Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. For seed stage funding, entrepreneurs should be looking to friends and family, crowd funding, and relevant institutions.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

YoungUpstarts

JULY 21, 2019

The founders of Benkheim&Co , an online brand which seeks to change the traditional luxury watch concept, explains how motivated entrepreneurs benefit from globalisation, efficient fulfilment services and new technologies. New technologies such as chatbots and virtual reality are trends with which young entrepreneurs grew up with.

Cofounder 113

Cofounder Technical Review Technology Netherlands 113

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 29, 2020

So, what are the in demand products during this time of pandemic that both budding and seasoned entrepreneurs may want to consider manufacturing or distributing? Being able to offer such products, along with using remote hosted desktops , can provide enormous revenue during this pandemic crisis. These are some of those: 1.

Demand 173

Demand Product Artificial Inteligence Software Review 173

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

That’s why lists like Ycombinator’s Requests for Startups (RFS) help entrepreneurs thinking about starting a company (or picking a problem) and can be a good barometer for founders on what’s interesting to investors right now. Generalizable robotics represent a $24 trillion-plus global revenue opportunity.

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176

ReadWriteStart

JULY 7, 2021

Why is an Uber for courier app a viable business idea for entrepreneurs? The entrepreneurs can reduce their operational costs significantly – by utilizing advanced technologies like autonomous vehicles, drones, and robots for courier delivery. Multiple pick-up points along the route ensure the timely delivery of parcels.

Technical Review 163

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Demand Social Media 163

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. Every business needs revenue to provide investor returns and offset costs. Free” is not an attractive revenue model to investors. Investors will demand clear channel definitions.

Business Model 334

Business Model Intellectual Property Angel Investor Channel 334

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 25, 2020

This is the prime question that goes through most online retailers, entrepreneurs today. For most online vendors, this new revenue model was a significant change in the way brands set advertising campaigns. This transition from the traditional business model to a complete online sales became a popular revenue trend during this time.

eCommerce 152

eCommerce Technical Review Social Media Analytics 152

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

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. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect.

Startup 161

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 161

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

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. The most common failures are solutions looking for a problem, lack of a defined market, or an inadequate revenue model. Distribution. Revenue model.

Business Model 256

Business Model Distribution Viral Green 256

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

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. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect.

Startup 296

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 296

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2015

Image via Flickr by Side Wages Some entrepreneurs forget that they need an innovative business model along with an innovative solution to have a successful startup. Every solution needs a business team first who knows how to market, distribute and support the product. Inventors alone, or business gurus alone, generally fail.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Startup Angel Investor Social Media 120

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Channel-level expertise: An understanding of how the channels work (e.g., Where Airbnb recognized the value in another platform, Dropbox doubled down on the strength of its product as a distribution channel. Use this information to identify the channels to reach customers and the type of content that they’ll relate to.

Retention 113

Retention Marketing Acquisition Channel 113

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

This suggests the firm should have a list of paying customers, consistent sales cycles, a clear value proposition, and a developing revenue pipeline in the ideal situation. One needs to evaluate their go-to-market strategy, distribution channels, scalability, execution team, and so on at this time.

Seed Stage 126

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 126

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Too many entrepreneurs look for that one magic bullet -- an exciting new technology, perhaps, or their own determination to make the world a better place -- to override any shortcomings in their startup model. Product distribution or service delivery. Physical products often require access to existing distribution channels.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Technical Review Distribution Viral 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

Too many entrepreneurs don’t know what to do at this point, largely accounting for a disappointing 50 percent of startups that fail in the first five years, according to InvoiceTracker. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Many entrepreneurs forget that the growth phase may be your tightest squeeze on cash.

Startup 335

Startup Social Media Metrics Viral 335

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect.

Startup 286

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 286

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2014

Part 1: Bend, Oregon Ecosystem and Entrepreneurs. Few entrepreneurs find this scalable and repeatable business model because it’s not easy. as a distribution channel have vastly reduced the amount of capital a startup needs at the early stage when the risk is greatest. Part 2: Early-stage Regional Venture Funds.

Early Stage 286

Early Stage Silicon Valley Oregon Technical Review 286

Hearpreneur

MAY 15, 2019

We asked some entrepreneurs and business owners, why they started their businesses: #1- For me. From that business I started a business consulting and development company that assists aspiring entrepreneurs with starting and maintaining their companies. million in annual revenue. Photo Credit: Erin E Hooley. 28- Found my why.

Fractional CTO 122

Fractional CTO Entrepreneur CTO Hire LLC 122

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and occasional angel investor, I often see and hear innovative product pitches that sound exciting, but are missing one or more of the key business elements that investors deem critical for funding consideration. Provide initial and long-term sources of revenue.

Intellectual Property 332

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Business Model Channel 332

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Sramana Mitra is the founder of the One Million by One Million (1M/1M) initiative, an educational, business development and incubation program that aims to help one million entrepreneurs globally to reach $1 million in revenue and beyond. She is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategy consultant.

Silicon Valley 118

Silicon Valley India San Francisco Entrepreneur 118

Brandanew

APRIL 22, 2016

While we’ve often talked about organic Content Marketing, today we have guest blogger and entrepreneur, Garett Gan sharing his views on Content Marketing with paid advertising. The content is ready and now post-publishing you’re on to emailing your list, reaching out to influencers, and distributing on your social channels.

