TechEmpower

JULY 31, 2023

When talking to startup founders or other innovators, we always ask questions to better understand their business as a core. One way to approach that last question is to use this simple model: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) How will your business reach prospects? Finally, review the numbers with your partners.

Metrics 260

Metrics Startup Retention Acquisition 260

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

In my experience as an angel investor to startups, goodwill disagreements are perhaps the most common reason that you will fail to close interested investors as an entrepreneur. The same goes for business deals that fail during acquisitions or when it is time for you to retire. Quality of your technical and business teams.

Valuation 368

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 368

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2016

What they don’t realize is that about half the investment deals fail to close at this stage, including mergers and acquisitions , during the due-diligence process. Remember that investors at this stage have heard primarily from the founder, and only reviewed written business plans and collateral. Skeletons in the closet.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Cap Table Intellectual Property 120

Steve Blank

JANUARY 5, 2023

We just wrapped up the second year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class – now part of our Stanford Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. government agencies, our federal research labs, and government contractors no longer have exclusive access to these advanced technologies.

Technical Review 372

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Technology China 372

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

As a business consultant and angel investor, I often ask for your own assessment of marketing ROI , or customer acquisition cost (CAC). If you think it’s hard to get the technical systems to talk to each other, I have found that it’s even harder to bridge the gulf between the various professionals who interpret them. Don’t forget it.

Acquisition 250

Acquisition Cost Customer Sales Cycle 250

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

We just completed the fourth week of our new national security class at Stanford – Technology, Innovation and Great Power Competition. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed the class to cover how technology will shape all the elements of national power (America’s influence and footprint on the world stage).

Technical Review 401

Technical Review Taiwan Technology Artificial Inteligence 401

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

New entrepreneurs, especially technical ones, are excited by early adopters, and tend to focus on their feedback, which will always suggest more product features and options. In most companies, maintaining momentum requires the right strategic partners and acquisitions, in lieu of short-term price adjustments and special sales.

Technical Review 400

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

At our mid-year offsite our partnership at Upfront Ventures was discussing what the future of venture capital and the startup ecosystem looked like. First in late-stage tech companies and then it will filter back to Growth and then A and ultimately Seed Rounds. But rest assured valuations get reset. And reset they must.

Technical Review 416

Technical Review Pre-Money Valuation San Francisco Valuation 416

Steve Blank

JANUARY 11, 2022

We just had our final session of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class. 20+ guest speakers on technology and its impact on national power – prior secretaries of defense and state, current and prior National Security council members, four-star generals who lead service branches. Lectures/Class discussion.

Technical Review 321

Technical Review Technology Taiwan Venture Capital 321

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. Stable and friendly work environment.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

I did a presentation this week at Coloft that looked at how Non-Technical Founders can go about getting their MVP built. The real reason to build an MVP is to do early tests of key Startup Metrics for the business. And the back-end is something that a non-technical founder can manage. To prove/disprove a hypothesis.

Technical Cofounder 338

Technical Cofounder Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 338

VC Cafe

JANUARY 22, 2021

A few months ago, VC Cafe launched a series on startup engagement and outreach programs of large tech companies. After covering Google startup outreach and support (from first hand experience), today I’m happy to add Amazon and AWS, by looking into the variety of ways startups can engage with the commerce and cloud giant.

Technical Review 174

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Incubator 174

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Heralding a new era of digital transformation, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are being infused exponentially into the world around us. Most notably, the ground-breaking development and rapid global distribution of mRNA vaccines highlighted the speed and scale of technological advances to outsmart humanity’s most dire threats.

Artificial Inteligence 145

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Global Technology 145

VC Cafe

APRIL 30, 2024

As I’ve shared on VC Cafe in the past, Israeli startups (and venture capital) suffered a number of blows since the peak funding of 2021 which saw capital raising levels cross the $26 billion mark. The Israeli tech review for Q1 2024 (by LeumiTech and IVC Data and Insights ) is out and it shows signs of recovery.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Venture Capital Vertical IPO 78

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Venture capital: it’s the jet fuel behind many of the most explosive startups turning them into household names. Investing in a startup during its nascent phases offers the tantalizing prospect of being part of the next big thing. It demands vigilance, flexibility, and an unwavering commitment to due diligence.

Venture Capital 130

Venture Capital Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage 130

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. Bill Gates was the technical genius, but Steve Ballmer, from Procter & Gamble, ran the business side of the equation.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

The Startup Magazine

MAY 1, 2023

Modern technology has made it possible for fleet managers to optimize operations, streamline vehicle acquisition, and leverage telematics innovations to their advantage. By adopting advanced technologies and data-driven strategies, companies can optimize their fleet operations and stay ahead of the competition.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Management Software Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

Successful startups seem to follow similar paths to greatness, and unfortunately all too often that path leads them back down the hill much faster than they went up. By definition, most startups begin as a result of some innovation in product, process, or service. Consider MySpace and Webvan. Geographic expansion.

