Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Productivity and repeatability is the hallmark of a good business, whereas a hobby usually assumes everything is custom built and personal.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Reid Hoffman

JULY 23, 2020

This week, I’d like to turn to the question of how current market conditions affect the approach entrepreneurs should take towards their exit strategy. This strategic value-oriented approach is one of the things that gives Silicon Valley its crazy reputation among traditional investors, who live and die by financial metrics.

IPO 36

IPO Exit Strategy Acquisition Technical Review 36

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Financial summary: Explain your business model, startup costs, revenues, and liabilities to the company. Then you’ll think through your ideal customer , your competition , and your opportunities for growth. Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

The subscription box industry is growing rapidly thanks to a steady revenue model and tapping into people’s love for surprises. Lots of new box companies have trouble ironing out the kinks in their process: their customer can’t easily unsubscribe, their boxes just aren’t exciting or well-curated, and more. Your problem and solution.

Business Plan 63

Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63

Up and Running

OCTOBER 3, 2018

Financial Summary: Explain your business model, startup costs, revenues, and liabilities to the company. Then you’ll think through your ideal customer, your competition, and your opportunities for growth. This section of your business plan describes what services you provide and how they benefit your customers. Key customers.

El Paso 61

El Paso Business Plan Technical Review Forecast 61

Up and Running

MAY 1, 2014

Milestones and Metrics. Every business is solving a problem for its customers and filling a need in the market. Who is your ideal customer? If you can show that your potential customers are already interested in—or perhaps already buying—your product or service, this is great to highlight. Read more ». Read more ».

Business Plan 163

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Distribution 163

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 17, 2007

They are quite happy with a business that will turn into a profitable $20M company and dont necessarily need an obvious exit strategy. Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. This is something Ive always wondered about. Marketing, Startups and Networking in Los Angeles.

Incubator 150

Incubator Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

This provides us more time to develop meaningful relationships with prospects and customers. A number of analysts have particular focus on serving the customers of technology companies, e.g., Gartner and 451 Research , and their work is also relevant for investors. 3) Raise capital. 6) Due diligence.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

Five Quarters of Profitability During the 1980’s and through the mid 1990’s startups going public had to do something that most companies today never heard of – they had to show a track record of increasing revenue and consistent profitability. They taught you about customers, markets and profits.

Silicon Valley 217

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 217

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

In addition, current investors want to see every startup go public or be acquired, as an exit event, so they can get their due return for that investment which has been tied up for the last few years. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Startup Valuation Acquisition 120

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Maybe you should be spending your time getting revenue instead of ruminating on the philosophy of startups with strangers in the comment section of some blog. Of course as you improve your profitability — hopefully through more revenue but possibly through lower expenses — this date will change. Maybe you could get v1.0

Exit Strategy 247

Exit Strategy Startup Bandwidth Revenue 247

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Productivity and repeatability is the hallmark of a good business, whereas a hobby usually assumes everything is custom built and personal.

Exit Strategy 155

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 155

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

By profit, I simply mean offering a product or service to customers for a price that exceeds the total costs associated with the solution, thus providing some basis for recovering sunk costs and generating a return for stakeholders. Solve a painful problem for customers who have money to spend.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Terms like “every customer needs this” and “next generation platform” are far too soft, and should be avoided. Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

If you don’t have any existing customers yet talk about perspective customers. That moves into the customer acquisition strategy. This includes again another acronym I’m going to share, CAC, the cost to acquire a customer, the customer acquisition cost. Okay, so now your revenue model, so this is—.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Exit Strategy 60

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

When pitching to investors, entrepreneurs always seem to start with a customer pitch, then add a slide or two about the business. In every case, the relevant pitch needs to start by highlighting a real customer problem, then outlining a new solution, with all the features and disruptive technology.

Product 120

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Burn Rate 120

The Next Web

MAY 26, 2013

Many ideas sound good on paper but fail spectacularly when put in front of customers. Unless you already have a stellar reputation, having a basic prototype and showing early success — user growth, engagement, retention or revenue — is critical to winning investor interest. Provide customer acquisition costs.

Software 151

Software Forecast Startup Exit Strategy 151

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

An investor had few hard metrics other than the actual financials, and little technology to make the process scaleable. Over the past few decades, better metrics became available, and investors could take a more analytical, data-driven approach. ” Historically, investing was a manual, artisan process.

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2015

Entrepreneurs need to document a process of responding to a market need, sizing opportunity, assigning a specific business model, and planning for marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction. Productivity and repeatability is the hallmark of a good business, whereas a hobby usually assumes everything is custom built and personal.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 120

Up and Running

MAY 22, 2018

What is this one thing that keeps your customers coming back to you (that your competitors don’t have)? You’ll have to actually demonstrate that you’re generating revenue and increasing your client base. When you tell investors about your target market, use a customer persona (if not a real, anecdotal) to illustrate the details.

Exit Strategy 90

Exit Strategy Angel Investor Search Elevator Pitch 90

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Just don’t invest the time in creating a lengthy version of your business plan with overly detailed metrics and milestones for the next five-plus years. They have to have some degree of faith and certainty about what customers are going to want in the future. Sorry if that offends some people, but it’s true.

Business Plan 83

Business Plan Lean Forecast Exit Strategy 83

Duct Tape Marketing

DECEMBER 3, 2019

So we bring together business phone service and a number of other ways to communicate all together so businesses can prospect, engage, and manage their customer relationships in one place. If we wanted customer service, it was an extra $110,000 a year for annual support. John Jantsch: So when did you join the firm? Yaniv Masjedi: Yeah.

SMS 40

SMS Metrics SEO Cloud 40

Up and Running

AUGUST 19, 2015

In my business, I always tell my clients that they are going to get increased revenue and profitability opportunities, enhanced prestige in their markets, and the chance to significantly reduce their sales cycles. See Also How to Develop Your Business Strategy. See Also Planning for the Future: Your Exit Strategy.

Small Business 60

Small Business Audience Exit Strategy Sales Cycle 60

Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

JUNE 19, 2010

I have a few contractors to do the technical side of my work and a customer support person, but that’s it. I didn’t have that contractor doing customer support. Adding Ad Revenue. Last year I spent eight months traveling around the world, and throughout that entire time I was running my business. I’m the content creator.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Software Review Prospectus Audience 76

BeyondVC

DECEMBER 23, 2003

As with any smart executive who cares about the value of equity, the question I am often asked is, “What is your exit strategy.” Typically, these types of exits result from already existing, revenue-generating business relationships. What does this all mean? Remember, companies are bought and not sold.

Exit Strategy 68

Exit Strategy Balance Sheet IPO Valuation 68