YoungUpstarts

JUNE 4, 2019

At Wildcat, we recommend benchmarking your startup against the four core architectural pillars of the Traction Gap Framework: product , revenue , team and systems. Most early stage startups tend to do well in this area because entrepreneurs generally launch their startups believing they have a great product idea. Revenue Architecture.

Framework 118

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 118

www.instigatorblog.com

MARCH 2, 2010

The Importance of Advisory Boards for Startup CEOs Tweet When a startup receives financing it will need to setup a Board of Directors. The Board probably existed beforehand, but was made up only of the founders. Mark Macleod spells it out beautifully in his post on Advisory Boards. Why wouldn’t you?

Advisory Board 40

Advisory Board Startup Cofounder Equity 40

YoungUpstarts

MAY 24, 2019

At Wildcat, we recommend benchmarking your startup against the four core architectural pillars of the Traction Gap Framework: product , revenue , team and systems. Most early stage startups tend to do well in this area because entrepreneurs generally launch their startups believing they have a great product idea. Revenue Architecture.

Framework 104

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. Don’t expect them to believe your $100M revenue projection, if you are still waiting for the first revenue dollar. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 260

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 260

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Make sure everyone comes with an entrepreneur mindset for real innovation. In my experience, team members with an entrepreneur mindset are rare in mature companies, due to a growing focus on low risk fixed processes, narrow job roles with specialized expertise, and long-term tenure. Entrepreneurs crave more ownership.

Advisory Board 359

Advisory Board Incubator Dilution Agile 359

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2017

Entrepreneurs who’ve overcome the proof-of-concept phase of their startups want to take their businesses to the next level. They keenly focus on the leadership potential of the entrepreneurs. Endeavor Miami Entrepreneurs with Laura Maydon. Entrepreneurs can tap these networks with a simple phone call.

Miami 61

Miami Technical Review Software Review Artificial Inteligence 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. Don’t expect them to believe your $100M revenue projection, if you are still waiting for the first revenue dollar. Build qualified advisory board.

Intellectual Property 253

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 253

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

More and more startups are pursuing Revenue-Based VCs , but “RBI” doesn’t fit everyone. Flexible VC 101: Equity Meets Revenue Share. By tying payments to actual revenues, founders and investors remain aligned around the company’s real-time performance, good or bad. Flexible VC: Revenue -based. Of the Inc.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Dividend Equity 78

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. Don’t expect them to believe your $100M revenue projection, if you are still waiting for the first revenue dollar. Build qualified advisory board. Marty Zwilling.

Intellectual Property 222

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 222

David Teten

JULY 10, 2019

As a VC, I’m interested in working with companies with large-scale revenue potential, and that’s the company we envision. I’ve recruited an Advisory Board including officials from the CIA and the State Department; leaders from major family offices; and a former major party Presidential candidate. . A nonprofit?

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

David Teten

MAY 7, 2019

As a VC, I’m interested in working with companies with large-scale revenue potential, and that’s the company we envision. I’ve recruited an Advisory Board including officials from the CIA and the State Department; leaders from major family offices; and a former major party Presidential candidate. .

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

BeyondVC

JANUARY 3, 2019

We are purpose-built to not only invest pre-product but also to help accelerate your path to product-market fit with our decades of entrepreneurial and investing experience along with our active CXO advisory board. The 10 year bull market where every company’s revenue chart is up and to the right is over.

Stealth 79

Stealth Advisory Board Cloud Virginia 79

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Then listen carefully to the feedback.

Business Model 248

Business Model Advisory Board Entrepreneur Angel Investor 248

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2017

The accountant may accurately record every transaction, but only you can make the strategic tradeoffs on marketing costs versus customer revenue, product quality versus support, and so forth. Too many business owners are convinced that listening to an advisory board or Board of Directors is a waste of time and money.

Cost 180

Cost Advisory Board Entrepreneur Angel Investor 180

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

In it, I got asked a question I often hear: “What if we have a web-based business that doesn’t have revenue or paying customers? And without revenue how do we know if we achieved product/market fit to exit Customer Validation?” They’re putting money into web services/business – most without early revenue. End of theory.&#

Customer Development 219

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 219

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Based on my experience advising new entrepreneurs as well as more mature businesses, I recommend the following strategies for building business momentum, while still optimizing the limited resources of every small business: Find more customers that like what you do best. Focus first on finding more of the right customers.

Technical Review 400

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

Growthink Blog

MAY 20, 2011

I received an email last week from an entrepreneur (let's call him Mike) Now to begin, I was pretty impressed with Mike since he used a nice technique to get his email in my inbox (due to the volume of emails I receive, they are screened by others before they get to me). Like building an advisory board. So it's worth posting.

Venture Capital 109

Venture Capital Valuation NDA Non-disclosure Agreement 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2016

In my role as an advisory board member for several startups, I’m always excited to see that initial surge of revenue from a great rollout campaign. An initial revenue surge, or a major cash advance from investors often leads to a mentality of building a large customer base at any cost.

Advisory Board 120

Advisory Board Startup Revenue Finance 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2016

Almost every entrepreneur looking for outside investors has heard the annoying rejection, “You are just too early – come back when you have more traction.” These need to go beyond the traditional revenue, cost, and volume metrics which may not yet have data, and can mislead you about real customer acceptance.

