Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Advisory Board Software Review Business Model 220

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2020

As an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often hear the desire to run their own company, to avoid having someone else telling them how to run the business. I have to explain that if you really want to exercise total control of a new venture, they you need to do it without external investors, bootstrapping your way with your own resources.

Bootstrapping 313

Bootstrapping Employee Metrics Demand 313

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. The primary source of your funds should be your paying customers, i.e., your business should generate enough revenues and profits to fund the growth and expansion. Bootstrapping. Seed stage.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. You can either find customers for your solution or you can find solutions for your customers.

Sales 348

Sales Startup Bootstrapping Technical Review 348

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Businesses require an equally elegant business model, with the right price, messaging and delivery channel to the right target customers to keep the dream alive and growing.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 25, 2022

Here are the various ways entrepreneurs and business owners stay motivated in business. #1- all make sense when we provide our customers with an enjoyable experience through paint by numbers canvases and when I can financially support my family. We want our customers to find products that express themselves. 13- Masterminding.

Entrepreneur 121

Entrepreneur Technical Review Bootstrapping Community 121

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 11, 2021

Some entrepreneurs will say the future is definitely bright but to others, some of these changes are meant to work against their expansion and business operations. We asked entrepreneurs their thoughts on the future of entrepreneurship and here’s what they had to say; #1- It's like freelancing. Photo Credit: Richard Burner.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Technical Review Social Media Bootstrapping 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2023

If you aren’t willing to take some risk as an entrepreneur, then don’t expect any gain. Here is my perspective on the highest risk elements, from my years of working with investors and watching startups come and go: All the co-founders are first-time entrepreneurs. Marginal legality or poor public image. If you want U.S.

New York City 246

New York City Silicon Valley Bootstrapping Technical Review 246

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Customer support is more than handling exceptions.

Business Model 273

Business Model Customer Angel Investor Bootstrapping 273

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 28, 2022

In our societies and business, there’re entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional personalities and demeanor to pull it through business. Here are the entrepreneurs and business owners, other entrepreneurs considered to be successful. #1- Jessica Livingston is one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet.

Entrepreneur 118

Entrepreneur Green Cofounder Trinidad 118

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 25, 2023

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners about the companies they’re starting in 2023 and here are the responses. #1- This presents a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to launch their own businesses and capitalize on the latest technology. Thanks to Camilo Atkinson, DPV Transportation Worldwide ! #16-

Software Review 118

Software Review Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 289

Exit Strategy Entrepreneur IPO Startup 289

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

It’s more possible to bootstrap today than a few years ago, as the cost of entry continues to go down. It’s equally easy to go online and incorporate your new entity, register some intellectual property and have some fun with social media for marketing and interacting with customers. Practice living on a shoestring budget.

Equity 349

Equity Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity 349

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2014

Based on the Startup Environment Index from the Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom a while back, personal money, or bootstrapping, continues to be the primary startup funding source. Eighty percent of new entrepreneurs use this approach, with only six percent using investor funding. Entrepreneurs need to start small and pivot quickly.

Bootstrapping 276

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 276

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

If you aren’t willing to take some risk as an entrepreneur, then don’t expect any gain. Here is my perspective on the highest risk elements, from my years of working with investors and watching startups come and go: All the co-founders are first-time entrepreneurs. Marginal legality or poor public image. If you want U.S.

New York City 315

New York City Silicon Valley Startup Bootstrapping 315

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 21, 2012

The title of the book by Jonathan Moules, “ The Rebel Entrepreneur: Rewriting the Business Rulebook “, initially seemed like a form of tautology. Isn’t every entrepreneur a rebel by nature? Bootstrap, bootstrap, bootstrap. Funding is for fools. His advice? Don’t innovate, imitate.

Technical Review 184

Technical Review Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Acquisition 184

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. Tiny bootstrapped teams usually don’t have a business plan, and probably don’t need one. You need an investor, and want to solicit professionals online.

Business Plan 316

Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence 316

Up and Running

JANUARY 8, 2018

There are a lot of different tasks that entrepreneurs need to attend to when building a business, particularly at the beginning. Here’s what you need to know about smart outsourcing as an entrepreneur. As Fortune 500 Product Manager Andre Bourque explained in an article in CIO , “As an entrepreneur, you are a problem-solver.

Entrepreneur 177

Entrepreneur Algorithm Hiring Web Development 177

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Need to spread the risk.

Sweat Equity 255

Sweat Equity Technical Review Entrepreneur Bootstrapping 255

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2021

An entrepreneur lifestyle that continues to gain in popularity these days is being a “social entrepreneur.” Whether the objective is to generate profits or social capital, the common element for all entrepreneurs is the recognition that there is a problem which needs solving, or there is an opportunity to improve the status quo.

Entrepreneur 345

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Government Bootstrapping 345

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2011

I often hear the qualms of business-smart but non-technical entrepreneurs, wondering if they really have a chance in this high-technology marketplace. If you are an entrepreneur, like Andrew Mason , CEO of Groupon, with a degree in music and no technical business partner to be found, your job is a bit harder.

Technical Review 236

Technical Review Partner Entrepreneur Architecture 236

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Act big, behave small. Do it yourself.

Bootstrapping 278

Bootstrapping Startup Merger Salary 278

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. The goal of their startup in this stage becomes “getting funded.”

Customer Development 262

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 262

ReadWriteStart

MAY 30, 2022

In this article, you’ll learn how bootstrapping makes you a better business – a leaner, smarter, more agile company that can roll with the punches. I wanted the freedom to fail and learn from my mistakes because I knew it would make me a better entrepreneur. . Bootstrapping Minimizes the Number of People Cashing in on Your Success.

Bootstrapping 147

Bootstrapping Startup Equity Silicon Valley 147

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 10, 2018

Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Although there are days when tossing in your hat seems like a viable option, remembering how much you love your “job” can quickly snap an entrepreneur out of that mentality. We asked some entrepreneurs what they loved about “being their own boss.”. #1-

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Green Networking Small Business 109

Hearpreneur

MARCH 21, 2021

We asked some entrepreneurs and business owners, why they started their businesses: #1- To do it for myself. 2- To help entrepreneurs become financially independent. I took an opportunity selling food trucks and noticed the industry needed improved customer service. Each story is different though the reasons may be the same.

Entrepreneur 143

Entrepreneur Technical Review Acquisition Software Review 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2013

On a regular basis, I am approached by entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like a recent BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this NY Times article. With bootstrapping, no business plan is expected by anyone.

Business Plan 250

Business Plan Technical Review Entrepreneur Angel Investor 250

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. You can either find customers for your solution or you can find solutions for your customers.

Sales 120

Sales Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

YoungUpstarts

JULY 21, 2019

Small businesses and young entrepreneurs are in a difficult position in the market. Capital can be hard to come by when you’re a starting young entrepreneur. Social media is free, too, (if you don’t buy ads) so make sure to maximize its use to reach and interact with your customers. Buy Your Supplies in Bulk. Don’t Have Debt.

Software Review 191

Software Review Entrepreneur Cost Cofounder 191

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

In my experience working with entrepreneurs, once they feel they have a winning formula for their business, they are often hesitant to change or update it. They forget that adapting their company and themselves as their customers evolve is the key to long-term survival. Create an overt strategy to react to emerging customer trends.

Customer 359

Customer Institutional Investors Channel Acquisition 359