A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 29, 2011

The following week she sent me this email (my emphasis): Ever since accidentally stumbling upon lean startup 1+ years ago, I’ve struggled to implement the principles correctly. For example, I talked to an entrepreneur with years of experience selling a standard medical device to doctors. What did they do before you came along?

Lean 269

Lean Software Software Developers Software Development 269

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 29, 2011

Mostly you get only peeks into how bad it really was, like a post-mortum private email to me personally, riddled with valid complaints and specific injustices that had been inflicted upon the hapless customer, exacerbated by our indifferent silence broken only by callous human contact. I know it happens. I’ve seen it at WP Engine.

Technical Review 236

Technical Review Software Review Reputation Sales Cycle 236

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 23, 2011

This guest-post was written by Noah Kagan, Chief Sumo of AppSumo.com , the daily deals site for web entrepreneurs. It took 6 months to get that deal and we just emailed 70,000 AppSumo.com customers and 6 whole buys two hours after the email went out. I go have breakfast, read a book and finish the rest of my emails.

Argentina 316

Argentina Email Web SEO 316

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

You can subscribe to Smart Bear Live on iTunes (please review the podcast as well!) … and if you’d like to appear on a future episode of Smart Bear Live, send an email to Patrick.Foley@microsoft.com to schedule a recording with Jason. We’re getting emails all the time. Jason: Hey. What’s the name of the company?

Cofounder 199

Cofounder Technical Review Chicago Technical Cofounder 199

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JANUARY 11, 2010

Q: You’ve stated that the goal of both your new book ( Web Startup Success Guide ) and your new tool for entrepreneurs ( StartupToDo ) is to double an entrepreneur's chance at success: Increase from 10% to 20%. Here’s the third: Few startups (let alone Digital Entrepreneurs) have more money than time. you know.

Entrepreneur 225

Entrepreneur Social Media Software Web 225

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 31, 2012

It’s everyone, any time, especially if you’re communicating over email where emotions are hard to convey and text is misread. Tech support, vetting a new idea, arguing with your spouse, or exchanging emails with a stranger. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs.

Engineer 259

Engineer Metrics Email Web 259

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

6 Simple Selling Tips For Software Entrepreneurs [link] (from OnStartups). 6 Simple Selling Tips For Software Entrepreneurs. US Economic Risks (Sept 2010): Impact on Investors & Entrepreneurs [link]. US Economic Risks (Sept 2010): Impact on Investors & Entrepreneurs | Both Sides of the Table.

Liquidation Preference 216

Liquidation Preference Silicon Valley Startup Software 216

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Hiring 230

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A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 8, 2010

Yeah, but unfortunately you do have to rely on others to respond to emails and phone calls. This is why it’s important to set natural follow-up points so you can get permission to call, email or meet. Too busy to worry about it: This is common for the overworked entrepreneur. This reliance can be a constant source of heartburn.

Harvest 227

Harvest Email Lean Customer 227

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JUNE 5, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Advertising 229

Advertising Campaign Demand Audience 229

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 8, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Bootstrapping 231

Bootstrapping Hiring Engineer Web 231

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 6, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Cofounder 237

Cofounder Incubator Social Network Business Model 237

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 24, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Salary 229

Salary Stock Startup Valuation 229

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 4, 2010

I feel myself transforming into the Dr. Laura of bootstrapped entrepreneurs.). In your email, attach a plain-Jane HTML file and separate images. Please use comments and email to keep me honest and let me know what you think. Gee, is this therapy for me or for you ? Probably both. Ground rules. No Word® or PDF™ or iWork® Pages®.

RSS 139

RSS Viral HTML Social Media 139

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 9, 2012

In the past six months the tenor of the comments and email from strangers has changed. It’s why an entrepreneur is often a serial entrepreneur. Back to work… Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. What about raising my child? What about this blog?

New York 248

New York Ruby Social Media RSS 248

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 30, 2010

He blogs to 10,000 web entrepreneurs at Software by Rob and co-hosts the podcast Startups for the Rest of Us. A VA can be domestic or international, as long as they have a computer and an email account. Performing tasks you could pay someone else $6 to accomplish is a foolish use of an entrepreneur's time. Introduction.

Software Review 284

Software Review Startup Technical Review Hosting 284

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 31, 2011

Here’s an email I got last week: Hello Jason, I am a big fan of your advice and wanted to see if you could offer any advice for marketing my start-up XYZ. He told me in a later email that he knows it wasn’t the best way to go, but “I’m a product guy.” Any advice will help. Who are your persuading?

Customer 279

Customer Software Review SEM Technical Review 279

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JUNE 19, 2012

Go here to learn about the Smart Bear Live podcast where I’ll help you one-on-one, or email me to see whether I can turn your question into a blog post. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. Need help figuring out how to do that?

Salary 246

Salary Bootstrapping Web Distribution 246

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

After a final spellcheck, a double check of the dimensions, and one more good long look, the cartoon is emailed over and, hopefully, everyone is happy. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. I used a font I had made of my own handwriting to finish things up. So that’s how it works.

Customer 228

Customer Audience Web Hiring 228

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 28, 2012

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Here’s a sample email that I’d use myself. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please reply to this email or call ${phone}. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs.

Software Review 240

Software Review Technical Review Email Revenue 240

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

You are coordinating customers by email. Those are the things that we have to do, and that’s what email for. If the problem is email integration then redoing a CRM is probably not the most necessary part of the solution. They just wrote a book where they interviewed hundreds of women entrepreneurs. It probably is.

