Up and Running

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Whether you are trying to raise money for your business or just want to perfect your business strategy, a solid elevator pitch is an essential tool for achieving your goals. An elevator pitch can be delivered either verbally, ideally in 60 seconds or less, or as a one-page overview of your business.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Forecast Oregon Differentiation 166

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

A conundrum for many frustrated entrepreneurs is that they need money from investors to design and build a prototype product, yet most angel investors expect to see at least a prototype before they invest. They must amplify your “elevator pitch” to investors, as well as key points from the business plan and the financial model.

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” These must remain focused on scaling the business.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

Steve Blank

MARCH 8, 2011

It was designed to bring together many of the new approaches to building a successful startup – customer development, agile development, business model generation and pivots. We were positing that 20 years of teaching “how to write a business plan” might be obsolete. This post is part one.

Lean 298

Lean Business Model Customer Development Guinea 298

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. You may have heard that venture capitalists in Silicon Valley no longer read business plans. Description of the business entity you plan to form.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

A conundrum for many frustrated entrepreneurs is that they need money from investors to design and build a prototype product, yet most angel investors expect to see at least a prototype before they invest. They must amplify your “elevator pitch” to investors, as well as key points from the business plan and the financial model.

Angel Investor 224

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” These must remain focused on scaling the business.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

One thing I have learned the hard way in business is that implementing new ideas is usually much more difficult than conceiving the idea in the first place. That’s why I caution my aspiring entrepreneur clients against proclaiming to investors that they are a great “idea” person. A full plan may be no more than 20 pages.

Elevator Pitch 315

Elevator Pitch Cofounder Dividend Leadership 315

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2012

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Most likely, the investor has already seen multiple plans with similar solutions. Business model.

Business Plan 244

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation 244

Up and Running

MARCH 14, 2018

If there’s one thing I can’t stress enough, it’s the importance of rehearsing your pitch. I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs think, “Oh, I know my business inside and out—pitching will be a breeze!” I’ve seen many entrepreneurs crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch—and ramble on and on.

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Angel Investor 164

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

If you are one of the thousands of entrepreneurs who need equity funding to get your startup going (no loans to repay), you are probably overwhelmed at the prospect of finding, contacting and pitching to the huge number of qualified angels and investment groups around the country. Recruit a team with complementary skills.

Equity 236

Equity Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Social Media 236

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Unless you are a serial entrepreneur with a string of successes behind you, you need a business plan to convince investors that you can build a business out of the dream that has been driving your passion to change the world. This is your elevator pitch hook, which you must be able to deliver in 30 seconds.

Elevator Pitch 163

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Silicon Valley Revenue 163

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2010

A fter years of talking with many of you in the Israeli startup industry, investors and entrepreneurs alike, I was invited to present some tips for entrepreneurs at the Launch48 conference in London this weekend. Also, make sure you practice your elevator pitch. Business Plan. Patented Technology?

Elevator Pitch 102

Elevator Pitch Incubator Technical Review Startup 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2014

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” These must remain focused on scaling the business.

Elevator Pitch 285

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 285

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2018

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” These must remain focused on scaling the business.

Elevator Pitch 139

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 139

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

But many entrepreneurs don’t realize that Angels are also extremely discerning in the projects that they will invest in, rejecting approximately 97% of the proposals submitted to them, according to the California Investment Network. Prepare an investment-grade business plan. Finalize your financial model.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 260

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2015

Too many entrepreneurs tackle starting a business as a random walk into a business minefield, and they count on their street smarts, thick skin and pure determination to get them to their destinations alive. One preparation example is the value of building a business plan before you start.

Elevator Pitch 120

Elevator Pitch Burn Rate Startup Metrics 120

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

I’ve heard many entrepreneurs deliver their pitch as if they’re auctioning off their grandmother’s antiques. It must be because they think they need to address every aspect of their business plan in one fell swoop, but doing so makes them seem anxious, tense, and nervous. Outline your business model.

Sweat Equity 122

Sweat Equity Churn Rate Elevator Pitch Forecast 122

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

Remember the goal is an overview presentation that will pique investor interest enough to ask for the business plan and a follow-on meeting, not close the deal on the spot. Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 247

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 247

Up and Running

DECEMBER 16, 2014

To grow a business, most entrepreneurs know that they should be implementing PR strategies. But where do you start, and what are the best approaches to public relations for an entrepreneur? ” We recently featured an excerpt from her book, which offers even more great tips on networking for entrepreneurs.

