Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Most business advisors I know will say that writing a business plan is the first step to starting your own business, but I believe that a better first step is to do a self-analysis of your real drivers, strengths, and assumptions before committing to this lifestyle.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

In fact, I would broaden the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2023

“If we build it, they will come.” I’ve heard it many times from technical entrepreneurs who should know better than to believe the old “ Field of Dreams ” sports fantasy movie theme in today’s Internet information overload environment.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2019

Image via Flickr by Phil Gyford Starting a new venture still costs real money, even though the entry price has come down dramatically in last few decades. For example, I come from a software background, and back in the early PC days, it could easily cost half a million dollars for a team of professionals to produce a commercial product.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2013

I challenge any startup to show me they have avoided all of these: One of the founders isn’t delivering. entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki startup founder marriage business' I’ve seen them too often, and they seem to be the same for every company (and every marriage) no matter how great the team is. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2012

It is just really hard to found a technology company successfully with only one founder, technical or non-technical. You need full control of your core technology, so I suggest you supplement your own expertise as soon as possible, to tackle the never-ending technical questions of architecture, competition, scalability, and customer support.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. I’m a believer in capitalizing on your strengths, and using partners or co-founders to shore up weaknesses.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2018

In my role as an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often find founders who have such conviction and passion for their new idea, that they can’t believe anyone could challenge it. In fact, leaders are not remembered for their dreams, aspirations, or intentions – they are remembered because they achieved results.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Should you start a company solo or find co-founders to help you? The co-founder relationship dilemma.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want. Each co-founder should get equity for value, based on these key variables: Lived a key role in a previous startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

In fact, I would broaden the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2012

If you are a young startup founder, how do you find that CEO or other executive for your “dream team” to close on funding and kick start your company? Most founders are product guys. Make certain you as the founder and the CEO are on the same page on mission, company values, exit strategy, and workplace model.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2015

Startup founders need to see, touch and feel all the key elements of a new business as it evolves, much like an artist renders a new painting or sculpture. The best founders know how to pull the best out of others. This means a founder needs the ability to attract the right people to a team and motivate them.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Technology experts tend to have a very deep level of knowledge, but not very wide.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring. Your primary responsibility as a startup founder is to provide vision, leadership and communication to all internal and external team members. Everyone learns best from failures, so failure should never be a feared option.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2011

Otherwise, I suggest that founders be up-front with their employers, with an honest commitment that the “side” work on the potential startup will not jeopardize committed results. In a part-time effort, a co-founder is essential to keeping you on-track and working. Pick a day and time per week where you always work together.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2022

Business partners can be co-founders in a startup, multiple owners of an existing business, or a joint venture. As a former startup investor, I was often involved with due diligence on founders, and I felt that founders should do the same on co-founders, as well as investors. Their skills and interests complement yours.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2023

Every entrepreneur believes in their heart that their startup is more innovative and creative than their competitors. Yet none knows exactly where creativity comes from within, or how to pick and motivate the most creative people for the team.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2016

Due to founder visibility, the team is so tuned in to the visionary and current direction that every turn to the right to pursue a new idea turns the whole team to the right. Titles for this role in a startup are not fixed, but usually show up as president, COO, or chief architect. Cause organizational whiplash.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2021

If you are a young startup founder, how do you find that CEO or other executive for your “dream team” to close on funding or complement your skills to kick start your company? Most founders are product guys. Make certain you as the founder and the CEO are on the same page on mission, company values, exit strategy, and workplace model.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Relationships are the key to survival and success for entrepreneurs, and first impressions usually turn into lasting impressions. As an advisor to many early-stage entrepreneurs, I caution them to always be prepared for that chance meeting with a famous investor, a potential partner or an industry guru.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2015

New entrepreneurs tend to focus only on getting the product right, and assume that the right culture and ethics will come later simply by hiring good people. In fact, they need an early focus on developing their moral compass, as well as setting the right ethical tone.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2022

An entrepreneur is literally “one who creates a new business.” The best new businesses are ones that have never been done before, so mastering creativity and recognizing creativity are key skills and mindsets. But how does one recognize and nurture creativity in a person or team?

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2022

When you have been on the startup firing line, you quickly learn that any insight from experts and entrepreneurs who have been there before you can make the difference between failure and success. Yet, many new entrepreneurs brazenly assume they are bulletproof, and march blindly into the fray.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Marty Zwilling

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. The value of startup teams with the founder as an effective leader is many times the value of many strong individuals working independently.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2013

After working with dozens of startup founders, I’m still amazed that some seem to be able to do the job easily and effectively, always in control, while others always seem to be struggling, out-of-control, and fighting the latest crisis. In that context, startup founders should carefully review the points made by Denny F.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

But for founders who do their homework, the cost of entry is lower and the opportunity is higher than ever. Excellent detailed resources are everywhere, including a classic book, “ The Startup Checklist ,” by serial entrepreneur and founder of the New York Angels, David S. The cost of social media done well is low.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2021

The ultimate compliment that any entrepreneur can get is that they can “see around corners.” This is a statement that they are willing and able (and successful) at projecting market and technology turns, not just straight-line innovations. They have the courage to make bold decisions, often contrary to conventional market research.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want. Each co-founder should get equity for value, based on these key variables: Lived a key role in a previous startup.

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Equity Cofounder Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property 238

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

Supportive co-founder and executive positions. Every startup needs two or three key advisors who have the domain experience, connections, and complementary skills to guide the founders through those early crises. Member of the Advisory Board. Manage customer service.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

The founder sets the culture by words and actions. The best startup teams don’t shy away from healthy debates between team members or founders. Founders need to be realists, to understand when to pivot and when to fall back in recovery mode. Culture is simply “the way we do things around here,” and it trumps strategy every time.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2023

If you are a typical startup operation, consisting of an unpaid founder and co-founder, both working part-time, outsourcing is not likely the solution to your resource constraints. Overall, I believe the utility for outsourcing is going up, rather than going away.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

One of the biggest challenges in changing your lifestyle from an employee to starting your own business, is focusing on the right ownership elements, versus having a boss who sets the business goals, and provides performance feedback.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2020

In my work with new startups, I often find people who believe that the terms “ entrepreneur ” and “ inventor ” are interchangeable. Yet I find a big difference between “starting a new business” and “creating a new product.”

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

That’s why investors acknowledge that two co-founders are often better than one -- with one focusing on the technical solution, and the other focusing on defining and building the business model. The founder had simply not done the work to validate a price and customer segment. These two jobs need to be done in parallel.

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