Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

New entrepreneurs tend to focus only on getting the product right, and assume that the right culture and ethics will come later simply by hiring good people. Hire only ethical people, so further time on business ethics is not needed. The reality is different. We’ve never broken the law so we must be ethical. Marty Zwilling.

Software Review 291

Software Review Offshore Entrepreneur Leadership 291

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

So you’re interested in raising capital from a Revenue-Based Investor VC. A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors (“RBI”) are emerging. For background, see Revenue-Based Investing: A New Option for Founders who Care About Control. We have a special program if you are pre-seed and need product development. Bigfoot Capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2011

Whatever you’re working on now, the half-life of innovation is so rapid now that your product will soon be out-of-date. In this globally connected world product leads disappear in nano-seconds. Only hire A players. Don’t hire too quickly just because you raised money or because you feel pressure to make things happen.

Hiring 399

Hiring Startup Global Revenue 399

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JANUARY 4, 2018

Late last year we passed $100M in annual recurring revenue. That revenue is in on 75,000 customers, earned through the hard work of 500 employees across six offices on three continents. We just announced a few more things.

Engineer 152

Engineer Revenue San Francisco Security 152

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 16, 2016

Not only are you kicking it when it comes to revenue, you’re also savvy marketers with impressive do-it-yourself skills. Digging into the numbers, 70 percent of small business owners reported meeting or exceeding their Q1 2016 revenue targets. John Orlando is Vice President, Customer and Product Marketing at Constant Contact.

Revenue 100

Revenue Small Business Social Media Technical Review 100

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 13, 2015

The question is: How do you decide what role is most important to hire for? If I hire someone to do X, I’ll have time for Y and Z. Hire the best person for that role. Examples: You hire the VP of Engineering for Facebook. You hire a super-effective VP of Sales , would that 10x sales in the next 12 months?

Part-Time VPE 120

Part-Time VPE Hiring Retention Revenue 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Plan to deliver a family of products, rather than a one-trick pony. Even a great initial product, with no follow-on, won’t keep you ahead of competitors very long. A smarter risk is to build a plan, with associated greater resources, that will put you in position to expand your product line and keep one step ahead of competitors.

Forecast 304

Forecast Stock Options Technical Review Metrics 304

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Deferred payments start with stretching the payables period but, more importantly, include giving employee equity in lieu of a higher salaries and negotiating vendor deferred payments out of future revenues. Overall, managing cash flow and burn rate is more critical to your business success than having the right idea and the right product.

Burn Rate 310

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Salary Social Media 310

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 16, 2021

One of the main challenges is understanding the customer, especially during the seed one funding space when they are still figuring out the market need, their product USP, and product marketing key messaging. It also allows businesses to create call playlists to accelerate new hires’ sales training and ramp-up process.

Conversion 162

Conversion Technical Review Startup Software Review 162

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 15, 2022

Client work serves as an additional source of revenue to form new startups. This outside work provides a valuable source of revenue able to be used to fund operations. Over time, this revenue reduces the dependency on outside venture capital sources. It also provides critical domain experience in a variety of business sectors.

Incubator 188

Incubator Startup Software Developers Software Development 188

David Teten

AUGUST 20, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) is a new form of VC financing, distinct from the preferred equity structure most VCs use.

Revenue 60

Revenue Cofounder Founder Venture Capital 60

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. Utilize Debt for Strategic Investments Use debt to invest in revenue-generating assets that generate a positive return on investment for your business.

Finance 122

Finance Technical Review Metrics .Net 122

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

With social media and smart phone apps, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. Every organization must constantly review its hiring practices, training, and leadership to make sure the focus is on people who are motivated, open-minded, and empowered. They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever.

Agile 379

Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 379

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2021

For example, I commonly see metrics to keep track of revenue per employee, overtime, and absenteeism, but I don’t often see measures of overall customer satisfaction with individual employees. Encourage employee innovation in service, just like you must always be looking for ways to improve your product offerings.

Customer 369

Customer Technical Review Metrics Employee 369

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. Every startup should have at least a couple of outside advisors who are not major investors or family members, anxious to talk to new investors and key new hires.

Technical Review 436

Technical Review Due Diligence Burn Rate Sweat Equity 436

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2019

Look for real problems to solve, like losing weight, staying healthy, or gaps in a popular product line. Today it more often means a “trusted friend” who seems real, visible, and doesn’t “push” products. Generate revenue around the clock. First, pick an opportunity that has a worldwide appeal, like eco-friendly products.

Technical Review 243

Technical Review Software Review Internet Revenue 243

Transformify

MARCH 14, 2020

At the same time, the stock markets collapsed, and most businesses already report skyrocketing losses, unmet revenue targets and insufficient stock due to production slow down in China, India and the rest of the world. So, who benefits the most from work from home jobs and diversity hiring programs?

Hiring 98

Hiring Bulgaria Italy Spain 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

The founder explains that the product or service is so “buzz-worthy” that the merits will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Viral 348

Viral Marketing SEM Campaign 348

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 18, 2023

If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. Every startup should have at least a couple of outside advisors who are not major investors or family members, anxious to talk to new investors and key new hires.

