Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

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? What metrics do we use to see if we learned enough in Customer Discovery ? I gave my boilerplate answer, “I’m a product guy and I tend to invest and look at deals that have measurable revenue metrics.

Customer Development 228

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 228

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Continuing my series of posts that I’ve been collecting that live at the intersection of Startups and being a Startup CTO : Startup CTO Top 30 Posts for April 16 Great Startup Posts from March here are the top posts from May 2010. It is to out friend. Enjoyed this post? Disruptive. We get it! I Be specific. Tesla is not.

Fractional CTO 248

Fractional CTO Startup Venture Capital Cofounder 248

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

That’s on average the time venture capital investors spend on a pre-seed pitch deck, according to the latest Dropbox/Docsend funding research report. Stake – can the fund secure it’s minimum stake in the business? 2 and a half minutes. The time spent on reviewing decks went down compared to 2021.

Technical Review 166

Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder Portfolio 166

Steve Blank

MARCH 31, 2014

Just look at the disruptive challenges that businesses face today– globalization, China as a manufacturer, China as a consumer, the Internet, and a steady stream of new startups. Perhaps that’s because where established companies might see risks or threats, startups see opportunity. Innovation.

Private Equity 329

Private Equity Metrics China Intellectual Property 329

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

More and more startups are pursuing Revenue-Based VCs , but “RBI” doesn’t fit everyone. This structure allows for alignment on the front end, and real-time flexibility for performance metrics,” says Samira Salman , a family office investor and advisor. . We detail below the major categories of VC: VENTURE CAPITAL TYPOLOGY.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

SoCal CTO

MARCH 11, 2013

Yesterday, I was talking to a startup founder about their MVP and they said something that finally got me to write this post: "I have a few investors interested but they want to see a product." If you do build the MVP and show it to them, they will ask you about your metrics. They really want metrics, not a product.

Algorithm 264

Algorithm Metrics Viral Venture Capital 264

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 8, 2023

In my experience, I follow different resources, for instance, the Andreessen Horowitz blog , one of the top venture capital funds reporting trends in their newsletters, and INC.5000 5000 , a blog about the fastest-growing business models. 4 Tips on E-Commerce News: What to Follow?

eCommerce 185

eCommerce Technical Review Software Review Analytics 185

Steve Blank

MARCH 17, 2020

With the Covid-19 virus a worldwide pandemic, if you’re leading any startup or small business, you have to be asking yourself, “What’s Plan B? If you’re running a startup or small business, your first priority (after your family) is keeping your employees and customers safe. What does your new business model look like?

Burn Rate 436

Burn Rate Startup Valuation Sales Cycle 436

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Seed Money DC Software Review 150

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 1, 2018

This is the point where a venture capitalist (VC) can make all the difference in realizing your dreams. There are numerous startups chasing after a comparatively small number of VCs. How do you pitch your business in a way that makes you stand out from the rest? Source: Pixabay. Here are 3 useful tips. Do Your Homework.

Startup 95

Startup Portfolio Software Review Technical Review 95

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

Over the same 30 years, Venture Capital firms have honed their skills and strategies to match Wall Streets needs to achieve liquidity for their portfolio companies. One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is misunderstanding the role of venture capital investors. What Do VC’s Do?

Silicon Valley 235

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 235

www.forentrepreneurs.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Blog About Log in Register Designing startup metrics to drive successful behavior Great companies are almost always run by great management teams. Good metrics should also be actionable, and drive successful behavior. This post is applicable to any kind of business.

Metrics 55

Metrics Design Entrepreneur Startup 55

www.forentrepreneurs.com

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Blog About Log in Register Startup Killer: the Cost of Customer Acquisition In the many thousands of articles advising entrepreneurs on what they have to focus on to build successful startups, much has been written about three key factors: team, product and market, with particular focus on the importance of product/market fit.

Acquisition 103

Acquisition Cost Customer Entrepreneur 103

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. I believe that Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) VCs are on the forefront of what will become a major segment of the venture ecosystem. Six Paths to Financing a SaaS Business. Conferences.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Every startup I see invariably puts up a competitive analysis slide that plots performance on a X/Y graph with their company in the top right. Most of the time this graph is inappropriate for startups or existing companies creating new markets. But today most startups are trying to ressegment existing markets or create new markets.

Venture Capital 335

Venture Capital Customer Development Business Model Lean 335

SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

As customer and agile development reinvent the Startup, it’s time to ask why startup board governance has not kept up with the pace of innovation. Board meetings that guide startups haven’t changed since the early 1900’s. The combination of Venture Capital and technology startups is only about 50 years old.

