Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 23, 2019

It’s a well-known fact of business that customers must be the focus of a successful business model; hence the now-cliched idiom “the customer is always right”. But in this customer-focused model, some businesses make the mistake of neglecting to focus on their employees.

Employee 113

Employee Customer Software Review Salary 113

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

Venture Studios are an “idea factory” with their own employees searching for product/market fit and a repeatable and scalable business model. But these look for founders who have a technical or business model insight and a team. They do the most to de-risk the early stages of a startup. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 13, 2023

A well-constructed business model is a foundational element of a business plan and strategy. It provides clarity on how a company plans to succeed in the marketplace and is essential for attracting investors, partners, and customers. Thanks to Jordan Adair, ShirtMax ! #2- Our primary profit driver is the margin on labor.

Business Model 128

Business Model Affiliate Jordan B2C 128

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks to save money, are recipes for failure. The challenge is to avoid the bad risks, while actively seeking and managing the smart risks. Implement a modern real business model.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

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. An example would be getting free office space by agreeing to be the property manager for the owner.

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Not just any carpet cleaning business, but specifically an endeavor in dry carpet cleaning services. This blog aims to guide you through the process, from the initial steps of conducting market research to operational management, hiring staff, and more.

Balance Sheet 108

Balance Sheet Technical Review Business Model Business Plan 108

Steve Blank

JUNE 26, 2015

—– Lean Innovation Management. The first, the notion of the “ ambidextrous organization ” from O’Reilly and Tushman , posits that companies that want to do continuous innovation need to execute their core business model while innovating in parallel. Horizon 3 are emerging businesses. Here’s how.

Lean 120

Lean Management Business Model Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

For success these days, the purpose better focus on people, and solve a real problem for customers. Building successful businesses still requires the ability to find and inspire the best people who “have what you haven't,” whether that be skills, knowledge, connections, or funding. Master-mind alliance. Imagination. Enthusiasm.

Technical Review 297

Technical Review Angel Investor Differentiation Business Model 297

Up and Running

OCTOBER 13, 2021

The world grows more impersonal by the day, and people crave being more than just another number in the customer queue. During the last few years, marketers have turned toward more personalized experiences to win customers over. Businesses must learn how to personalize the experience without asking for too much data up front.

Customer 118

Customer Marketing Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 118

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

Business ethics are more about religion than management or leadership. An ethical culture deals with managing values between the individual and the company, to best handle the inevitable conflicts that crop up in every business. Business ethics are best left to philosophers and academics. Ethics can’t be managed.

Software Review 291

Software Review Offshore Entrepreneur Leadership 291

The Startup Magazine

JULY 16, 2021

The lesson of the pandemic era is clear, as market conditions change, business models must evolve. Success is not, as you would think, about having stable business models across market conditions. There is one consideration that should be paramount in your thinking about your business model.

Business Model 167

Business Model Aggregator Revenue Analytics 167

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 6, 2021

But like any business model, problems are sure to arise from time to time. It’s great that a dropshipping business model means you don’t have to handle order fulfilments, as that side of things is left to the manufacturers or wholesalers in the supply management chain. Image source: [link]. So, delays can happen.

Software Review 154

Software Review United States Business Model Stock 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2021

For example, a few years ago Wells Fargo seriously damaged its brand trying to grow the business by creating accounts without proper customer consent. This resulted in lawsuits and fines, angered many new customers, and the Wells Fargo brand is still recovering. Never argue with customers, public or private.

Leadership 426

Leadership Management Brazil Differentiation 426

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Like any popular business term, “customer centricity” is often abused by businesses that shoehorn it into their core values. It’s actually better not to claim customer centricity if you can’t get people across your business to really care about your customers. Find new ways to fix old customer pains points.

Customer 85

Customer Community Revenue Software Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

He lays out seven thinking strategies for both entrepreneurs and employees that will make them business winners: Focus on the customers at all times. Corporate thinkers often become preoccupied with doing their jobs and following rules, not pleasing customers. Think like your ideal customer seeking value.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Business Model Employee Sales 294

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

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. An example would be getting free office space by agreeing to be the property manager for the owner.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

I suggest looking for painful problems to solve, rather than “easier to use” or “nice to have” solutions, for customers with money. Customers line up to believe and buy from people who are viewed as leaders or experts relative to a specific solution. Collaborate with customers to tune your solution.

Merger 386

Merger Acquisition Software Review Social Media 386

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. Of course, one sale isn’t really enough, so you need to get the first customer to recommend you to a second, and make sure the rate of sales ramps up quickly enough to keep the business alive and growing.

