Partners

SKMurphy Partner Ecosystems

We focus on strategy and business development for software startups. We’ve been fortunate to develop strong relationships with firms who also serve startups but offer complementary services, as well as firms who focus on larger clients but whose expertise is also of benefit to startups.

We work with a number of partners to create value for our clients. We take a long-term view of each partnership, believing that establishing close, mutually beneficial relationships with our partners is the best way to give our clients the best service possible. If you are interested in exploring partnership opportunities please contact us.

• Nathan Beckord of Venture Archetypes
  Nathan and his team have a well deserved reputation for excellence in strategic business plan development and investor presentation preparation. They complement our focus on customer development and customer oriented messaging with their focus on helping entrepreneurs develop a business plan that deserves investment.
• Peter Cohan of the Second Derivative
  “I first heard Peter Cohan speak in 2005 at a “Great Demo” seminar sponsored by SVPMA. It was an enormously enlightening and energizing experience. I had been scripting and giving demos (and presentations) for more than 20 years and here was an approach that was much better than anything I had seen. It’s taken me a while to make the shift to his methodology but it’s been of considerable benefit in marketing my practice as well helping my clients improve their demos. We are pleased to be able to partner with Peter and offer open seminars for smaller companies and startups: he is a consummate professional who prepares and presents well. What’s most significant is how he models his methodology in the way that he conducts the seminar. It can take an hour or two to sink in that he’s not just telling you: he’s showing directly in the way that he is well prepared, presents on point, and handles questions”
• Mark Duncan of Askmar:
  “Mark is a genuine entrepreneur who engages with startups by working effectively as an extension to their team. We enjoy working with him because he has the ability to not only understand complex technology and business issues but to distill them into clearly framed options and strategies. He is also a good speaker and presenter: he gave a great talk at the SDForum Marketing SIG in 2006 on ‘Beyond Microsoft Office, New Tools for the Marketing Professional’ that was very well received.”
• Athol Foden of BrighterNaming
  Athol manages a global naming agency that has considerable experience in naming technology companies and their products. We enjoy working with him because he has a wonderful sense of humor, attacks every challenge with energy and enthusiasm, and understands how to give practical advice to early stage software startups (as well as much larger firms).
• Scott Lane of SFBayVentures & Startup Epicenter
  We are excited to sponsor and take part in the Startup Epicenter programs. Scott Lane has a gift for spotting talented early stage entrepreneurs and fostering connections with other entreprenuers, advisors, and professional service providers who can assist them. His commitment to entrepreneurial education, as evidenced both by his leadership of the SVASE Startup-U program, and now the Startup Epicenter is outstanding. He makes sure that participants receive professional business training and access to the connections they need to drive their startups forward.
• Anne Marcus
  “Ann brings a creative spark and an ability to connect with a wide variety of folks to any assignment we have given her. She understands the importance of narrative as much as factual content to making a communication piece memorable: she is an excellent writer and interviewer.”
• Central DeskTop offers an outstanding application for shared workspaces. We use Central Desktop private workspace in all of our workshops and with all of our clients (and many prospects). Their spaces include wiki functionality, EditGrid, and versioned file storage that help us to reduce the amount of E-mail we exchange with clients, and keep projects organized in a workspace instead of various e-mail inboxes.