A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 21, 2017

Revenue multiples, profit multiples, premium over the previous financing — these are metrics used by sellers to help determine a minimum acceptable price. Even if this costs more than 2 years of in-house assembly, it’s still worth it, due to accelerating revenue growth due to up-sales and market-differentiation.

Balance Sheet 242

Balance Sheet Vertical Acquisition Revenue 242

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

With the rise of new cannabis companies, it is important to differentiate your cannabis company from the competition, whether you are opening a farm, extraction operation, or dispensary. What differentiates your cannabis company from the one down the street? Milestones and metrics that you’ll need to hit to be viable.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Software Review 154

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

In this period (less than 2 years) he has brought on incredibly talented senior execs is sales, marketing, product management, client services, finance, vp engineering and more. He sets goals for MRR (monthly recurring revenue) to differentiate from one-time revenue, license revenue, services revenue and other.

Advisory Board 365

Advisory Board CTO Hire Fractional CTO Los Angeles 365

David Teten

APRIL 1, 2021

As an agenda for each meeting, I suggest: – How can we most add value, in addition to helping with financing? For instance, tracking ‘months-of-runway’ combined with the month-over-month change to that metric allows us to rapidly identify companies that may be distressed. – What are your fundraising goals?

Private Equity 78

Private Equity Venture Capital Portfolio Equity 78

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Step 3: Brand and differentiate yourself. Whether you’re looking to stand out in an already-crowded marketplace, or to simply be a memorable company, figuring out how to brand and differentiate yourself is key. However, we have been able to differentiate [ourselves] and also excel by making enterprise software fun and enjoyable.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Up and Running

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Is it differentiated from other products in its competitive set? The difference between marketing and say, finance, is that, as consumers, we’re constantly exposed to marketing messages. Time spent on-page is a related metric you may also want to track. Is there a well-defined, sustainable market for your product?

Marketing 142

Marketing Technical Review SEO Hosting 142

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2016

A business plan is impressive when it combines a credible team with an attractive market, plus differentiators, barriers to competition, good product-market fit, some proprietary secret sauce. You want the math and finance to be correct. You want somebody who can tip you off to what metrics will matter.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Metrics Differentiation Hiring 60

reidhoffman.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

You may happen to emphasize the right points that pique an investor’s interest, but you shouldn’t leave your financing up to chance. Second, understand the broader financing climate. There will be one to three issues that are potentially problematic for your financing — address them head on. Your differential product?

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Revenue Viral Networking 111

Austin Startup

MARCH 26, 2019

Even pre-launch, there’s work you can do here to differentiate yourself. Important metrics to track include customer count, average order value (AOV), retention or repeat purchase rate, ad spend, paid CAC, weighted average CAC, rolling LTV estimates, and more. Unfortunately, debt financing for DTC is still somewhat nascent.

Technical Review 49

Technical Review Software Review China Acquisition 49

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 14, 2024

This might involve conducting market research, analyzing your target audience, and identifying key metrics to track your progress. We’re going to study how we’re gonna differentiate. By putting the customer first, you can differentiate your brand from competitors and charge a premium for your products or services.

Hiring 76

Hiring Leadership Differentiation Cost 76

The Startup Magazine

JANUARY 31, 2019

Ali Mayar began his professional life in finance before moving on to his current role today. His work in the finance industry showed him how difficult it can be for business owners to secure the funds they need to grow their business, so he left his job to in order to launch a brand-new business venture: Platinum Rapid Funding Group (PRFG).

Founder 91

Founder New York Finance Social Media 91

ReadWriteStart

JULY 20, 2023

Product Differentiation : Develop innovative products that stand out in a crowded market, fueling growth and attracting investors. By embracing innovation, redefining traditional metrics, and adopting a strategic approach, startups can unlock their full potential and pave the way for a new era of technology-driven success.

IPO 107

IPO Startup Initial Public Offering eCommerce 107

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2022

An often overlooked purpose of a business plan is as a tool to define success metrics. By housing these financial metrics within your business plan, you suddenly have an easy way to relate your strategy to actual performance. A key part of writing your plan involves pulling together a viable financial plan.