Public Relations 117

Public Relations Small Business PR Entrepreneur 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2016

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” These must remain focused on scaling the business.

Elevator Pitch 120

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 120

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 30, 2017

Certain values and characteristics set “the social entrepreneur apart from the rest of the crowd of well-meaning people and organizations who dedicate their lives to social improvement.”. Fast Company asks six questions that entrepreneurs should answer before starting a social enterprise. What is your business model?

Global 100

Global Argentina Elevator Pitch Business Model 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

Remember the goal is an overview presentation that will pique investor interest enough to ask for the business plan and a follow-on meeting, not close the deal on the spot. Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 234

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2010

Remember the goal is an overview presentation that will pique investor interest enough to ask for the business plan and a follow-on meeting, not close the deal on the spot. Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 235

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 235

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2011

To me, this indicates that venture capitalists (VCs) are looking for business, but not from first-time startups. Sure, there is always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won. Identify the right people in the right firms.

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Revenue Elevator Pitch Silicon Valley 233

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2012

But many entrepreneurs don’t realize that Angels are also extremely discerning in the projects that they will invest in, rejecting approximately 97% of the proposals submitted to them, according to the California Investment Network. Prepare an investment-grade business plan. Finalize your financial model.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 179

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Most likely, the investor has already seen multiple plans with similar solutions. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 226

Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation Metrics 226

Up and Running

OCTOBER 22, 2014

So, you’ve been asked to write a business plan. Today, I’m going to walk you through an easier way to get your business plan started, through developing a winning strategy. Today, I’m going to walk you through an easier way to get your business plan started, through developing a winning strategy.

Business Plan 130

Business Plan Elevator Pitch Forecast Partner 130

Gust

AUGUST 19, 2012

Remember the goal is an overview presentation that will pique investor interest enough to ask for the business plan and a follow-on meeting, not close the deal on the spot. Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 146

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 146

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2010

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. Most likely, the investor has already seen multiple plans with similar solutions. Business model.

Elevator Pitch 138

Elevator Pitch Viral Lead Generation Business Plan 138

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2013

In a recent webinar, serial entrepreneur Caroline Cummings answered some commonly-asked questions on how to pitch and get funding. Q: I only have 3 minutes to give the first pitch – what should I concentrate on? Q: Is a pitch similar to a case statement? Did we miss your question?

Elevator Pitch 79

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Term Sheet Business Model 79

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Successful entrepreneurs know how to engage VCs. This primer is designed to help entrepreneurs understand VCs a little better in the hopes that we can have more meaningful interactions and avoid some of the blunders that cost entrepreneurs a funding opportunity. Don’t turn the one minute elevator pitch into five minutes.

Entrepreneur 50

Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Valuation Conversion 50

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Entrepreneurs put together their funding presentation by extracting the key ideas from their business plan, putting them on PowerPoint/Keynote and pitching the company – until they get funded or exhausted.

Customer Development 262

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 262

Small Business Force

JANUARY 9, 2012

Having spent most of my career around technology, I have always been fascinated by the brilliance, intensity and passion of the entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists in that space. I just had another reaffirmation of this with a client for whom I'm helping put a business plan together. He was really the one that didn't get it.

Elevator Pitch 35

Elevator Pitch Audience Business Model Small Business 35

Austin Startup

MAY 11, 2018

Successful entrepreneurs know how to engage VCs. This primer is designed to help entrepreneurs understand VCs a little better in the hopes that we can have more meaningful interactions and avoid some of the blunders that cost entrepreneurs a funding opportunity. Don’t turn the one minute elevator pitch into five minutes.

Elevator Pitch 48

Elevator Pitch Valuation Conversion Portfolio 48

rob.by

MARCH 8, 2012

A business geek with no money and no income isn’t going to inspire confidence in a software geek. If a software geek really wants to try building something for no pay, they’re going to work for themself instead of following another cashless entrepreneur. 60s elevator pitch). What is the product?

Technical Cofounder 42

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Engineering Fractional CTO 42

Up and Running

APRIL 27, 2016

Writing a business plan can seem intimidating. You’re committing your great idea to paper and fleshing out the details of how you’re actually going to start and grow your business. For over 15 years, I’ve been writing business plans, reading plans for major business plan competitions, and raising money for startups.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Forecast Angel Investor Entrepreneur 60