Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Apply for contests and business grants. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Use crowd funding.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Apply for contests and business grants. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Use crowd funding.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

According to a recent Motly Fool report, the challenge is very real, since around half of all businesses fail in the first five years. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

www.startuplessonslearned.com

MAY 4, 2012

Founders Dilemmas: Equity Splits. Noam is one of a rare breed of business academics: he studies entrepreneurship using a rigorous empirical approach. The following is an exclusive excerpt which sets up a common pitfall regarding equity splits. Lessons Learned. by Eric Ries. Tuesday, April 24, 2012. Uncertainties abound.

Equity 72

Equity Founder Technical Cofounder Cofounder 72

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

In very few specific cases, depending on the nature of the business, the business model might demand a considerable gestation period or extensive research and development. For these businesses, it is imperative to get funding from the start without which the company cannot be set up. Equity investors. Crowdfunding.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Steve Blank

JUNE 12, 2020

And the trick is we use the same Lean LaunchPad / I-Corps curriculum — and kept the same class structure – experiential, hands-on, driven this time by a mission -model not a business model. Hacking for Defense has its origins in the Lean LaunchPad class I first taught at Stanford in 2011.

Oakland 301

Oakland Asia Lean Video 301

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. In general, banks won’t give you a loan until the business is cash-flow positive, but there are notable exceptions.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

genylabs.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Working for Equity Instead of Cash. has an article on service firms waiving their fees and instead taking equity in their clients. Interest in this waned when the Internet bust resulted in most tech start-up equity becoming worthless, but it seems to be coming back. Not all start-up stock is created equally.

Equity 40

Equity Technical Review San Jose Stock 40

www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Will Work for Equity. Dave Graham Business Venture Capital Private Equity GlobalLogic Inc. Determined not to miss another opportunity, Graham has begun waiving fees and instead taking equity in clients he thinks have a good shot at success. Theres a huge opportunity cost in not taking equity," he says.

Arizona 40

Arizona Equity Iowa Venture Capital 40

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 20, 2018

Much has changed since Edison’s day, but sweat equity is still the most effective kind of startup capital. If you’ve been thinking about starting a business but you haven’t yet taken the leap, there are a few ways you can position yourself for success. If you have a business idea, write a quick business plan—a Lean Plan.

Sweat Equity 93

Sweat Equity Startup Lean Italy 93

Austin Startup

MAY 11, 2017

We make a majority of our investments in those sectors and prioritize proven business models. Arena Growth Partners | Venture Capital and Private Equity | Austin, Texas - Venture to Lead™ Aspect Ventures We bridge the gap between your seed and later stage venture so together, we can turn great ideas into great companies.

Private Equity 48

Private Equity Venture Capital Technical Review Seed Stage 48

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 27, 2012

The Lean LaunchPad course online. I teach potential founders a hands-on, experiential class called the Lean LaunchPad at Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia and Caltech. The class teaches the three basic skills all entrepreneurs need to know: business model design. Online Guide to How to Build a Startup: The Lean LaunchPad.

Open Source 335

Open Source Silicon Valley Lean Customer Development 335

Startup Lessons Learned

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Guest post by Lisa Regan, writer for The Lean Startup Conference. We’re dedicated to making The Lean Startup Conference unlike other entrepreneurship conferences. As Lean Startup takes root around the world, we’d like to learn from and help people working in geographically diverse areas connect with each other.

Lean 165

Lean Nebraska San Francisco Silicon Valley 165

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 15, 2017

Even if you already know what a SWOT analysis is and what it’s used for, it can be tough to translate that information and examine your own business with a critical eye. Reading an example SWOT analysis for a business that is either in your industry or based on a comparable business model can help get you started.

Botswana 148

Botswana Business Plan Oregon Distribution 148

Steve Blank

JUNE 4, 2012

As the morning fog burns off the California coast, I am working with Steve Blank, preparing for the Lean LaunchPad Faculty Development Program we are running this August at U.C. The tools and techniques available to small businesses on Main Street are the same ones that were being used for the last 75 years. Serendipity.

Silicon Valley 305

Silicon Valley Lean Utah Customer Development 305

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 30, 2014

Our Lean Launchpad® for Life Sciences is one of them. ———– The National Institutes of Health recognizes that Life Science/Health Care commercialization has two components: the science/technology, and the business model. Lean Methods are one such tool. Lean LaunchPad Life Sciences (NIH) Teaching'

San Diego 261

San Diego North Carolina Chicago Lean 261

Steve Blank

MARCH 4, 2014

The Enterprise: Business Model Execution We know that a startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. The corollary for an enterprise is: A company is a permanent organization designed to execute a repeatable and scalable business model.

IRR 335

IRR Startup Business Model Agile 335

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

A Lean Business Plan might be a better fit if you simply need to think through all the different aspects of your business. A Lean Plan will be shorter, and it lends itself to quick revisions, but both types follow the same general outline. First, your business plan laid out the opportunity at hand. Be specific.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

ConversionXL

JUNE 2, 2022

How you approach ABM depends on your business model and ideal accounts, as well as how you plan to expand campaigns. The more brand equity you have , the easier it will be to get prospects to pay attention. Use the median numbers as a guide for which program to lean towards. Winning high-value clients with ABM.

Lead Generation 94

Lead Generation Marketing Sales Cycle Campaign 94

Steve Blank

JANUARY 20, 2014

When Customer Development and the Lean Startup were just a sketch on the napkin, Dino Vendetti, a VC at Bay Partners, was one of the first venture capitalists I shared my ideas with. Over the years we brainstormed about how Lean entrepreneurship would affect regional development. Fixing the Missing Pieces of Infrastructure.

