Gust

OCTOBER 6, 2011

In my conversations with people in the startup world – from angel investors through entrepreneurs and employees with vast startup experience – I often hear about their perceptions of the marketing role as being pretty limited to acquisition. Second – timely, cost-effective customer acquisition is a matter of life-or-death to most startups.

Acquisition 87

Acquisition Marketing CPA PPC 87

Gust

OCTOBER 19, 2014

The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition). Until mid-2013, the USPTO still operated on the doctrine of “first to invent,” rather than first to patent.

Software Review 173

Software Review Software Technical Review Intellectual Property 173

Gust

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Then you can decide on a marketing program, loyalty program, or a level of attention that is appropriate to each group, for acquisition, retention, and profitability. Don’t focus only on your products and operational efficiencies, unless you already have the brand image and leverage to prosper with price as the key differentiating factor.

Customer 166

Customer Startup Retention Differentiation 166

Gust

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Never missing an opportunity for a good war story, I’d like to revisit one high-profile transaction, the $650 million acquisition of MySpace by Fox Interactive Media in 2005, on which I spent many sleepless nights along with the rest of the deal team. Read on for a fuller explanation. Intermix and its advisors weren’t fools.

Valuation 98

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Merger Vesting 98

Gust

OCTOBER 2, 2014

So at any given point you are likely operating with a maximum of 9 month’s cash. Sign up customers who are paying you money for a service you can’t 100% guarantee is going to be operational for the full period that they’re expecting. And it’s why you probably will quit on day 366 after the acquisition. And yet you have to.

Monaco 122

Monaco Cofounder Chicago Mexico 122

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2012

You should know every metric regarding customer acquisition, conversion and retention. The expectation is that in an era of increasing technology and decreasing costs, you will be bringing them an operating company with at least some traction. You should know EVERYTHING about your business, product, customers and competition.

Software Review 164

Software Review Term Sheet Technical Review Angel Investor 164