Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

But for founders who do their homework, the cost of entry is lower and the opportunity is higher than ever. Who would not want to join the unicorns (recent startups with a current valuation of over $1 billion)? He nails the current key startup parameters, including the following: Crafting a lean business plan as your road map.

Intellectual Property 404

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 404

David Teten

AUGUST 20, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) is a new form of VC financing, distinct from the preferred equity structure most VCs use.

Revenue 60

Revenue Cofounder Founder Technical Review 60

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Something happened in the past 7 years in the startup and venture capital world that I hadn’t experienced since the late 90’s — we all began praying to the God of Valuation. How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? What happened? There was no money train.

Valuation 466

Valuation San Francisco Ratchet Liquidation Preference 466

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 8, 2023

According to Gergo Vari, the founder of Lensa, if your startup is ready to ride the metaverse wave, staying informed and investing in the skills and expertise needed for this new era are crucial. Adapting to emerging trends and staying agile will be crucial for startups as the metaverse grows.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Generative AI Startup Agile 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2020

One of the biggest myths in the business world is that startups are no place for Baby Boomers, that aging generation born between 1945 and 1964. Today people over 55 are almost twice as likely to create successful startups as Gen-Y, age 20 to 34. Supportive co-founder and executive positions. Member of the Advisory Board.

Advisory Board 312

Advisory Board Startup Dividend Angel Investor 312

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

How do you figure out what’s the right mix of skills for the co-founders of your startup? I was having breakfast with Radhika, an ex-grad student of mine who wanted to share her Customer Discovery progress for her consumer hardware startup. Trying to figure out what the right set of co-founders isn’t so clear.

Cofounder 335

Cofounder Founder Intellectual Property Business Model 335

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Smart founders and smart salesmen look for customers with a painful problem, rather than pushing a nice-to-have solution. Then every startup has to learn to pivot, because their first understanding of the real problem is usually not quite right. With the best solutions, the customer gets value which exceeds your revenue.

Sales 348

Sales Startup Bootstrapping Technical Review 348

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

As part of The Startup Magazine’s Female Founder Interview series , we interviewed Martha Razo, author of the book, Business Diva: Stories of Women Leading in Business. Martha: Business owners measure their growth by their numbers; revenues, profits, number of employees, the number of locations they own, etc.

Founder 165

Founder Technical Review Balance Sheet Analytics 165

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

The founder explains that the product or service is so “buzz-worthy” that the merits will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. That’s a double death wish. Unless you have very deep pockets, plan for some very significant marketing costs to kick-start your dream.

Viral 348

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 348

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Yet it always amazes me that I can find two different startups, seemingly working on the same problem, with one having a burn rate several times higher than the other. They understand startup realities. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

Burn Rate 258

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Management Salary 258

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 11, 2021

by Swapnil Shinde, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeni. If your accounting processes aren’t in order, you may not have a complete picture of your startup’s financial health and could be leaving money on the table. Don’t rely on spreadsheets to track revenue and expenses; start using accounting tools as soon as possible.

Small Business 180

Small Business Startup Cofounder Software Review 180

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

One of the biggest myths in the business world is that startups are no place for Baby Boomers, that aging generation born between 1945 and 1964. Today people over 55 are almost twice as likely to create successful startups as Gen-Y, age 20 to 34. Supportive co-founder and executive positions. Member of the Advisory Board.

Advisory Board 368

Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital. It’s the antithesis of the Lean Startup.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. I believe that Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) VCs are on the forefront of what will become a major segment of the venture ecosystem.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 30, 2022

Startups represent an appealing prospect for a lot of investors, with the promise of an early injection of cash paying out in a big way if a business is catapulted to sustainable success over the ensuing months and years. A degree of diversification can go a long way to protecting you from startup failures. The statistics don’t lie.

Technical Review 135

Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor Startup 135

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. Who would not want to join the unicorns (recent startups with a current valuation of over $1 billion)? He nails the current key startup parameters, including the following: Crafting a lean business plan as your road map.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Angel Groups Social Media 261

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 16, 2021

90% of Indian startups fail within the first five years of inception. Founders face multiple challenges when they are in the initial faces of a startup. Let us tell you what conversation intelligence is and how it can help your startup. How can conversation intelligence help your startup?”. Wondering how?