Silicon Valley 297

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 297

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Search Engineer 150

SoCal CTO

MARCH 13, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles Internet 150

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

As customer and agile development reinvent the Startup, it’s time to ask why startup board governance has not kept up with the pace of innovation. Board meetings that guide startups haven’t changed since the early 1900’s. The combination of Venture Capital and technology startups is only about 50 years old.

Silicon Valley 270

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 270

SoCal CTO

MARCH 1, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Networking Southern California Los Angeles 150

Up and Running

OCTOBER 30, 2017

This article is part of our “ Business Startup Guide ”—a curated list of our articles that will get you up and running in no time! People often ask us for a list of steps they can use to start their own business. From business type to business model to physical location, there are so many variables!

Venture Capital 166

Venture Capital Business Plan Limited Liability Company Finance 166

SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

Steve Blank

JUNE 23, 2016

Disruptive innovations are coming from startups – Telsa for automobiles, Uber for taxis, Airbnb for hotel rentals, Netflix for video rentals and Facebook for media. As a consequence, corporations used metrics like return on net assets (RONA), return on capital deployed, and internal rate of return (IRR) to measure efficiency.

Architecture 227

Architecture IRR Balance Sheet Liquidity Event 227

SoCal CTO

MARCH 20, 2007

Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

Steve Blank

JULY 1, 2014

Investors sitting through Incubator or Accelerator demo days have three metrics to judge fledgling startups – 1) great looking product demos, 2) compelling PowerPoint slides, and 3) a world-class team. What’s been missing for everyone is: a common language for investors to communicate objectives to startups. Here’s John’s story.

Sacramento 312

Sacramento Framework Customer Development Lean 312

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2011

This site aggregates and filters content from thought leaders who talk about topics such as Marketing , Sales , Design , Revenue , Hiring , Social Media , Business Models , Metrics , PR , Venture Capital , Angel Investors , Bootstrapping , Incubators , Agile and many others.

Intellectual Property 175

Intellectual Property Aggregator Startup IP 175

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

6) Have you built yourself a financial model that includes both the profitability of an individual user, including the cost to acquire or sell them, as well as an overall growth number with a marketing budget over the longer term? 8) Have you made significant changes to the product or business model that improved key metrics over time?

Startup 117

Startup Viral Venture Capital .Net 117

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

Open Source Business Models, speakers for Web 2.0 Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? . ► February (2) CTO Founders / Cofounders Part-Time Startup CTO? event I did last fall.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Southern California Los Angeles CTO Hire 150

Steve Blank

JUNE 15, 2010

The role of a founding CEO in a startup searching for a business model is radically different than a CEO building and growing a company. So if you’re the founder of a startup, you may want to consider who you take money from. What startup stage do they typically invest in? What Startup Stage Do they Invest In?

Founder 232

Founder Vesting Later Stage Early Stage 232

Steve Blank

JULY 19, 2010

Every VC knows that the founding CEO is the individual you throw into the chaotic battle of a startup. Investors are praying they’ve backed a founder who can think creatively and independently, because more often than not, conditions on the ground change so rapidly that the original well-thought-out business plan becomes irrelevant.

Vesting 262

Vesting Liquidity Event Venture Capital Founder Vesting 262

Up and Running

JUNE 23, 2015

However, these can be difficult to obtain and ship, and this is exactly where social enterprise startup Maternova has made—and continues to make—inspirational strides. While Meg was deeply involved in the nuance of the maternal health crisis worldwide, Allyson had in-depth experience building successful startup companies.

Cofounder 60

Cofounder Sweat Equity Social Media Business Model 60

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 29, 2020

In other words, you must start bootstrapping an online startup , because the future of the global business world is online. The companies that have the greatest chance of surviving the global economic shutdown are the ones that have pivoted their business processes from the brick-and-mortar model to an online model.

Bootstrapping 85

Bootstrapping Global Startup Hungary 85

YoungUpstarts

JULY 22, 2011

You’ll find content categorized into different topics such as Marketing , Sales , Design , Revenue , Hiring , Social Media , Business Models , Metrics , PR , Venture Capital , Angel Investors , Bootstrapping , Incubators , Agile and many others.

Aggregator 170

Aggregator Curation Widget Angel Investor 170

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Local businesses expect proof of value, not promises. You need metrics to show dominant penetration of the relevant customer demographic, added value over existing media, and real customer testimonials of value. Monetization may require multiple business models. You need local partners and relationships for credibility.

New York City 158

New York City Kansas Advertising Cash Position 158

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2010

I’ve introduced a new class at Stanford to teach engineers, scientists and other professionals how startups really get built. Jon Feiber of Mohr Davidow Ventures and Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate are co-teaching the class with me (and Alexander Osterwalder is a guest lecturer.) In contrast, startups search for a business model. (Or

Wiki 316

Wiki Lean Management Business Model 316