Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

A business plan is the outward facing definition of the business you hope to drive with your hardware solution, with a hardware overview in the intro to highlight customer value and competitiveness. If possible, quantify these in non-technical business terms, such as dollars saved or replacement costs over time.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Fundable entrepreneurs have to feel comfortable talking and listening to engineers, financial people, marketing and especially customers.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Software Review 152

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2010

For no good reason, this process seems shrouded in mystery, when in fact it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Remember that up to this point, the investor has primarily seen and talked to the founder and CEO, and studied written documents.

Technical Review 225

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Private Equity 225

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Most technologists have little interest in the mechanics of starting and building a business. That’s why I recommend that they find a co-founder who loves business challenges, including marketing and finance. Outside investors are most interested in scaling a proven business model, not research and development.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Intellectual Property Cofounder Bootstrapping 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

For no good reason, this process seems shrouded in mystery, when in fact it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Remember that up to this point, the investor has primarily seen and talked to the founder and CEO, and studied written documents.

Technical Review 237

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Private Equity 237

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2012

Pivots come in many different flavors, each designed to test the viability of a different hypothesis about the product, business model, and engine of growth. Many founders envision their solution as a platform for future products, but don’t have a single killer application just yet. Business architecture pivot.

Silicon Valley 273

Silicon Valley Architecture Startup Channel 273

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

You need a business degree to start a venture today. The real value of a college education is in learning how to learn, since markets and business models are changing so fast. Business strategies are best learned from experience. All successful businesses start with a business plan.

Incubator 180

Incubator Angel Investor Dilution Equity 180