Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Implement a modern real business model.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

I was in New York last week with my class at Columbia University and several events made me realize that the Customer Development model needs to better describe its fit with web-based businesses. In it, I got asked a question I often hear: “What if we have a web-based business that doesn’t have revenue or paying customers?

Customer Development 219

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 219

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

They encompass the effectiveness of marketing (the startup’s ability to reach and resonate with target customers) and stickiness (the product’s ability to deliver value to customers over time). In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the benchmarks on conversion, retention and churn for the key business models.

Retention 109

Retention Conversion Churn Rate B2C 109

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

AI to build enterprise software – In the future, every enterprise could have their own custom ERP, CRM or HRIS that is continually updating itself as the company itself is changing. Digital Wallets – Digital wallets could grow select vertical software platforms’ revenues to $27-$50bn in 2030. trillion by 2030.

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Tech IPO prices exploded and subsequent trading prices rose to dizzying heights as the stock prices became disconnected from the traditional metrics of revenue and profits. ” Fire, Ready, Aim. Some have labeled this period as irrational exuberance.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 15, 2019

Once upon a time every great organization was a scrappy startup willing to take risks – new ideas, new methods, new customers, targets, and mission. They’ll use government regulation and lawsuits to keep out new entrants with more innovative business models. Companies Run on Process. are obstacles for innovation.

Government 315

Government Technical Review Acquisition Metrics 315

SoCal CTO

MARCH 5, 2007

However, Elgg could power 100,000 networks and it would make no difference - there is no revenue stream as we give everything away under a GPL license. There are quite a few other Software Development Companies in Southern California working on open source and/or freemium business models. I understand his frustration.

Open Source 150

Open Source Business Model Technical Cofounder Southern California 150

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 30, 2015

Google is focused on expanding its already broad reach into the advertising market by increasing the span and coverage of its digital and mobile platforms, and the company’s 4Q14 results highlight how the company’s efforts to buttress its core services is paying off: Google’s revenue and gross profit climbed 15.3% billion and generated $4.1

Advertising 100

Advertising Revenue Mobile Intellectual Property 100

The Startup Magazine

JULY 16, 2021

The lesson of the pandemic era is clear, as market conditions change, business models must evolve. Success is not, as you would think, about having stable business models across market conditions. There is one consideration that should be paramount in your thinking about your business model.

Business Model 167

Business Model Aggregator Revenue Analytics 167

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her new book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Customer 242

Customer Technical Review Business Model Revenue 242

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Like any popular business term, “customer centricity” is often abused by businesses that shoehorn it into their core values. It’s actually better not to claim customer centricity if you can’t get people across your business to really care about your customers. Find new ways to fix old customer pains points.

Customer 85

Customer Community Revenue Software Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

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. Plan for a real revenue model.

Business Model 414

Business Model Angel Investor Bootstrapping Revenue 414

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2019

He outlines six dimensions of a winning business strategy, with some practical, research-based steps that I like, to focus on in achieving extraordinary results: Above all, deliver an exceptional total customer experience. This requires constant study of what your customers value, what competitors offer, and your target market.

Technical Review 218

Technical Review Revenue Analytics Metrics 218

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her classic book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Small Business 147

Small Business Revenue Technical Review Business Model 147

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Growth hacking is a practice that aims to acquire as many customers as possible while spending as little money as possible. The faster this process can be repeated, the more likely they’ll find scalable, repeatable ways to grow the business.”. Rather than run marketing campaigns to pull customers away from its rival, it experimented.

Retention 113

Retention Marketing Acquisition Channel 113

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. So what is Revenue Based Investing?

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2014

Success depends on finding startups that have identified acute customer pains in large markets where conditions are ripe for a new entrant. Few entrepreneurs find this scalable and repeatable business model because it’s not easy. This is true whether the company is concept stage or ramping revenue. ——-.

Early Stage 286

Early Stage Silicon Valley Oregon Technical Review 286

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Write your business plan and develop your business model with this in mind so you can avoid these issues. . You can choose from a few different types of business plans depending on your needs. If you’re seeking investment, you need a traditional business plan. Target market: Who is your ideal buyer? Be specific.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Software Review 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Implement a modern real business model.

Startup 283

Startup Forecast Stock Options Technical Review 283

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

This makes their business types very different. Some customer segments value the DVD business and these may be more price sensitive. Some customer segments value the convenience of instantly available films. They are potentially different business models. We need video reel to show customers that you care.

Customer 287

Customer Technical Review Caching PR 287

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 4, 2016

The single most important SaaS metric is retention , because cancellations indicate lack of product/market fit, no matter the cause (price, features, severity of need, duration of need). If it cannot be fixed, it means the business is a failure even if other metrics are stellar. Once you’re scaling (i.e.

