Version One Ventures

OCTOBER 18, 2012

Barriers to entry are no longer created by patents or by tech differentiation alone, but by superior traction in the marketplace. Category leaders do very well, while the #2, 3, 4… players struggle to attract customers and financing. Even beyond auctions and social networks, the web tends to prefer the category leader.

IP 163

IP Technical Review B2C Social Network 163

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

If you are looking for funding and customers for your new business, you need to identify your “unique selling proposition” (USP) right up front, in 30 seconds or less, to differentiate yourself in today’s information overload. Investor and customer attention spans are short, and both will write you off quickly.

Intellectual Property 183

Intellectual Property Cofounder .Net Bootstrapping 183

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2012

Experienced business people realize that unless you are dealing with a commodity, or customers are extremely unhappy, they won’t switch to a new alternative unless the savings are well above 20%. Here are the key ones: Real intellectual property. Lock on the market or customer base. Strong focus and differentiation.

Intellectual Property 244

Intellectual Property Non-Compete Differentiation Social Network 244

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2011

Experienced business people realize that unless you are dealing with a commodity, or customers are extremely unhappy, they won’t switch to a new alternative unless the savings are well above 20%. Here are the key ones: Real intellectual property. Lock on the market or customer base. Strong focus and differentiation.

Intellectual Property 256

Intellectual Property Non-Compete Differentiation Social Network 256

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2016

For a new startup, the best way to assure survival is to file patents or other intellectual property to keep future competitors from copying your success. In reality, dating is a form of social networking, so Facebook could easily enhance their services in this direction, if the market traction of others was evident.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Matching Angel Investor Bootstrapping 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2010

Experienced business people realize that unless you are dealing with a commodity, or customers are extremely unhappy, they won’t switch to a new alternative unless the savings is well above 20%. Here are some of the key ones: Real intellectual property. Lock on the market or customer base.

Intellectual Property 124

Intellectual Property Non-Compete Differentiation Social Network 124

The Next Web

OCTOBER 13, 2012

From social networks like Facebook (clone: vKontakte ) to microblogging services like Tumblr (clone: Dian Dian ) to daily deal sites like Groupon (clone: Snapdeal ), to gifting apps like Wrapp (clone: DropGifts ) and online retail stores like Amazon (clone: Lazada ), the examples aren’t hard to find. The clones.

Intellectual Property 136

Intellectual Property Differentiation Reputation Germany 136