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5 Keys to Ensuring Credibility, Trust, and Customers

Startup Professionals Musings

As a long-time business executive and adviser to entrepreneurs, I see a definitive shift away from customer trust in traditional business messages, and the executives who deliver them. I summarize the key elements of the transformation as follows: Customers are seeking control in a run-away world.

Customer 433
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For Many New Ventures, Location Is The Key To Success

Startup Professionals Musings

Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success. Being close to your customers, your vendors, or even your competitors can make all the difference. Since 2006, the number of startups founded and funded outside of California, Massachusetts, and New York, has grown by more than 65 percent.

Las Vegas 309
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Praying to the God of Valuation

Both Sides of the Table

In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. Between 2006–2008 I sold both companies that I had started and became a VC. I am enjoying more discussions with startups about the ROI benefits for customers who use our products rather than the coolness of our products.

Valuation 466
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Not Everyone Is The Right Customer

crowdSPRING Blog

I was most intrigued by a comment posted by Jason Fried of 37signals: For reference, here’s our original post on this very topic in June of 2006 when Basecamp was 2.5 So you do what you can to thread the needle and make as many of the right customers as happy as possible. Not everyone is the right customer. Do you agree?

Customer 117
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5 Tips to Becoming a More Customer Centric Organization

Both Sides of the Table

As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. We spent time out in the marketplace talking with customers, looking at their solutions, comparing ourselves with our competition and then squirreling ourselves away in our offices designing our next set of features.

Customer 280
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When Planning A Startup, A Top Priority Is Location

Startup Professionals Musings

Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success. Being close to your customers, your vendors, or even your competitors can make all the difference. Since 2006, the number of startups founded and funded outside of California, Massachusetts, and New York, has grown by more than 65 percent.

Las Vegas 243
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Designing a Corporate Entrepreneurship Program – A Qualcomm Case Study (part 1 of 2)

Steve Blank

In 2006, as a new employee of the Fortune 100 provider of wireless technology and services, San Diego’s Qualcomm , I volunteered to salvage a fledging idea management system (fancy term for an online suggestion box) by turning into a comprehensive corporate entrepreneurship program. Part 1 outlining the program is here. The origin.