SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2012

I've recently received several emails from people looking for a technical cofounder for their startup. "I'm looking for a partner / cofounder who can not only head the technical aspects and build a working model of the site, but someone with the connections to put a great development team together when we need it.

Technical Cofounder 211

Technical Cofounder Cofounder CTO Hire Los Angeles 211

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

An "elevator pitch" is a concise, well-practiced description of your startup and your plan, delivered with conviction and enthusiasm, that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. A good elevator pitch is not just for an elevator discussion.

Elevator Pitch 233

Elevator Pitch Startup Distribution Channel 233

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Based on my experience and data from the field, over seventy-five percent of new startups fail, even with venture backing. Unfortunately, I see good startups fail simply because they don’t have the resources or intellectual property to stay ahead of copycats or big players who see the potential as soon as you step into the marketplace.

Intellectual Property 235

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Harvest Technical Review 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2015

Every entrepreneur needs a value proposition statement for his or her startup that can hook potential investors and partners in less than a minute -- the short time you might join them in an elevator on the way to their offices. Limit your elevator pitch message to about 150 to 225 words in 30 to 60 seconds.

Elevator Pitch 120

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Differentiation Business Plan 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Based on the final report for 2012 from Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), it may appear that IPOs are back as a viable startup exit strategy. Angels are also moving up-stage, leaving a bigger and bigger black hole for new startups. Remember you only have one chance for a good first impression.

Venture Capital 252

Venture Capital IPO Elevator Pitch Initial Public Offering 252

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2018

The biggest challenge for every entrepreneur and every startup today is to get noticed and remembered in today’s information overload. Every one of these probably has a unique story, but in my years as a startup advisor I only remember hearing a few who capitalized on their story. Every story needs a main character.

Elevator Pitch 211

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Boston Sales 211

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. For aspiring entrepreneurs, or if your last startup failed, it’s all about standing out above the crowd of others like you, and demonstrating your readiness.

Elevator Pitch 390

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Due Diligence Angel Investor 390

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2011

If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. Practice your “elevator pitch,” and end it by asking for the order. Be honest with naïve family members and friends about the inherent risks of a startup – at least 70% fail in the first five years.

Early Stage 247

Early Stage Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence 247

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

Additionally, you need to be able to communicate the essence that story and value to investors in a couple of sentences – your elevator pitch. The key here is to create a win-win partner situation for your investors. Lack of clear objectives/goals. Lack of understanding of the funding process/rules.

Software Review 250

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur 250

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

You’re in discussions with strategic partners and potential beta customers. Advisors agree your startup is on the right track. Think of your first B2B web site as one step beyond your elevator pitch. Call out strategic relationships with business partners, research institutions, or industry groups. Keep it simple.

Elevator Pitch 100

Elevator Pitch Web Portfolio B2B 100

Austin Startup

JANUARY 2, 2018

Whether it’s a thirty-page business plan, a ten-page pitch deck, a five-minute presentation, a one-page executive summary or a twenty-second elevator pitch, your primary goal is to answer the question, “What does your company do?” If you liked this, please consider recommending it so that others can find it by clicking the ??

Elevator Pitch 54

Elevator Pitch Startup Technical Review Cofounder 54

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 273

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

Additionally, you need to be able to communicate the essence that story and value to investors in a couple of sentences – your elevator pitch. The key here is to create a win-win partner situation for your investors. Lack of clear objectives/goals. Lack of understanding of the funding process/rules.

Software Review 246

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Early Stage 246

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2013

If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. Practice your “elevator pitch,” and end it by asking for the order. Be honest with naïve family members and friends about the inherent risks of a startup – at least 70% fail in the first five years.

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Due Diligence 273

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Develop an “elevator pitch” as an initial path to your goal. An elevator pitch is a problem-solution summary that anyone can understand in a sixty-second ride up to their office in an elevator. You must surround yourself with team members and partners with complimentary skills and dreams that mesh with yours.

Elevator Pitch 347

Elevator Pitch Incubator Matching Business Plan 347

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Technical Review 294

Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 294

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2012

An "elevator pitch" is a concise, well-practiced description of your startup and your plan, delivered with conviction and enthusiasm, that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. A good elevator pitch is not just for an elevator discussion.

Elevator Pitch 283

Elevator Pitch Startup Differentiation Distribution 283

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

That means they normally only invest in startups with a working product that has already been sold to at least one customer for full price (beta tests, giveaways and best friends don’t count). Startups whose marketing budget is trivial lose credibility and most likely the investment. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. Work on your elevator pitch.

Elevator Pitch 351

Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Social Network Networking 351

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Can concisely explain the unique, compelling value of the proposed venture in written terms and in oral presentations (elevator pitch), recognizing that some investors rely more on one than the other. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors.

Angel Investor 241

Angel Investor Technical Review Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 241

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

I have to start with a major negative: if you have to ask if your startup can get venture capital, then it almost certainly can’t. Venture capital is a very rarified atmosphere of high-end startups and emerging businesses with experienced management teams, high potential growth, secret sauce, and so on. How to find venture funding?

