Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2017

An effective tool I see used more and more, as a prelude to a more detailed business plan, is the Business Model Canvas , first introduced by Alexander Osterwalder back in 2008. In my experience as a new business advisor, a business is nothing until people are aligned and work in sync. Key activities. Try this one.

Business Model 143

Business Model Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2014

The real milestone, proving the business model, is that first product sold for full price to a total stranger, leaving him happy. What you really want is a successful business and all your customers to be happy puppies. business model customer sales entrepreneur investor startup' Marty Zwilling.

Business Model 248

Business Model Sales Customer Distribution 248

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2013

Within the startup realm, there is a big difference between having an innovative product versus an innovative business. Some startups have a new technology, but stick to a tried-and-true business model. Others take an existing product, and give it new life with a creative business model. Marty Zwilling.

Business Model 231

Business Model Product Metrics Global 231

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

They insist on greater efficiency, try new business models, organizational improvements, and better cash management. Carnegie and Hill understood how business success rules were tied to the entrepreneur way back in the early 1900’s, and the evidence is that those rules are still as applicable now as they were then.

Technical Review 297

Technical Review Angel Investor Differentiation Business Model 297

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2012

Yet I continue to see business plans, or even talk to founders, and can’t find the specifics of the business model anywhere. As Guy Kawasaki says in his book “ The Art of the Start ,” if you can’t describe your business model in ten words or less, you don’t have a business model. eCommerce model.

Business Model 238

Business Model eCommerce Business Plan Revenue 238

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. I support her assertion that a business model consists of at least the first seven of the following ten basic elements: Value proposition.

Business Model 242

Business Model Distribution Viral Green 242

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). Proving the business model requires a different approach than proving the technical concept. So how do you go about proving the business model? Prove the technical concept.

Business Model 234

Business Model Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 234

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2011

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. I support her assertion that a business model consists of at least the first seven of the following ten basic elements: Value proposition.

Business Model 246

Business Model Distribution Viral Green 246

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. business model entrepreneur investors startup viable'

Business Model 120

Business Model Angel Investor Startup Bootstrapping 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

Continually evaluate the essential elements of the business model. In the corporate environment, the business model is a given, rather than a tool for tuning the business. Corporate thinking is often focused on more products in more markets, with hope that the total impact will be greater than the sum of the parts.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Business Model Employee Sales 294

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 10, 2016

Never take your eye off the ball in business. Of course, there are many other common reasons for startup failure, including inexperienced teams, inadequate marketing, no intellectual property, business model doesn’t work, or just giving up too early.

Business Model 120

Business Model Intellectual Property Startup Bankruptcy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2015

Since the financial downturn of 2008, I have seen a new business model emerging which embodies a greater focus on social and environmental responsibility, and a new requirement for trust and sharing, as well as customer and community collaboration. It’s time to take a reading on where you are in this spectrum.

Business Model 120

Business Model Global Community Channel 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels.

Technical Review 345

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 345

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2015

But be aware, these models bring with them a whole new psychology of selling, supporting, and measuring your success with customers. business model entrepreneur startup subscription' Do your homework before jumping in with both feet. Marty Zwilling.

Business Model 120

Business Model Startup Cloud Curation 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2012

In this model, like cheap printers with expensive ink cartridges, the base unit is often sold below cost, with the anticipation of ongoing revenue from expensive supplies. This is another model that requires deep pockets to start, so is normally not an option for startups.

Business Model 282

Business Model Revenue Portfolio Differentiation 282

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

More success has been logged with companies like Amazon, which lightly funds many business model experiments each year, and is not hesitant to pivot or learn from failures. Developing the ideal product the first time around is unlikely, high risk, and very expensive in today’s chaotic market.

Artificial Inteligence 286

Artificial Inteligence Technology Leadership Business Model 286

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even. Don’t attempt to scale it until you have a proven repeatable business model that predictably generates revenue.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2020

They insist on greater efficiency, try new business models, organizational improvements, and better cash management. Carnegie and Hill understood how business success rules were tied to the entrepreneur way back in the early 1900’s, and the evidence is that those rules are still as applicable now as they were then.

Technical Review 315

Technical Review Angel Investor Differentiation Business Model 315

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2020

The audience for this business model is limited, so make sure you can deliver to their expectations. Service businesses to find the best solution. Examples of this business model and brand would include Airbnb for finding places to stay, and Expedia for the best airline reservations.

