Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

To most founders a startup is not a job, but a calling. But startups require money upfront for product development and later to scale. Founders can now access the largest pool of risk capital that ever existed –in the form of Private Equity (Angel Investors, family offices , Venture Capitalists (VC’s) and Hedge Funds.).

Liquidity Event 120

Liquidity Event Founder Liquidation Preference Private Equity 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

How do you convince investors that your business model will really work, before you have a revenue stream that exceeds your expenses? Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Plan for a real revenue model.

Business Model 414

Business Model Angel Investor Bootstrapping Revenue 414

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Startup Angel Investor Technical Review 283

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Most of these investors are members of Angel groups that have a rigorous filtering and screening process, to select the top 3% and most fundable proposals. Build a prototype product.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 260

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

It is necessary to cover the early stages of product development, thorough market research, and other processes during the initial step. Seed capital is a component of the initial investments made in young businesses. The criteria change after a company reaches the growth stage when it is deemed to have attained product market fit.

Seed Stage 133

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model.

Startup 161

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 161

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model.

Startup 296

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 296

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2014

Few entrepreneurs find this scalable and repeatable business model because it’s not easy. However, four critical advances over the past decade (cloud, accelerators, Lean, and Angels) not only changed the math for tech investing but made regional tech clusters possible. Focus on capital efficient, scalable startups and founders.

Early Stage 295

Early Stage Silicon Valley Oregon Technical Review 295

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2018

Most of you new venture founders I meet as an angel investor seem convinced that starting the business is the hardest part. You look forward to the day when your business becomes self-sustaining, and settles into a long-term growth curve, ensuring financial success. Pursue strategic alliances and partnerships.

Angel Investor 167

Angel Investor Dilution Software Review Distribution 167

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model.

Startup 286

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 286

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” That’s why this item is so important, and is probably the biggest stumbling block I see in getting through the initial angel screening. Build a prototype product.

Angel Investor 224

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” That’s why this item is so important, and is probably the biggest stumbling block I see in getting through the initial angel screening. Build a prototype product.

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor. Business credentials and functional coverage. Focus on prior results, not titles.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Startup 152

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

You must have a prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP). One should also establish the proof of concept of your business before you can qualify for funding. Ground rules of funding. ? Firstly, not all businesses are fundable. This kind of funding is only applicable if the product is unique and innovative.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 1, 2019

Go-to-Product. In two of these three phases – the first and third – volumes of helpful information and numerous organizations are readily available to help guide and support founders of startups. In the go-to-product phase, you can get help from a plethora of incubators, accelerators and angel investors.

Cleveland 150

Cleveland Framework Marketing Early Stage 150

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2012

ABC Shark Tank Angels via Elite Daily. Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Build a prototype product. Prepare an investment-grade business plan.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 179

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 12, 2014

The product was a great success, and I decided to build a business around it. Several factors influenced my decision: We had a number of customers for our hosted solution, so we’d validated our idea and business model. If you’re not a strong software developer, for example, hire someone or bring on a co-founder who is.

Angel Investor 275

Angel Investor Security Cofounder Salary 275

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

Picking the right attorney in your startup is as important as picking the right business partner. You can’t underestimate the importance of selecting an attorney who “gets” your business model, your market opportunity, and most importantly, your fundraising and exit strategy. The deal we made with him was he’d get 33.3%

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence Dilution 118

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 8, 2011

When should a company should focus on growth only, ignoring the business model and revenue? This episode was expertly co-hosted by Joshua Baer , founder of OtherInbox , progenitor of Capital Factory , angel investor , and previous founder of SKYLIST and UnsubCentral, both sold.

Cofounder 226

Cofounder Angel Investor Hosting Software Review 226

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2015

How do you convince investors that your business model will really work, before you have a revenue stream that exceeds your expenses? Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Plan for a real revenue model.

Business Model 120

Business Model Angel Investor Startup Bootstrapping 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. Investors expect a good value proposition in every pitch. Undefined business model or very low gross margins.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor. Business-to-business products need professional investors.

