Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2012

The traditional mode of starting a company is to plan a serial process, where you complete only once all the steps, leading to the “big bang” launch of the company. I strongly recommend a dramatic departure from this model, called “planned iteration,” where you assume you won’t get it right the first time. This idea was well articulated by Paul Graham in an old essay, called “ Startups in 13 Sentences ” in which he talked about “making a few people really happy rather than making a lot of people

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Agile Entrepreneur Social Network Software Developers 230

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 15, 2012

We’re back in gear with the podcast! We’ll be more regular now. Here’s the deets if you’re unfamiliar with how this works. Audio attached here, downloadable on iTunes or below, and transcript below. Listen to this episode with Nick from PinfoB.com to learn how to tell customers no. Transcript Automated transcription services provided by: Announcer: Welcome to Smart Bear Live with Jason Cohen.

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Naming Advertising Audio Software Developers 199

SoCal CTO

MAY 14, 2012

Ben Kuo just posted on SoCalTech: Are the good times for startups back? That seemed to be the mood running through the cloud at the more-than-sellout crowd at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica Thursday at the first LA Demo Day. At the event, the enthusiasm for startups was palpable. The crowd of more than 1,500 spilled out into hallways, and would-be investors were turned away from the doors, as a crush of entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, wanna-be entrepreneurs, and others looked

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Genuine VC

MAY 16, 2012

When was the last time all of your startup’s management team came together to take a step back from day-to-day minutiae and think big picture? I think it’s actually incredibly valuable for startups to occasionally, and regularly, have offsite planning sessions. Unlike at “big companies,” a startup offsite isn’t about a boondoggle, it’s not about fancy hotel rooms, nor is it about silly team-building exercises so dilberts in accounting can interact with dilberts in marketing.

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Startup Portfolio Technical Review Cloud 138

Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic

Every startup and innovation project exists within an ecosystem that either helps or hurts that project. As innovation managers, we need to keep a pulse of that ecosystem and make sure we're helping those innovation projects we're managing every step of the way. In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in

Startup

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 17, 2012

How do you price a round? Its one of the most often asked questions and yet I've never seen a great answer given. It seems to me that the most important factor in pricing your round isn't your progress or your idea. It seems to come down to two things: 1) How much do you want to raise? 2) Supply and demand of capital willing to invest in your company.

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www.bothsidesofthetable.com

MAY 13, 2012

Home. About Me. Start-up Advice. Raising Venture Capital. Angel Topics. Entrepreneur DNA. Sales & Marketing. Negotiations. Both Sides of the Table. Entrepreneur turned VC. Want to Know Difference Between a CTO and a VP of Engineering? I recently did a post for startups on understanding sales people. A few people asked me to try and define the perfect startup organization chart.

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Fractional VPE Part-Time VPE Fractional CTO CTO Hire 89

Ben's Blog

MAY 18, 2012

First they hate you, then they love you, then they hate you again. What the f*ck do it take for a gangsta to win? —The Game, Don’t Need Your Love. Conventional wisdom among smart technology entrepreneurs says not to hire people with Masters in Business Administration (MBAs) into startups. Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint, expressed the sentiment well when he said: “ When valuing a startup, add $500k for every engineer, and subtract $250k for every MBA.

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This is going to be BIG.

MAY 14, 2012

I'll bet you don't know where the Center of NY's Tech Community and Center of Creativity is. Give up? It's in the Financial District--right at 55 Broad Street. It says so right on their website. In fact, it is "well-known internationally as the original home of New York's technology community.". I'll bet you didn't know that--mostly because it never was.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 17, 2012

I’m fond of saying that I look for entrepreneurs that have a chip on their shoulder. That they have something to prove. That they’re not afraid to stick their noses up to the establishment. I have always felt this way. It’s something I kind of seek out. I guess my thoughts are that if you’re part of the country club you have a vested interest in protecting the existing order and that disruption happens more from those that are on the outside wanting to change the rules.

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Vesting IP Restful Entrepreneur 336

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 14, 2012

Hi. I’m Mike. Yesterday Amanda posted an article in which she talked about the experience of professional life for a young person just starting out in her career. Well, as of tomorrow Amanda has been working at crowdSPRING for one year (note to self: get cake for Amanda); for the first few months she was an unpaid marketing and PR intern but was ultimately promoted to the position of underpaid marketing and PR intern.

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PR Developer Naming Hiring 79

Rob Go

MAY 14, 2012

I sent a tweet out last week that resulted in some healthy debate: “three years ago, I was telling everyone I met to start companies. These days, I’m telling everyone to think twice” Of course, it’s not fair to give general advice like that. But what I meant was, 3-5 years ago, when I met someone who was thinking about starting a company, my bias was one of action.