Advertising 100

Advertising Distribution Marketing New York City 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2015

Big-bang hard launches make sense for large enterprises like Apple or Microsoft, who are building on existing revenue streams and have the resources for lavish events, Superbowl ads and large inventory buildups. Small real revenue today is better than large later projections. Partners and distribution channels will take you seriously.

Hockey Stick 120

Hockey Stick Startup Stealth Agile 120

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

Your friends and advisers tell you that this means you need revenue because in this economy VC’s will only fund businesses with revenue. So if it’s not necessarily revenue that’s preventing an investment, then WTF is traction? Unfortunately your advisers are wrong. They hire key staff. VC’s are the same.

Technical Review 309

Technical Review Term Sheet Venture Capital Revenue 309

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2016

Between January 2015 and January 2016, we grew our platform Slidebean from $1K to $20K in monthly recurring revenue. Getting the first tracks of revenue is one of the toughest processes of building a startup. Cost of Acquisition (CAC): The total cost of acquiring a user through a given channel. Big press (cheap or free).

Revenue 60

Revenue Acquisition Channel Campaign 60

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 9, 2012

TLDR: Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits , authors of The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development are back with a new book called The Lean Entrepreneur. They are launching their next book, a true field guide for entrepreneurs, called The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets.

Entrepreneur 167

Entrepreneur Lean Southern California San Diego 167

Steve Blank

MAY 6, 2015

Back then, an entrepreneur used a serial product development process that proceeded step-by-step with little if any customer feedback. And too often, after months or even years of development, entrepreneurs learned the hard way that customers were not buying their product because they did not need or want most of its features.

Lean 120

Lean Agile Business Model Customer Development 120

The Startup Magazine

MAY 11, 2020

Whether you are new in business or an established entrepreneur, you need to be diligent with your finances. Entrepreneurs often opt for personal loans when banks reject loan applications. Boost Sales and Revenue. Most entrepreneurs fall into debt because they tend to delay loan repayment. Pay Debts on Time .

Software Review 105

Software Review Small Business Management Bankruptcy 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2019

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. Every business needs revenue to provide investor returns and offset costs. Free” is not an attractive revenue model to investors. Investors will demand clear channel definitions.

Intellectual Property 250

Intellectual Property Business Model Angel Investor Channel 250

Hearpreneur

MAY 27, 2018

Pam, an expert at ORIS Intelligence have great insights on how companies can enforce minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies and ensure manufacturers can better support trusted retail partners, while maximizing margins, increasing revenue and protecting their consumers. Tell us your story. Why did you start your business?

Marketing 48

Marketing Technical Review Advertising Channel 48

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

Too many entrepreneurs don’t know what to do at this point, largely accounting for that disappointing 50 percent of startups that fail in the first five years, according to Gallup. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Many entrepreneurs forget that the growth phase may be your tightest squeeze on cash.

Social Media 329

Social Media Metrics Viral Channel 329

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. For seed stage funding, entrepreneurs should be looking to friends and family, crowd funding, and relevant institutions.

Due Diligence 308

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Seed Stage 308

Gust

DECEMBER 6, 2011

The resources required to start a company vary significantly , depending on the type of company and growth rate anticipated by the entrepreneur. There are several important sources of capital for entrepreneurs starting their businesses, depending on the stage of development of the company. Copyright BillPayne.com 2011.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Venture Capital Valuation Software Engineering 179

Gust

OCTOBER 20, 2011

In 2011, the valuation of pre-revenue, start-up companies is typically in the range of $1.5–$2.5 million and is established by negotiations between the entrepreneur and the angel investors. Such comparisons can only be made for companies at the same stage of development, in this case, for pre-revenue startup ventures.

Valuation 146

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Intellectual Property Technical Review 146

Steve Blank

MARCH 26, 2019

As a serial entrepreneur turned educator, this didn’t make sense to me. The NIST report on Unleashing Innovation recommended expanding I-Corps and the House just passed the Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act to do just that.) The team presentations are at the end of this post. I-Corps @ NIH ). The same holds true for pushing the students.

Lean 248

Lean Business Model Balance Sheet Video 248

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 4, 2017

There’s also an armed globally-dispersed Sales and Support teams, so we’re selling to our 70,000 existing customers as well as thousands of new customers per month, which means we’ll end up adding more new revenue in one month than a small company will take in over a whole year. The tradeoff, however, is predictability.

Government 223

Government Startup Cofounder Technical Support 223

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2016

If the Microsoft board was managing for quarter to quarter or even year to year revenue growth, Ballmer was as good as it gets as a CEO. They remain entrepreneurs. Apple under Cook has doubled its revenues to $200 billion while doubling profit and tripling the amount of cash it has in the bank (now a quarter of trillion dollars).

Azure 120

Azure Business Model Cloud Artificial Inteligence 120

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2016

If the Microsoft board was managing for quarter to quarter or even year to year revenue growth, Ballmer was as good as it gets as a CEO. They remain entrepreneurs. . Apple under Cook has doubled its revenues to $200 billion while doubling profit and tripling the amount of cash it has in the bank (now a quarter of trillion dollars).

Azure 120

Azure Business Model Cloud Artificial Inteligence 120