Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

Having a set of metrics that you watch & that you feel are the key drivers of your success helps keep clarity. And the more public you can make your goals for these key metrics the better. I was recently talking with a startup company who wanted me to try their product. In our next meeting I asked them how often it crashed.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup Acquisition SEM 346

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 11, 2022

Why Call Tracking Metrics Matter To Your Marketing Efforts written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. One of my favorite episodes who should be your first hire, what's your funding plan, Dr. Lisa Cravin shares her top advice from building spotlight oral. Marketing Podcast with Todd and Laure Fisher. This is John Jantsch.

Metrics 85

Metrics Marketing Software Review Cofounder 85

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Plan to deliver a family of products, rather than a one-trick pony. Even a great initial product, with no follow-on, won’t keep you ahead of competitors very long. A smarter risk is to build a plan, with associated greater resources, that will put you in position to expand your product line and keep one step ahead of competitors.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 8, 2024

You may need funding for new equipment, hiring additional staff, expanding facilities, or investing in marketing and advertising campaigns. Factors to Consider Before Taking on Debt The debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) is a financial metric lenders use to assess a business’s ability to cover its debt obligations.

Finance 124

Finance Technical Review Metrics .Net 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Hire a professional marketing and public relations agency once you have a good revenue stream but you don’t need them to start a free blog, establish Facebook and Twitter accounts with initial content and complete the basics of search engine optimization.

Burn Rate 258

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Management Salary 258

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

For example, early adopters may be easily sold, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by certain demographics, perhaps more influenced by celebrities or mommy bloggers. The last thing you need in a startup is a false start, where you can’t deliver on a product change deadline, or a new marketing channel.

Metrics 387

Metrics Technical Review Leadership Framework 387

Mucker Lab

OCTOBER 10, 2023

In navigating the transition from founder-led sales to a structured approach, the pivotal question arises: when to hire a Sales Development Representative (SDR) or an Account Executive (AE) ? If there are inbound leads, the situation is different; hiring an AE might be suitable if these leads align with the ideal customer profile.

Early Stage 78

Early Stage Sales Developer Development Team Review 78

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2016

Taking steering one step further, let’s suggest that good planning, with milestones and metrics, is something like steering with the aid of a GPS. Metrics are like dials on the dashboard, indicators of how you’re doing, tracking your progress toward goals. Metrics give you tracking and accountability.

Metrics 80

Metrics Social Media Business Plan Advertising 80

View from Seed

MARCH 19, 2015

Starting in 2009, Savoia began using an approach as an engineering director at Google that helped the tech giant know whether it was about to build the right product for the market … or a product that would flop. Having The Right It is essential for the following reason: Most new products and innovations fail in the market.

Product 120

Product Technical Review Marketing Lean 120

Up and Running

OCTOBER 1, 2019

It might seem easier to put off thinking about your first essential new hires. Try to do it all and you’ll spend a lot of time learning new skills (that you’ll eventually hire for) when you should be focusing on growing your business. Hire someone who understands Generation Z (or your target demographic). A marketing maven.

Hiring 77

Hiring Technical Review Small Business Forecast 77

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 4, 2023

Otherwise, they will (sooner or later) experience the resource drain, high overhead costs & low employee productivity. It’s an important metric for employers & managers because high turnover is often expensive and disruptive for the organization. company spends approximately $4,000 and 52 days to hire a new employee.

Employee 163

Employee Management Software Review Technical Review 163

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen. It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Make your service deliver process “happy.”

Technical Review 249

Technical Review Salary Metrics Matching 249

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

As a simple example, the Wal-Mart website now shows shoppers more products that they may like, based on previous purchases. Simple metrics and your personal knowledge of the industry can’t keep up with all the relevant competitive forces. Select new hires with attention to values. You need to be part of a larger ecosystem.

Software Review 355

Software Review Algorithm Global IPO 355

View from Seed

MARCH 24, 2021

At NextView Ventures we have written many pieces about venture capital — how to raise it, build your business, engage with investors, iterate your product, navigate expanding industries, etc. Rethinking the Standard Fundraising Deck “I’d make it crystal clear what your product actually does. VCs sure do love writing.

Seed Stage 177

Seed Stage Hiring IPO Analytics 177

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. He had a track record of taking small teams and growing them into successful product lines.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2023

The organization can’t keep up the pace of change, and soon loses motivation, productivity, and all sense of where they are headed. Tends to hire helpers and not develop talent. Idea people are so bright that they don’t see the need to leverage the capabilities of others, or hire people smarter than they are in any given domain.

Partner 206

Partner Cofounder Startup Bandwidth 206

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Plan to deliver a family of products, rather than a one-trick pony. Even a great initial product, with no follow-on, won’t keep you ahead of competitors very long. A smarter risk is to build a plan, with associated greater resources, that will put you in position to expand your product line and keep one step ahead of competitors.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

Startup Lessons Learned

DECEMBER 23, 2009

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Why vanity metrics are dangerous In a previous post, I defined two kinds of metrics: vanity metrics and actionable metrics. In this post, Id like to talk about the perils of vanity metrics. My personal favorite vanity metrics is "hits."

