Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

It’s important to learn from your own mistakes, but it’s even smarter to learn from someone else’s mistakes, without paying their high price in time lost, cost, and pain. In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan.

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Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 436

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Early in the relationship, every investor instinctively looks for some key indicators of the ability to get results, like the following: Communicates well in every business medium. Others send investors email and business plans in all uppercase or no punctuation. Registered patents and other intellectual property.

Intellectual Property 278

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 278

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

One of our Bplans writers described going into business in cannabis as a “ once-in-a-generation opportunity ,” with the product rapidly becoming legal for recreational as well as medical use in many states. Write your business plan and develop your business model with this in mind so you can avoid these issues. .

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Software Review 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

Value is embodied in previous success with investors, proven problem solving ability, and having built and executed a business plan with minimal resources. Experience and connections in your business area. Building the product may be the easy part of your startup challenge. Key to required patents or trade secrets.

Cofounder 435

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Equity Intellectual Property 435

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Early in the relationship, every investor instinctively looks for some key indicators of the ability to get results, like the following: Communicates well in every business medium. Others send investors email and business plans in all uppercase or no punctuation. Registered patents and other intellectual property.

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Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 316

Up and Running

AUGUST 20, 2018

This article is part of our “ Business Planning Guide “ —a curated list of our articles that will help you with the planning process! What is a business plan? In its simplest form, a business plan is a guide—a roadmap for your business that outlines goals and details how you plan to achieve those goals.

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Business Plan Technical Review Lean Forecast 119

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Last month we covered the basics of intellectual property (IP) for startups, including a simple taxonomy, some common issues and related documents for entrepreneurs to use when forming a new startup. It’s often possible to “ design around ” a patent to operate a business that achieves similar results in different ways.)

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Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2017

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. Some of the other items may cost a lot less, and may be worth far more in the long run.

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Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement IP United States 174

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. Some of the other items may cost a lot less, and may be worth far more in the long run.

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Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement IP Startup 259

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. Some of the other items may cost a lot less, and may be worth far more in the long run.

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Intellectual Property Portfolio Valuation Non-disclosure Agreement 363

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

You’ve reviewed what a business plan is , and why you need one to start and grow your business. It’s time to dig into the process of actually writing a business plan. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll take you through every stage of writing a business plan that will actually help you achieve your goals.

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Steve Blank

JUNE 26, 2014

We’re changing the order in which we teach the business model canvas and customer development to better-fit therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. — Over the last three years the Lean LaunchPad class has started to replace the last century’s “how to write a business plan” classes as the foundation for entrepreneurial education.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Lean IP Open Source 281

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.).

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Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 332

Up and Running

JULY 28, 2022

Check out the IRS tax requirements to determine what taxes your business structure deals with. Secure your intellectual property. Intellectual property (IP) is anything created by the human intellect that’s protected by the law from unauthorized use by other people. Correctly classify your workers.

Small Business 167

Small Business Intellectual Property Cofounder Software Review 167

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

I love good causes and social entrepreneurs, but a recent pitch to me about eliminating world hunger with a new product (harvesting algae at low cost) seemed to forget that really hungry people don’t have any money. Build a credible business implementation plan to quantify costs.

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Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Harvest Technical Review 235

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

There are several different types of business plans that can help you stay on track. If you’re seeking a bank loan or outside investment, you probably need a traditional business plan. But if you’re writing a plan as an internal guide for strategic growth, you should consider a lighter version— a Lean Plan.

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Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2011

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. Some of the other items may cost a lot less, and may be worth far more in the long run.

Intellectual Property 237

Intellectual Property Social Media Non-disclosure Agreement Media 237

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

Value is embodied in previous success with investors, proven problem solving ability, and having built and executed a business plan with minimal resources. Experience and connections in your business area. Building the product may be the easy part of your startup challenge. Key to required patents or trade secrets.

Equity 238

Equity Cofounder Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property 238

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

If you’re thinking about starting an outpatient medical practice, one of the first things you should do is write a business plan. There are a few different types of business plans , depending on how you intend to use it. There are a few different types of business plans , depending on how you intend to use it.

