Gust

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. Every young entrepreneur knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Statistics show that the failure rate for new startups within the first 5 years is higher than 50 percent. Inexperienced team.

Intellectual Property 183

Intellectual Property Startup Viral Early Stage 183

Gust

MARCH 9, 2014

It’s not uncommon for me to see a startup business plan “mission” to be the “premier brand” for their product, yet their marketing budget in the financials is trivial. When questioned, founders usually mention word-of-mouth, viral marketing, and a top quality product. Invested Interests entrepreneur funding marketing budget startup'

Marketing 146

Marketing SEM Viral Social Media 146

Gust

OCTOBER 6, 2011

In my conversations with people in the startup world – from angel investors through entrepreneurs and employees with vast startup experience – I often hear about their perceptions of the marketing role as being pretty limited to acquisition. First – startups are often strained for resources and people have to divide and conquer.

Acquisition 87

Acquisition Marketing CPA PPC 87

Gust

DECEMBER 5, 2011

The best startups find a way to drive the market with their technology, rather than push their new technology-driven ‘solution’ on the marketplace. This means building a brand, viral marketing, and multiple expensive promotions. Investors characterize this approach as a “solution looking for a problem.” These don’t get funded.

Technology 167

Technology Angel Investor Early Stage Viral 167

Gust

DECEMBER 19, 2011

First-to-market is meaningful for a large company, like IBM or GE, which has the resources to sustain their move, but is not relevant for a startup, when surrounded by “big gorillas.” “We have the first mover advantage.” If they see you getting traction, the giants will awake quickly and step on you. This advantage is not sustainable.

Viral 98

Viral Advertising Lead Investor Revenue 98

Gust

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Consider the far less serious, but still newsworthy, disaster that befell startup Airbnb this summer. How could such a well-regarded, highly successful startup be so inept in its response to an entirely foreseeable customer risk/abuse incident that was guaranteed to happen sooner or later?

Startup 98

Startup Silicon Valley Reputation Community 98

Gust

NOVEMBER 25, 2012

This reality has fostered a popular startup approach which dramatically improves the efficiency and speed of these corrections, pioneered by Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author Eric Ries. Changes to the way a startup captures value can have far-reaching consequences for business, product, and marketing strategies. Technology pivot.

Silicon Valley 187

Silicon Valley Architecture Startup Channel 187