Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2011

There are unknowns at every turn, leading product development, attracting customers, managing cash, and dealing with human resources and office politics. Too many startups simply follow the standard distribution channels, use standard pricing, and count on their one extra feature to give them the market.

Advisory Board 232

Advisory Board Startup Forecast Early Stage 232

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

Others do far too little, assuming the viral effect and word-of-mouth will soon kick in, and sales will suddenly grow exponentially. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Ask every employee to focus on sales. Aggressively enter new markets and sales channels. Real growth always requires real marketing.

Social Media 329

Social Media Metrics Viral Channel 329

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2018

When Sloan arrived at GM in 1920 he realized that the traditional centralized management structures organized by function (sales, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing) were a poor fit for managing GM’s diverse product lines. billion in sales in today’s dollars). Yet, you never hear who built GM to that size.

Michigan 268

Michigan Cofounder Stock Forecast 268

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2017

Some believe in the all-in approach to product development: build an advanced app. Then, about two weeks before launch, I distributed a survey to those 256 partners. Although Recycler Spotter was perceived as a great model for increasing awareness and sales, most partners decided to wait for the product launch.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Distribution Redemption Demand 96

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 177

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 177

Growthink Blog

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

And a boost toward a faster timeline and better probability of a business sale at an exciting price. Company Scenario #2: A company with a solid revenue base - say more than $5 million in sales - but competes in an industry not one of great, current interest to buyers / investors. A boost toward better financial results. Relationships.

Harvest 48

Harvest IP Software Review Forecast 48

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 156

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 156

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

Traction can simply mean showing that you’re making progress with customers, product development, channel partners, initial revenue as a proof point, attracting well-known angel investors, winning industry awards / recognition. They tell you they’re going to ship product and they do. They hire key staff. .&#

Technical Review 309

Technical Review Term Sheet Venture Capital Revenue 309

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2010

There are unknowns at every turn, leading product development, attracting customers, managing cash, and dealing with human resources and office politics. Too many startups simply follow the standard distribution channels, use standard pricing, and count on their one extra feature to give them the market.

Advisory Board 125

Advisory Board Startup Forecast Early Stage 125

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 136

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 136

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

Look, if you work in sales, wanna learn how to sell, and frankly who doesn't check out the sales podcast, where host Will Barron helps sales professionals learn how to find buyers and win big business ineffective and ethical ways. It's just not the same when you're distributed and talking remotely.

San Francisco 97

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 97

Berkonomics

JULY 13, 2023

Example tactics for one strategy: [Email readers, continue here…] Strategy Three: Expand into at least three new continents through new distribution channels. Assign our development manager to localize design and oversee the needed enhancements to our product and support materials for each new territory.

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Asia America Distribution Channel 62

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 22, 2012

Let’s start out with the basic functions of a tech company: 1) Engineering 2) Marketing 3) Sales 4) Business development 5) PR 6) Design 7) Product Management 8) HR 9) Operations 10) Finance Ok, that's just overwhelming. Let’s take sales and business development. Ready to start simplifying?

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PR Technical Review Seed Stage Design 144

ConversionXL

MAY 1, 2017

Reporting in the Harvard Business Review on a major study of growth stalls they conducted, Olson and his colleagues cite the case of the iconic brand Levi Strauss, which hit a historic high mark of sales in 1995, reaching revenue of $7 billion, but then, starting in 1996, saw a decline in sales so precipitous that by 2000, revenue was down to $4.6

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Algorithm Channel Analytics 127

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

The Lockheed Skunk Works led by Kelly Johnson was responsible for its Advanced Development Projects – everything from the P-80 , the first U.S. Skunk works differed from advanced research groups in that they were more than just product development groups. jet fighter plane, to the U-2 and A-12 spy planes. Lessons Learned.

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Channel Customer Development Distribution Restful 286

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2009

When they promise to help you with marketing, sales, distribution, integrated product development, etc. But the venture guys don’t make the calls on what the product / business guys do. Imagine your investor has to call the CEO of a $20 billion company for approval for your merger or sale.

Strategic Investors 279

Strategic Investors Venture Capital Due Diligence Early Stage 279

Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 14, 2009

Their product definition fluctuates wildly – one month, it’s a dessert topping, the next it’s a floor wax. Their product development team is hard at work on a next-generation product platform, which is designed to offer a new suite of products – but this effort is months behind schedule.

Customer 167

Customer San Francisco Lean Hockey Stick 167

Steve Blank

AUGUST 27, 2009

This series of posts is a brief explanation of how we’ve evolved from Product Development to Customer Development to the Lean Startup. The Product Development Diagram Emerging early in the twentieth century, this product-centric model described a process that evolved in manufacturing industries.

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Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 260

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Seth Rosenberg at Graylock published ‘ Product Led AI’ – pointing to opportunities for founders building AI-first companies. Undoubtedly, there will be detractors who believe many products are simply features on top of foundational models.

Generative AI 78

Generative AI ChatGPT Artificial Inteligence Cofounder 78

ConversionXL

MAY 27, 2022

Sales intelligence platform Cognism cut their lead generation efforts by 90% in 2021. In this article, you’ll learn how to build a demand generation funnel that fuels the pipeline, shortens the sale cycle, and generates revenue. an ebook); Then you blast them with sales messaging (e.g., email, ads, retargeting, etc.)