Dilution 355

Dilution Startup Merger Flash 355

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

Every startup lucky enough to get some traction gets to the point where they decide to hire some “regular employees” for sales, marketing, and administrative tasks. This is the platitude of an obsolete corporate culture where you had to “pay your dues” in menial jobs before adding creativity or making decisions.

Startup 337

Startup Technical Review Employee Hiring 337

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2020

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to stay low, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. According to TheStreet , US IPO market results in Q2 2020 posted a strong bounce-back from Q1 with 58 IPOs, after a slow start due to the Covid19 pandemic.

Cost 319

Cost IPO Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering 319

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 11, 2024

In the competitive digital landscape, large websites face unique challenges due to expansive content and broad audience reach. Scalability Scalability is a major challenge for large websites due to their extensive pages and content. A study that 37% of website visitors bounce due to poor navigation and information architecture.

SEO 104

SEO Technical Review Syndicate Syndication 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

Even in this age of globalization and virtualization, the geographic area where you choose to live and work can still make or break your startup business. On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. get the attention of the market they choose.

Las Vegas 309

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Arizona Montana 309

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Startups with no exit planned will minimize investor returns. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 3, 2020

We just held our fifteenth session of our new national security class Technology, Innovation and Modern War. Joe Felter , Raj Shah and I designed a class to examine the new military systems, operational concepts and doctrines that will emerge from 21st century technologies – Space, Cyber, AI & Machine Learning and Autonomy.

Technical Review 271

Technical Review Technology China Taiwan 271

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

On the other side of the spectrum, the idea of finding a unicorn has attracted many investors toward the much riskier venture capital and emerging technologies. Over the past decade, advancing technologies and social consciousness have been causing unprecedented and exciting shifts in every sector of the economy, not just the tertiary.

Private Equity 133

Private Equity Equity Technical Review Software Review 133

The Startup Magazine

MAY 22, 2024

Cybersecurity has become a critical concern in today’s digital age, where businesses rely heavily on technology. Understanding the Cybersecurity Skills Gap The landscape of cybersecurity is changing quickly due to growing cyber threats and technology breakthroughs. These attacks affected around 343,338,964 people.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Illinois Ohio Demand 88

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. Stable and friendly work environment.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 14, 2016

In the current economic landscape, it’s common for startups and businesses to seek a buyout or acquisition — in fact, it’s frequently the goal from the start. Whether your company is generating profits or operating at a loss, taxes are a significant risk area in any acquisition. Tax positions and filing requirements.

Acquisition 100

Acquisition Intellectual Property Technical Review Due Diligence 100

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

And the best startups spun out of Stanford were building components for weapon systems. As there was no venture capital, these early startups were funded by early sales to weapon systems prime contractors and subcontractors. There was a time when much of U.S.

Government 313

Government Artificial Inteligence Silicon Valley North Korea 313

NZ Entrepreneur

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

If we want to maintain and support sustainable economic growth while meeting the broader needs of society, we will need an economy underpinned by innovation and new technologies. It is our startup sector which will drive this innovative progress. Startup founders are our ambitious problem solvers. Risk and reward. Compliance.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Software Review New Zealand Due Diligence 88

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

When I met my now-wife, I realized that any technology that can find me a spouse is a killer app. I’d argue that the same type of technologies that have revolutionized dating can revolutionize our industry. . I walk through below how progressive investors are using technology and analytics throughout all of their operations.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 17, 2023

Interestingly, the traditional hiring model is no longer the only option to get your team, as the emergence of remote work has ushered in a new era of talent acquisition, where geographical boundaries no longer limit your choices. This is particularly helpful for startups and businesses with unstable workloads.

Development Team Review 120

Development Team Review Software Developers Software Development Software Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

Even in this age of globalization and virtualization, the geographic area where you choose to live and work can still make or break your startup business. On the other hand, if you are into solar technologies, there is probably an advantage to being in Arizona or a similar location. get the attention of the market they choose.

Las Vegas 243

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Arizona Montana 243

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 9, 2021

When your company is, for instance, raising funds, internal and external stakeholders like investors , credit unions need to review the financial documents of your business. An excellent Virtual Data room should provide privacy in business mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, due diligence , amongst other solutions.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Security 158

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 23, 2023

Every year, new startup entrepreneurs attempt to launch a business on the leanest budget possible. Whatever the case, you’ll need to make some big sacrifices and strategic managerial decisions if you want this lean startup budget to work — and it’s definitely possible. Consider a hybrid workplace. Focus on versatile picks.

Lean 158

Lean Technical Review Startup Acquisition 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2022

Most of their new claims to innovation are acquired through mergers and acquisitions from the entrepreneurial pipeline. Internal corporate processes thwart innovation due to inherent inefficiencies of scale, high overhead, and the risk of impact on the corporate bottom line. Existing technologies have been “commoditized” globally.

Artificial Inteligence 315

Artificial Inteligence Offshore Merger Technical Review 315

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

Although his focus is naturally on bigger companies, I contend that his recommended strategies apply equally well to entrepreneurs and startups: Demand a mindset of deep thinking for the long term. In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312