In “The Dance of the Possible,” Scott Berkun outlines four tests for understanding the real work involved to translate observations and creative insight into a solution.
Scott Berkun: How to Translate Observations and Creative Insight Into a Solution Read More »
A concierge MVP or service -first approach delivers the benefits that your product offers as a service or consulting first, charging for the result not your time.
Concierge MVP or Service-First Forces You To Be Your Own Test Pilot Read More »
Napoleon Hill wrote “The Magic Ladder to Success” in 1930. Despite being a con man and failure for most of his life, Hill was able to accurately summarize a number of common sense rules for success. I have tried to pull out some key insights in this blog post, leaving out a number of other
Napoleon Hill on Principles for Success in Business and Life Read More »
Key points from Mary Sorber’s presentation on “Qualitative Research: Problem Exploration for Lean Startups” at Lean Culture July-31-2018.
Qualitative Research: Problem Exploration for Lean Startups Read More »
A Bootstrappers Breakfast is “counter-cultural” to the VC ecosystem focus at many events for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Here are seven ways that we take a very different approach to facilitating events for entrepreneurs compared to most others in Silicon Valley.
What to Expect at a Bootstrappers Breakfast Read More »
Suhail Doshi, founder of Mixpanel, shared a candid assessment of mistakes he made in the first 18 months of the six startups he has founded in “The first 18 months of starting a company: it’s life or death.” Here are 7 key pieces of advice that highlight mistakes first founders typically make.
Suhail Doshi: Avoid These Seven Temptations as a First Time Founder Read More »
Applications that improve knowledge worker productivity have to satisfy “prepared users” not “casual users” and are especially challenge to do customer discovery and development for. With his permission, I have included William Pietri (LinkedIn williampietri) answer to a real question from an early stage entrepreneur because I found it incredibly insightful. I have known William
Q: How to Explore an MVP For Knowledge Worker Productivity Read More »
Whether you are interviewing potential employees or potential customers, don’t explore Thoughtland with a focus on predictions and beliefs. Instead, explore actual behavior and prior experience.
Don’t Explore Thoughtland In Interviews Read More »
Pete Tormey’s ebook “Startup Guide to Intellectual Property: Early Stage Protection of IP” is a great resource for founders on startup intellectual property. This blog post includes excerpts from the “Protecting IP Early” chapter that focus on protecting startup secrets early in its existence.
In the Beginning was the Doodle: Protecting Startup Secrets Read More »
Pete Tormey’s ebook “Startup Guide to Intellectual Property: Early Stage Protection of IP” is a great resource for founders on startup intellectual property. This blog post includes excerpts from the “Protecting IP Early” Chapter of Pete’s book. They cover some of the basic concepts of intellectual property and how to protect it early in your
In the Beginning Was the Doodle: Defining Startup Intellectual Property Read More »
There are few–if any–real secrets to entrepreneurial success. Most entrepreneurial secrets are hiding in plain sight, available to anyone who keeps their eyes and ears open and is willing to ask questions.
Newsletter August 2017: Entrepreneurial Secrets Read More »
The difference between scouting a new market and scouting a promising market is that the former may not exist–or come into existence–while the latter clearly exists because it’s already occupied.
Scouting a Promising Market: Sending Spies Into Canaan Read More »
Howard Marks wrote “Dare to be Great” in 2006 as a summary of challenges for successful investment: you have to be unconventional but correct. This advice applies to startups as well.
Howard Marks: “Dare To Be Great” Read More »
Chip Conley shares how he was able to look at AirBNB’s operation with newcomer’s eye when he chose to reconceive bewilderment as curiosity.
Chip Conley: Reconceive Bewilderment As Curiosity Read More »
A focus on inefficiencies is a good method to find a underserved market where you can bootstrap you way to viability. Here is a list of several others.
Q: Is a Focus on Inefficiencies a Good Way to Find an Underserved Market? Read More »
How do you answer someone who asks “Should I be an entrepreneur?” We ask, “Are you committed to self-improvement and to providing value?”
Q: Should I Be an Entrepreneur? Read More »
Customer development–discovery driven sales–requires that you first understand the customer’s problem then present a vision of a solution. If that is acceptable you can proceed to a demonstration that provides technical proof of value.
This post applies the moral of James Thurber‘s “The Fairly Intelligent Fly”–that there is “no safety in numbers, or in anything else”–to entrepreneurship.
No Safety in Numbers Read More »
When Cyberspace everts into the real world enabling communication and connection for non-computing related applications we call it IoT (the Internet of Things).
Cyberspace Everts Into The Real World as IoT Read More »
Fundamental questions allow you to explore new perspectives that can unlock new opportunities. Entrepreneurs can be unwilling to ask them–even of themselves–because a label that is commonly applied: stupid questions.
Entrepreneurs Need To See With Newcomer’s Eyes And Ask Stupid Questions Read More »
