skmurphy Archives - Page 81 of 86

Leveraging Your Social Network to Find Early Customers Monday Feb 11 at SDForum

Events, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / February 6, 2008

I will be speaking next Monday at the SDForum Marketing SIG on “Leveraging Your Social Network to Find Early Customers.” Social navigation is networking with a goal. Entrepreneurs will spend social capital navigating their way to getting trusted feedback and early sales. Like Google and web assisted selling tools, social network tools can improve the […]

Leveraging Your Social Network to Find Early Customers Monday Feb 11 at SDForum Read More »

Three Features For A Webinar Or Conference Call

skmurphy, Tools for Startups / By Sean Murphy / February 5, 2008

Three features for a webinar or conference call: let someone raise their hand and speak; break a larger group into small groups and then reconvene; automatically manage the “queue for the microphone” during the Q&A segment.

Three Features For A Webinar Or Conference Call Read More »

Advanced Topics Session Added To The March 8 Great Demo! Workshop

Events, skmurphy, Startups / By Sean Murphy / February 4, 2008

Advanced Topics Session Added To The March 8 Great Demo Workshop include presenting to a mixed audience with different needs and vision generation.

Advanced Topics Session Added To The March 8 Great Demo! Workshop Read More »

Focus On Your Prospect’s Pain Not The Brilliance of Your Product Idea

3 Early Customer Stage, Customer Development, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / February 1, 2008

Many entrepreneurs find themselves in the grip of an idea, captivated by its seeming brilliance. But success comes from understanding a prospect’s pain.

Focus On Your Prospect’s Pain Not The Brilliance of Your Product Idea Read More »

Three Tips for Minimizing Misunderstandings Among Co-Founders

2 Open for Business Stage, Rules of Thumb, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / January 31, 2008

Here are three tips for minimizing misunderstandings among co-founders: get clarity on the problem before arguing over solutions, maintain full transparency about spending, and work from a one-page operating plan.

Three Tips for Minimizing Misunderstandings Among Co-Founders Read More »

HP’s Early Customers Came From Fred Terman’s Social Network

Customer Development, Founder Story, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / January 29, 2008

HP produced its first brochure and sent it to a list of about 25 potential customers provided by Fred Terman. Orders soon came in from early customers.

HP’s Early Customers Came From Fred Terman’s Social Network Read More »

Lunch & Learn: Using Wikis for Projects

Events, skmurphy, Tools for Startups / By Sean Murphy / January 24, 2008

Outline from my talk on Using Wikis for Projects at People On the Go Jan-24-2008. Talk includes benefits we have experienced in our practice.

Lunch & Learn: Using Wikis for Projects Read More »

Steve Blank on Customer Development Process for Startups

Books, Customer Development, Events, skmurphy, Tools for Startups / By Sean Murphy / January 22, 2008

I was an early fan of Steve Blank’s customer development model. This post was written when “Four Steps to the Epiphany” was only available on Cafe Press and documents the early set of principles he espoused.

Steve Blank on Customer Development Process for Startups Read More »

Idea to Revenue Workshop on Jan-19-08 is Sold Out

Events, skmurphy, Workshop / By Sean Murphy / January 16, 2008

The Idea to Revenue Workshop scheduled for January 19 is now sold out and no walk-ins will be accepted. We had added this in December in response to the overflow demand for the December 6 one and are now considering adding a third. Please contact us and let us know if you are interested or

Idea to Revenue Workshop on Jan-19-08 is Sold Out Read More »

We Sign NDA’s

Legal Issues, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / January 8, 2008

We get asked “Will you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement?” fairly often, to the point that we are proactive, suggesting that a prospect take a look at our Mutual NDA [PDF] and sign it if it would increase their comfort level. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) allows us to have a deeper and more useful discussion. We

We Sign NDA’s Read More »

Hello 2008

Quotes, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / January 1, 2008

Let’s say hello to 2008 and hope the year finds us all healthy, surrounded by loved ones, and living up to our potential.

Hello 2008 Read More »

CINA Holiday Mixer

Events, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 15, 2007

The 2007 CINA Holiday Mixer had a nice turnout: it was networking followed by a traditional twelve course Chinese lunch.

CINA Holiday Mixer Read More »

Seeing The Elephant: The Entrepreneur’s Challenge of Integrating Advice

1 Idea Stage, skmurphy, Startups / By Sean Murphy / December 14, 2007

To “see the elephant” entrepreneurs must work toward a holistic perspective by integrating advice and conflicting views from a variety of sources.

Seeing The Elephant: The Entrepreneur’s Challenge of Integrating Advice Read More »

Entrepreneurs, Luck, and Silicon Valley

Books, Rules of Thumb, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 13, 2007

2003 reflections on the dotcom crash–the year I started SKMurphy, Inc., and 4 rules of thumb from Richard Wiseman on making you own luck.

Entrepreneurs, Luck, and Silicon Valley Read More »

How To Ask An Expert For Help

Books, Checklist, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 12, 2007

Entrepreneurs often have to ask an expert for help. Here is some common mistakes to avoid and suggestions for how to make a positive response more likely.

How To Ask An Expert For Help Read More »

CINA Holiday Mixer Sat-Dec-15

Events, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 8, 2007

CINA Holiday Mixer Set for Sat-Dec-15-2007 I have been invited to emcee this year’s CINA Holiday mixer, it will be held at Fenwick on Saturday December 15, from 10am to 1pm. It will start with networking followed by a traditional twelve course Chinese lunch. It should be a lot of fun whether you are new

CINA Holiday Mixer Sat-Dec-15 Read More »

One Name or Two for Product and Company

skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 7, 2007

Athol Foden was a guest speaker at today’s Bootstrapper Breakfast and he brought his passion for naming and deep knowledge of the issues that around it. One question that came up this morning–and comes up with a lot of very early stage teams–is whether or not to name the company the same as the product

One Name or Two for Product and Company Read More »

Legal Issues: Q&A with Pete Tormey of Action Patents

Legal Issues, skmurphy / By Francis Adanza / December 6, 2007

Today I was able to sit down with Pete Tormey, founder of Action Patents. Pete is a registered patent agent who specializes in providing patents for Software, Electronics, Life Science Instrumentation and Business Methods. Legal Issues: Q&A with Pete Tormey of Action Patents From blogs to entrepreneurial events, patents are always a controversial topic. This

Legal Issues: Q&A with Pete Tormey of Action Patents Read More »

21 Great Questions for Developing New Products

Checklist, Favorites, Rules of Thumb, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 5, 2007

Here are 21 great questions for developing new products, the checklist is from “Breakthrough Thinking From Inside the Box” by Coyne, Clifford, and Dye; the commentary is mine.

21 Great Questions for Developing New Products Read More »

Entrepreneurial Innovation Comes More From Borrowing & Combining Than Invention

Books, Quotes, skmurphy / By Sean Murphy / December 4, 2007

I came across a good quote on innovation and invention in a 2004 article in Fortune Magazine by Harold Evans called “What Drives America’s Greatest Innovators“ (emphasis added) [The] defining characteristic of the innovator: a determination to bring a brainwave into the bustle of the marketplace. […] More innovations come from borrowing and combining than

Entrepreneurial Innovation Comes More From Borrowing & Combining Than Invention Read More »