Metrics 167

Metrics San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment 167

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Hire a professional marketing and public relations agency once you have a good revenue stream but you don’t need them to start a free blog, establish Facebook and Twitter accounts with initial content and complete the basics of search engine optimization.

Burn Rate 310

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Salary Angel Investor 310

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 15, 2019

If they were a commercial company, they figured out product/market fit; or if a government organization, it focused on solution/mission fit. HR processes, legal processes, financial processes, acquisition and contracting processes, security processes, product development and management processes, and types of organizational forms etc.

Government 315

Government Technical Review Acquisition Metrics 315

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

The organization can’t keep up the pace of change, and soon loses motivation, productivity, and all sense of where they are headed. Tends to hire helpers and not develop talent. Idea people are so bright that they don’t see the need to leverage the capabilities of others, or hire people smarter than they are in any given domain.

Founder 329

Founder Cofounder Bandwidth Matching 329

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen. It must be understandable, written down, and verifiable, with regular measurements and metrics to make it real, benchmarked against the competition. Make your service deliver process “happy.”

Technical Review 385

Technical Review Salary Metrics Matching 385

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

(Almost) everything you need to know (but are afraid to ask) before you wistfully ask a product manager to coffee so they will help you find a job. TL;DR Product management is a unique and poorly understood discipline, especially as it applies to software and other tech-related companies.

Management 85

Management Product Technical Review Software Review 85

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 25, 2023

Here are a few ways to align workforce planning with financial objectives: Conduct regular analyses of the costs: these costs are associated with hiring, training, and retaining employees. For example, HR can work with Finance to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different hiring strategies.

Finance 131

Finance Retention Forecast Employee 131

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 25, 2023

As soon as you have 2-3 months' worth of sales data to work with, use a formula to calculate stock reorder levels to ensure you always have stock ready to go, especially if you're promoting your products on platforms known for viral content, like TikTok. Thanks to Dani Mechlowitz, Delta Fulfilment ! #6- Thanks to Chris Gerbig, Pink Lily ! #8-

eCommerce 133

eCommerce Omaha Entrepreneur SEO 133

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 9, 2019

For many remote (and even regular) companies, company culture is something ethereal and abstract: while the most important metrics (customer engagement and satisfaction, employee turnover and retainment) are closely monitored, features like company culture are often neglected. Its product? by Denis Kryukov from Soshace.

Balance Sheet 159

Balance Sheet Web Development Software Engineering Retention 159

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

They are as follows: People, Products, Processes, Proprietary, Patrons, and Profits. Products are the products or services that are offered by your company. Products are the products or services that are offered by your company. Is your product thriving or dying?

Exit Strategy 246

Exit Strategy Intellectual Property Valuation Metrics 246

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Most industries have touched their peak, matured, and there is little room to improve in the world of homogenous products, similar marketing, and standardized, efficient processes. Capturing and analyzing data enables companies to get insights that benefit their companies in cost-saving, relevant marketing, product development, etc.

Technical Review 153

Technical Review Forecast Analytics Social Media 153

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 14, 2024

How to Hire a Fractional CMO: The Smart Way to Scale written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing Are you looking at your business goals and feeling your marketing strategy just isn’t cutting it? This is where hiring a fractional CMO can make a significant difference. When should I hire a fractional CMO?

Hiring 79

Hiring Leadership Differentiation Cost 79

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

One of our Bplans writers described going into business in cannabis as a “ once-in-a-generation opportunity ,” with the product rapidly becoming legal for recreational as well as medical use in many states. In legal states, the markets have become so saturated that cannabis companies can end up with thousands of pounds of unsold product.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Software Review 154

ConversionXL

JUNE 16, 2022

Where your product or service fits into the market. It should include primary and secondary KPIs and metrics related to marketing goals , as well as the platforms (e.g., When teams know what to track and how metrics relate to the overall objective, they can transform data into actionable insights to improve the play.

Campaign 149

Campaign CTO Marketing Social Media 149

View from Seed

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Recently, I’ve been working with a few of our portfolio companies to help them think about how to recruit and interview their first analytics hire. Analytics is about designing, reporting, and leveraging operating metrics to aid strategic and functional decision-making. Analytics vs. Finance?—?what’s

Analytics 149

Analytics Hiring SQL Forecast 149

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. He just hired Meg Whitman.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Hire a professional marketing and public relations agency once you have a good revenue stream but you don’t need them to start a free blog, establish Facebook and Twitter accounts with initial content and complete the basics of search engine optimization.

Burn Rate 223

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Startup Salary 223

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2017

I started out in business as a techy geek, so I understand why technologists starting a new venture spend so much effort getting the product just right. Here are ten key questions you should ask in selecting any recruiter or firm: What are your search successful completion metrics? What percentage of your hires have stayed two years?

Search 181

Search Technical Review Differentiation Hiring 181