Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

Three types of organizations – Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Studios – have emerged to reduce the risk of early-stage startup failure by helping teams find product/market fit and raise initial capital. They do the most to de-risk the early stages of a startup. Reducing Startup Risk.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

I recently wrote a post about why I didn’t think early-stage startups should have COOs. What a luxury in a startup to have the number one person in the business get to focus on just strategy? “I need somebody to run operations.&# I never said you shouldn’t have a VP of Operations.

Operations 292

Operations CTO Hire Startup Early Stage 292

TechEmpower

JULY 24, 2023

At TechEmpower, we frequently talk to startup founders, CEOs, product leaders, and other innovators about their next big tech initiative. Still, if you’re a business leader and your developers haven’t asked you these questions, look for a Fractional CTO to help navigate the critical early stage of development.

Developer 520

Developer Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 520

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 15, 2022

Startup studios continue to grow in popularity as incubators for new businesses. Rather than simply launching one startup, the startup studio model creates an organization whose business is launching startups. These can then be repeated and improved on with each successive startup.

Incubator 188

Incubator Startup Software Developers Software Development 188

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

These investments are a tremendous help to your startup because they will serve as a stepping stone to reach your target eventually. I will tell you brief details about seed stage funding, and deal sourcing on this page, so read the conclusion until the end. How does the funding for the seed stage work?

Seed Stage 126

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2023

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a cofounder or two. The default answer, to keep peace in the family, is to split everything equally, but that’s a terrible answer, since now no one is in control, and startups need a clear leader. Now comes the reality check.

Technical Cofounder 247

Technical Cofounder Equity Distribution Cofounder 247

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Laura Thomas is a former CIA operations officer. Strategy and Operations roles: These roles help make sure vision, resources (budgets and people), and the market opportunity are aligned. For me, personally : People in the senior ranks at startups usually call themselves operators. Read part one here. They need you.

Government 212

Government Advisory Board Salary Sales Cycle 212

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Venture capital: it’s the jet fuel behind many of the most explosive startups turning them into household names. Traditionally, VC firms sought to find the perfect balance between risk and reward, often focusing on specific stages of a company’s growth. The allure here is unmistakable.

Venture Capital 126

Venture Capital Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage 126

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Many myths surround the subject of startup funding. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. Reasons for funding. ? Scale up your operations. Now you may want to scale up your operations or expand your presence.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

And the best startups spun out of Stanford were building components for weapon systems. As there was no venture capital, these early startups were funded by early sales to weapon systems prime contractors and subcontractors. There was a time when much of U.S. America’s adversaries understand this.

Government 308

Government Artificial Inteligence Silicon Valley North Korea 308

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 14, 2022

And with the technology available these days, it is convenient to invest in emerging startups. Are you wondering how to invest in startups in India? The digital startup craze. The world is about to see a new generation propagating the Indian startup investing industry. Sectors witnessing a startup boom. Media tech.

Technical Review 145

Technical Review Due Diligence India Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

I am fond of quoting that about 70% of my investment decision of an early-stage company is the team. Final startup grind from msuster. And the folks at Startup Grind have been kind enough to invite me to present this morning in Mountain View on the topic. PMs are a vital part of a tech startup. figure out roles.

Cofounder 388

Cofounder Early Stage Startup Silicon Valley 388

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 4, 2019

by Bruce Cleveland, Founding Partner at Wildcat Venture Partners and author of “ Traversing the Traction Gap “ As we continue our exploration of the Traction Gap Framework® – a step-by-step approach that startup teams can use to go from ideation to preparing to scale – I will walk you through the principles.

Framework 118

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 118

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 1, 2023

By Daniel Sokolovksy, Co-Founder and CEO, WARP and Troy Lester, Co-Founder and CRO, WARP The dissolution of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was more than just a bank collapse, it was a reality check for both startups and the VCs that fund them. As an early-stage company that just closed our seed round at $8.1 That includes us.

Early Stage 112

Early Stage Los Angeles Silicon Valley Cofounder 112

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2019

Managing Your Startup Board?—?A It was an amazing gathering of some of the most ambitious early-stage CEO’s looking to make a dent in fields related to healthcare, biology, AI and other transformative fields. My talk was about “ managing your startup board ” and the full deck is on that SlideShare link and embedded below.

Management 234

Management Startup Dividend Early Stage 234

YoungUpstarts

MAY 24, 2019

by Bruce Cleveland, Founding Partner at Wildcat Venture Partners and author of “ Traversing the Traction Gap “ As we continue our exploration of the Traction Gap Framework® – a step-by-step approach that startup teams can use to go from ideation to preparing to scale – I will walk you through the principles.

Framework 104

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 104

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

What I love about my job is getting to see teams of super-early-stage companies develop ideas that while raw have potential to make an impact on the market. Great startups have budgets. It turns out that financial reporting (GAAP) doesn’t take into account the only thing that matters to startup survival – cashflow.

Operations 150

Operations Metrics Early Stage Non-Compete 150

Up and Running

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Pros and cons of using your own money for startup costs. And there are often many unexpected expenses in the early stages of a new venture. Office space, equipment, software, and talent are the most obvious, but you’ll also need tax help, general counsel, and marketing (among other services) to get operations off the ground.

Cost 138

Cost Startup Early Stage Vesting 138

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 27, 2022

Running your own business is incredibly liberating and fulfilling, but it can also be a particularly challenging journey, especially considering the large percentage of startups that fail during their first year. Running a business will likely mean simultaneously juggling between different projects, especially during the early stages.