Non-disclosure Agreement 299

Non-disclosure Agreement Angel Investor Bootstrapping SEC 299

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

You can’t win as an entrepreneur or business owner without full confidence in your own ability, as well as in your solution and business model. As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Gather more knowledge and consistently apply it.

Flash 353

Flash Angel Investor Cofounder Analytics 353

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

There is an old saying in the startup investor community, “Smart investors invest in the team, not the idea.” As an angel investor, I’ve learned to believe in this approach, since I have seen great ideas go astray, due to poor execution and I have seen apparently marginal ideas make millions, managed by a savvy entrepreneur.

Technical Review 134

Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence Angel Investor 134

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

You may think this question is just an artifact of good television, but let me assure you that in my experience as an angel investor, it’s a standard “make or break” inquiry posed to every entrepreneur. They are willing to cover marketing, inventory and scaling, but not product development. Make your focus and priorities clear.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

Due to the economy as well, traditional individual angel investors haven’t been able to fill the gap. I applaud the direction of investors who want to re-invigorate venture capital by taking it back to the real entrepreneur who needs help getting his venture off the ground. New “up-and-comer” VCs focus on early-stage companies.

Technical Review 215

Technical Review Early Stage Venture Capital Startup 215

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

Steve is the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Founders Space was ranked the #1 incubator for overseas startups by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines. 15:05] Do you think that the no headquarters model is going to impact startups going forward? [17:14]

San Francisco 96

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. Investors expect a good value proposition in every pitch. Undefined business model or very low gross margins.

Due Diligence 308

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Startup 308

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

You may think this question is just an artifact of good television, but let me assure you that in my experience as an angel investor, it’s a standard “make or break” inquiry posed to every entrepreneur. They are willing to cover marketing, inventory and scaling, but not product development. Make your focus and priorities clear.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

In this article, I’ll provide some personal stories of how investors have navigated the balance between raising private equity capital and not losing control of their startup. Rule 1: Bootstrap until you have a viable product. Takeaway lesson: A shocking number of technology startups never even get their first product out the door.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

Up and Running

MAY 18, 2016

You’ll learn more about what destroys startups, how to use the Customer Development method to succeed, how to use the Business Model Canvas, how to identify and keep your customers, and how to drive profits. Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. B y Cindy Alvarez.

Startup 80

Startup Venture Capital Angel Investor Lean 80

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

This is the home of Jason Cohen, software startup founder, bootstrapper, investor, and mentor. Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital doesn’t publish frequently, but his essays on market trends and Benchmark portfolio companies are a window into how VCs view the world and the kinds of business models that they find most interesting.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Technical Review Silicon Valley Cofounder 60

Scalable Startup

AUGUST 26, 2014

the original products can’t generate revenue, so when these OS projects occassionally blow up into phenomenons like Drupal and WordPress have over the past few years, it’s gratifying but also quite frustrating to watch others derive so much value from your baby while you toil away to lead its growth with no financial return.

Founder 42

Founder Los Angeles PHP Open Source 42

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

business model and team. I usually don’t back a business unless there are founders that can build, sell, and service the new solution that is being brought to market. In this case, they could build and service it but they needed a third co-founder to sell it. Like me, he is a utility player?—?someone

Bootstrapping 52

Bootstrapping IPO Business Model Software Review 52

JANUARY 9, 2014

No clear vision or purpose This should be the starting point for any startup founder, but it’s often overlooked. Having a clear focus means it’s easier to communicate what your product is and who it’s for. One thing we make a point of doing with each product we work on at Spook Studio is to make a list of things we won’t do.

Early Stage 102

Early Stage Startup Cofounder Design 102

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 31, 2014

However, in meeting some of the sports startups one of the things that struck me is that most of the founders who said they wanted to grow big hadn’t given much thought about how they would go about building size and scale. Further refinement of Product/Market fit could be done locally by using Value Proposition Design.

Global 335

Global Australia Silicon Valley China 335

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

So when Sam Rosen came to me with the idea of disrupting storage with a product that is priced cheaper than existing incumbents and he could build a product that is a better service I was intrigued. The metrics were good but we wondered how much better they would be when we expanded our product.

Startup 150

Startup Seed Money DC Software Review 150