Demand 124

Demand B2B Distribution Channel 124

K9 Ventures

AUGUST 13, 2010

So the departments either didn’t have the capacity to pay or it would be an endless sales-cycle, where we would spend lots of time on the sales, but it still wouldn’t close. I tell these stories to lay the groundwork for what I am going to call Revenue Development. In a nutshell, Product Development is about building something.

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Revenue Developer Java Customer Development 72

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 24, 2009

One is explaining the world as it used to work: the importance of gatekeepers, the scarcity implied by limited distribution, and the resulting quality bar that the industry is so proud of. Mostly it is the time and expense required to create the means of distribution for that industry. It’s just taking some longer than others.

San Francisco 113

San Francisco Lean Technical Review Distribution 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2016

Others do far too little, assuming the viral effect and word-of-mouth will soon kick in, and sales will suddenly grow exponentially. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners. Ask every employee to focus on sales. Aggressively enter new markets and sales channels. Real growth always requires real marketing.

Social Media 120

Social Media Metrics Viral Channel 120

Berkonomics

MAY 25, 2017

Strategy Three: Expand into at least three new continents through new distribution channels. Assign our development manager to localize design and oversee the needed enhancements to our product and support materials for each new territory. Email readers, continue here…]. EMEA, Asia, Latin America.

Asia 97

Asia America Distribution Channel 97

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 24, 2017

We’re very new to the industry, and while we’re passionate about the product, there have been obstacles every step of the way – production, shipping, distribution, etc. But it’s rewarding to see our customers so excited about the product, and the huge growth in sales from last year has been encouraging.

Las Vegas 88

Las Vegas Entrepreneur Software Review Community 88

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2010

You can also use this space to keep track of innovators (R&D personnel) and rainmakers (sales & marketing personnel). Products: You obviously can’t create value without a viable product (or service) to sell. You should inventory your best accounts and prospects, as well as the status of any pending major sales.

Intellectual Property 223

Intellectual Property .Net Valuation Distribution 223

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

In an enterprise sales context, this is called a "repeatable and scalable sales process" - once you know how to do this, your company can graduate from early adopters and make an attempt at the mainstream. Thoughts on scientific product development Lo, my 5 subscribers, who are you?

Audience 119

Audience San Francisco Continuous Deployment Lean 119

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 12, 2015

Writing a book requires an obvious level of time and thought commitment, but if the author wants to see any degree of commercial success, it also requires a commitment to promote and hustle sales. Once it’s complete, you’re looking at another 6-9 months for a national distribution rollout. Differentiated Approach.

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Marketing Differentiation Distribution Audience 100

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 24, 2014

Just get it done” is fine when entrepreneurs are starting out, but not when the work is distributed to a bigger team. To help build new product development and venture teams, my colleague Rob Goldberg, of Stages of Innovation , created an assessment tool called Talent for Growth. Do they have a scalable technology advantage?

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Startup Angel Investor Early Stage LLC 252

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

People had a terrible experience using their product. After turning their attention toward feedback and testing, letting the voice of their customers fuel their content strategy and product development, they took off. What is the growth stage of the product life cycle (and why is it important)?

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Product Marketing Social Media Channel 102

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 17, 2010

This drives our own product development strategy, and we constantly ask for feedback and suggestions to help us understand how we can do better. But critical to consider are whether your product offers enough variation (is there something for (almost) everyone?) Or right here on the good ol’ Internets?

Marketing 84

Marketing Startup Viral Small Business 84

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 28, 2010

They were interested in the tools and new distribution medium kaChing provided. To acquire new money managers, the company makes traditional sales calls, which means they’ve interviewed many, many professionals and gotten a strong sense of their needs. These managers weren’t concerned with transparency. says Rachleff.

San Francisco 158

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment SEC 158

Up and Running

MARCH 1, 2016

billion in total industry sales. So, if I were going to invent something, I’d probably start by creating an affordable jeweler’s workbench, not least because I’d be able to test it, and because I already know all the distribution channels I’d need to hit in order to sell it. In 2011, it accounted for approximately $2.3

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Non-disclosure Agreement NDA Non-Compete Naming 60

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2010

We’ll be conducting a series of educational programes covering: fund raising, team building, product development, sales, marketing, business development and how to prioritize your time as a CEO. But at the highest level they’ve created a marketplace for “flash&# sales. with the clips.

Los Angeles 276

Los Angeles Stealth Securities and Exchange Commission Southern California 276

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

This gets me into trouble, because it conjures up for some the idea that product development is simply a rote mechanical exercise of linear optimization. You just constantly test little micro-changes and follow a hill-climbing algorithm to build your product. How to listen to customers, and not just the loud.

San Francisco 166

San Francisco Lean Technical Review Continuous Deployment 166

Steve Blank

MARCH 11, 2015

They’ve found product/market fit (what products customers want to buy). They’ve learned the best distribution channel to get the product from their company to the customer. They’ve figured out the revenue model (subscription, license, direct sale, etc.) and how to price the product.

Widget 120

Widget Lean Business Model Metrics 120

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

by Steve Owens, Founder and CTO of Finish Line Product Development Services. In this context, revenue can be an investment as well as sales. Technology, marketing, legal, distribution are all changing and evolving at an incredible pace. The technology you choose for your product will change your Go To Market strategy.

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Startup Revenue Product Development Distribution 133