Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. It’s the antithesis of the Lean Startup. Most entrepreneurs today don’t remember the Dot-Com bubble of 1995 or the Dot-Com crash that followed in 2000. Startups with huge burn rates – building leases, staff, PR and advertising – ran out of money.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Apply for contests and business grants. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 30, 2012

Today we are announcing the biggest entrepreneurial program ever launched – Startup Weekend Next. A partnership of Startup Weekend , Startup America , TechStars and Udacity , Startup Weekend Next brings four weeks of amazing hands-on training learning to build your startup to cities around the world.

Startup 335

Startup Lean Incubator Business Model 335

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Apply for contests and business grants. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 25, 2023

This could be a home-based business, franchise option or whatever option looks attractive to you. One thing is certain, your business can succeed if you can put in the right energy and bring in the right people to kick-start it. Government contracting is relatively insulated from broader economic trends and the risk of recession.

Software Review 118

Software Review Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Apply for contests and business grants. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 283

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time. A business plan is for you first, not investors.

Intellectual Property 436

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 436

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 20, 2011

government has been running one of the most audacious experiments in entrepreneurship since World War II. 63 scientists and engineers in 21 teams made 2,000 customer calls in 8 weeks , turning laboratory ideas into formidable startups. government agency that supports research in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.

Incubator 307

Incubator Government Silicon Valley Lean 307

NZ Entrepreneur

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

It is our startup sector which will drive this innovative progress. Startup founders are our ambitious problem solvers. To generate growth in a startup, it is almost always necessary to raise external capital to run the necessary. experiments to build a product, find customers, test business models and hire amazing people.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Software Review New Zealand Due Diligence 88

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Join a startup incubator. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Even though the color of their money is always green, all startup investors are not the same. Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Personally visit another startup funded by this investor. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 310

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2023

Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. Entrepreneurs who have been really transformative, like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, seemed to know how to deal with all the right elements. Create a formidable and durable business model.

Entrepreneur 253

Entrepreneur United States Business Model Government 253

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Apply for contests and business grants. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

Government grants. You still start the process with a business plan, but then you look for a philanthropist rather than an investor. Some nonprofit entrepreneurs think they can skip the whole plan, rather than just the sections on valuation, equity offered, and exit strategy. That’s a higher calling. Marty Zwilling.

Equity 235

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Join a startup incubator. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

Government grants. You still start the process with a business plan, but then you look for a philanthropist rather than an investor. Some nonprofit entrepreneurs think they can skip the whole plan, rather than just the sections on valuation, equity offered, and exit strategy. That’s a higher calling. Marty Zwilling.

Angel Investor 327

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 327

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 22, 2019

So you have a great business idea, you’ve done your research and due diligence, you know your market and you are good at what you do. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs begin their first foray into self employment neglecting some of the most crucial aspects of running a business. What could go wrong?

Software Review 176

Software Review Due Diligence Startup Stock 176

Hearpreneur

APRIL 13, 2022

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners who are their favorite disruptors and here are the responses; #1- Elon Musk. One of the most important lessons entrepreneurs can learn from Dropbox is to adopt the lean start-up methodology and start. It led the way to a new kind of business model and changed the game.

Artificial Inteligence 75

Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 75

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Until the recession a decade ago, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. More recently, the desire for extra income has become the key driver in new startups, according to the popular press. Cobb and M.

Entrepreneur 371

Entrepreneur Equity Dilution LLC 371

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2021

An entrepreneur lifestyle that continues to gain in popularity these days is being a “social entrepreneur.” Whether the objective is to generate profits or social capital, the common element for all entrepreneurs is the recognition that there is a problem which needs solving, or there is an opportunity to improve the status quo.

Entrepreneur 345

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Government Bootstrapping 345

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding to build reserves.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Steve Blank

APRIL 14, 2013

I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. This left an open playing field for Chinese software startups as they “copy to China” existing U.S. business models. Small startups act the same way, simply cloning each other’s products.

