Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

A business needs technical, marketing, financial and many other skills. Create and highlight your intellectual property portfolio. It takes more than one person, no matter how passionate, to grow an investible business.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Groups 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2022

Target a portfolio of solutions, not just one product. Sometimes the hardest thing for companies to do is to retire a cash cow product, before its declining market is reinvigorated by a competitor. When is the last time you listened to customers and clients directly, and acted on their feedback immediately?

Metrics 257

Metrics Demand Portfolio Customer 257

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

In many areas, not enough entrepreneurs meet the criteria, so it’s still a buyer’s market. While most entrepreneurs want to prove an enormous market size potential, rarely does the entrepreneur know how many real customers exist and how many products they could potentially buy over a period of time. Participation.

Intellectual Property 265

Intellectual Property Balance Sheet Phoenix Arizona 265

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio. Select it well – marketers will tell you that you will be selling your name, more than your products.

Intellectual Property 363

Intellectual Property Valuation Portfolio Non-disclosure Agreement 363

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

This has to start with doing the customer interaction work to isolate the needs and drivers in the market you intend to serve. Today, scaling an existing business in a large interconnected environment is generally easier than growing a disparate portfolio. As a result, they recently were acquired by Amazon for $13.5

Customer 333

Customer Agile Social Media Portfolio 333

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2020

Target a portfolio of solutions, not just one product. Sometimes the hardest thing for companies to do is to retire a cash cow product, before its declining market is reinvigorated by a competitor. When is the last time you listened to customers and clients directly, and acted on their feedback immediately?

Demand 345

Demand Portfolio Metrics Customer 345

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

Elon Musk , for example, admits to reading up to two books per day in various disciplines, including physics, engineering, product design, business, technology, and energy, to give him insights on new solutions and new opportunities, despite his large portfolio already. Build a prototype and experiment with real customers.

Artificial Inteligence 336

Artificial Inteligence Startup Cofounder Framework 336

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Equity 237

Equity Stock Options Advisory Board Stock 237

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2019

In my role as a mentor to entrepreneurs and an angel investor, I find that too many are stuck in this myth that a good pitch, and good marketing content, should consist of more product features, and more hype on customer benefits. With the current data overload, we remember someone who does more than inform us.

Angel Investor 255

Angel Investor Viral Audience Social Media 255

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2012

The alternatives range from giving it away for free (like Twitter), to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing). This is a good model for getting your foot in the door, but be aware that this is basically a services business with the product as a marketing cost. Portfolio pricing.

Business Model 282

Business Model Revenue Portfolio Differentiation 282

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2019

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio. Select it well – marketers will tell you that you will be selling your name, more than your products.

IP 234

IP Portfolio Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

That’s a tall order, especially when your business culture has to fit into the myriad of international and local cultures that are part of every market these days. This is where the culture of the startup has to adapt to the cultures of the markets served. In the classic book, “ Fish Can’t See Water ,” Kai Hammerich and Richard D.

Dilution 355

Dilution Startup Merger Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2010

The alternatives range from giving it away for free (like Twitter), to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing). This is a good model for getting your foot in the door, but be aware that this is basically a services business with the product as a marketing cost. Portfolio pricing.

Product 247

Product Startup Portfolio Revenue 247

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2014

The alternatives range from giving it away for free, to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing). This is a good model for getting your foot in the door, but be aware that this is basically a services business with the product as a marketing cost. Product line pricing.

Revenue 287

Revenue Startup Business Model Retention 287

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2013

Traditional” marketing, sales, and product management organizations often lead to mediocrity. You must visibly champion a portfolio approach to innovation, emanating from dreams, not desperation. Get your team right and do it quickly. For startups, this means knowing where you need help and where you need helpers, and hiring carefully.

Startup 252

Startup Portfolio Hiring Business Model 252

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2017

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Stock 140

Stock Stock Options Advisory Board Startup 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2012

Traditional” marketing, sales, and product management organizations often lead to mediocrity. You must visibly champion a portfolio approach to innovation, emanating from dreams, not desperation. Get your team right and do it quickly. For startups, this means knowing where you need help and where you need helpers, and hiring carefully.

Portfolio 272

Portfolio Hiring Business Model Customer 272

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2013

The alternatives range from giving it away for free, to pricing based on costs, to charging what the market will bear (premium pricing). This is a good model for getting your foot in the door, but be aware that this is basically a services business with the product as a marketing cost. Product line pricing.