Widget 204

Widget Cofounder Technical Review Software Review 204

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 1, 2010

I know this because of the comments and wonderful emails I receive. As long as people keep saying that I've lifted a burden off their chest or produced invaluable customer feedback or prevented them from wasting time and money, or even if they just get a laugh, that's my answer to why anyone should listen.

Bootstrapping 227

Bootstrapping Design Cost Customer 227

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 3, 2011

But remember you’re deciding between spending hours iterating to a 15% lift, versus spending all your energy, time, emails, social media, creativity, new features, marketing efforts, ads, measurement, trying to get a 2x or 3x change in the Most Important Number, that’s an order of magnitude better. Tweet. -->. On the (un?)importance

Metrics 273

Metrics Startup Revenue Engineer 273

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JUNE 26, 2012

Another said charge a minimum of $50/mo to cut out the moochers who email support but don’t pay for stuff. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. One said I should target enterprises, charging $1000/mo and selling through consultants. How do you answer those questions?

Flash 239

Flash Engineer Reputation Customer Development 239

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 28, 2011

Close the bank accounts, close the doors, turn off the website, bounce the email, and just stop. I literally cannot remember the number of times I was so overwhelmed at Smart Bear that I almost threw in the towel. Sounds dramatic, but it’s no exaggeration. Here’s where I’m supposed to unleash my intellectual fortitude.

Bootstrapping 312

Bootstrapping Sales Texas Salary 312

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 11, 2014

Welcome back to Smart Bear Live … the show were Jason speaks with entrepreneurs looking to improve their businesses. We use email; we use Word; we use task manager; we use a file sharing tool. Meetings are definitely one of those places, but email is another primary way that that comes in. That’s a challenge.

Technical Cofounder 220

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Review Management 220

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 10, 2010

Marketplace companies are notoriously difficult to start, so I'm constantly amazed that so many entrepreneurs chose this route. When a potential buyer made a search, they grabbed their email or phone number and said "Thanks, we're going to find you a great deal by Thursday." Maybe it's the "go big or go home" mentality?

Business Model 310

Business Model Finder SEO Bootstrapping 310

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 4, 2017

Yet, it’s the job of a Product Manager at that mid-sized company to invent, discover, design, implement, and nurture those products — something that most entrepreneurs will never succeed at. “Email” is not the answer. Your emails are probably misinterpreted 40% of the time, by the way.) Recruiting.

Government 223

Government Startup Cofounder Technical Support 223

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

DECEMBER 4, 2012

As you’d guess, I can’t do it, as much as I love to chat about startups, by which I mean swapping wisdom with fellow entrepreneurs, by which I mean stoke my ego by telling strangers what to do with neither repercussion nor responsibility. Most of the email is truly spam. But even for the legit stuff, the problem is time.

Internet 270

Internet Email Engineer Web 270

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 24, 2012

You can subscribe to Smart Bear Live on iTunes (please review the podcast as well!) … and if you’d like to appear on a future episode of Smart Bear Live, send an email to Patrick.Foley@microsoft.com to schedule a recording with Jason. ” But every entrepreneur I saw on the ground in LA here was massively trending up.

Silicon Valley 204

Silicon Valley Software Review Internet Technical Review 204

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 1, 2010

We employ actual software developers for Level 1 tech support and email, so you're talking to someone who not only can answer every question but can even read the code to get answers. But BigCorp offers 24/7 tech support too and they have consultants. You: It's quality, not quantity. Let's get specific.

Open Source 239

Open Source Dilution Software Developers Software Development 239

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

DECEMBER 5, 2010

The goal was to create a non-boring resource for entrepreneurs centered around a combination of video interviews (RISE.the web show) with successful entrepreneurs, big thinkers and "doers" (as opposed to people that just talk about doing) as well as blog posts, videos and other goodies. Every post is posted to Twitter and Facebook.

Community 261

Community Audience Video Social Media 261

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 3, 2012

I have time to respond to emails from every single customer personally and give design advice freely. The reply-to header on my email newsletter goes straight to my personal inbox. 2500 people are subscribed to said email newsletter, and even that is still just a tiny fraction of the audience. Just ask mine.

Sales 261

Sales Bootstrapping Design Audience 261

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JANUARY 4, 2010

Make a spelling mistake in an email? Maybe you're always misplacing documents and emails. When you go to write an email, you can check spelling. It's called the "Personal Checklist," which sounds boring and benign but is actually the emotional equivalent of punching yourself in the face. Here's how you do it. The week of pain.

Email 236

Email Cloud Product Technology 236

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 25, 2011

If all you build this weekend is a landing page that describes what your company will do and asks for an email address to be notified when ready, and if you manage to get 50 emails, that is far more of a real company than a team who builds something that works but no one asked for it. This weekend, build a company.

Startup 284

Startup Algorithm Design Salary 284

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

To get your question answered , email me at asmartbear -at- shortmail -dot- com. Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. This is part of an ongoing startup advice series where I answer (anonymized!) questions from readers, like a written version of Smart Bear Live.

Database 229

Database Metrics Search Customer 229

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

Yes, the email program “Eudora” is named after Welty.) Sign up for AppSumo 's daily deals specifically for web geeks & entrepreneurs. English III teaches you how to write things that English III teachers want to read, but it’s not necessarily great writing. If you haven’t read it, don’t fret.

Texas 239

Texas Framework America Finance 239