Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Technical Review 249

Technical Review Salary Metrics Matching 249

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 11, 2022

Why Call Tracking Metrics Matter To Your Marketing Efforts written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. Key Takeaway: Today, it seems as though there’s a never-ending list of channels and ways in which your customers can communicate with you and your business. Marketing Podcast with Todd and Laure Fisher.

Metrics 85

Metrics Marketing Software Review Cofounder 85

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

Having a set of metrics that you watch & that you feel are the key drivers of your success helps keep clarity. And the more public you can make your goals for these key metrics the better. 4 times / 100 means if a customer uses your app frequently (say 10-20 times / day) then they are crashing nearly every day.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup Acquisition SEM 346

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

As a potential investor, I always think of the high rate of failure of disruptive technologies, due to the longer learning curve of customers, infrastructure change consistently required, and higher marketing costs. Before you act, shut up and listen to employees, customers, and futurists. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Technical Review 252

Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review Metrics 252

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

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. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2023

Thus they are blindsided and try to react quickly when a new competitor starts stealing customers. For example, we all remember when Blockbuster realized too late that Netflix was stealing customers by offering videos online rather than via DVDs, but even then they were unable to adapt their processes and their thinking.

Metrics 178

Metrics Technical Review Agile Hiring 178

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

I like the summary of the competitive reality in a new book, “ Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age ,” by Ram Charan, who relates a wealth of current experience from global clients: Customers expect a personalized experience. Select new hires with attention to values.

Software Review 355

Software Review Algorithm Global IPO 355

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience has not improved. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Technical Review 385

Technical Review Salary Metrics Matching 385

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Key Takeaway: In the world of customer experience, mishaps are inevitable. However, by approaching customer recovery with style, empathy, and exceptional ownership, businesses can turn these situations into opportunities to create raving fans. 15:10 What are the best strategies for fixing a poor customer experience? [17:56]

Customer 77

Customer Technical Review Employee Artificial Inteligence 77

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 8, 2024

You may need funding for new equipment, hiring additional staff, expanding facilities, or investing in marketing and advertising campaigns. Factors to Consider Before Taking on Debt The debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) is a financial metric lenders use to assess a business’s ability to cover its debt obligations.

Finance 121

Finance Technical Review Metrics .Net 121

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Decide early where and when money will come from, set some milestones and metrics, and work to a plan, or be caught short. Customer support is more than handling exceptions.

Business Model 273

Business Model Customer Angel Investor Bootstrapping 273

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2016

Taking steering one step further, let’s suggest that good planning, with milestones and metrics, is something like steering with the aid of a GPS. Metrics are like dials on the dashboard, indicators of how you’re doing, tracking your progress toward goals. Metrics give you tracking and accountability.

Metrics 80

Metrics Social Media Business Plan Advertising 80

Mucker Lab

OCTOBER 10, 2023

In navigating the transition from founder-led sales to a structured approach, the pivotal question arises: when to hire a Sales Development Representative (SDR) or an Account Executive (AE) ? If there are inbound leads, the situation is different; hiring an AE might be suitable if these leads align with the ideal customer profile.

Early Stage 78

Early Stage Sales Developer Development Team Review 78

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. Customers like leaders, not followers.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

If you can’t keep the customers who sign up with you, you’re going to quickly find yourself in trouble. I get calls all the time from clients struggling to retain new customers. The point is, before you change your pricing, you need to dig deeply into what’s really driving your customers away.

Customer 173

Customer Technical Review Retention Acquisition 173

Startup Lessons Learned

DECEMBER 23, 2009

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Why vanity metrics are dangerous In a previous post, I defined two kinds of metrics: vanity metrics and actionable metrics. In this post, Id like to talk about the perils of vanity metrics. My personal favorite vanity metrics is "hits."

Metrics 167

Metrics San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2013

Most leaders agree that poor customer service is a business killer today, in terms of lost customers, reduced profits, and low morale. Yet the average perception of customer experience continues to decline. You have to start with hiring only people who are willing and able to make serious customer service happen.

Customer 230

Customer Technical Review Startup Salary 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

In his classic book, “ The Leadership Capital Index ,” Dave Ulrich, a best-selling author, business consultant, and business school professor, provides some real insights and metrics on what makes up the elements of goodwill in the minds of top valuation experts. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. You now need more than loyalty from your customers -- they need to be your best advocates. The days of pushing new and marginal performers into customer service are gone. Every job on your team drives your customer experience.

Customer 120

Customer Technical Review Differentiation Metrics 120

The Startup Magazine

MAY 22, 2018

At this stage of a company, all employees of the company need to proactively focus on customers and their receptivity to the offering. For these startup companies, the client success team does not falter as the company grows because they adjust to the changing expectations of customers as the request volumes grow. The Founding stage.

