Gust

APRIL 27, 2014

Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Funding process.

Startup 187

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 187

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 14, 2016

Once the most heavily funded startup in New York City, according to then-CEO Jason Goldberg, Fab blew through $200 million of its $336 million in VC cash without settling on a business model. It made risky bets in untested markets and tried to grow bigger than its customers were ready for. Assuming you’re one of the 99.95

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Securities and Exchange Commission New York City Cofounder 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2021

In my experience as a business advisor and occasional investor, many of you won’t make it that far, succumbing to the high costs of getting those first customers, funding an initial inventory, and building an operational support process. Start networking for funding before the crisis. Build your plan around resources you know.

Dilution 404

Dilution Incubator Bootstrapping Government 404

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 10, 2010

In fact, 3 of the 10 selected companies from the past two years has followed this business model. Happy buyers before the network effect. Clearly the value of a marketplace increases as it grows — both as a business and to the buyers and sellers. What are other advantages or pitfalls of marketplace-style businesses?

Business Model 310

Business Model Finder SEO Bootstrapping 310

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Find a major customer, or a complimentary business, who sees such value in your idea that they are willing to give you an advance on royalty payments to complete your development. Your business is yours alone. Solicit venture capital investors.

Equity 266

Equity Startup Small Business Administration SBA 266

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

With a portfolio that includes food, tech, and services, the fund is industry-agnostic and focused on the overlooked and underrepresented with high-margin business models. This way of building the business we call ‘Value SaaS’ and the funding itself as optionality funding. One third of them are growing over 50% y-o-y.

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Find a major customer, or a complimentary business, who sees such value in your idea that they are willing to give you an advance on royalty payments to complete your development. Your business is yours alone. Solicit venture capital investors.

Equity 436

Equity Small Business Administration SBA Syndicate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

Angel Investor 370

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 370

Professor VC

MARCH 10, 2009

Bootstrapping 101. I moderated a panel discussion last night on one of my favorite topics, bootstrapping, as part of our Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship Eminent Speaker Series at San Jose State. They have a standard presentation on bootstrapping, which they present around the country. ProfessorVC. Steve Bennet.

Bootstrapping 28

Bootstrapping San Jose Silicon Valley Software Review 28

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

More About Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network: Learn more here. John Jantsch (00:00): This episode of the duct tape marketing podcast is brought to you by the salesman podcast, hosted by Will Barron and brought to you by the HubSpot podcast network. You know, could you look at my business plan? Like this show?

San Francisco 97

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 97

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I challenge them to think beyond what I call linear extensions to a current trend, such as another “easier-to-use” app for smartphones, a new dating site for pets, or another niche social network. Should this be a non-profit or for-profit business? Great social entrepreneurs are rare.

Intellectual Property 317

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Salary 317

Up and Running

JULY 10, 2017

Different sources define freemium as a business model or a pricing strategy. To determine whether freemium is right for you, do the simple math: Figure out how many paying customers you need to run the company. If you charge every user $50 and spend $10K to pay the business bills, you need at least 200 customers to break even.

Startup 110

Startup Non-Compete Viral Software Review 110

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

For most big, established companies like us, our business models were developed years—even decades ago. We’ve built up strength in executing our business model, not creating new ones. It didn’t take us very long to connect the dots between exponential growth, business model innovation and the “Lean Startup” movement.

Lean 326

Lean Nepal Cofounder Customer Development 326

Austin Startup

AUGUST 3, 2017

I’m also interested in investing in people who have worked for me in the past or who I know through the Aspen Global Leadership Network and Henry Crown Fellowship. I want to understand who the customer is, what problem you solve, and how you do it. In either case, the best kind of funding comes from customers, not investors.

Technical Review 69

Technical Review Startup Texas Email 69

Tim Keane

MARCH 9, 2011

But, what constitutes success for the parties involved – investors, entrepreneurs, employees, and customers – can vary dramatically. Can you bootstrap your way to positive cash flow? Can you bootstrap your way to positive cash flow?   If the answer is relatively soon, then bootstrapping is a very serious consideration. 

Finance 83

Finance Bootstrapping Startup Equity 83

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2018

Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Find a major customer, or a complimentary business, who sees such value in your idea that they are willing to give you an advance on royalty payments to complete your development. Your business is yours alone. Solicit venture capital investors.

Entrepreneur 240

Entrepreneur Equity Small Business Administration SBA 240

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Yet many entrepreneurs rely on expensive outside services and outside money, rather than do the networking for a co-founder or two who have the right skills to work for equity. Bootstrapping not only reduces cash needs, but increases commitment. These would include the following: You have a proven business model.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Cofounder Equity Agile 120

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

I’ll give you an example with my own startup LaunchBit and how our understanding of the problem and the customer became more refined over time: V1: Helping online marketers get customers profitably. V2: Helping online marketers who have previously bought ads in email lists get customers profitably. Or in between?

