Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 161

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 161

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2014

Few entrepreneurs find this scalable and repeatable business model because it’s not easy. However, four critical advances over the past decade (cloud, accelerators, Lean, and Angels) not only changed the math for tech investing but made regional tech clusters possible. Focus on capital efficient, scalable startups and founders.

Early Stage 292

Early Stage Silicon Valley Oregon Technical Review 292

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 296

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 296

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Nail the business model. Leverage your customer conversations to predict and validate your business model. For example, when you think about distribution channels, revenue streams, or the relationship with the customer, ask customers what they expect. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 286

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 286

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. Undefined business model or very low gross margins. Naïve expectations on funding terms and process.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2015

How do you convince investors that your business model will really work, before you have a revenue stream that exceeds your expenses? Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Word of mouth is not adequate for marketing and sales.

Business Model 120

Business Model Angel Investor Startup Bootstrapping 120

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

Steve is the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Founders Space was ranked the #1 incubator for overseas startups by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines. 15:05] Do you think that the no headquarters model is going to impact startups going forward? [17:14]

San Francisco 96

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. Undefined business model or very low gross margins. Naïve expectations on funding terms and process.

Due Diligence 308

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Startup 308

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 31, 2014

However, in meeting some of the sports startups one of the things that struck me is that most of the founders who said they wanted to grow big hadn’t given much thought about how they would go about building size and scale. For example, many of the Australian sports tech business models shared common elements.

Global 335

Global Australia Silicon Valley China 335

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

dominated by a few very large incumbents who control much of the distribution or are you going into a market that is “fragmented” where nobody controls the industry. In the early days of every business the incumbents tend not to respond because you’re too small and insignificant. Choose that market. Microeconomics.

Startup 150

Startup Seed Money DC Software Review 150

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Many thanks to David Rose , Ilana Grossman , Justin Stanwix , and the whole Gust team for making the Gust Blog such a valuable platform and resource for entrepreneurs and angel investors. I’m proud to contribute to the effort and always enjoy reading what the other authors have to say.

Intellectual Property 143

Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2016

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. Undefined business model or very low gross margins. Naïve expectations on funding terms and process.

Due Diligence 120

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Seed Stage 120

www.paulgraham.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

August 2010 Two years ago I wrote about what I called " a huge, unexploitedopportunity in startup funding :" the growing disconnect betweenVCs, whose current business model requires them to invest largeamounts, and a large class of startups that need less than theyused to. Get funded by Y Combinator.

Startup 93

Startup Valuation Non-Compete Deal Flow 93

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

Paring down products, target customers, business models etc takes courage, but it must be done to have any chance of success. Eric, As you touch on, the lean venture has been the basic model employed by entrepreneurs throughout history until the past 12 years or so when venturing became institutionalized.

Lean 168

Lean San Francisco Startup Continuous Deployment 168

Growthink Blog

MAY 23, 2011

Through connections, or through a chance meeting at a networking or social event, an angel investor hears the entrepreneur's story, likes them and their technology, and on the spot, writes a check to provide the company with its first outside financing. Venture capitalists Have Very Different Objectives than Angel Investors.

Angel Investor 112

Angel Investor Venture Capital Sweat Equity Cram Down 112

View from Seed

JANUARY 24, 2018

The concept our Guilds is simple: We want to bring together small groups of Product and Go-to-Market experts to lend their time to support our portfolio company founders and key operators. Pierre Valade, Co-Founder of Sunrise & Mobile Designer at Microsoft. Pierre Valade, Co-Founder of Sunrise & Mobile Designer at Microsoft.

Operations 177

Operations Cofounder Technical Review Angel Investor 177

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 31, 2013

Distribution and Marketing—Do you have traction; how to build traction? Business model and financials investment requirement. Ask yourself the following questions, because investors sure will be, to know exactly what you should include in your story. How will you get your product distributed? Problem definition.

Angel Investor 51

Angel Investor Cofounder Distribution Seed Capital 51

K9 Ventures

JULY 19, 2012

K9 Ventures II will still be syndicating most investments with other seed and angel investors. The necessary, but not sufficient, criteria are: Technical Founders : Founders with the ability to build their own product and have the potential/inclination to lead the business.

Technology 132

Technology Seed Stage San Francisco Limited Partner 132

K9 Ventures

JULY 19, 2012

K9 Ventures II will still be syndicating most investments with other seed and angel investors. The necessary, but not sufficient, criteria are: Technical Founders : Founders with the ability to build their own product and have the potential/inclination to lead the business.