Startup 109

Startup Australia Web Development Finance 109

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 13, 2017

Only one in ten startups succeed. The entrepreneur must have a clear vision & focus, must operate in an optimized environment and, most importantly, must work with good people who share the vision. Environment: When you think of an optimized environment for a startup, Silicon Valley comes to mind.

Early Stage 62

Early Stage Silicon Valley Thailand Incubator 62

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2014

For decades large companies have gone shopping in Silicon Valley for startups. What can companies learn from others’ failed efforts to integrate startups into large companies? The answer - there are two types of integration strategies, and they depend on where the startup is in its lifecycle. The Innovation Portfolio.

Acquisition 332

Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 332

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Running a company is distinctly different from simply having operating experience – (working in bus dev, sales or marketing.) Today, you can start a web/mobile/cloud startup for $500,000 and have money left over. Every potential early-stage Venture Capitalist should take a year and do it before he or she makes partner.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Early Stage Technical Review Startup 332

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

conversation literally every week with startups. How much you raise determines valuation I know it sounds crazy but at the earliest stages of a company your valuation often is determined by how much money you raise. There are some great funds that operate this way and I see some merits. I have this “How much should I raise?”

Pre-Money Valuation 292

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Early Stage Startup 292

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2013

Investors often say that successfully navigating the early stages of a startup requires lots of street smarts, guts, and luck. Several years ago, John Hamm published some early work on this subject in " Why Entrepreneurs Don''t Scale " in the Harvard Business Review. Absolute control. Individual loyalty.

Early Stage 235

Early Stage Startup Founder Entrepreneur 235

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2014

Mid-level or even top executives who “grew up” in large companies often look with envy at startups, and dream of how easy it must be running a small organization, where you can see the whole picture and it appears you have total control. This transfers well to startups, and should give you an advantage. Never cover your a$$.

Startup 258

Startup Early Stage Technical Review Demand 258

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Unfortunately, for startups entering a regulated market following this advice this might not be the optimum path. And why was Bill’s advice of staying away from Washington flawed for startups? These barriers to new innovative startups are called economic rent. Regulation What’s regulatory capture? Why is it bad? In the U.S.

Washington 271

Washington Government Marketing Silicon Valley 271

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Thus I often recommend that before you kick off your own business, you join another startup or existing business to see how things really work. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. These street smarts, if you acquire them early, can save you a lifetime of pain.

Intellectual Property 432

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Technical Review Angel Investor 432

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2013

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. In every startup, as well as in mature companies, there is no substitute for constantly maintaining a pipeline of alternatives. External scanning for resources. Marty Zwilling.

Merger 221

Merger Acquisition CTO Hire Fractional CTO 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2023

None normally work for or provide funds for early-stage startups. Startups looking for an angel investor, or a Venture Capital investment usually realize that neither of these sources of funds normally has any connection with a bank. Many investment banks even call themselves “boutiques.”

Early Stage 182

Early Stage Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering 182

ReadWriteStart

MARCH 3, 2021

Growing a business is always challenging, but it’s often the hardest in the earliest stages of development. You’ll be operating with limited resources, limited knowledge, and quite possibly, a business model poised to change in the immediate future. What are the best tactics to accomplish these goals? Limited capital.

Early Stage 125

Early Stage PPC Retention Churn Rate 125

ReadWriteStart

MARCH 8, 2021

Every startup entrepreneur wants to see their company grow. But none of that can happen if you have an impediment to growth – an invisible (or perhaps visible) force keeping your startup from creating the momentum it needs to keep growing. . And more importantly, how can you avoid or overcome them? . The Competitive Edge.

Retention 127

Retention Startup Acquisition Agile 127

Hunter Walker

MAY 13, 2023

“Worst case scenario we’ll sell to a larger startup or public company for about ~$1.5m Especially in the early days of mobile/iOS engineering, if you hired strong technical talent into your early stage company, you basically created an acquisition outcome floor. per engineer.” Emotional I guess.

Early Stage 117

Early Stage Cap Table Acquisition Sales 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. The good news is that he is all about helping early-stage startups. Early-stage startup. Every startup is early-stage to someone.

Early Stage 253

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 253

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 18, 2024

These are people that didn’t make their money through a tech startup or startup investing. Some of these folks are founders and CEOs, but not at high-growth tech startups. They might not understand how a pre-revenue startup could be worth anything, let alone be valued at $5mm. Perhaps they inherited it.

.Net 88

.Net Cap Table Startup Technical Review 88

Steve Blank

JUNE 27, 2017

As more and more companies face disruption from globalization, new technology, and startups that have more capital than the incumbents, the continuing cry from Wall Street investors is, “Why can’t companies be as innovative as startups?”. Here’s one reason why: Startups can do anything. Startups can do anything.

Startup 275

Startup New York City Valuation Distribution 275

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2011

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. The good news is that he is all about helping early-stage startups, the hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play.

Early Stage 231

Early Stage Seed Stage Angel Investor Silicon Valley 231

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 10, 2020

In the early stages, it isn’t uncommon for businesses to bank their earnings on a handful of customers (or sometimes, just one). This is especially true for startups, which operate on the basis of customer traction to solidify expectations with investors or lending institutions.

Customer 334

Customer Development Team Review Advisory Board Private Equity 334