Customer 80

Customer Early Stage Churn Rate Startup 80

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 25, 2023

The expansion of e-commerce should also bring about seeing returns as a strategic lever, similar to how companies used faster delivery to drive customer experience and revenue. First and foremost, consider hiring an attorney to assist you in setting up your business structure, drafting contracts, and establishing store policies.

eCommerce 130

eCommerce Omaha Entrepreneur SEO 130

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

The studio’s internal team builds the minimal viable product, then validates an idea by finding product/market fit and early customers. If the idea passes a series of “Go/No Go” decisions based on milestones for customer discovery and validation, the studio recruits entrepreneurial founders to run and scale those startups.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2019

A platform is a business model and capability that can be accessed and customized by external users. Create and practice an obsession over customers. Make sure everyone knows it’s their job to maintain empathy and exceed customer expectations. Institute deep metrics measuring all aspects of the customer experience.

Artificial Inteligence 222

Artificial Inteligence Agile Technical Review Demand 222

OnlyOnce

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

(Post 1 of 4 in the series of Scaling CCOs) Very few startups start life with a Chief Customer Officer, even though customers are the lifeblood of every startup; instead, you’ll likely start your customer service organization with a “jack of all trades” account manager position. Specialized roles and multiple teams (e.g,

Hiring 62

Hiring Customer .Net Metrics 62

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. Metrics are used to manage process rather than creation of new capabilities, outcomes and speed to deployment. Companies Run on Process. The consultants reorganize the company (surprise!),

Government 315

Government Technical Review Acquisition Metrics 315

ConversionXL

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

You’ve been acquiring a ton of customers lately for your SaaS company. More customers, more money. So you throw your energy into your customer funnel. Why do customers leave, or use the service less, often without saying anything? Why do customers leave, or use the service less, often without saying anything?

Customer 110

Customer Churn Rate Metrics Retention 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

My simple answer is that they keep their focus on customers, rather than technology. Jeff Bezos has kept his focus on customers. In my view, every startup in today’s world would do well to adopt a management system with the same key objectives: Start with a customer-obsessed business model.

Global 308

Global Marketing Technical Review Algorithm 308

View from Seed

MARCH 24, 2021

In this comprehensive template and guide we break down each of the nine core sections in the deck: intro , team , what do you do , is it working , why does it matter (market) , can you be the best in the world (product, growth, financial metrics) , where are you going , what do you want (the ask) , and appendix. Hiring Your Team.

Seed Stage 177

Seed Stage Hiring IPO Analytics 177

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 14, 2024

How to Hire a Fractional CMO: The Smart Way to Scale written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing Are you looking at your business goals and feeling your marketing strategy just isn’t cutting it? This is where hiring a fractional CMO can make a significant difference. When should I hire a fractional CMO?

Hiring 80

Hiring Leadership Differentiation Cost 80

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital. He just hired Meg Whitman.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Similarly, customers are more knowledgeable, aware, and conscious to choose from the variety out there, which slows down the company’s revenue and growth. With appropriate data analytics, a business can predict and comprehend the market, competition, customer demands, etc. you can align your products’ improvements.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Forecast Analytics Social Media 152

ConversionXL

JUNE 16, 2022

They map out a repeatable process to avoid chaos and confusion in your team and with customers. This consistency creates familiarity, breeding trust that turns prospects into customers and customers into advocates. So, how can marketers align every department for a consistent customer experience? Positioning. Measurement.

Campaign 149

Campaign CTO Marketing Social Media 149

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

You should always design with the customer experience in mind. Patrons refers to the customers your company serves. A diversified customer base can reduce cash flow risks and greatly increase your company’s value. Finally, hiring the right M&A Advisor to guide you through the process can help in achieving a maximum profit.

Exit Strategy 246

Exit Strategy Intellectual Property Valuation Metrics 246

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 9, 2019

For many remote (and even regular) companies, company culture is something ethereal and abstract: while the most important metrics (customer engagement and satisfaction, employee turnover and retainment) are closely monitored, features like company culture are often neglected. by Denis Kryukov from Soshace.

Balance Sheet 159

Balance Sheet Web Development Software Engineering Retention 159

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 10, 2011

Some customer segments value the DVD business and these may be more price sensitive. Some customer segments value the convenience of instantly available films. Netflix needs to segment their customers and charge each what is appropriate. We need video reel to show customers that you care. ” customer segment.

Customer 287

Customer Technical Review Caching PR 287

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 17, 2021

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is a metric to monitor how effectively a business is accomplishing its specific objective. The metric is useful for measuring the chances a customer would recommend your products or service. Employers use this metric to measure their employees’ loyalty. CUSTOMER SERVICE KPIs.

.Net 92

.Net Metrics Retention Revenue 92