Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2023

Every business, especially startups, needs all guns blazing quickly on every opportunity or insight into the market. This point was highlighted well in the classic book, “ Disrupting Digital Business ,” by R “Ray” Wang, CEO and Principal Analyst of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research.

Silicon Valley 265

Silicon Valley Flash Social Media Software Review 265

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2013

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. get the attention of the market they choose. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Marty Zwilling.

Silicon Valley 256

Silicon Valley Las Vegas Phoenix Montana 256

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2017

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. get the attention of the market they choose. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world.

Silicon Valley 149

Silicon Valley Las Vegas Arizona Montana 149

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2022

These authors speak from their own wealth of experience in creating and growing technology startups, marketing, and fundraising. If you need venture capital, maybe you need to spend more time in Silicon Valley or Boston. Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others, and is very important in this Internet age.

Silicon Valley 325

Silicon Valley Angel Investor Technical Review Boston 325

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2020

Every business, especially startups, needs all guns blazing quickly on every opportunity or insight into the market. This point was highlighted well in the classic book, “ Disrupting Digital Business ,” by R “Ray” Wang, CEO and Principal Analyst of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research.

Silicon Valley 312

Silicon Valley Flash Social Media Software Review 312

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2022

It seems to be part of the “fail fast, fail often” mantra often heard in Silicon Valley. Create a market you can’t supply and support. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Technical Review 250

Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence Silicon Valley 250

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

You may have heard that venture capitalists in Silicon Valley no longer read business plans. Quantify the market opportunity in business terms. For example, “Nielsen projects that the market for smart phones will double every year for the next five years.” Include marketing, sales, and customer rollout plans.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

But, for the rest of us, don’t believe the Silicon Valley myth that all you have to do is sketch your million-dollar idea on the back of a napkin, and investors will line up to give you money.

Silicon Valley 257

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Startup Business Plan 257

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2015

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. get the attention of the market they choose. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world.

Las Vegas 120

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Phoenix Montana 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2020

It seems to be part of the “fail fast, fail often” mantra often heard in Silicon Valley. Create a market you can’t supply and support. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Technical Review 314

Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence Silicon Valley 314

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

For IBM, the Personal Computer was a paradigm shift from their big business legacy, built with new technologies for totally new markets, and battleships turn very slowly. Measurements set on internal objectives, rather than market traction. A single-minded focus and commitment is hard to maintain.

Technical Review 214

Technical Review Entrepreneur Silicon Valley Burn Rate 214

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2023

All banks are looking hard these days to get back in the game, and certain ones, like Silicon Valley Bank, are more focused on small businesses, even though that focus has cost them dearly in recent weeks. An impressive team.

Equity 303

Equity Silicon Valley Finance Early Stage 303

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2022

One of the things I learned from my years in Silicon Valley is that you must always focus on three steps ahead, as well as on what exists today. Even if your business is local, like ride sharing, think about the potential for emerging markets in new countries. Early mistakes can result in later business constraints.

Silicon Valley 367

Silicon Valley Artificial Inteligence Global Agile 367

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2018

On the other hand, everyone is doing it, so that means more competition, and the market and technology are changing faster than ever before. Technical entrepreneurs need to surround themselves with people who have the financial, marketing, and operational experience in managing a business.

Technical Cofounder 184

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Silicon Valley LLC 184

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

According to the International Business Innovation Association ( InBIA ), there are over 2,000 of these locations worldwide, and new online versions springing up all over the place, like Founders Space in Silicon Valley. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.

Incubator 231

Incubator Silicon Valley North America Small Business Administration 231

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

But, for the rest of us, don’t believe the Silicon Valley myth that all you have to do is sketch your million-dollar idea on the back of a napkin, and investors will line up to give you money.

Silicon Valley 342

Silicon Valley Exit Strategy Business Plan Restful 342

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2020

All banks are looking hard these days to get back in the game, and certain ones, like Silicon Valley Bank, are more focused on small businesses. Include any empirical evidence--including market research or technical analysis, if that's appropriate--in order to bolster your case about why you believe you will succeed.

Silicon Valley 406

Silicon Valley Equity Startup Finance 406

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

According to the International Business Innovation Association ( InBIA ), there are over 2,200 of these locations worldwide, and new online versions springing up all over the place, like Founders Space in Silicon Valley. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.

Incubator 398

Incubator Silicon Valley North America Startup 398

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

That fosters a lack of attention to new markets and new competitors, instead of an eagerness to learn and innovate. That’s why smart investors, like the best ones in Silicon Valley, and the ones on Shark Tank , can tell a lot about the future success of a business, even before results.

Silicon Valley 144

Silicon Valley Software Review Technical Review Metrics 144

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

I learned this the hard way, when I left IBM a few years ago to share what I had learned with the exciting world of startups in Silicon Valley. Luckily, I had always been a “hands-on” professional, and I had learned the pragmatics of people leadership, marketing, management tools, and funding.

