VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

One question that keeps coming up when speaking with early stage entrepreneurs when it comes to funding, is what metrics the company needs to hit to raise seed/series A/B etc: What’s a good conversion rate? Benchmarks are typically specific to stage/business model/geo. What should our MRR growth be?

B2C 141

B2C Technical Review Startup Retention 141

Startup Lessons Learned

DECEMBER 14, 2017

Guest Post by Misti Yang, Writer for Lean Startup Co. Editor’s Note: We wrapped up the 2017 Lean Startup Week in San Francisco just a few weeks ago, and we’re excited to share with you some of the best lessons learned in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation. Because these Lean Startup people, they do crazy stuff,” Alex joked. “So

Lean 245

Lean Startup CTO Hire Cofounder 245

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

As part of our Lean LaunchPad classes at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia and for the National Science Foundation, students build a startup in 8 weeks using Business Model Design + Customer Development. How To Build a Web Startup – The Lean LaunchPad Edition. Use Skype or Google+ Hangouts for team conversations.

Lean 334

Lean Web Coder Business Model 334

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

I recommend you read Fred Wilson’s recent blog post about the need for a well articulated business strategy before pushing a particular business model. He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. LEAN STARTUP MOVEMENT. Business Model.

Technical Review 401

Technical Review Startup Business Model Non-Compete 401

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Startup Angel Investor Technical Review 283

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Indeed, historically, Twitter traffic has had one of the lowest conversion rates compared to other social media giants. Yet Twitter can be a reliable source of both clicks and conversions. I still use hashtags for tweeting my articles but keep conversion-oriented tweets (i.e., How to earn clicks and conversions on Twitter.

Conversion 68

Conversion Social Media Search Campaign 68

VC Cafe

APRIL 4, 2024

This creates a challenge, but also an opportunity for startups in the generative AI space. 70% of the startups in the current batch (170 out of 243) are AI companies. How can startups even compete against big tech, scale ups and other startups? Case in point: this week was Ycombinator’s W24 demo day.

Generative AI 78

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence Technical Review ChatGPT 78

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 161

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 161

Mucker Lab

APRIL 6, 2023

Hila Qu joined Mucker’s Tony Yang for an Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) conversation about Product-Led Growth (PLG) for Startups to kickoff the 2023 Mucker Growth Series. Hila Qu has been the Head of Growth or VP of Growth at a number of different companies and startups, most notably Acorns and GitLab. That’s the success.

Product 78

Product CTO Hire Startup Fractional CTO 78

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 296

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 296

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Friends and family will likely not expect the same level of sophistication on the business model and financials as a professional investor, but they do expect to see certain things. If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait.

Technical Review 338

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Angel Investor 338

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2022

Don’t try to build the “ultimate” business model, for all possible alternatives, in multiple business domains. For maximum value with the least effort, focus on only the “what ifs” that are the highest priority in your mind for your own startup. What if you need to change your market size and volume projections?

Conversion Ratio 368

Conversion Ratio Startup Business Model eCommerce 368

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

I feel like “conversion rate optimization” is in 2013 what “social media marketing” was in 2009. Most startups fail. Not because they have a conversion problem but because they never really nail the product or how to market it. Same goes for e-commerce, SaaS or any startup really.

Customer Development 126

Customer Development Conversion Developer Customer 126

View from Seed

APRIL 6, 2021

You have a point of view on emerging technology and business models, and you are not afraid to voice your conviction. You have a deep desire to learn the venture capital business and are ready to hustle to meet the next great founder. You have an authentic passion for startups and a deep respect for entrepreneurship.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Software Review Seed Stage Cofounder 317

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

How do you figure out what’s the right mix of skills for the co-founders of your startup? Surprisingly if you’ve filled out the business model canvas you already know who you need. She started by sketching her business model canvas on a napkin, but somehow the conversation quickly shifted to what was really on her mind.

Cofounder 335

Cofounder Founder Intellectual Property Business Model 335

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 2, 2023

I’ll start by taking you to the world of Startup X, a passionate team of entrepreneurs who believed they had the next big thing in the world of software as a service (SaaS). It’s disheartening, but sadly, this is one experience that many startup founders face. Do you find yourself and your project in a similar position?

Design 105

Design Product Churn Rate Architecture 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the business model. It’s time for a new startup model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 286

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 286

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2014

Friends and family will likely not expect the same level of sophistication on the business model and financials as a professional investor, but they do expect to see certain things. If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. Don’t be one.

Technical Review 266

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Startup 266

VC Cafe

JUNE 26, 2023

Watch this short clip (mixed with the normal banter between the hosts): The Race to Intimacy (credit: All In podcast) The new gen AI search companies A number of new startups are trying jump on the generative AI search wagon. where rather than sift through noise to find an answer, users will generate a specific result to match their needs.

Generative AI 174

Generative AI Search ChatGPT Technical Review 174

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. 500 Hats , February 1, 2010 When to Use Facebook Connect – Twitter Oauth – Google Friend Connect for Authentication?