Business Plan 150

Business Plan Balance Sheet Revenue Metrics 150

abovethecrowd.com

OCTOBER 17, 2013

A new pricing or packaging model does not by itself represent a meaningful core differentiation, and the rising abundance of “subscription” or “flash sales” companies heightened our concern with regard to barriers to entry. For starters, the business metrics are quite compelling. The company has clearly “struck a chord” with consumers.

eCommerce 62

eCommerce Technical Review North America San Francisco 62

Occam's Razor

AUGUST 9, 2021

Almost all metrics you currently use have one common thread: They are almost all backward-looking. If you want to deepen the influence of data in your organization – and your personal influence – 30% of your analytics efforts should be centered around the use of forward-looking metrics. Predictive metrics!

Metrics 142

Metrics Analytics Campaign Conversion 142

Up and Running

JUNE 27, 2018

Differentiate yourself. Base every hiring decision on the value—dollars and cents—that your new hire will add, and don’t do it until your finances can support it. . Define success metrics before your campaign starts, then measure your effectiveness during and after the campaign. Did your strategies work? Not having a website.

Marketing 109

Marketing Social Media Campaign Sales Cycle 109

Lightspeed Venture Partners

DECEMBER 3, 2010

The key driver of this renewed confidence from brand advertisers is better measurement of brand metrics that can show the impact of online advertising beyond clickthrough. Direct Response Advertising becomes ever more efficient. Real time web usage outpaces business models. On what basis then will winners pull away from the rest?

Internet 114

Internet eCommerce Advertising Flash 114

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

Week 2 – Getting financed. Spend the next work working on your pitch, your business plan and on researching your financing options. Not only will this help to differentiate you from the competition, but it will clarify your message, create value and be a key element of your marketing. Day 30: Rest.

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

Up and Running

JANUARY 10, 2017

Competition is tough and businesses have to find ways to differentiate and create opportunity. Quick financing options. Invoice financing or factoring. One option that can sometimes help is invoicing financing or factoring. One option that can sometimes help is invoicing financing or factoring. Invoice discounting.

Finance 60

Finance .Net Small Business B2B 60

Steve Blank

JUNE 15, 2010

They understand that now’s not the time to hire a senior VP of Sales to start to scale the sales force or to look for a finance department to create income statements that say zero each month. Do they have metrics and a methodology they use for early stage companies that differs from companies that have already found a business model?

Founder 232

Founder Vesting Later Stage Early Stage 232

Cracking the Code

JANUARY 19, 2016

They also need VCs capable of financing their entire life cycle — on average, SaaS startups raise between $80 and $100 million before an IPO. SaaS startups need to have a VC that understands the SaaS model, including market development strategies, upsell dynamics, sales incentive plan, etc. Mobile will drive new use cases.

API 48

API Silicon Valley Europe Differentiation 48

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 24, 2011

How to differentiate yourself in a crowded market (and when perhaps you shouldn’t try). So it’s not necessarily true, but if you are like another popular group in Chexts is younger people who don’t have a lot of money to manage, but they don’t need financing and all of that stuff. Jason: I agree.

Cofounder 208

Cofounder Technical Review Software Review Differentiation 208

David Teten

JANUARY 13, 2015

Most investors and other members of the American elite come from a homogeneous background: white, male, straight, Christian (or Jewish, at least in the finance industry), tall , handsome , physically fit, graduate of a select university, with American parents of upper middle class or higher socio-economic status. Prove more through metrics.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Advisory Board Greece Cofounder 60

A Crowded Space

JUNE 2, 2016

Tomasz Tunguz publishes data daily about VC metrics and public market comps. There is frequent talk about data analysts and data-driven decision making as key differentiators for VC firms. The metrics around SaaS and marketplace businesses are increasingly well understood.