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Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018

In fact, I often have to tell aspiring entrepreneurs that their inventions have zero value, at least not until they are put in the context of a business plan, with qualified people committed to executing the plan. Of course it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business. Don’t get me wrong.

Technical Review 215

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 215

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Sweat Equity CTO Hire 281

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2018

Now is the time to be an entrepreneur and create a business from your passion. The cost of rolling out a business has never been lower – it only takes a few hundred dollars to incorporate a Limited Liability Corp (LLC) online, create your own website, use social media to get attention, and you are in business.

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Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Silicon Valley LLC 184

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2023

Simply stated, it means that your business has the potential to multiply revenue with minimal incremental cost. Ready to scale is when you have a proven product and a proven business model, about to expand to new geographies and markets. Build a business plan and model that is attractive to investors.

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Hockey Stick Intellectual Property Non-Compete Business Model 339

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

Early in the relationship, every investor instinctively looks for some key indicators of the ability to get results, like the following: Communicates well in every business medium. Others send investors email and business plans in all uppercase or no punctuation. Registered patents and other intellectual property.

Angel Investor 268

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Early Stage 268

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Define some intellectual property. File a patent and trademarks to show real intellectual property. Build a prototype product. They must amplify your “elevator pitch” to investors, as well as key points from the business plan and the financial model. Prepare an investment-grade business plan.

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Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2018

What they don’t usually show on screen on shows like Flip or Flop is that writing a business plan is a must. If you’re thinking about starting a business that buys up homes, fixes them up and then re-sells them at a profit, the first step is to write a business plan. It serves as a mini version of your entire plan.

El Paso 61

El Paso Business Plan Technical Review Forecast 61

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Intellectual Property 260

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 260

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

If you really want to start a business your way without a boss or professional investor hovering over you, then just fund it yourself or through friends and family, and grow it organically. It’s more possible to bootstrap today than a few years ago, as the cost of entry continues to go down.

Equity 349

Equity Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity 349

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2014

Value is embodied in previous success with investors, proven problem-solving ability, and having built and executed a business plan with minimal resources. Experience and connections in your business area. Building the product may be the easy part of your startup challenge. Key to required patents or trade secrets.

Cofounder 261

Cofounder Stock Founder Technical Cofounder 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

Product research and prototype development. The professors know how to get grants to fund development for you in strategic focus areas, like biotech, that would otherwise cost you many thousands of dollars. Business plan assistance. Legal guidance. Start by contacting the law school organization.

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Arizona Phoenix Intellectual Property Incubator 432

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2019

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. Some of the other items may cost a lot less, and may be worth far more in the long run.

IP 234

IP Portfolio Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement 234

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2014

In fact, I often have to tell aspiring entrepreneurs that their inventions have zero value, at least not until they are put in the context of a business plan, with qualified people committed to executing the plan. Of course, it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business.

Technical Review 266

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 266

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. An effective tool I see used more and more, as a prelude to a more detailed business plan, is the Business Model Canvas , first introduced by Alexander Osterwalder back in 2008.

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Business Model Intellectual Property Angel Investor Channel 334

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever. But for founders who do their homework, the cost of entry is lower and the opportunity is higher than ever. The cost of social media done well is low.

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Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

Few investors these days have the time or patience to read a full business plan, so a better way to catch their eye is with a tightly written and well formatted two-page executive summary. Skip the fuzzy marketing terms, such as "easier to use," "lower cost" and "disruptive technology."

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

Here are some tips which will signal traction and fundability to investors, as well as to your team: Document your business plan. It’s hard to build a business without a plan, just like it’s hard to build a house without a blueprint. If you have a product description, that’s necessary, but not sufficient.

Intellectual Property 253

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 253

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

In the aftermath of the recent pandemic, which caused many businesses to close, a new raft of business workers and entrepreneurs are deciding to pursue their own dreams of being a new business owner, and controlling your own destiny. Do a written business plan to validate your thinking.

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Intellectual Property Social Media Angel Investor Metrics 245