Product 290

Product Revenue Business Model Retention 290

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2013

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Stock Options 224

Stock Options Stock Advisory Board Startup 224

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Stock Options 230

Stock Options Stock Advisory Board Startup 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2015

That’s a tall order, especially when your business culture has to fit into the myriad of international and local cultures that are part of every market these days. This is where the culture of the startup has to adapt to the cultures of the markets served. business culture issues market pace startup culture' Marty Zwilling.

Matching 120

Matching Marketing Dilution Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2011

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Equity 234

Equity Advisory Board Stock Options Stock 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2015

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Stock Options 120

Stock Options Stock Advisory Board Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2016

Build a list of startups to begin marketing yourself. Demonstrate your communication skills and your marketing skills in researching opportunities to add value, and practice relationship building and closing. Be an expert on new markets and new startups. Despite the Internet, networking is still a person-to-person activity.

Startup 120

Startup Burn Rate Cofounder Salary 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2016

Target a portfolio of solutions, not just one product. Sometimes the hardest thing for companies to do is to retire a cash cow product, before its declining market is reinvigorated by a competitor. When is the last time you listened to customers and clients directly, and acted on their feedback immediately?

Startup 120

Startup Demand Portfolio Metrics 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

This is a relatively new term loosely applied to angels who invest their own money in a portfolio of startups (typically 20 or more) and are willing to lead multiple rounds, usually starting with a seed round. For those of you without a rich uncle, crowdfunding can work. A seed-stage “super angel.” A “genesis” venture capital round.

Seed Stage 120

Seed Stage Finance Early Stage Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2019

This approach, popularly known as “ glocalization ,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Remember when the Chevy Nova required a rename, once Chevrolet realized that Nova meant "no go" in the Spanish market (not a great name for a car).

Global 235

Global North America Intellectual Property Marketing 235

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2019

That’s a tall order, especially when your business culture has to fit into the myriad of international and local cultures that are part of every market these days. This is where the culture of the startup has to adapt to the cultures of the markets served. In the classic book, “ Fish Can’t See Water ,” Kai Hammerich and Richard D.

Dilution 224

Dilution Merger Flash Global 224

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2010

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Stock 144

Stock Stock Options Advisory Board Startup 144

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

With all these considerations, I recommend the following steps and considerations for investors newly interested in startups: Build a balanced investment portfolio. But it’s always a risky proposition, probably well beyond the risk of the commodities market, since there are so many unknowns and few controls.

Portfolio 228

Portfolio Accredited Investor Liquidity Event SEC 228

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2010

We invest in early stage IT startups and then oversee those portfolio companies through to exit. When the market is like that, it’s hard to justify the higher risk of a true Series A investment in two guys and a business plan. She was very good at the market assessment for them and quite articulate in pitching them to me.

Venture Capital 164

Venture Capital New Mexico Mexico Early Stage 164

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

That’s a tall order, especially when your business culture has to fit into the myriad of international and local cultures that are part of every market these days. This is where the culture of the startup has to adapt to the cultures of the markets served. In the classic book, “ Fish Can’t See Water ,” Kai Hammerich and Richard D.

Dilution 134

Dilution Merger Flash Global 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2022

Yet there are clear advantages to the parallel approach, if you have the moxy, resources, energy bandwidth, and the ability to multi-task effectively: A portfolio approach versus all eggs in one basket. Investors have long argued the value of a portfolio to hedge and leverage the risk, so why shouldn’t entrepreneurs do the same?

Bandwidth 362

Bandwidth Entrepreneur Portfolio Cofounder 362

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2012

This approach, popularly known as “glocalization,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Remember when the Chevy Nova required a rename, once Chevrolet realized that Nova meant "no go" in the Spanish market (not a great name for a car).

North America 260

North America Intellectual Property Marketing Offshore 260

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2022

This approach, popularly known as “ glocalization ,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Remember when the Chevy Nova required a rename, once Chevrolet realized that Nova meant "no go" in the Spanish market (not a great name for a car).

Global 266

Global North America Intellectual Property Offshore 266

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

This approach, popularly known as “ glocalization ,” means you have to design and deliver global solutions that have total relevance to every local market in which you operate. Remember when the Chevy Nova required a rename, once Chevrolet realized that Nova meant "no go" in the Spanish market (not a great name for a car).

Global 136

Global North America Intellectual Property Marketing 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2013

Angels expect at least a working prototype and a hint of market acceptance (traction) before investing. The target market better be a big one, like over a billion dollars, with a double-digit growth rate, large enough to absorb multiple entrants. Before that, rely on friends, family, and fools. Scalability.

Cram Down 269

Cram Down Angel Investor Intellectual Property Venture Capital 269