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dontbesoanalytical.blogspot.com

MAY 13, 2012

skip to main | skip to sidebar. Dont Be So Analytical!!! Welcome! Enjoy this eclectic collection of essays, recipes, and fictions -. From time to time, Ill address information technology, and how it impacts business and daily life. Saturday, February 16, 2008. Daddy, What Does a Chief Technology Officer Do? My daughter asked me to explain my job for her class’s career day.

CTO 40

CTO Technical Review Technology Software Review 40

Steve Blank

MAY 14, 2012

Inc. magazine is publishing a 12-part series of excerpts from The Startup Owner’s Manual , the new step-by-step “how to” guide for startups. The excerpts, which appeared first at Inc.com , highlight the Customer Development process, best practices, tips and instructions contained in our book. Feedback from my readers suggested you’d appreciate seeing the series posted here, as well. ———– Whether your venture is a new pizza parlor or the hottest new so

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Balance Sheet Business Model Customer Development Metrics 335

deal architect

MAY 18, 2012

“Not who you are, John” Last week when George Clooney hosted President Obama at a swanky Hollywood gathering, I curiously went back to the section in Walter Isaacson’s book where Steve Jobs helped the legendary VC, John Doerr with his.

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Hosting Software 256

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2012

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. There are no “overrides” – for example, businesses don’t thrive just because they offer the latest technology, or because everyone wants to be “green, or because their goal is to reduce world hunger.

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Business Model Distribution Viral Green 242

www.lanceglasser.com

MAY 13, 2012

Business Essays, Blogs, and Musings. Lance A. Glasser. Topics. Finance and budgeting. A Model for Return on Engineering Expenses. Growth, Profitability, and the Stock Price. Metrics for cyclical businesses. Let the Games Begin! Stock buybacks. Investing. The Year of the Black Swan. Definitions of common financial terms. Product development. Queuing theory and product development.

CTO 40

CTO CTO Hire Technical Review Architecture 40

YoungUpstarts

MAY 14, 2012

Creativity is the driving force behind many new products, services, and companies around the world, creating solutions to age-old problems and offering new ways to live our daily lives. Yet despite the indispensable nature of innovation, many businesses don’t exactly foster creativity in the workplace, sometimes even actively working against it. Whether they realize it or not, there are many ways that businesses kill creativity on a daily basis, which isn’t just bad for those creative minds but

Vesting 254

Vesting Employee Demand Matching 254

deal architect

MAY 15, 2012

Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite, in his keynote this morning at SuiteWorld welcomed SAP as a customer. SuccessFactors is a NetSuite customer, ergo with the SAP acquisition, he is right. Meanwhile, 2444 miles away (actually 2521 on my Virgin America.

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America Acquisition Customer 225

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2012

We’ve all heard the old joke “In a bacon-and-egg breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed.” This quote epitomizes the true essence of commitment. We all know at least one self-professed entrepreneur who claims to committed, but seems to treat it like a part-time hobby, won’t put any personal skin in the game, and is quick to give up when things are tough.

Startup 238

Startup Leadership Entrepreneur 238

Agile VC

MAY 16, 2012

How to Evaluate Firms for a Seed VC. How To Think About The Future. Home. About Me. AGILEVC My idle thoughts on tech startups. Opportunistic & Thematic Investing. May 16, 2012. VC investors take different approaches to finding new investments. I tend to think of it as a continuum with purely thematic investing at one end and a purely opportunistic approach at the other.

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YoungUpstarts

MAY 15, 2012

Many businesses start as an idea in the dorm room – one of the more popular examples is social networking site Facebook , whose inception by founder Mark Zuckerberg was immortalized in the movie The Social Network. Other examples may be more humble, but no less inspiring. Let’s take the example of the founders of Pure Fix Cycles. The four childhood friends in one college dorm room could have been up to plenty of mischief, but instead Zach Schau (24 years-old), Austin Stoffers (23), J

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Los Angeles Jordan Europe Social Network 245

deal architect

MAY 16, 2012

on the innovation blog The Bionic Foot Ultrabook beauties Denver: a non-stop museum Delta Airlines to buy an oil refinery The Internet is a right, not a privilege The Third Industrial Revolution.

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Denver Internet Technology 191

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2012

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. That’s like trying to sell part of something to a stranger for big money when you haven’t fully defined it yet. It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility for when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy).