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

I’ll give you an example with my own startup LaunchBit and how our understanding of the problem and the customer became more refined over time: V1: Helping online marketers get customers profitably. V2: Helping online marketers who have previously bought ads in email lists get customers profitably. Or in between?

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 11, 2014

Welcome back to Smart Bear Live … the show were Jason speaks with entrepreneurs looking to improve their businesses. Listen to this episode if you want to hear about a founder who has a product and users and paying customers … and is trying to figure out how to take his company to the next level and grow faster.

Technical Cofounder 220

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Review Management 220

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 26, 2012

So, Eric will need to create a method with which to get to paying customers before any investor would invest. Next Perry Kaye presented pay2pitch.com , a network where entrepreneurs will come and pitch investors and mentors and pay, say, $1,000 for a twenty-minute interaction. The price-point is too low for that to be sustainable.

Jacksonville 114

Jacksonville Florida PPC Programming 114

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Lesson: You dn’t want your customers to feel locked into using your software. It helps with sales cycles because customers know that they can switch away if they so choose. While customers will be willing to try your product, they think two steps ahead. A product manager is responsible for: Talking to customers.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software St. Louis API 285

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2018

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

Angel Investor 184

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 184

Tim Keane

JUNE 19, 2012

.  For instance, I've recently written "Bill, I'd like you to consider talking to Ned at Newco who has an intriguing start up that's made some traction in the party planning/social media space as evidenced by some good stats on customer sign-up and early salres results. Bootstrapping. October 2010. Categories.

Milwaukee 79

Milwaukee Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 79

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2013

Customer needs and benefits first, then product features. They are able to weave their solution into the market, the opportunity, and customers, in a way that sounds like a natural fit, rather than a product sales pitch. Rational business model, with prices and volumes.

Founder 270

Founder Cofounder Bootstrapping Entrepreneur 270

ReadWriteStart

AUGUST 4, 2011

One of the discussions that ensued was about how to bootstrap a freemium venture. Rather, you tag a woman wearing a speedo swimsuit with a Speedo GoodyTag and then encourage your social network to further propagate that as part of an incentivized advertising campaign. My point is, the concept is good.

Bootstrapping 124

Bootstrapping San Jose Entrepreneur Silicon Valley 124

Tim Keane

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

How do we know how much the customer will buy and how long it will take?  How big is the customer problem being solved? How do we know how much the customer will buy and how long it will take?  How big is the customer problem being solved? Bootstrapping.  Will the product work? October 2010.

Technical Cofounder 68

Technical Cofounder Wisconsin Cofounder IP 68

Sophia Perl of Wisdom

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Note to self, this event is not for alpha products with no customers. My one feedback would be to have networking earlier in the agenda or sprinkled throughout the 6 hour agenda. Raise more money than you need because your business model may change. Check out the twitter feed from the event.

CTO Hire 49

CTO Hire Cofounder Fractional CTO San Francisco 49

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

‘Starting a business’ really only comes down to figuring out your business idea ; doing your paperwork; and sorting out the money. Given the number of funding resources available today, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting that initial start-up cash, especially if you focus on a lean business model or MVP route to market.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Funding process.

Startup 268

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 268

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Find a major customer, or a complimentary business, who sees such value in your idea that they are willing to give you an advance on royalty payments to complete your development. Your business is yours alone. Solicit venture capital investors.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Small Business Administration 283

Sophia Perl of Wisdom

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Note to self, this event is not for alpha products with no customers. My one feedback would be to have networking earlier in the agenda or sprinkled throughout the 6 hour agenda. Raise more money than you need because your business model may change. Check out the twitter feed from the event.

CTO Hire 40

CTO Hire Cofounder Fractional CTO San Francisco 40

Reid Hoffman

MARCH 19, 2019

But in today’s world, speed-to-scale entrepreneurship is what we need to improve society, transform industries, and create massive value for customers, employees, and investors. Customers value and benefit from the convenience, price, and selection of Amazon, which is why the company is, by a wide margin, America’s largest bookseller.

Cofounder 28

Cofounder Business Model IPO Non-Compete 28

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Customer needs and benefits first, then product features. They are able to weave their solution into the market, the opportunity, and customers, in a way that sounds like a natural fit, rather than a product sales pitch. Rational business model, with prices and volumes.

Entrepreneur 242

Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Cofounder Restful 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2014

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

Angel Investor 232

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2011

Customer needs and benefits first, then product features. They are able to weave their solution into the market, the opportunity, and customers, in a way that sounds like a natural fit, rather than a product sales pitch. Rational business model, with prices and volumes.

Entrepreneur 268

Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Cofounder Business Plan 268

Hearpreneur

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

It impacts the pace at which businesses grow and it remains interesting to see trends that will emerge from some of these technologies. A good example is the emergence of chatbots that help in the instant messaging of customers/clients. 3 – 5G Networks. This creates serious chaos in the business and in their minds.

Artificial Inteligence 103

Artificial Inteligence Technology Entrepreneur Cloud 103