China 327

China Silicon Valley Non-Compete Intellectual Property 327

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. Investors expect a good value proposition in every pitch.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 7, 2011

I spent the month of September lecturing, and interacting with (literally) thousands of entrepreneurs in two emerging startup markets, Finland and Russia. What I found in Finland was: a whole lot of smart, passionate entrepreneurs who want to build a startup hub in Helsinki. Startup Blog: Arctic Startup.

Finland 328

Finland Venture Capital Government Russia 328

Steve Blank

AUGUST 21, 2013

What if we could increase productivity and stave the capital flight by helping Life Sciences startups build their companies more efficiently? —— When I wrote Four Steps to the Epiphany and the Startup Owners Manual , I believed that Life Sciences startups didn’t need Customer Discovery.

SBIR 319

SBIR Technical Review Lean Startup 319

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. This process costs money, which professional investors are not willing to contribute, since their interest is in scaling a proven product and business model into a growth business.

Early Stage 225

Early Stage SBIR Technical Review Seed Stage 225

David Teten

MARCH 31, 2012

I’m exceptionally excited to announce that I’m now Chairman and lead investor with some other angels in a new company, Spright Governance Inc. Spright is a spinoff of the Singaporean government, which will leverage their proven expertise and technology to run other cities, states, and nations globally. Photo credit: Wikipedia).

Government 154

Government Singapore New York City Non-Compete 154

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2020

Entrepreneurs who search for real pain points, and build solutions around them, have the best chance of changing the world. As an alternative, if you are an entrepreneur looking for the next big thing, where should you look? Here are some key drivers that will likely lead you to a fundable idea: A business crisis.

Customer 417

Customer Startup China California 417

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2013

For what I had thought were a few simple ideas about taking what we’ve learned about startups and applying it to corporate innovation, the post has gotten an amazing reaction. government agencies and private corporations, he has a unique perspective. He is a co-author of The GE Work-Out and The Boundaryless Organization.

Business Model 334

Business Model Technical Review Business Plan Search 334

Gust

APRIL 27, 2014

Even when your startup is a one-man show and lots of fun, a “business” needs some discipline and controls to keep it from being defined as a hobby by investors, and assure some financial return. Like it or not, you are now entering the dreaded realm of specifying and documenting “formal business processes.”

Startup 187

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 187

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 10, 2011

I presented to 1,000’s of entrepreneurs, talked to 17 startups, gave 12 lectures, had 9 interviews, chatted with 8 VC’s, sat on 4 panels, talked policy with 2 government ministers, 2 members of parliament, 1 head of a public pension fund and was in 1 TV-documentary. Toxic Business Press and Contradictory Government Incentives.

Finland 331

Finland Naming Russia Government 331

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2016

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time. A business plan is for you first, not investors.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea.

Equity 266

Equity Startup Small Business Administration SBA 266

Steve Blank

APRIL 14, 2013

I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. This left an open playing field for Chinese software startups as they “copy to China” existing U.S. business models. Small startups act the same way, simply cloning each other’s products.

China 219

China Silicon Valley Non-Compete Intellectual Property 219

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. Apply for contests and business grants. Join a startup incubator. Use crowd funding.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Steve Blank

JUNE 8, 2021

The trick is we use the same Lean LaunchPad / I-Corps curriculum — and the same class structure – experiential, hands-on– driven this time by a mission -model not a business model. Few consider opportunities to make the world safer with the Department of Defense, Intelligence community or other government agencies.

Lean 413

Lean Security Asia SBIR 413

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Asia – especially in countries such as India, China, Vietnam – is fast becoming the place where many entrepreneurs, whether locally born or lured back from Silicon Valley, are setting up shop. Finally, Fannin offers strategies for success for the aspiring (or current) entrepreneur.

Asia 167

Asia Technical Review Vietnam Singapore 167