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Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 237

Feld Thoughts

MAY 18, 2012

I’ve been writing about boards of directors some lately – both changing my behavior as well as thinking out loud as I explore reinventing how boards work for the book “Startup Boards” that I’m working on with Mahendra Ramsinghani. All fit in the context of continuous communications as I believe three things about early stage companies and their boards. 1.

Balance Sheet 139

Balance Sheet Early Stage Email Management 139

YoungUpstarts

MAY 16, 2012

For many curious folks, their impassioned yearning to soak up as much of the world’s wonders as possible completely transcends the boundaries of a traditional classroom. Armed with an insatiable lust for knowledge, they set out to acquire it on their own terms, although a few pointers obviously can’t hurt before departure and landing! Not every possible technique will necessarily stick with all self-motivated learners, of course, but the only way to find out is to test them.

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Open Source Virginia Restful New York 200

deal architect

MAY 13, 2012

On the New Florence blog Fortune’s Greatest Entrepreneurs of our time Technology and the TSA The neuroscience of Bob Dylan’s genius Lady Serendipity Green Colleges The multi-talented restaurant POS.

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Green Technology Entrepreneur 186

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2012

It’s great to dream big, but your startup needs a laser focus in the beginning to get market and investor attention. Google did it with search engines, Apple did it with a personal computer, and even Wal-Mart did it through low prices. A business plan I saw a while back to combine all the good features of several popular social networks on one site does not do it.

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Bandwidth Dilution Leadership Social Network 235

ReadWriteStart

MAY 18, 2012

Venture capitalists have been getting a black eye to go with their blue shirts. A recent report from the Kauffman Foundation slammed VCs for “shortchanging” investors, pointing out that public markets deliver better returns. The next day, Fred Wilson, general partner at Union Square Ventures and prominent VC blogger , suggested that a flood of crowdfunding money unleashed by the JOBS Act could sweep away venture capitalists altogether.

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YoungUpstarts

MAY 13, 2012

There are countless books out in the market gushing about the goodness of social media marketing. There are also those of the ilk that encourage small and medium businesses to get connected with the online social sphere or “risk getting left behind” At first glance, “ Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins in a Socially Connected World ” by Gail Goodman seems to fall into both categories.

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Marketing Social Media Framework Small Business 197

deal architect

MAY 13, 2012

“Is it just us, or does the outsourcing sector evolve much slower than other tech sectors?” asked a client recently. “Yes and No” I replied. “Many companies sign multi-year contracts, then renew with incumbents so there is a definite feel.

Marketing 170

Marketing Offshore 170

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2012

Most entrepreneurs expect to face the “normal” challenges of starting a business, which include finding the right opportunity, building and executing a winning plan, and financing their venture. But many forget the pitfalls associated with traditional business jobs which can apply even to the smartest and most dedicated people running their own business.

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Startup Portfolio Leadership Entrepreneur 235

Feld Thoughts

MAY 12, 2012

Over the past year, I’ve been systematically trying to change the way the board meetings work for the companies that I’m on the boards of. I’ve done a bunch of experiments and continue to learn what works and what doesn’t work. Ever since I started investing in the mid-1990′s I’ve been exposed to a concept called “board observer rights.” When we did investments at Mobius Venture Capital, in addition to a board seat, we always got board observer rig

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Venture Capital Finance Management Partner 132

YoungUpstarts

MAY 14, 2012

If you’re a musician, actor, songwriter or any other kind of creative talent (yes, even comedians), you’re probably painfully aware of getting booked for work (even if you, like, really really good at what you do). This being the case, you may want to check TalentSplash ( www.talentsplash.com ) – it’s a talent network that aims to help you launch and build your professional career.

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Management Washington Engineer Search 196

ReadWriteStart

MAY 14, 2012

Working virtually sounds like heaven to many startups. After all, not having a central office staffed with employees saves money on rent, utilities, parking, etc., freeing you to invest in research, development or marketing. On the other hand, operating virtually is no panacea. Before you make the virtual leap, you need to figure out exactly what working virtually means to your business.

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United Kingdom Startup Russia United States 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2012

Great businesses these days start with innovation, and then take it up a few notches to make it a revolution. An example is Google, who turned a new search technology into a tool that most of us couldn’t live without. As an entrepreneur, how do you know if you have the potential to innovate, and what are the steps to get from innovation to revolution?

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Feld Thoughts

MAY 15, 2012

This morning I had a gritty, sweating, damp, dirty run down Bowery through Chinatown and back. It was a short run – only 30 minutes and my coach’s note for me was simple and clear: “One of those “throw away” runs that mean a lot to long term fitness improvement.” So I did it. I’ve never run down Bowery. I’ve done the East River many times and ended up under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge, but I don’t recall ever seeing them from the top.

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