Business Model 248

Business Model Sales Customer Distribution 248

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

AI to build enterprise software – In the future, every enterprise could have their own custom ERP, CRM or HRIS that is continually updating itself as the company itself is changing. AI – tax planning or wealth management augmented and in some cases replaced with AI. Complex transactions move from services ?

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176

Steve Blank

APRIL 4, 2011

This week they were testing who the customer, user, payer for the product will be (and discovering if they have a multi-sided business model , one with both buyers and sellers.) The news from customers was not good. talk to more customers? Is this a hobby or a business? Let the real learning begin.

Customer 234

Customer Business Model Nebraska Cloud 234

Steve Blank

APRIL 16, 2013

In my 21 years as an entrepreneur, I would come up for air once a month to religiously read the Harvard Business Review. It was not only my secret weapon in thinking about new startup strategies, it also gave me a view of the management issues my customers were dealing with. I learned about Michael Porter s’s five forces.

Technical Review 327

Technical Review Lean Venture Capital Customer Development 327

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. Build too far or too close to the core business. A few wrong turns should never deter you from reaching the destination.

Partner 350

Partner Operations Metrics Leadership 350

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Providing business leadership is a challenge under the best of circumstances, but it is especially difficult in times of market and customer crises. 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. Make sure your team trusts you today.

Leadership 305

Leadership Business Model Customer Small Business 305

The Next Web

DECEMBER 30, 2012

How do you monetize a unique business model based on users rather than selling an actual product? We have a very simple business model. We create the best experience for creating personalized books, cards and calendars then our customers pay us for these products. Giving it away at Contently. “At

Business Model 133

Business Model Technical Review Advertising B2C 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica 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. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2020

For success these days, the purpose better focus on people, and solve a real problem for customers. Building successful businesses still requires the ability to find and inspire the best people who “have what you haven't,” whether that be skills, knowledge, connections, or funding. Master-mind alliance. Imagination. Enthusiasm.

Technical Review 315

Technical Review Angel Investor Differentiation Business Model 315

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

My simple answer is that they keep their focus on customers, rather than technology. Thus I was pleased to see the evidence confirming that perspective in a new book, “ The Amazon Management System ,” by Ram Charan and Julia Yang. Jeff Bezos has kept his focus on customers. Practice continuous bar-raising for your talent pool.

Global 308

Global Marketing Technical Review Algorithm 308

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2014

Most large companies manage three types of innovation: process innovation (making existing products incrementally better), continuous innovation (building on the strength of the company’s current business model but creating new elements) and disruptive innovation (creating products or services that did not exist before.).

Acquisition 332

Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 332

Steve Blank

AUGUST 23, 2010

At times I’ll do what I consider an extension of teaching; a two-day Customer Discovery/Validation intensive session with a large corporation serious about Customer Development at my ranch on the California Coast. We used what they learned to plan their next steps for additional Discovery, and ultimately Customer Validation.

Customer Development 235

Customer Development Developer Customer South America 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2022

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. Yet in my role as a small business advisor, I still see a singular focus on achieving repeatable processes and “cookie-cutter” manufacturing.

Stock Options 277

Stock Options Incubator Framework Stock 277

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her new book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Customer 242

Customer Technical Review Business Model Revenue 242

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 25, 2016

In many ways, getting an e-commerce company off of the ground is easier than a standard business; depending on your business model, you may not have to keep as much physical inventory, hire as many workers or deal with as many tax considerations. Starting your very own e-commerce company can be an exciting proposition.

Management 100

Management Software Review Aggregator Software 100

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2013

My friend Ron Ashkenas interviewed me for his blog on the Harvard Business Review. Ron is a managing partner of Schaffer Consulting , and is currently serving as an Executive-in-Residence at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He is a co-author of The GE Work-Out and The Boundaryless Organization.

Business Model 332

Business Model Technical Review Business Plan Search 332

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

by Bill Lee, author of “ The Hidden Wealth of Customers: Realizing the Untapped Value of Your Most Important Asset “ The old paradigm works like this: Your company produces goods and services that help customers get a job done. In return, the customers pay you money. The new approach makes so much more sense.

Customer 168

Customer Social Media Retention Canada 168

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Given the stock market was buying “the story and vision” of anything internet, inflated expectations were more important than traditional metrics like customers, growth, revenue, or heaven forbid, profits. ” Fire, Ready, Aim.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

NZ Entrepreneur

AUGUST 12, 2019

If you’re in retail (or thinking about it), success requires a smart balance of risk management and risk taking. Here are six areas of business that top performing retail businesses manage well. This in turn sets a consistently high standard and supports customer loyalty. Customer service.

Management 45

Management Software Review Technical Review Social Media 45