Both Sides of the Table

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What Happens When Startups Turn from Their Innovation Stage to Operational Excellence?

Both Sides of the Table

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Sam & Rahul have worked closely together on “innovate & operate” since the earliest days of MakeSpace. and we were met with weak demand, slow growth and high costs.

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Further Thoughts on Startup Operations

Both Sides of the Table

“I need somebody to run operations.&# I never said you shouldn’t have a VP of Operations. I think people understand this title to mean more somebody who handles operational issues rather than somebody who is more like a “chief of staff&# as a COO often is. This is the most understandable to me if well defined.

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Scaling Sales: Arming & Aiming – A’s, B’s & C’s

Both Sides of the Table

This is part of my ongoing Sales & Marketing Series. In the first part of this post I talked about how sales in a startup is often evangelical , requires as consultative sale and needs constant adjustments based on customer feedback. We had 4 or 5 sales reps that had been around since the early days.

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How Great, Operationally-Focused CFO’s Can Transform Your Business

Both Sides of the Table

It freed up Ophir to grow out our sales organization, to work more closely with agencies, to innovate on product and to raise capital. The last thing you want the CEO (or heads of sales, marketing, product) doing is sinking 3 days every month into preparing board packs. Here’s the dilemma. You created the damn product!

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Tips to Help you Think About Sales at Your Startup

Both Sides of the Table

It’s the lifeblood of any organization and yet most startups don’t have any sales DNA on their teams. It’s important enough that I dedicate a tab on my blog to startup sales & marketing. But the ground we covered was awesome for anybody wanting to know more about sales. What is your sales process?

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How Boards Need to Evolve Over Time

Both Sides of the Table

Reviewing financial & operational performance. By now you have many smart people around your board but probably people who don’t totally understand the nuances of your employees, customers, sales reps, marketing messages, technology challenges, competitors and strategic choices. how to build an initial sales organization.

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Why Entrepreneurs Should Be Respected More Than Loved

Both Sides of the Table

Eventually you need a VP of Product to handle your product roadmap, a CTO for engineering leadership and VPs of sales, marketing & biz dev. Of if your VP Sales isn’t complaining about marketing she’s trying to get the function reporting to her. Do you hire more sales people? As CEO, do you step in? Engineering?

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