SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 9, 2009

Who are the customers? Please be able to provide me with a few specific examples of different types of customers, what they need, what the system will do for them. How does it address the customer scenarios from the start? So what are the questions I’m likely going to ask? Tell me a bit about yourself and why you are doing this.

Software Developers 292

Software Developers Software Development Developer Software 292

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Have you tested the concept with customers using paper? Have you signed some test customers? Don't try to hunting programmers until you've pushed this as far as you can on paper and get early customers. He had a few early customers ready to go. Have you done all you can on paper? Do you have wireframes?

Fractional CTO 296

Fractional CTO Southern California Startup Mobile 296

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2013

Have you conducted Problem, Solution and Feature Interviews with customers? See Investors, MVPs and Evidence of Traction. Have you Documented Your MVP for Your Developer s? Have you looked through Things You May Have Forgot in Your MVP and provided answers to these? Do you have a Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One ?

Technical Cofounder 219

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Developers Software Development 219

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Kathy Sierra at Business of Software 2009 - Business of Software Blog , May 4, 2010 "In the old days, getting customers was easy. Putting customers first. Legendary customer support. Instead of making a few dollars per sale and hoping for thousands of sales, you sell to only a few customers, and charge much higher rates.

Fractional CTO 248

Fractional CTO Startup Venture Capital Cofounder 248

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2012

Hiring seems to be the preferred use of seed funds (by investors and founders), whereas I'd prefer a focus on customer acquisition. Using my StartupRoar as a radar, I came across a great post by Gabriel Weinberg Do you really need a full-time hire for that?

CTO Hire 205

CTO Hire Technical Cofounder Fractional CTO Los Angeles 205

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

Beyond that, I want lots of conversations with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. NDAs or Other Protection So you decide you want to be able to share with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. You need all of these people to bake the cake. I may decide to hold back some detailed specifics around algorithms.

NDA 211

NDA Stealth Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement 211

SoCal CTO

MAY 21, 2012

What is our lifetime customer value and how can we drive that up? What does it cost to acquire a new customer? Metrics-Driven Startups Virtually every startup has a model that has critical aspects to it that will make or break the business. What is our viral spread coefficient?

Fractional CTO 175

Fractional CTO CTO Hire Startup Social Network 175

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

Beyond that, I want lots of conversations with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. NDAs or Other Protection So you decide you want to be able to share with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. You need all of these people to bake the cake. I may decide to hold back some detailed specifics around algorithms.

NDA 198

NDA Stealth Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement 198

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 11, 2010

Of course, improving customer satisfaction is a goal, but the system would drill down to specific issues such as knowledge of store layout. We provide suggestions for particular interventions that have specific steps and particular associated goals. For automotive sales associates, the rewards were prizes, trips, etc.

Technical Review 167

Technical Review Management Sales Customer 167

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Who's the customer? How Does it Work? You need to send us an overview of what you are doing. This overview (executive summary) needs to include: Product and Business What is the product? How does the product solve a pain? What's the business model short-term and long-term? Who are the main competitors? How are you different?

Fractional CTO 264

Fractional CTO CTO Hire NDA Technical Review 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Who's the customer? How Does it Work? You need to send us an overview of what you are doing. This overview (executive summary) needs to include: Product and Business What is the product? How does the product solve a pain? What's the business model short-term and long-term? Who are the main competitors? How are you different?

Fractional CTO 259

Fractional CTO CTO Hire NDA Technical Review 259

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 7, 2009

They are generally the senior most person responsible for custom software development, database design, database administration, web development, etc. As part of doing that, I've had the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of different chief technical officers from different kinds of companies over those years.

Southern California 150

Southern California Software Developers Software Development California 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 5, 2007

Common revenue streams are consulting, training, support, customization, upgraded versions for corporate applications, etc. Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta.

Open Source 150

Open Source Business Model Technical Cofounder Southern California 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 11, 2013

" In Building Your MVP as a Non-Technical Startup Founder , I mentioned that before you build your Minimum Viable Product (MVP), you need to be really clear on your purpose.

Algorithm 264

Algorithm Metrics Viral Venture Capital 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Search Engineer 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 13, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles Internet 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 28, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles Mobile 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 25, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 17, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Los Angeles Southern California CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 1, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Networking Southern California Los Angeles 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 17, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Technical Cofounder Southern California CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 27, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 25, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 17, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Incubator 150

Incubator Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 17, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 18, 2010

More Visible Networking Marketing, Startups and Networking in Los Angeles – Cliff Allen Los Angeles Technology Connector – Kurt Daradics Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouhi Attorney and Startup Business Advisor – Aaron Shechet Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Startup Marketing Ideas (..)

Los Angeles 225

Los Angeles Revenue Southern California Social Network 225

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Technical Cofounder Southern California Networking 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 2, 2011

There's a lot out there around Customer Development - read Steve Blank : Entrepreneurship as a Science – The Business Model/Customer Development Stack - Steve Blank , October 25, 2010 Checklists for Chaos, The Path to Success - Steve Blank , October 28, 2010 and reading about Lean, MVPs, etc. What are they really looking for?

Valuation 198

Valuation Revenue Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 198

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 14, 2009

Along the way, I co-authored three books on one-to-one marketing ( [link] ) to help marketers learn how to built and nature relationships with their customers. In 1986 I started an advertising and public relations firm to serve software and hardware companies, which became a marketing consulting business ( www.Allen.com ) when I moved to L.A.

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Networking Southern California Marketing 150

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2011

As you might imagine, when you go to the page on Customer Development , you find the best and the latest content from people like Steve Blank and Vinicius Vacanti.

Intellectual Property 175

Intellectual Property Aggregator Startup IP 175

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. User Interface Beyond the Web Site ► November (7) Negative Customer Acquisition Costs - Creative Sta. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 8, 2009

In many cases, I can break it down into: Customer Acquisition Cost – how will you reach prospects, how will you convert them and how much will it cost to convert them Customer Lifetime Value – how much will you make off of each converted customer This very simple model works for a surprising number of business models.

Metrics 225

Metrics Startup Retention Acquisition 225