Silicon Valley 378

Silicon Valley Startup Term Sheet Venture Capital 378

ReadWriteStart

JULY 3, 2019

Startups are starting to launch without a central headquarters, or any designated office building, in an attempt to create “fully remote” businesses. To conventional businesses, the notion seems absurd; they rely on in-house collaboration and the reputational allure of a headquarters. The Benefits of Fully Remote Businesses.

Startup 125

Startup Reputation United States Business Model 125

View from Seed

JULY 6, 2020

You have a point of view on emerging technology and business models, and you are not afraid to voice your conviction. You have a deep desire to learn the venture capital business and are ready to hustle to meet the next great founder. . You have an authentic passion for startups and a deep respect for entrepreneurship.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Software Review Hiring Seed Stage 257

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2019

He’ll be speaking at this year’s Lean Startup Conference , and also has a new book (for which I very happily wrote a short foreword) coming out next month: Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It. It used to be that startups went public about 6-7 years from founding; that number is now 10-12 years.

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 11, 2018

As we put the final touches on Lean Startup Conference 2018 , I wanted to take a moment to share more about some of the panels, workshops, and events. As is the right business model, which is the focus of the Don’t Bet on Your First Business Model workshop. For the whole program, please take a look here.

Lean 103

Lean Las Vegas Cofounder Startup 103

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

In previous posts I’ve talked about what the combination of Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Methodologies mean to startups and intrapreneurs in large companies; it’s the beginning of entrepreneurship as a science with its own rules and methodologies. Teaching In the Big Apple.

Customer Development 274

Customer Development Business Model Developer Design 274

Steve Blank

APRIL 1, 2020

So here’s a five-day playbook to help CEOs of cash-flow negative startups, or ones about to go negative, assess the new normal and respond with speed and urgency. For companies burning cash, such as startups, how much cash do you have? For startups: source of VC money? Those that don’t may not survive. External Assessment.

South Korea 334

South Korea Salary Business Model China 334

YoungUpstarts

JULY 19, 2017

Joining a startup is no mystery. Also the fact that you can brag to your friends who are in corporate that you are working in a fast growing startup that is about to change the world. I was reading law and I managed to get a role as a content marketer at a local ecommerce startup called iPrice. Find a lot of startups you like.

Hiring 100

Hiring Startup Salary Technical Review 100

SoCal CTO

MARCH 11, 2010

If you’re a Web-based startup, for example, show me how many unique visitors you think you can get in the beginning, and what you’re using for an estimated conversion rate (buyers to browsers). And it’s surprising how few startup founders think in those terms. Part of those questions are around Startup Metrics.

Metrics 159

Metrics Startup Retention Software Developers 159

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

However the Customer Development Model and the Lean Startup work equally well for startups on the web. Union Square Ventures The next morning I got to spend time with Brad Burnham , partner at Union Square Ventures talking about their investment strategy and insights about web-based businesses.

Customer Development 227

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 227

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Optimizing your site for search engines can attract more visitors and improve your chances of conversion. Understanding The Business Model of a B2B Marketplace. A business model describes how your company makes money and is essential to developing an effective business plan. Research Keywords: .

B2B 131

B2B Developer Technical Review Business Model 131

The Next Web

DECEMBER 4, 2013

If you’re running a startup, working for one, or just considering turning an idea into a company, calling your work life “busy” is a severe understatement. Here are five essential, efficient ways to eliminate guesswork and make your startup a success on social media. Startup Example: Zappos. Startup Example: Cloudera.

Social Media 158

Social Media Media Viral Startup 158

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

Don’t try to build the “ultimate” business model, for all possible alternatives, in multiple business domains. For maximum value with the least effort, focus on only the “what ifs” that are the highest priority in your mind for your own startup. What if you need to change your market size and volume projections?

Conversion Ratio 308

Conversion Ratio Startup Business Model eCommerce 308

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Friends and family will likely not expect the same level of sophistication on the business model and financials as a professional investor, but they do expect to see certain things. If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait.

Early Stage 247

Early Stage Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence 247

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JANUARY 13, 2015

Often your best estimate of any metric or market behavior or business model component is at best accurate within a power of ten, for example “expected conversion rate between 0.5% Let’s run an example, taken from real numbers from a startup I recently spoke with. Fermi-style. So what can be shifted?

Business Model 120

Business Model Affiliate Startup Bootstrapping 120

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Capital investments are like gasoline on a startup business’s metaphorical fire. They allow you to hire more people, purchase new technology, and establish new business connections, among many other benefits. If you’re like most startup CEOs, your startup has been your personal fiefdom and baby.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

conversionxl.com

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

Extra Lucrative Conversion Advice. Conversion Optimization Services. Conversion Research. It’s Not a Conversion Problem, It’s a Customer Development Problem. I feel like “conversion rate optimization” is in 2013 what “social media marketing” was in 2009. Most startups fail.

Customer Development 60

Customer Development Conversion Developer Customer 60

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

The Forrest Four-Cast: February 5, 2019 Fifty diverse startups will aim to impress a panel of judges and a live audience with their skills, creativity and innovation at SXSW Pitch Presented by Cyndx. They enable new business models that bring purpose to clients’ IIoT investments by connecting financial transactions to machinery performance.

Artificial Inteligence 48

Artificial Inteligence Milwaukee Technical Review Startup 48