootstrapping Venture Capital Founder 210

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2010

By Ernst Gemassmer Most of us view weekly staff meetings today with a degree of trepidation and frustration. Without clear expectations, two-way communication, and effective execution, they are too often a waste of time for all participants. Many have suggested that it is time re-engineer this process, or eliminate the meetings entirely. In an old survey on staff meeting obstacles conducted by GroupSystems , I found the following not-so-surprising statistics for the average 50 minute staff meeti

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Leadership Distribution Engineer Startup 211