A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 23, 2013

Marketo filed for IPO with impressive 80% year-over-year growth in 2012, with almost $60m in revenue. of revenue, force-feeding sales pipelines with an unprofitable product. So no, this upside-down business model isn’t what a SaaS business should construct. SaaS companies earn their revenue over time.

Business Model 335

Business Model .Net Revenue IPO 335

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2023

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. A business only achieved critical mass by becoming cash-flow positive. Both have worked.

Valuation 235

Valuation Revenue Viral Retention 235

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Consider the consequences of these monthly pricing possibilities: $0/mo means your goal is to maximize growth (trust and usage) instead of revenue. Your product is designed with natural tripwires to trigger other pricing ( Freemium model ), or not (business model left as an exercise to your future self). Think: GoDaddy).

Bootstrapping 294

Bootstrapping Technical Review B2C Sales Cycle 294

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2013

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 235

Business Model Product Advisory Board Angel Investor 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2014

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Both have worked.Google reached $1 billion in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $400 billion. A business only achieved critical mass by becoming cash-flow positive.

Revenue 246

Revenue Entrepreneur Valuation Retention 246

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

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 248

Business Model Advisory Board Entrepreneur Channel 248

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

Implement a modern real business model. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Too many entrepreneurs put all their resources in one big make-or-break effort they can’t measure, or they count on word-of-mouth and viral marketing, which are totally unpredictable.

Forecast 161

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 161

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

Implement a modern real business model. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Too many entrepreneurs put all their resources in one big make-or-break effort they can’t measure, or they count on word-of-mouth and viral marketing, which are totally unpredictable.

Startup 283

Startup Forecast Stock Options Technical Review 283

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2023

Perhaps the most famous bubble for startups was the dot.com craze that crashed 20 years ago, where the highest valuations were given to companies with massive user growth, but minimal revenue or profit. More than one smart entrepreneur has been caught in the lofty lifestyle of big money investors, viral growth, and movie star status.

Intellectual Property 314

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Bankruptcy Viral 314

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

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Having enough revenue to finally give yourself a salary is an inspiring event, and one that you should savor. New business models that provide an ongoing revenue stream, or a secondary stream from advertising, raise your margins and can give you some additional satisfaction.

Sweat Equity 296

Sweat Equity Startup Salary Viral 296

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2020

Driven by the current pandemic, smart entrepreneurs of all ages are jumping into the fray with new ideas, new recovery strategies, and discarding outmoded business models. Viral marketing campaigns to lure new customers will cost you big money. Examine every cost center in your business. Focus on your core competency.

Viral 430

Viral Revenue Cloud Distribution 430

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Investors and founders alike have been obsessed about “growth at all costs,” just as a virus colony grows without care to its effect on its host cells or whether the colony’s growth ends up destroying the host body completely, taking the colony down with it in a viral version of Lord of the Flies. This is growth driven by values.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Viral Metrics Salary 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2021

Yet there are big challenges to hyperlocal, at least for consumer-focused hyperlocal startups, according to Sean Barkulis, Founder of UPlanMe, whose initial consumer-focused business model was an early casualty, writing in Street Fight : Every site requires real curated local content to engage users. This is not just a fad.

Finder 361

Finder Startup Curation Seattle 361

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

In it, I got asked a question I often hear: “What if we have a web-based business that doesn’t have revenue or paying customers? And without revenue how do we know if we achieved product/market fit to exit Customer Validation?” However the Customer Development Model and the Lean Startup work equally well for startups on the web.

Customer Development 219

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 219

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2016

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $400B. A business only achieved critical mass by becoming cash-flow positive. Both have worked.

Revenue 145

Revenue Valuation Startup Retention 145

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

MAY 16, 2020

Having enough revenue to finally give yourself a salary is an inspiring event, and one that you should savor. New business models that provide an ongoing revenue stream, or a secondary stream from advertising, raise your margins and can give you some additional satisfaction.

Sweat Equity 435

Sweat Equity Salary Viral Leadership 435

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 Channel 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

Beyond basic business and technical credentials, here are some of the key startup team attributes that every investor is looking for: Team shows an appreciation and plan for marketing. Similarly, mentioning viral marketing without specifics won’t assure fundability. Plan includes a business model with good margins.

Technical Review 134

Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence Angel Investor 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 10, 2016

Perhaps the most famous bubble for startups was the dot.com craze that crashed 15 years ago, where the highest valuations were given to companies with massive user growth, but minimal revenue or profit. More than one smart entrepreneur has been caught in the lofty lifestyle of big money investors, viral growth, and movie star status.