Forecast 60

Forecast Metrics Revenue Venture Capital 60

Up and Running

MAY 28, 2015

We’re looking at our lean business planning is about strategy, tactics, concrete specifics including milestones, metrics, tasks and schedule, and essential numbers to run a business, all of which lead to managing cash flow. What taglines are you using to differentiate yourself from other people, other businesses that might be similar.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

I understand why he wants to differentiate himself but I wonder if a scorched Earth strategy against the main funding source for your company pays in the long run. What micro VCs need to consider is what happens when several of your companies want to grow and require VC financing?

Silicon Valley 308

Silicon Valley Liquidity Event Seed Stage Finance 308

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 5, 2016

Analytics or metrics or whatever you choose to call how a business performs can not lie – as long as you ask the right questions and track the right things. The subtitle of the survey report – How analytics differentiates winners sheds some light on the findings and importance of data. Typical sales dashboard metrics include: Leads.

Analytics 28

Analytics Metrics Sales Cycle Finance 28

Business Plan Blog

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Part of the process of differentiating from a non-profit organization and a for profit business requires a social enterprise to understand how it competes with the business entities on each end of the business spectrum. All non-profits are engaged in some form of fundraising, as it is a necessity to fund their organization.

Non-Compete 45

Non-Compete Lean Equity Metrics 45

David Teten

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

The cover note should include: name, website, location, revenues (if any), detailed financing history (if any), and precise terms on which you are seeking to raise capital. As much as possible, emphasize the traction you have already achieved and the metrics you are using to measure that traction.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Pre-Money Valuation Prospectus Early Stage 60

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 20, 2023

Rodney highlights the significance of selecting the right areas for transformation that can deliver a differentiating value, plus the importance of upskilling and reskilling existing talent within digital changes. And that really is like the guide for corporate finance executives on how to value a company.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Silicon Valley Generative AI Arizona 63

Business Plan Blog

OCTOBER 29, 2013

Friends and Family Financing. As funding rounds get larger and larger, the business plan needs to evolve with additional information, financial projections, and key performance metrics. One of the most daunting challenges when starting a business is raising start-up capital. Price Strategy.

PPC 59

PPC Business Plan Public Relations Differentiation 59

Cracking the Code

APRIL 13, 2007

To differentiate their service offering and maximize the value captured, Saas vendors package their services by segment with different price point. Successful companies have developed specific teams focused on developing and monitoring key usage metrics. What metrics drive the value of this new generation of software service providers?

Software Review 48

Software Review Internet Software Technical Review 48

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 17, 2017

— Problem 1 : Regardless of a high-level understanding that business as usual can’t go on, all agencies are given “guidance and metrics (what they are supposed to do (their “mission”) and how they are supposed to measure success). Solution 2: Use the McKinsey Three Horizons Model to differentiate among the three types.

Community 237

Community Silicon Valley Technical Review Incubator 237

Up and Running

JULY 29, 2016

Actually, they hadn’t even asked basic questions about financing or labor costs. Still, in talking to assisted living owners, I’ve found a number who’ve relied on guesswork, hunches, and optimistic projections in place of clear metrics. Premium service also acts as a way to differentiate the home. How to Write a Business Plan.

Semantic 60

Semantic CPA Business Plan Washington 60

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

You know the next two cons for being your own boss kind of have to do with finances. Peter: Even those who do, have a good finance source, or a good initial start up loan, that kind of thing. Jonathan: They track a few different metrics, like the ease of starting a business, ease of hiring. Jonathan: Yeah, absolutely.

Texas 60

Texas Small Business San Antonio New Hampshire 60

crowdSPRING Blog

DECEMBER 13, 2018

There are three parts to a good competitive analysis: (1) defining the metrics and identifying the competitors you’re comparing, (2) gathering the data, and (3) the analysis. Your brand positioning explains how your company differentiates in the marketplace and how you are different from your competitors. How do you begin?

Marketing 162

Marketing Charlotte Naming Design 162

Hearpreneur

OCTOBER 28, 2018

I believe it’s important for leaders to visually see if business metrics are being met. It took a while but after days of brainstorming, Financer became our brand, and years later we’re still very happy with the decision. I wanted a short and simple business name that could get my point across but also differentiate me.

Naming 78

Naming Entrepreneur Green Lead Generation 78