Sweat Equity 207

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 207

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2021

The real solution is better productivity and less procrastination, to put you back in control of your business. Jan Yager, a recognized expert on the subject of time management, addressed this issue in the classic edition of her book, “ Work Less, Do More: The 14-Day Productivity Makeover.” Rest makes you more productive.

Product 384

Product Database Restful Email 384

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Products that can be easily produced and sold via multiple channels, including the Internet, are more easily scaled world-wide. You need a stable customer base with an automatically renewing revenue stream, such as the subscription model. Minimize permanent hiring and customized operational facilities.

Merger 386

Merger Acquisition Software Review Social Media 386

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

Three types of organizations – Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Studios – have emerged to reduce the risk of early-stage startup failure by helping teams find product/market fit and raise initial capital. He had a track record of taking small teams and growing them into successful product lines.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

The Startup Magazine

MAY 31, 2022

Your human resource activities can be outsourced to: Independent HR consultants are professionals who can assist you with hiring, HR policies, and other decision-making. Finding and hiring new talent is one of the most important tasks for any HR department. Boosts Productivity. To Whom Can You Outsource HR Tasks?

United States 136

United States Salary Hiring Employee 136

The Next Web

NOVEMBER 6, 2013

If your startup’s goal is to sell a product or service but you’re having a hard time with your revenue model, affiliate marketing might be the perfect match to give you that much-needed boost. Going this route doesn’t mean your product sucks in any way. sharing revenue with affiliates decreases profit margins, right?

Affiliate 134

Affiliate Revenue Internet Marketing 134

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Plan to deliver a family of products, rather than a one-trick pony. Even a great initial product, with no follow-on, won’t keep you ahead of competitors very long. A smarter risk is to build a plan, with associated greater resources, that will put you in position to expand your product line and keep one step ahead of competitors.

Management 322

Management Entrepreneur Forecast Stock Options 322

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

It’s easy to find and hire an independent contractor. What the final product looks like (e.g. Any person or business you hire to do work on your behalf, but not as an employee, is an independent contractor. Note: At Hire My Mom, our professionals are independent and not employed by Hire My Mom.

Hiring 246

Hiring Non-disclosure Agreement Non-Compete NDA 246

Austin Startup

MAY 10, 2021

Hologram , a global cellular platform for IoT, announced it hired Mike Georgoff this month as its first Chief Product Officer as the organization continues its growth. Georgoff has more than 15 years of experience as a growth-stage executive focused on strategy, product and design. We’re thrilled to welcome Mike to our team.

Hiring 104

Hiring Product United States Startup 104

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 2, 2021

Hire A Team Of Software Developers. Once you understand the industry viability for your software startup, you can now hire a team of developers. Throughout recruitment, look to hire knowledgeable software developers with adequate experience and technical skills. Install Productive Development Tools.

Software Developers 137

Software Developers Software Development Software Developer 137

ConversionXL

JUNE 8, 2017

The website, the mobile application, the advertising, the support, the different screens and features of the product… everything could be personalized. It’s more productive to start with a few, well understood personas instead of going at full speed into micro-segmentation right from the start. Acquisition segments.

Programming 97

Programming Revenue Analytics Software Review 97

The Startup Magazine

MAY 2, 2022

It means not just great sales figures but also more revenue from each sale on average. It means companies can focus less on finding qualified workers who fit within their budget range (less overhead costs) and if there is a need for additional space due to increased demand caused by increased production capacity. Time spent on calls.

Software Review 142

Software Review Social Media Analytics Employee 142

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 16, 2021

One of the main challenges is understanding the customer, especially during the seed one funding space when they are still figuring out the market need, their product USP, and product marketing key messaging. It also allows businesses to create call playlists to accelerate new hires’ sales training and ramp-up process.

Conversion 78

Conversion Technical Review Startup Software Review 78

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 26, 2021

There are so many businesses around us, and to stay in the game, you need to think of ways to improve your small business revenue. As a small business owner, you need to do some research on industry practices for growing small business revenue. Today’s world is all about competition. Follow industry best practices. Final thoughts.

Small Business 165

Small Business Mobile Revenue Social Media 165

Up and Running

AUGUST 8, 2018

Too many meetings are run poorly, have no real objective, and waste employees’ time—which kills productivity. We always spend time drilling into the numbers, beyond the top-line revenue and expenses to better understand what the drivers were behind our performance. Did all product lines perform well? They’re right.

Software Review 65

Software Review Business Plan Product Forecast 65

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 4, 2023

This blog aims to guide you through the process, from the initial steps of conducting market research to operational management, hiring staff, and more. A locale convenient for clientele appointments and spacious enough for storing cleaning equipment, products, and possibly customer’s carpets would be ideal.

Balance Sheet 107

Balance Sheet Technical Review Business Model Business Plan 107

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

(Almost) everything you need to know (but are afraid to ask) before you wistfully ask a product manager to coffee so they will help you find a job. TL;DR Product management is a unique and poorly understood discipline, especially as it applies to software and other tech-related companies.

Management 85

Management Product Technical Review Software Review 85