Business Model 120

Business Model Intellectual Property Startup Bankruptcy 120

venturedig.com

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

The business models within the social media realm are much different than traditional businesses. In social networking, they’re ever-changing, backed by eye-opening revenue and have very little documentation. For this reason, this piece will be routinely updated with new models and new feedback from your comments.

Social Network 55

Social Network Business Model Networking CPA 55

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Monday, September 22, 2008 The three drivers of growth for your business model. The AARRR model (hence pirates, get it?) He also has a discussion of how your choice of business model determines which of these metric areas you want to focus on. Choose one.

San Francisco 167

San Francisco CPA CTO Hire SEM 167

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

Perhaps the most famous bubble for startups was the dot.com craze that crashed 15 years ago, where the highest valuations were given to companies with massive user growth, but minimal revenue or profit. More than one smart entrepreneur has been caught in the lofty lifestyle of big money investors, viral growth, and movie star status.

Intellectual Property 310

Intellectual Property Startup Bankruptcy Viral 310

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Implement a modern real business model. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Too many entrepreneurs put all their resources in one big make-or-break effort they can’t measure, or they count on word-of-mouth and viral marketing, which are totally unpredictable.

Forecast 120

Forecast Startup Stock Options Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. Professional investors always look for a proven business model and an existing revenue stream to minimize the risk. Then they look at the people behind the model, the execution status and how they might get their money back.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 8, 2023

As for Metaverse — businesses should keep an eye on it as it is not clear yet whether this is hype or a trend. TikTok and Influencers One viral video on TikTok can reach 1.5 million people and generate monthly revenue. 5000 , a blog about the fastest-growing business models.

eCommerce 185

eCommerce Technical Review Software Review Analytics 185

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 28, 2022

I intend to release one study every three months, which I'll send to journalists in the hopes of generating viral attention on social media. I believe that if I can have one piece of content go viral every three months, not only will I be able to develop more links but also raise my brand's recognition. 18- Expand speaking engagements.

Social Media 119

Social Media Entrepreneur Retention Finance 119

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Neither would have achieved virality had customers not received something tangible for their efforts. Once you’ve established your ideal customer, you can better focus your growth hacker marketing efforts to improve revenue and ROI. This helped grow revenue by 637%. ConvertKit’s early success came from cold emailing.

Retention 113

Retention Marketing Acquisition Channel 113

Hearpreneur

APRIL 13, 2022

Moreover, I like inspiring myself with interesting online business models and Wikipedia is a great example of a user-generated content-based website. It led the way to a new kind of business model and changed the game. And he is not afraid to take bold bets on new technologies and business models.

Artificial Inteligence 77

Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 77

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

These days, even viral marketing requires real money, for events and promotions. Professional investors always look for a proven business model and an existing revenue stream to minimize the risk. Then they look at the people behind the model, the execution status and how they might get their money back.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

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

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 6, 2021

Choose the Right Business Model. Once you’ve come up with a sound idea of what type of business is the best for your needs, it’s time to follow the best business launch steps and start planning how to fit it in your business niche. You have your idea all worked up and your business model all set up.

Social Media 173

Social Media Affiliate Audience Startup 173

www.forentrepreneurs.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Business Model I would like to propose that in addition to team, product, and market, there is actually a fourth, equally important, core element of startups, which is the need for a viable business model. For more on the topic of Viral Growth, refer to my blog post on that topic here.)

Acquisition 103

Acquisition Cost Customer Entrepreneur 103

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 18, 2023

09:42] Was there a point in time when you decided to use newsletters to fit your business model or you started it as a normal standard digital marketing tactic? [11:10] Did you, was there a point in time where you said, I'm gonna go all in on newsletter, this is, you know, this is how it's going to fit my business model?

ChatGPT 91

ChatGPT Advertising Email Viral 91

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 6, 2012

Boston University’s business incubator has produced numerous success stories, including HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals with two drugs in Stage 2 clinical development to treat blood disorders and viral-related cancers, as well as Modular Genetics, a biotechnology company focused on sustainable gene engineering. Syracuse Student Sandbox.

Incubator 187

Incubator New York City Boston Intellectual Property 187

Up and Running

JULY 10, 2017

Different sources define freemium as a business model or a pricing strategy. I suspect we’ll get rid of the freemium model at some point soon as there’s no real benefit. You’re not going to go viral Dropbox style, so having a freemium model doesn’t really work. Freemium isn’t free.

Startup 110

Startup Non-Compete Viral Software Review 110