TechEmpower

JULY 31, 2023

When talking to startup founders or other innovators, we always ask questions to better understand their business as a core. What does the business do? One way to approach that last question is to use this simple model: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) How will your business reach prospects?

Metrics 260

Metrics Startup Retention Acquisition 260

Steve Blank

JANUARY 27, 2011

The most visible step was the first International Business Model Competition , hosted by the BYU Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. We’ve been teaching that the difference between a startup and an existing company is that existing companies execute business models, while startups search for a business model.

Business Model 275

Business Model Utah Intellectual Property Agile 275

Steve Blank

APRIL 12, 2010

Finally, when everyone else had their turn, the grey-haired VC turned to the founder and said, “If you do what we tell you to do and fail, we’ll fire you. Go with your gut and do what you think the market is telling you. The Search for the Business Model. Pivoting the Business Model.

Business Model 332

Business Model Agile Customer Development Startup 332

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2019

Unfortunately, even today, building a good product doesn’t guarantee you a business. Most entrepreneurs realize and budget for the additional costs of incorporating a business, marketing, equipment costs, and manufacturing. Unanticipated pivots, quality write-offs, and shrinkage.

Cost 264

Cost Founder Software Review Startup 264

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Arif Bhalwani is the co-founder and CEO of Third Eye Capital (TEC) in Toronto, Canada. The increasing importance of private credit in today’s market cannot be overstated. What advice would you give to businesses that are struggling to survive amidst the tightening of credit markets in Canada?

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Due Diligence Bankruptcy Intellectual Property 133

View from Seed

APRIL 14, 2020

For the last several years, the early stage investing market was driven largely by the F ear O f M issing O ut, AKA FOMO. VCs are always founder focused no matter the market environment. But the risk to founders is that these investors may not be very committed partners and might quickly disengage if things go sideways.

Early Stage 374

Early Stage Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence 374

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. These areas include market, process, and team transitions.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

Nowhere is the politics more difficult than with co-founders, which is why for years I’ve spoken publicly about “ the co-founder mythology.” ” Of course we all go into businesses expecting to be aligned with our co-founders but over time life changes. Those are the easy cases.

Founder 340

Founder Sacramento Cofounder Technical Review 340

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2013

I challenge any startup to show me they have avoided all of these: One of the founders isn’t delivering. The press is focused on things that exist, rather than your early marketing hype. Or the economy has taken a sudden turn for the worse, so your high-end product no longer has a market. Investment partners are squeezing you.

Founder 250

Founder Startup Software Developers Software Development 250

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 13, 2023

A well-constructed business model is a foundational element of a business plan and strategy. Business models can vary significantly across industries and businesses, reflecting each enterprise's unique characteristics and goals. Thanks to Jordan Adair, ShirtMax ! #2- Thanks to Rodney Warner, Connective ! #3-

Business Model 131

Business Model Affiliate Jordan B2C 131

SoCal CTO

MARCH 5, 2007

There are quite a few other Software Development Companies in Southern California working on open source and/or freemium business models. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh. Attorney and Startup Business Advisor – Aaron Shec.

Open Source 150

Open Source Business Model Technical Cofounder Southern California 150

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

This is a question startup founders ask themselves multiple times a week. It’s not just the competition against the incumbents and the large tech platforms that founders has to worry about, but most importantly is the company’s performance and product market fit. The benchmarks are based on the US market.

Retention 109

Retention Conversion Churn Rate B2C 109

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

Most startups equate the process of fundraising to dating – founders have to typically kiss a lot of frogs until the find the right fit. Eliminating middlemen in healthcare – from using AI to automate repetitive human jobs to exploring new and better business models for providing care.

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176

View from Seed

APRIL 6, 2021

You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have a point of view on emerging technology and business models, and you are not afraid to voice your conviction. Who Are We Looking For. You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You are hungry.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Software Review Seed Stage Cofounder 317

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

It is necessary to cover the early stages of product development, thorough market research, and other processes during the initial step. Seed capital is a component of the initial investments made in young businesses. The criteria change after a company reaches the growth stage when it is deemed to have attained product market fit.

Seed Stage 125

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 125

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

In this article, you’ll learn what growth hacking in marketing is and what it’s not. The goal of growth hacking as marketing is rapid growth, using strategies and tactics that leverage (and even exploit) technology, platforms, and behavior to reach an end goal. Why do people think growth hacking in marketing is controversial?

Retention 113

Retention Marketing Acquisition Channel 113

View from Seed

JULY 6, 2020

You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have a point of view on emerging technology and business models, and you are not afraid to voice your conviction. Who Are We Looking For. You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You are hungry.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Software Review Hiring Seed Stage 257

Steve Blank

APRIL 26, 2022

Most existing investors (those still in business) hoarded their money and stopped doing follow-on rounds until the rubble had cleared. Except, that is, for the bottom feeders of the Venture Capital business – investors who “ cram down ” their companies. W hy would any founder agree to this? Why do VCs Do This? You Have a Choice.

