Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 14, 2009

For a startup, having great sales DNA is a wonderful asset. This is the magic of sales: by learning about each customer in-depth, they can convince each of them that this product would solve serious problems. But here’s where a truly great sales artist comes in. They are closing orders.

Customer 167

Customer San Francisco Lean Hockey Stick 167

Hippoland

AUGUST 8, 2018

Forget about traction and hockey stick growth. Marketing first. For example, if you are running affiliate ads for hotels, you might get 3-5% on a sale. But if this is a generic hotel, then there are likely other affiliates who are doing paid marketing to try to get users to their sites / apps to convert users as well.

Founder 48

Founder Sales Cycle Affiliate Retention 48

Hippoland

AUGUST 8, 2018

Forget about traction and hockey stick growth. Marketing first. For example, if you are running affiliate ads for hotels, you might get 3-5% on a sale. But if this is a generic hotel, then there are likely other affiliates who are doing paid marketing to try to get users to their sites / apps to convert users as well.

Founder 48

Founder Sales Cycle Affiliate Retention 48

ConversionXL

APRIL 10, 2020

Hockey-stick growth requires being ahead of, not in line with, conventional wisdom: The most impactful ideas won’t be found in “best practices.” The T-shaped model: wide knowledge across marketing—and, ideally, the business—with deep expertise in a few areas. Then, we can spend time pushing our thinking toward bold new ideas.

Hockey Stick 68

Hockey Stick Analytics Channel Sales Cycle 68