Silicon Valley 140

Silicon Valley Social Media Software Review Leadership 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 24, 2023

The focus at this level, primarily in companies that have a long history of success, usually in very stable markets, is to continue sustaining and exploiting existing advantages. I see this often in highly regulated markets, and ones driven by bureaucrats. Innovation seems risky and unattractive.

Silicon Valley 277

Silicon Valley Government Early Stage Valuation 277

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2016

Every business, especially startups, needs all guns blazing quickly on every opportunity or insight into the market. This point was highlighted well in a recent book, “ Disrupting Digital Business ,” by R “Ray” Wang, CEO and Principal Analyst of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research.

Silicon Valley 145

Silicon Valley Startup Flash Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

It seems to be part of the “ fail fast, fail often ” mantra often heard in Silicon Valley. Never create a market you can’t supply and support. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Technical Review 274

Technical Review Entrepreneur Advisory Board Due Diligence 274

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2018

It seems to be part of the “ fail fast, fail often ” mantra often heard in Silicon Valley. Create a market you can’t supply and support. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence Silicon Valley 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2023

That would be almost any bank that provides checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market accounts to businesses, and also makes loans to businesses. Commercial banking is also known as business banking. Typically, their service is to help you invest in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, much like independent financial advisors.

Early Stage 182

Early Stage Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering 182

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

I don’t advise pitching to famous Silicon Valley venture capitalists for major funding until well after your business is a proven hit, and you are looking to scale it up across the country or world-wide. Raising money is difficult, even with the best idea, so don’t assume any entitlement to loans, grants, or seed funding.

Silicon Valley 286

Silicon Valley Angel Investor LLC Incubator 286

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2020

That would be almost any bank that provides checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market accounts to businesses, and also makes loans to businesses. Commercial banking is also known as business banking. Typically, their service is to help you invest in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, much like independent financial advisors.

Silicon Valley 362

Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering Term Sheet 362

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

One of the most successful incubators is Y Combinator in Silicon Valley. Building a business requires funding – for inventory, marketing, and operations. The test – iterate and pivot, based on market feedback. Others call it pushing boundaries and rising to the challenges of the market and competitors.

Entrepreneur 348

Entrepreneur Silicon Valley Incubator Merger 348

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2015

Every business, especially startups, needs all guns blazing quickly on every opportunity or insight into the market. This point was highlighted well in a book I just finished, “ Disrupting Digital Business ,” by R “Ray” Wang, CEO and Principal Analyst of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Flash Social Media Software Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2011

In addition, due to Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulations, accounting costs have gone up an estimated four times for all businesses, and 2008-2009 represented the worst IPO market in forty years. Rates around the world are still going down, while U.S. rates have remained fixed for the last ten years.

Technical Review 230

Technical Review Taiwan Silicon Valley Ireland 230

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

Apple has since capitalized on the top technical talent in Silicon Valley to stay ahead of the competition. Institutional capital – markets, system of laws, stability. Most people I know credit Steve Job’s success to his ability to attract top technical talent, starting with Steve Wozniak who designed the first Apple computer.

Community 329

Community San Francisco Silicon Valley Startup 329

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2022

The best known ones, like YCombinator , started by Paul Graham in Silicon Valley, and TechStars , located in Boston, provide excellent networking to investors, and on-site technical leadership, which can make your investment less risky. Do your homework before investing.

Liquidity Event 300

Liquidity Event Angel Investor SEC Accredited Investor 300

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

According to the International Business Innovation Association ( InBIA ), there are over 2,200 of these locations worldwide, and new online versions springing up all over the place, like Founders Space in Silicon Valley. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.

Incubator 218

Incubator Silicon Valley North America Small Business Administration 218

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2015

It seems to be part of the “ fail fast, fail often ” mantra often heard in Silicon Valley. Create a market you can’t supply and support. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence Silicon Valley 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index® for the First Quarter 2014, the Q1 increase marks seven consecutive quarters of positive sentiment among Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Obviously, a key factor is always the state of the economy and the mood of the venture capital community.

Silicon Valley 271

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Massachusetts California 271

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2013

According to the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index® for the First Quarter 2013, the Q1 increase marks three consecutive quarters of positive sentiment among Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Obviously, a key factor is always the state of the economy and the mood of the venture capital community.

Venture Capital 238

Venture Capital Silicon Valley Massachusetts California 238

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

Image via Pixabay As a mentor to many small business owners, I always caution them that you can never relax completely, just because your initial solution or product set appears to be getting traction, and the market buzz is positive.

Silicon Valley 215

Silicon Valley Bankruptcy Metrics Valuation 215