Technology 132

Technology Seed Stage San Francisco Limited Partner 132

Up and Running

MAY 28, 2015

We recently had Tim Berry, Palo Alto Software founder and business planning expert, present our Bplans audience with his latest advice on lean business planning. We’re business owners, we aren’t all getting angel investment, so one of the principles of the lean business plan is you do what you’re going to use.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2015

Image via Flickr by Side Wages Some entrepreneurs forget that they need an innovative business model along with an innovative solution to have a successful startup. Inventors alone, or business gurus alone, generally fail. It really takes a complementary pair of founders to improve the odds.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Startup Angel Investor Social Media 120

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Startups and angels: Along the way to success. By Tim Keane, Angel Investor, Golden Angels Investors, LLC. « Power of Angel Investing in Milwaukee | Main.   Investors sometimes “present” the terms they’d like and expect the entrepreneurs to react.   I’ve never seen it in practice.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

The Next Web

DECEMBER 30, 2012

These are with no doubt worthwhile goals, but I’d like to pose an important challenge for founders: Make learning and development your key resolution in 2013. How to identify and engage the first customers for your product, and how to gather, evaluate and use their feedback to make your product, marketing and business model far stronger.

Artificial Inteligence 156

Artificial Inteligence Founder Private Equity Ruby 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and occasional angel investor, I often see and hear innovative product pitches that sound exciting, but are missing one or more of the key business elements that investors deem critical for funding consideration. Free” is not an exciting business model for investor interest.

Intellectual Property 332

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Business Model Channel 332

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Startups and angels: Along the way to success. By Tim Keane, Angel Investor, Golden Angels Investors, LLC. Technology versus market risk in angel investments.  One of his points is that angels tend to lose money because they take on companies with high market risk and low technical risk.

Technology 74

Technology Marketing Intellectual Property Montana 74

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

What most founders don’t realize is: Every stage of a startup requires a different set of metrics and milestones and founder skills. Knowing these will help a founder position her pitch to get investors’ attention. Founders need to keep their eye on the prize — not just the next funding round. Business Model.

Cofounder 431

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 431

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

The one-page pitch format is also more suitable for SaaS businesses that are constantly testing new ideas. Your pitch is going to cover your strategy (what you’re going to do), your tactics (how you’re going to do it), your business model (how you will make money), and your schedule (who is doing what and when).

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Professor VC

JUNE 20, 2011

Since the iControl system chronicles all meetings, I was able to find the automatic picture snapped from my first meeting with the founders, Reza Raji and Chris Stevens on April 22, 2004. Now that iControl has raised over $100M, this got me thinking back to our original business plan. What does it take to be an Angel Investor?

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Term Sheet Venture Capital 28

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Tim Friedman, Founder, PE Stack , said, “If I could offer one piece of advice to today’s managers, it would be to take the time to understand the demands of the modern institutional LP. – angel investor networks ( AngelList , FundersClub , OurCrowd , Republic *, SeedInvest ). . 3) Raise capital.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

‘Starting a business’ really only comes down to figuring out your business idea ; doing your paperwork; and sorting out the money. Given the number of funding resources available today, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting that initial start-up cash, especially if you focus on a lean business model or MVP route to market.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

Up and Running

MAY 15, 2019

These products will be distributed to remote yet extremely viable areas, where the market is appreciative of readily-available, good-quality brew. With this money, they plan to expand its distribution to selected metro areas within the state of Oregon. Initial plans are to produce three main lines of beer. Martin Cove Brewing Company.

Oregon 24

Oregon Jordan Software Review Distribution 24

www.paulgraham.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Single Founder Have you ever noticed how few successful startups were founded byjust one person? Even companies you think of as having one founder,like Oracle, usually turn out to have more. Whats wrong with having one founder? It probably means the founder couldnt talk anyof his friends into starting the company with him.

Startup 108

Startup Software Review Hiring Detroit 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Innovation doesn’t always make you a winner in business. In my role as an angel investor in startups, almost every pitch I see highlights some real innovation in technology, business model, or market opportunity. Yet only a few of these get funded, and even fewer become dominant players in their chosen space.

Silicon Valley 136

Silicon Valley Differentiation Angel Investor Incubator 136

www.chubbybrain.com

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

After a thorough analysis of those 32 start-up post-mortems, we have determined the common reasons founders gave to compile this list of the top 20 ways to have your startup fail. 17 – Be unable to Attract Investors. Work life balance is not something that startup founders often get and so the risk of burning out is high.

Cofounder 89

Cofounder Startup Technical Cofounder CTO Hire 89

maplebutter.com

JANUARY 8, 2013

My goal is to some day get an honorary degree for kicking ass in business. Whats is the best way to find a co-founder for your startup? However, one of my co-founders doesn’t seem to be as motivated as the rest of us. Visa can make an amazing investor, just be sure to ask for money when you don’t need it.

Technical Review 44

Technical Review Startup Cofounder Software Review 44

online.wsj.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com. Harvard professor Noam Wasserman and WSJ small-business editor Vanessa OConnell took reader questions about avoiding start-up pitfalls on Sept.

Venture Capital 107

Venture Capital Software Review Rhode Island North Dakota 107

techcrunch.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

One of the things I do as a founder of a later stage startup is to meet with early stage entrepreneurs to help them get their companies going. In later posts I’m going to get into more detail on specific topics like hiring, raising money, what types of ideas have the potential to get big, finding your founders, and the like.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Cofounder Technical Cofounder Software Review 84