Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

Modern information management tools. Having information is more than access to data; it requires knowing how to synthesize, interpret, and act it. Organizations are assigned value by how well they take advantage of the best technology, and turn information into action. Stable and friendly work environment.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

Someone has to design and create those entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion, often electronically or by e-mail. It’s harder than it looks to exploit people’s propensity to share humorous, enjoyable or useful information - jokes, special offers, and games.

Viral 348

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 348

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2023

Spend time informally with candidate peers and former employers. The key here is to do more listening than talking in both formal and informal interviews. The non-technical leadership attributes of excellent communication skills, high integrity, passion, and perseverance are critical for the success of the whole team.

Technical Cofounder 260

Technical Cofounder Technology Management Entrepreneur 260

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2020

Team members need and crave feedback, much more frequently and informally than the annual performance review. I recommend scheduled monthly 30-minute informal checkpoints, as well as quarterly updates on objectives and performance. Leadership is making sure they have resources and understand the strategy.

Leadership 326

Leadership Technical Review Development Team Review Startup 326

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad. The Founder needs to remember that meetings up to this point have been primarily off-site, with staged demos, and managed personally by the CEO or a small team.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Bankruptcy 296

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2021

In today’s mobile hardware environment, that means able to set up meetings, convert text messages to voice, find contact information quickly, and search the Web intelligently for outside info. A good assistant know how get things done efficiently, recognizing user hardware and software limitations. Memorable personality.

Web 380

Web Search Semantic Software Review 380

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Unsolicited proposals or requests for information. These professionals value their integrity, like your therapist or financial advisor, and will not share your business details nor steal your idea.

Non-disclosure Agreement 254

Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 254

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. Today’s customers are much more proactive in going online for the latest information, rather than simply reacting to the “push” messages that businesses traditionally use to drive commerce.

Agile 315

Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 315

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

To confirm understanding, and push people to provide more information, it pays to paraphrase back from a different perspective their conclusions and recommendations. Yes-or-no questions may appear to be more efficient, but usually these don’t surface the new information that may help a leader to realize what he doesn’t see or understand.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership Search 317

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Take responsibility for owning an informed strategy. I can think of many companies that waited too long to react to change, including Polaroid and Blockbuster , and were never able to recover. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by an initial innovation that has served your company well so far.

Technical Review 252

Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review Metrics 252

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Unlike the office gossip, information is always shared in a positive way, thus helping you to do your best at work and in your career. Workship - Communicator. The communicator is always researching the latest info, and keeps you in the loop on what’s happening in the business and why. What goes around almost always comes around. Friendship.

Business Model 229

Business Model Developer Partner Entrepreneur 229

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2021

Don’t hide behind a website with no address, picture, or direct contact information. Today it more often means a “trusted friend” who seems real, visible, and doesn’t “push” products. Automate to the max. Take advantage of software tools to automate routine business functions, like taking and delivering orders.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Software Review Internet Revenue 312

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

In today’s information age, it takes time and money to make your solution visible. It’s never too early to start marketing, since it usually takes as long to build marketing momentum as it does to build a product. No startup can afford to do these serially. Marketing should start before product development.

Intellectual Property 312

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

If we build it, they will come” doesn’t work in today’s worldwide information overload. If you are the hot-shot technical innovator that invented your solution, make sure you have an equally adept business and marketing expert to complement your skills. “If It takes the right team to build a great business.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Hiring in any new venture needs to be a structured and high priority task, not the ad hoc informal process I see in many startups that are struggling to grow: Crisis mode hiring rather than planned team growth. Higher motivation does not overcome role mismatches, poor communication, or culture differences.

Cost 260

Cost Hiring Matching Internet 260

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

These also will keep you better informed on new technologies, trends, and likely competitors. Trade shows and conferences can produce hundreds of new qualified leads for your business, as well as build relationships with industry leaders, outsourcing vendors, and potential partners. Secure outside expansion funding through investors.

Technical Review 355

Technical Review Social Media Channel Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

I paraphrase here the key challenges he identifies, adding my own insights: Marketing ROI requires cross-enterprise information. Everhart distills his leadership insights from many decades in one of the largest business-to-business marketing agencies, working with companies across the country.

Acquisition 250

Acquisition Cost Customer Sales Cycle 250

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Good problem solving requires making informed decisions, relying on logic. Explore solutions, outcomes, and options calmly. You can’t think clearly while riding high on emotions, so calm down first. Then outline the possible outcomes and alternatives. This is where I say “two heads are better than one.” Work with a partner you can trust.

Startup 338

Startup Technical Review Partner Restful 338

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

Due diligence always involves on-site visits, informal discussions with any or all members of the team, vendors, and good customers as well as bad. The Founder needs to remember that meetings up to this point have been primarily off-site, with staged demos, and managed personally by the CEO or a small team.

Technical Review 379

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Bankruptcy 379

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Someone has to design and create those entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion, often electronically or by e-mail. It’s harder than it looks to exploit people’s propensity to share humorous, enjoyable or useful information - jokes, special offers, and games.