Software Review 124

Software Review Due Diligence Venture Capital Elevator Pitch 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

That means they normally only invest in startups with a working product that has already been sold to at least one customer for full price (beta tests, giveaways and best friends don’t count). Startups whose marketing budget is trivial lose credibility and most likely the investment. Make sure allocation amounts are reasonable.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2022

Offer to give your executive presentation, but he may want just the elevator pitch. There you were ushered into a gorgeously appointed conference room for a precise amount of time with a serious-looking partner. Keep your big guns, the business plan and financial model, in your holster but visible for backup.

Elevator Pitch 316

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Venture Capital Business Plan 316

SoCal CTO

APRIL 25, 2017

Here is the most recent version of an all too common email inquiry from a startup founder. I'm working on a start up idea in the XXX market with my partner and we are currently looking for full stack developer to join us as a technical co-founder. Startup and Founder Backgrounds This is a cold email. Why is this a great startup?

Email 150

Email Developer Elevator Pitch Cofounder 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2010

If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. Practice your “elevator pitch,” and end it by asking for the order. Be honest with naïve family members and friends about the inherent risks of a startup – at least 70% fail in the first five years.

Technical Review 233

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Angel Investor 233

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

In addition, creating a business requires leading and interacting with other people, including partners, investors, and customers. At least the first time around, it pays big dividends for an idea person to find a partner with the business skills you haven’t tested yet. Yes, there are a lot of bridges to cross.

Elevator Pitch 315

Elevator Pitch Cofounder Dividend Leadership 315

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

I had a recent email dialog with the founder of a company looking for a CTO for their startup. Was it a Startup Founder Developer Gap ? Did they really need a Startup CTO or Developer or both? who start with small equity percentages don’t end up making very much from startups. Refine your elevator pitch.

Technical Cofounder 241

Technical Cofounder CTO Hire Equity Sweat Equity 241

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 25, 2019

You might have an elevator pitch prepared for your business. But do you know what your startup’s vision is? The elevator pitch angle. Most people, including investors, employees, partners, and customers, will want to get a high-level picture of your company as quickly as possible. What about its mission? .

Elevator Pitch 131

Elevator Pitch PR Forecast Advertising 131

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2010

A fter years of talking with many of you in the Israeli startup industry, investors and entrepreneurs alike, I was invited to present some tips for entrepreneurs at the Launch48 conference in London this weekend. The talk was titled “Tips to make your startup attractive for investors&#. Sell your team, not your advisors.

Elevator Pitch 102

Elevator Pitch Incubator Technical Review Startup 102

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 19, 2022

That’s why it would make sense to partner with a conversion rate optimization agency and maximize your chances of achieving a solid conversion rate. An agency that you should partner with needs to be able to nail down the problems that stop you from converting more visitors into buyers. The post Struggling With B2B Sales?

B2B 149

B2B Sales Elevator Pitch Lead Generation 149

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 30, 2019

That’s over half a million new startups every month, all fighting for customers’ attention. If someone asked you what your startup does at a party, how would you respond? It also applies to potential partners. The more you help your partners, the more they’re likely to do for you in return.

Marketing 185

Marketing Elevator Pitch Social Network Startup 185

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 18, 2017

A panel representing savvy Investors/Venture Capitalists and seasoned African Fintech Pioneers will evaluate the business model of each chosen start‐up or trail‐blazer in a high-stress 10 minute “ elevator pitch ” to the “ Wolves ” who will ask the tough questions and provide the illuminating insights.

Africa 62

Africa Ethiopia Elevator Pitch Technical Review 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2014

Offer to give your executive presentation, but he may want just the elevator pitch. There you were ushered into a gorgeously appointed conference room for a precise amount of time with a serious-looking partner. angel entrepreneur funding investor startup venture capital' Put your ear to the ground before charging ahead.

Elevator Pitch 268

Elevator Pitch Venture Capital Startup Angel Investor 268

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

With the recent influx of startups, there is a lot of competition for venture capital funding. Partner up. Latinos in particular are more likely to be organized as sole proprietorships, but by getting a partner you will have a whole new network to work with and have help in getting your startup off the ground.

Venture Capital 48

Venture Capital Oakland Elevator Pitch Technical Review 48

Steve Blank

MARCH 8, 2011

It was designed to bring together many of the new approaches to building a successful startup – customer development, agile development, business model generation and pivots. Startups, are not about executing a plan where the product, customers, channel are known. – not just web-based startups.

Lean 298

Lean Business Model Customer Development Guinea 298

Gust

OCTOBER 11, 2011

An “ elevator pitch ” is a concise, well-practiced description of your startup and your plan, delivered with conviction and enthusiasm, that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. A good elevator pitch is not just for an elevator discussion.

Elevator Pitch 174

Elevator Pitch Startup Differentiation Distribution 174

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 9, 2019

Whether your support system is friends and family offering words of encouragement or business partners who come in every morning bringing ideas to the table, these individuals are highly valuable to your team and your process. It is imperative that you can confirm that each of these factors is taken care of. A Grounded Business Plan.

Elevator Pitch 279

Elevator Pitch Social Media Business Plan Advertising 279