An actual dream I had of a tiger prowling a maze where some walls are iron bars, others are plexiglass, and strips of masking tape seem to bar some paths. I later realized it was a metaphor for three kinds of barriers that entrepreneurs need to navigate as they get a new business established.
Iron Bars, Plexiglass, and Masking Tape Read More »
It’s Rare That You Are Actually Bringing Fire To The Savages If you think you are so much smarter than your customers that you are “bringing fire to the savages” you will find it hard to learn from them and hard to actually close deals. What follows are three true stories. We Won The Argument,
I Don’t Understand, We Won the Argument, Why Didn’t We Win The Sale? Read More »
I am happy to be able to offer another guest blog by Nanette Collins, her first was on “Volunteering, Lessons Learned from the Trenches.” Nanette is an entrepreneur in her own right, she is the principal at Nanette V. Collins Marketing and PR with offices in Boston and San Francisco and one the web at
Nanette Collins: Startup Culture is Critical Read More »
Here are three good books for consultants that I routinely recommend: “Trusted Advisor”, “Secrets of Consulting”, and “Rainmaking.”
Three Good Books for Consultants Read More »
Good content is the basis for good marketing: your messaging must explain your knowledge of customer problems and how you can help.
Good Marketing is Good Content Read More »
With Athol Foden‘s encouragement I have submitted the following session (links added) for this year’s Silicon Valley Code Camp: Software Startup Maturity Checklist This session is for both aspiring and active entrepreneurs. We will walk through a 36 point checklist that covers Product Development, Customer Development, and Business Operations. You will leave with a better
Sign-up for Software Startup Checklist Seminar at Silicon Valley Code Camp Read More »
Michael Schrage offers some useful insights on innovation: he stresses the need for collaboration both within the startup (or new product team) and between the startup and its early customers.
Michael Schrage on Innovation, Collaboration, Tools, and Incentives Read More »
In “The Challenges of Measuring Non-Existent Markets” Scott D. Anthony outlines four principal challenges in measuring non-existent markets: Data does not yet exist. When a market doesn’t exist, there are no baseline market research reports or time-series data sets to analyze. Lack of comparable products. Without existing data, there is a natural tendency to look
Other Customer Development Models Read More »
Attracting new customers is at the heart of every business. Active participation in a community can make you more visible and allows you to demonstrate expertise.
Cultivating Communities to Get More Customers Read More »
A lot of is written these days about how to conserve cash in a downturn. In particular the need to cut expenses by cutting headcount and unnecessary fill-in-the-blank spending. But conserving trust is equally important. If you have been bootstrapping and only increasing expenses in response to revenue (versus in anticipation of revenue) then your
Conserving Trust in a Downturn Read More »
Worry about a good customer reference more than getting paid. A reference will lead to payment, but just because they pay does not mean they’re a reference. Plan for gaining customer references by starting with a request for feedback don the quality of your services and the business results you enabled.
Plan For Customer Reference as Much as Payment Read More »
Having a public reference, testimonial, or case study is a significant risk reducing asset for a startup. It’s prudent to negotiate the level of reference in parallel with price.
Negotiate the Level of Reference in Parallel with Price and Others Terms and Conditions Read More »
The challenge with overnight success in a startup–like many things–is the time needed to integrate many inputs, your own hopes and fears among them.
The closing slide in our Idea to Revenue Workshop says In The Beginning…The Founders Are The Business. To Keep The Business Viable, Learn Faster Than the Competition. Successful Entrepreneurship Is a Self-Improvement Project.
In the Beginning…the Founders are the Business Read More »
User communities are not just a low cost way to market and support your product, they are essential to complex technology products.
User Communities Are Critical For Complex Products Read More »
Negotiating a software deal, from either side of the table, can be different from many other negotiations that you enter into. I have been surprised over the years at how folks who are successful in other domains can fail one or more of the following tests as they negotiate a software deal. Have You Created
Three Tests For Negotiating A Software Deal Read More »
Len Sklar offer insights at the next Bootstrappers Breakfast on why the “Check is NOT in the Mail” and answers questions on credit policies.
“The Check is NOT in the Mail” this Friday at Bootstrappers Breakfast Read More »
This article compares Paul Graham’s “Six Principles for Making New Things” with Bob Bemer’s “Do Something Small But Useful Now”, Gary Hamel’s Innovation Hacker, and Peter Drucker’s list of seven places to search systematically for opportunities.
Paul Graham’s Six Principles for Making New Things Read More »
Many entrepreneurs find themselves in the grip of an idea, captivated by it’s 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 »
My two key take-aways from “First Customers: Targeting The Right Customers To Build And Sustain Your Business” were that nothing happens automatically with a launch and your true first customer is a stranger.
First Customers: Targeting The Right Customers To Build And Sustain Your Business Read More »