Viral 268

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 268

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2022

EI rates a person's ability to recognize emotions, to understand their effect, and to use that information to guide your next move. In my experience, emotional intelligence (EI) is a better predictor of business success than IQ. Fortunately, you can develop this skill. Location and luck: right place at the right time.

Silicon Valley 325

Silicon Valley Angel Investor Technical Review Boston 325

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

The best relationships allow for informal conversations about concerns that can be acted on later. If you want team member work to change for the better, make that voice shut up. Listen more and talk less, to learn what changes you can make without blame or emotion. In addition to the right words, be sure you present the right body language.

Metrics 270

Metrics Conversion Global Product 270

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Unsolicited proposals or requests for information. These professionals value their integrity, like your therapist or financial advisor, and will not share your business details nor steal your idea.

Non-disclosure Agreement 399

Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 399

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

Depending on the availability of staff and needed information, the due diligence process generally takes 2–6 weeks to perform. Explain that they may be called, and use the opportunity to check their satisfaction with your company and your product. Again, if you find problems you can’t fix, be up-front with the investor to avoid a surprise.

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Angel Investor 380

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

With informality, these must be win-win relationships. Voluntary open-ended alliances are more important than ever, and easier than ever. Consider collaborating via shared marketing efforts, trade-show both space, co-branding promotional products, referral agreements, and cross-linking web sites. Modernize the user website experience.

Global 267

Global Marketing Technical Review Mobile 267

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2021

Be consistent is their application, and provide contact information for both phone and email access. Display a logo like McAfee Secure or Trust Guard , in addition to specific policy statements on these subjects, to persuade your visitors and prospects to trust you. Offer support assistance and guarantee. Follow-up for customer satisfaction.

Internet 294

Internet Web Affiliate Advertising 294

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

With information overload due to the Internet, you need to find your customers, rather than assume they will find you. Change happens every day, and it takes time and effort to prepare you for the next step. Survival requires regular updates. Even the best solutions require marketing to survive.

Intellectual Property 432

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Technical Review Angel Investor 432

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2021

Take advantage of early payment and volume discounts, where possible Above all, avoid self-sabotaging behavior that you may not even be aware of, like blaming others rather than taking responsibility for all decisions, or not charging what your product or service is worth, due to lack of current market information or a personal bias.

Technical Review 379

Technical Review Finance Startup Salary 379

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

A related challenge in this age of information overload is simply to get people’s attention. Blake Mycoskie , for example, has built heroic credibility by giving away close to 100 million pairs of shoes since founding Toms in 2006.

Customer 433

Customer B2C Technical Review Social Media 433

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2022

Impossible to get adequate market information for any given plan. Urgency comes from an outbound purpose to get market returns quickly, while handling emergencies is a reactionary inward approach to saving ourselves from the daily crisis. It’s easy to be too busy to aim, so ready-fire can get you moving, but may generate the next emergency.

Marketing 302

Marketing Technical Review Cost Product Development 302

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2021

The biggest challenge for every entrepreneur and every startup today is to get noticed and remembered in today’s information overload. The number of entrepreneurs worldwide is huge, starting an estimated 50 million new businesses per year, or 137,000 per day.

Elevator Pitch 313

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Boston Sales 313

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Too much detail at first contact is just as much of a turnoff as no information. Every pitch should start with a concise statement of the problem and your innovative solution. Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.”

Business Plan 273

Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Social Media 273

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

In today’s information age, it takes time and money to make your solution visible. It’s never too early to start marketing, since it usually takes as long to build marketing momentum as it does to build a product. No startup can afford to do these serially. Marketing should start before product development.

Intellectual Property 436

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 436

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Some pundits argue that the E-Myth principle is now outdated, due to the instant access to information via the Internet, pervasive networking via social media, and courses on entrepreneurship at all levels of education. Hence most fail. Perhaps an innate business savvy is no longer a requirement for starting a successful business.

Technical Review 341

Technical Review Social Media Startup Internet 341

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

With informality, these must be win-win relationships. Voluntary open-ended alliances are more important than ever, and easier than ever. Consider collaborating via shared marketing efforts, trade-show both space, co-branding promotional products, referral agreements, and cross-linking web sites. Modernize the user website experience.

Mobile 434

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Differentiation 434

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2019

As AI technology shapes how your customers access information, interact with devices, and share personal information, you will still be held responsible for protecting their data and privacy. Your role in business is to manage the transition where humans and machines will productively co-exist to keep human customers satisfied.

Artificial Inteligence 243

Artificial Inteligence Technical Cofounder Cofounder Security 243

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

To have the best possible outcome, you need to make sure your “futures” team is stacked with people who can both think outside of the box and figure out what kind of information you need to determine whether an idea is implementable and marketable. A leader that does not invest in the future has no future.

Metrics 178

Metrics Technical Review Agile Hiring 178