Customer 308

Customer Technical Review Matching Business Model 308

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

According to a well-researched Motly Fool report, the challenge is very real, since around half of all businesses fail in the first five years. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development.

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

Every business, new or old, needs to remember that an ethical culture, or lack of it, shows in the actual behavior and attitudes of all team members, rather than just in policy documents and videos from the top. Can you vouch for the culture and ethics of your company, from top to bottom? Marty Zwilling.

Software Review 291

Software Review Offshore Entrepreneur Leadership 291

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. Everyone must be part of the sales process. Marty Zwilling.

Business Model 414

Business Model Angel Investor Bootstrapping Revenue 414

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

No matter how well your business seems to have worked for you up to this point, you can be certain that it will need to be heavily transformed for tomorrow’s new world-wide economy and no industry sector boundaries.

Partner 350

Partner Operations Metrics Leadership 350

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

In my experience, even the best technology and business model won’t succeed without successful relationships. The quality of relationships with customers, investors, partners, and suppliers can easily be their sustainable competitive advantage, or their death knell. That’s why investors say they invest in people, not ideas.

Business Model 229

Business Model Developer Partner Entrepreneur 229

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

The real milestone, proving the business model, is that first product sold for full price to a total stranger, leaving him happy. This rather crude expression weighs heavily on the mind of all good startup founders, no matter how confident they appear.

Business Model 244

Business Model Sales Customer Distribution 244

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

All other sections, starting with a definition of the problem and the solution, opportunity sizing, business model, competition, executive team, and financial projections, are just as critical for nonprofits as for-profits.

Angel Investor 327

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 327

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Even non-profits need a profitable business model to offset staff and operating costs. Assume passion level defines business opportunity. Don’t get caught in the myth that you shouldn’t worry about monetization until after you have a large customer base.

Intellectual Property 312

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

A proven business model, ready to scale, is particularly attractive. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. They prefer to see a rational staged plan, already in progress, with some checkpoints achieved, as well as future ones planned.

Intellectual Property 278

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 278

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

For Logan Green of Lyft, his international travel purpose helped inspire him to the creation and growth of an industry-altering business. By finding new perspectives, he was able to redefine business models and satisfy customer needs in new and ingenious ways. Driven to reduce personal hardship and suffering.

Technical Review 357

Technical Review Green Social Media Lean 357

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Every business will offer you many opportunities in this regard, including honing your communication skills, new business models, and exciting customers. Staying inside your comfort zone will ultimately become boring, and never give you a real sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

Business Model 432

Business Model Entrepreneur Cost Customer 432

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Implement a modern real business model. A smarter risk is to build a plan, with associated greater resources, that will put you in position to expand your product line and keep one step ahead of competitors. Risk is more manageable with subscriptions and even freemium pricing.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2010

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Proving the business model requires a different approach than proving the technical concept. So how do you go about proving the business model? Prove the technical concept.

Business Model 120

Business Model Advisory Board Angel Investor Channel 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

According to my experience and this Motley Fool article from a few years ago, the challenge is very real, with around half of all new businesses no longer existing after five years.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic caught every company, large and small, off guard, and at least a third of small businesses did not survive. For most of the others, it was a crisis where business leaders were challenged like never before to rethink their business model, redefine their organizations, and reconnect with customers.

Leadership 305

Leadership Business Model Customer Small Business 305

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2010

Yet I continue to see business plans, or even talk to founders, and can’t find a clear business model. As Guy Kawasaki says in his book “ The Art of the Start ,” if you can’t describe your business model in ten words or less, you don’t have a business model. eCommerce model. Marty Zwilling.

Business Model 120

Business Model eCommerce Revenue Stock 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Also, you must focus on business model innovations that cut costs for your customers, such as self-service, un-bundling your pricing, and selling directly to the customer. While they are looking, you can benefit with new services or an expanded product line.

Technical Review 239

Technical Review Revenue Social Media Cost 239

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Investors are buying part of the business, not the product or service. If you haven’t yet finalized the business model, cost projections, and customer segments, you aren’t ready for investors. Excuse the typos and cleanup -- I’ve been too busy to finalize.”

Business Plan 273

Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Social Media 273