Silicon Valley 312

Silicon Valley Oregon Lean Venture Capital 312

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 26, 2013

The program pays scientists $50,000 to attend the program and takes no equity. universities teaching the Lean LaunchPad curriculum organized as I-Corps “nodes” across the U.S. The nodes are now offering their own regional versions of the Lean LaunchPad class under I-Corps. Currently there are 11 U.S.

Lean 262

Lean Washington Incubator Agile 262

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 25, 2022

Typically, investors don’t take a board seat until you raise your first equity round—which means that it could be *years* before you have a real board meeting: A year of nights/weekends work researching, prototyping, and fundraising. You raise your pre-seed round and if you're lucky and good, you can get to an equity round in 12-18 months.

Equity 118

Equity Metrics Widget Bandwidth 118

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 4, 2016

It’s also by far the greatest determinant of equity value, because it maximizes both revenue and the revenue multiple. Only by combining these metrics can you get a clear and true picture of the health of the business model. Larger companies like WP Engine can have maybe three or four, but still not many.

Metrics 270

Metrics Retention Revenue Equity 270

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

But this mania to not miss out on the next big thing is driving some investors to pay growth-equity prices for traditional market risk (as in, they’re paying up before it is clear there is product / market fit). Those with strong business models suddenly stand out when the tide goes out. And well they should be.

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Business model: o They bought a lot of ad inventory (banner ads/advertising) driving people to signup forms, converting (fill out form) and sold leads, o Initial strategy was first comparison shopping and then monitoring and upselling on more savings. . He typed lowermybills.com was not registered and available so he bought it.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Warrant Customer Term Sheet 304

The Equity Kicker

MAY 12, 2015

I just read two articles which beautifully illustrate the brilliance and challenges with the Lean Startup methodology. They were part of Steve Blanks Launchpad class at Stanford and followed lean principles to great effect. Second up was Dan Kaplan’s critique of Peter Thiel’s critique of lean. I agree with this.

Lean 60

Lean Startup Flash Customer Development 60

The Equity Kicker

MAY 7, 2015

Steve Blank gave us this now famous definition of a startup: A startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. Lean aficionados will know that ‘Customer development’ is a Steve Blank concept, so credit where credit is due. We have gone a step further.

Business Model 60

Business Model Search Due Diligence Early Stage 60

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Start With a Business Model, Not a Business Plan | WSJ – [link]. The problem with a Lean Startup: the Minimum Viable Product | Paul Kortman – [link]. The danger of waiting to long to find a business model? Convertible Debt: really Bridge Loans and Equity Replacement Debt – [link].

Social Media 100

Social Media Small Business Central African Republic Design 100

Steve Blank

JUNE 11, 2009

However, you will be dealing with almost daily change, (new customer feedback/insights from a Customer Development process and technical roadblocks ,) as the company searches for a repeatable and scalable business model. By now the company may have found and settled on a repeatable business model. steve Am I a Founder?

Cofounder 219

Cofounder Founder Silicon Valley Technical Cofounder 219

Steve Blank

JUNE 2, 2011

Reinventing the board meeting may allow venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model. for a business model.

Silicon Valley 281

Silicon Valley Business Model Early Stage Venture Capital 281

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 15, 2014

Even a small investor in the early days will take a large equity percentage, due to that pesky valuation challenge. At least wait until later, when you ready to scale, and have some “leverage” based on a proven business model, some real customers, and real revenue. Sometimes survival requires staying under the radar.

Bootstrapping 276

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 276

Up and Running

JUNE 23, 2015

The business model is innovative and unique, and the business itself serves as a fantastic “how to” example for entrepreneurs looking to start a social, mission-driven business. “It took an enormous investment of sweat equity on both our parts,” Allyson admits. Always be learning.

Cofounder 60

Cofounder Sweat Equity Social Media Business Model 60

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

3) invest in and take equity stakes in exchange for capital. It may just be that the message of building companies that have predictable revenue and profit models hasn’t percolated through the VC business model. Each VC firm/partner has a different spin on what to weigh more.)

Silicon Valley 217

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 217

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2013

Even a small investor in the early days will take a large equity percentage, due to that pesky valuation challenge. At least wait until later, when you ready to scale, and have some “leverage” based on a proven business model, some real customers, and real revenue. Sometimes survival requires staying under the radar.

Startup 264

Startup Burn Rate Bootstrapping Valuation 264

Steve Blank

AUGUST 11, 2020

A subsegment of those instructors – those trying to teach Lean LaunchPad, whether in I-Corps, or Hacking for Defense – have an additional burden of figuring out how to teach a class that depends on students getting out of the building and talking to 10 to 15 customers a week. Here’s what we learned. And so it began.

Lean 420

Lean San Francisco Silicon Valley Florida 420

Gust

DECEMBER 7, 2014

Even a small investor in the early days will take a large equity percentage, due to that pesky valuation challenge. At least wait until later, when you ready to scale, and have some “leverage” based on a proven business model, some real customers, and real revenue. Sometimes survival requires staying under the radar.

Bootstrapping 191

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Burn Rate 191

David Teten

MARCH 3, 2015

That is what I’ve seen happen with the “ Lean Startup ” philosophy of viewing your startup as a scientific experiment in search of a business model. For example, “ What CRM tools are used by venture capital and private equity funds? ”. Lean Experiment Techniques. Why Lean Startup Experiments are Hard to Design.

Startup 60

Startup Private Equity Lean Portfolio 60