Metrics 143

Metrics Advisory Board Startup Lean 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2013

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Then listen carefully to the feedback.

Business Model 235

Business Model Product Advisory Board Angel Investor 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. In this section, you need to be passionate about revenue, profit, and volume growth. Industry & market sizing.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2016

In reality, that’s the definition of a successful startup these days, so every aspiring entrepreneur should take note, as well as every existing corporate executive. I like their seven step approach, which I have paraphrased here for entrepreneurs as follows: Pull together a great multi-functional team. A dream is not enough.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Advisory Board Metrics Leadership 120

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 7, 2017

Many entrepreneurs start with their product, their solution, without deeply understanding the customer problem, from the customer perspective. I have found that the best ideas come from entrepreneurs with this magic combination of specialized knowledge, passion, and customer need. First, build an advisory board.

Advisory Board 123

Advisory Board Revenue Vertical Business Model 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. In this section, you need to be passionate about revenue, profit, and volume growth. Industry & market sizing.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

I mean, it’s easy to talk to very little bands and just say I feel like the amount of revenue for you is very little. The core of the business though, the revenue model, so it’s free to join, but then there’s the optional paid membership. Dan: Yeah, for a band that’s great. Jason: It’s possible.

Cofounder 199

Cofounder Technical Review Chicago Technical Cofounder 199

The Startup Magazine

MAY 28, 2019

They see it as a tool to drive their business instead of sharing their revenues with us.’. From our hard working and talented employees, ‘smart-money’ investors, to our Advisory Board Members that include Gerry Calabrese founder of Hoxton Spirits or Tomasz Fajfer European Financial Director of Sephora and ex Board Member of Costa Coffee.

Advisory Board 90

Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor Cofounder 90

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

I’ve written on the expert network industry a fair amount in the past: see How to Earn More Consulting Revenue from Expert Networks and How Executives Can Work with Private Equity and Venture Capital Portfolio Companies. David Teten: What is GLG Share, and why did you launch it? In that way, we see the value from both sides.

New York 114

New York Technical Review Networking Advisory Board 114

ConversionXL

AUGUST 11, 2021

All companies that This Week in Startups’ audience of entrepreneurs, company founders, and marketers would be interested in. It contains the story of your property, mission statement, sponsor benefits, demographics, marketing plan, goals, media opportunities, advisory board, and the sponsor fees.”. Source ).

Audience 139

Audience Social Media Email Ruby 139

Growthink Blog

OCTOBER 22, 2012

That Often It is Better to Receive than to Give : While advisory board members, unlike a formal board, do not have liability nor fiduciary responsibility, their time and energy requirements to participate are significant. The “ which ” questions are in many ways the harder ones that an advisory board dynamic can help address.

Advisory Board 91

Advisory Board Management Revenue Operations 91

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2011

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Here is where your Advisory Board can help you in finding real people with deep experience in your product domain, and gather some unbiased feedback. Then listen carefully to the feedback.

Business Model 234

Business Model Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 234

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

What are my expectations of being an entrepreneur? For example, in our definitive guide on how to start a successful clothing brand or clothing line , we suggest that aspiring apparel entrepreneurs choose their niche too. Studies show that entrepreneurs who take the time to write a business plan are 2.5 Find a niche.

Business Plan 64

Business Plan Small Business Administration Social Media Hiring 64

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Entrepreneurs who are looking to attract investors need to develop and pitch a plan -- preferably written -- that answers every potential investor question about your startup before it is asked. Include advisory board member qualifications and key industry connections. What are your forecasts for revenue, expenses and cash flow?

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Advisory Board Liquidity Event Startup 120

Small Business Force

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

You have some actual customers, driving real revenue and maybe even have an employee or two. Now is when you really become an entrepreneur! In fact, if you can, set up an advisory board of three or four folks, who you respect, who've been to the same dance you're at right now. Welcome to our fraternity, new entrepreneur.

Early Stage 32

Early Stage Advisory Board Technical Review Employee 32

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. In this section, you need to be passionate about revenue, profit, and volume growth. Industry & market sizing.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 19, 2018

FUND is a national connector of entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors, and industry experts with a focus on deal flow and making connections. We have been revenue positive since day one. We have been fortunate to have a business model that made us revenue positive from day one. What is your secret sauce? Our people! If so, how?

Texas 73

Texas Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 73

Growthink Blog

APRIL 4, 2011

My company had its first meeting of its strategic advisory board this past week. Here is what I got out of it: That Often It is Better to Receive than to Give: While advisory board members, unlike a formal board, do not have liability nor fiduciary responsibility, their time and energy requirements to participate are significant.

Advisory Board 83

Advisory Board Management Revenue Operations 83

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2018

Assemble a credible inside advisory board and partners. If Elon Musk is an advisor to your transportation startup, that is major traction, even without a product or revenue. A sure sign of no traction is a lone inexperienced entrepreneur looking for an investor. Demonstrate key customer prospect evidence of interest.

Advisory Board 199

Advisory Board Technical Review Metrics Business Model 199