Metrics 270

Metrics Retention Revenue Equity 270

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

As a long-time mentor to entrepreneurs, here is my collection of smart risks that investors and I look for in new startups: Focus on a tough customer problem rather than a fun technology. Investors hate technology solutions looking for a problem, due to the high risk of no customers. Implement a modern real business model.

Forecast 161

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 161

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JULY 23, 2013

Marketo filed for IPO with impressive 80% year-over-year growth in 2012, with almost $60m in revenue. of revenue, force-feeding sales pipelines with an unprofitable product. So no, this upside-down business model isn’t what a SaaS business should construct. SaaS companies earn their revenue over time.

Business Model 335

Business Model .Net Revenue IPO 335

ReadWriteStart

JULY 7, 2021

Various business models in an on-demand courier delivery app. Business to Consumer (B2C) – It is the most common type of business model. User-friendly courier delivery apps ensure round-the-clock fulfillment of parcels to customers across different locations. .

Technical Review 163

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Demand Social Media 163

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 4, 2019

At Wildcat, we recommend benchmarking your startup against the four core architectural pillars of the Traction Gap Framework: product , revenue , team and systems. A well-developed product architecture helps a startup to achieve rapid market/product fit by successfully appealing to customers (users). Revenue Architecture.

Framework 127

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 127

YoungUpstarts

MAY 24, 2019

At Wildcat, we recommend benchmarking your startup against the four core architectural pillars of the Traction Gap Framework: product , revenue , team and systems. A well-developed product architecture helps a startup to achieve rapid market/product fit by successfully appealing to customers (users). Revenue Architecture.

Framework 113

Framework Architecture Cleveland Early Stage 113

The Startup Magazine

JULY 16, 2021

The lesson of the pandemic era is clear, as market conditions change, business models must evolve. Success is not, as you would think, about having stable business models across market conditions. There is one consideration that should be paramount in your thinking about your business model.

Business Model 78

Business Model Aggregator Revenue Analytics 78

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Technical Review 234

Technical Review Business Model Revenue Social Media 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2023

For some people, business is just a job, whereas with ownership thinking, your business health is the real measure of your personal success and growth. Rather than a focus on salary and perks, your focus is on customers, revenue, and operations. Your personal goal is to succeed in business.

Metrics 279

Metrics Startup Agile Salary 279

Steve Blank

MARCH 31, 2014

Companies horde cash and squeeze the most revenue and margin from the money they use. Metrics like Return on Net Assets, Return on Capital and Internal Rate of Return are the guiding stars of the board and CEO. The first will be commodity businesses that are valued for their ability to execute their current business model.

Private Equity 325

Private Equity Metrics China Intellectual Property 325

Steve Blank

AUGUST 21, 2013

—— When I wrote Four Steps to the Epiphany and the Startup Owners Manual , I believed that Life Sciences startups didn’t need Customer Discovery. What we found is that during the class almost all of them pivoted - making substantive changes to one or more of their business model canvas components.

SBIR 314

SBIR Technical Review Lean Startup 314

Up and Running

MAY 10, 2021

Your app may cost you money, but the revenue it generates may justify the budget. You can start by researching your competitors to gain an understanding of cost structure, revenue generation, and the business model for your app. What has your revenue been for the last 1-3 years? What metrics are you tracking?

Artificial Inteligence 150

Artificial Inteligence Developer Development Team Review United Kingdom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2016

That should make you wonder - how do you measure traction in a metric? According to most experts , business traction is evidence that somebody really wants your product. It’s business momentum, independent of whether you have a product delivered, proven the business model, or significantly penetrated the opportunity.

Metrics 143

Metrics Advisory Board Startup Lean 143

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Traction is evidence that your product or service has started that “hockey- stick” adoption rate which implies a large market, a valid business model, and sustainable growth. One customer is not traction, and beta tests with a thousand customers at no cost don’t count. Average transaction size and revenue per customer.

Hockey Stick 304

Hockey Stick Early Stage Metrics Acquisition 304

Up and Running

AUGUST 24, 2020

Here are just a few things you can do by leveraging data analytics: Gain a better understanding of changing customer preferences Discover new business opportunities Identify and eliminate bottlenecks in your operations Minimize and better allocate advertising costs Provide greater customer support through automated chat.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Analytics Forecast Artificial Inteligence 131

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 8, 2023

Customers will be even more comfortable with the introduction of voice commerce, another unicorn of the online shopping experience. Sustainability is the Queen In 2023, customers have become even more environmentally conscious, as recent statistics prove. million people and generate monthly revenue. Only in 2021, 72.9%

eCommerce 185

eCommerce Technical Review Software Review Analytics 185

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 1, 2019

And given the paucity of business metrics at this point in a startup’s lifecycle, spreadsheet analysis is of little help. At this stage, the team is seeking market and customer validation metrics. The MVP is the most pared-down version of a product that customers are willing to purchase or use.

Cleveland 150

Cleveland Framework Marketing Early Stage 150