Conversion 162

Conversion Technical Review Startup Software Review 162

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

Yesterday I wrote a post about “ the politics of startups ” in which I asserted that all companies have politics, which in its purest sense is just about understanding human psychology. ” Of course we all go into businesses expecting to be aligned with our co-founders but over time life changes. Equity for the future?

Founder 340

Founder Cofounder Sacramento Technical Review 340

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. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Mucker Lab

OCTOBER 10, 2023

SDR Strategy & Model Checklist In the intricate world of sales development, finding the balance between art and science is crucial for a startup's success. Instead, identifying a narrow target market and focusing efforts there is key, especially for startups with limited resources.

Early Stage 78

Early Stage Sales Developer Development Team Review 78

The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

But have you ever had the opportunity to pick the brains of founders who created amazingly successful startups and companies like Envato , Backblaze , Simple , or Treehouse ? Few people like talking about their mistakes, but thankfully nine founders took some time to share some of their hard-earned knowledge with you.

Cofounder 164

Cofounder Founder Startup Bootstrapping 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2020

Based on my own experiences in startups, and many years of advising new business owners, I’m convinced that there are a few common frustrations that we all need to anticipate and prepare for, rather than let them be a surprise and a painful dent in your enthusiasm and personal satisfaction from living your dream.

Due Diligence 306

Due Diligence Entrepreneur Startup Acquisition 306

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Yet it always amazes me that I can find two different startups, seemingly working on the same problem, with one having a burn rate several times higher than the other. They understand startup realities. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

Burn Rate 223

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Startup Salary 223

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

So you’re interested in raising capital from a Revenue-Based Investor VC. A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors (“RBI”) are emerging. For background, see Revenue-Based Investing: A New Option for Founders who Care About Control. Rational burn profile, up to 50% of revenue at close, scaling down. Bigfoot Capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2011

Many entrepreneurs I know feel guilty about not quitting their day job when initiating their startup, worrying about not giving their all to an employer, juggling the multiple roles, or even a legal conflict of interest. Then there are the more pragmatic questions of how to make concurrent startup efforts productive.

Founder 233

Founder Startup Cofounder Angel Investor 233

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2014

Much has been written about when it is time to hire a “professional CEO” to run a startup company and of course that has long been a norm in Silicon Valley when founders find that their inexperience may be a limiting factor in company growth ( know as the Peter Principle ). Startup Lessons'

Founder 309

Founder CTO Hire Silicon Valley Leadership 309

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

Photo by Vanna Phon on Unsplash Customer acquisition is the lifeblood of many startups from e-commerce to gaming to marketplace companies, among others. Most of these startups spend the lion’s share of their marketing budget in today’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Snap, TikTok and so on because?—?no no surprise?—?that’s

Founder 424

Founder Product Cofounder Acquisition 424

The Next Web

JANUARY 22, 2014

Our report last week on the salaries that startup founders pay themselves stirred up a lot of discussion here on The Next Web, Hacker News , Twitter and beyond. Now startup benchmarking firm Compass , the source of the original data, has provided us with further information that helps answer some of the questions you had about it.

Salary 152

Salary Founder Entrepreneur Burn Rate 152

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. You must have seen a lot of startups giving out promotions, discounts, and incentives at the early phase of their business.

Startup 150

Startup Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur Seed Stage 150

VC Cafe

JANUARY 30, 2023

” – Andrew Carnegie As a founder, one of the key tasks in raising capital is to effectively communicate the value of your company to investors. In my experience as a seed venture investor, founders that had a full and tidy data room not only came across as more professional, but actually accelerated the process of DD and legal.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Due Diligence Cap Table Startup 103

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 2, 2023

I’ll start by taking you to the world of Startup X, a passionate team of entrepreneurs who believed they had the next big thing in the world of software as a service (SaaS). It’s disheartening, but sadly, this is one experience that many startup founders face. The good news is that there’s hope!

Design 105

Design Product Churn Rate Architecture 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2019

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Today the rate of startups going public (IPO – Initial Public Offering) is up from the dead zone, but is still half the rate back before 2000. Startups going public are laid open to competitors and critics.

IPO 210

IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 210

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

ReadWriteStart

AUGUST 28, 2012

In today’s startup landscape, practically everything can be outsourced. But when it comes to core technical skills, more and more entrepreneurs are opting to partner with technical co-founders rather than hiring someone for an in-house position. So how do you decide what’s right for your new company? How Innovative Is Your Technology?

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Cofounder Founder Software Review 131

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