Cram Down 404

Cram Down Founder Venture Capital Recapitalization 404

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 11, 2010

The Customer Development process is the way startups quickly iterate and test each element of their business model , reducing customer and market risk. In Discovery startups take all their hypotheses about the business model: product, market, customers, channel, etc. It’s A Marketing Problem.

Burn Rate 248

Burn Rate Silicon Valley Marketing Boston 248

The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

While you are working away on your business plan, looking for ways to raise capital, finding the right people to hire, etc., But have you ever had the opportunity to pick the brains of founders who created amazingly successful startups and companies like Envato , Backblaze , Simple , or Treehouse ? Find your niche. Find your niche(s).

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Founder Startup Bootstrapping 164

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital. ” Fire, Ready, Aim. IPOs dried up.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

As part of The Startup Magazine Founders Interview Series , we interviewed Luisa Mendoza and Tim Carter—CEO and COO of UKONIK —a true startup that began early this year. TSM: Describe the UKONIK company/service in 10 words or less: Luisa: Digital marketing agency helping organizations and individuals achieve their goals.

Founder 144

Founder New York City Marketing New York 144

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 1, 2019

In the first post , we drilled down into the often-overlooked notion of “market-engineering” and why it’s so critical. Go-to-Market. In two of these three phases – the first and third – volumes of helpful information and numerous organizations are readily available to help guide and support founders of startups. Go-to-Product.

Cleveland 127

Cleveland Framework Marketing Early Stage 127

Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

To most founders a startup is not a job, but a calling. Founders can now access the largest pool of risk capital that ever existed –in the form of Private Equity (Angel Investors, family offices , Venture Capitalists (VC’s) and Hedge Funds.). (BTW, What does this mean for startup founders? Here’s the thing most founders miss.

Liquidity Event 120

Liquidity Event Founder Liquidation Preference Venture Capital 120

ConversionXL

JUNE 2, 2022

Every business needs leads. The biggest challenge for marketers is getting them. Account-based marketing (ABM) and lead generation both offer a way to do this. Account-based marketing is a team sport. A higher ROI than any other type of marketing. ABM treats each account as a target market. The result?

Lead Generation 94

Lead Generation Marketing Sales Cycle Campaign 94

NZ Entrepreneur

JUNE 19, 2023

In addition to receiving immediate help navigating the tricky process of turning an idea into a feasible business model, upon completing the programme the budding entrepreneurs stand to be connected with local startup hubs and accelerator programmes for follow-on assistance and investment should they require it.

New Zealand 98

New Zealand Technical Cofounder Early Stage Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

For example, TOMS shoes inspired everyone by highlighting and effectively communicating a higher purpose from founder Blake Mycoskie of helping the needy by donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. For Logan Green of Lyft, his international travel purpose helped inspire him to the creation and growth of an industry-altering business.

Technical Review 357

Technical Review Green Social Media Lean 357

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

David Teten

AUGUST 20, 2019

Many are reporting that they’re seeing a more diverse pool of applicants than traditional equity VCs… even though virtually none have a particular focus on women or underrepresented founders. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Cofounder Founder Venture Capital 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy. Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. These areas include market, process, and team transitions.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

VC Cafe

JUNE 26, 2023

Sure, there is Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ask.com and a few others, but no one comes even near Google in terms of market share or mind share (90. Global search engine market share in May 2023 (source) However, since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, user habits (and perhaps expectations) began to change.

Generative AI 174

Generative AI Search ChatGPT Technical Review 174

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 27, 2018

As you prioritize your product rollout tasks, a mobile app, whether it is “the” product, or an adjunct marketing tool, is critical to the customer experience. Market research, though, is required before you put development resources to work. First determine whether there is a need for your product in the market or not.

Mobile 60

Mobile Social Media Marketing Business Model 60

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Disharmony among founders. Right off the bat, if the founders aren’t able to get along nor have any partnership agreements in place, your odds of failing are high. They tend to overlook costs like renting an office space, marketing, or employee benefits, which can be expensive. Source: Flickr. Lack of funding. Outcompeted.

Startup 131

Startup Demand Business Model Founder 131

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 31, 2023

” That was the email one of Ethena’s founders sent to me and Melanie Naranjo on 8/21/21, a bit over two years ago. Hunter Walk: One of my favorite things to do for founders is speaking with people who are considering joining their startup. I know you’ll really enjoy chatting.”

Employee 113

Employee Startup Vertical Leadership 113

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. Marketing is everything these days.

Business Model 414

Business Model Angel Investor Bootstrapping Revenue 414

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

In the early stages of a startup your hypotheses about all the parts of your business model are your profound beliefs. You can’t be an effective founder or in the C-suite of a startup if you don’t hold any. And he proceeded to lay out a fairly complex and innovative sales and marketing strategy for our next 18 months.

Business Model 305

Business Model Product Development Early Stage Customer Development 305

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. However, only recently have early-stage companies started to use this model at any scale. . RBI structures help to protect the equity of both founders and investors.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60