We are facilitating another website peer review Thursday June 11 at PATCA. At our April 17 website peer review, we were asked by Jerry Rice to produce a similar event for PATCA and were happy to oblige. Theresa is a member of PATCA and regularly attends their events. She blogged about “Three Reasons to Attend […]
Website Peer Review at PATCA June 11 Read More »
Athol Foden of Brighter Naming is our guest speaker Friday May 8 for the Bootstrapper Breakfast™ at 7:30am at the Omega Restaurant in Milpitas. Athol has over 16 years of experience helping clients name companies, products, services, and taglines. Athol’s opening remarks will be followed by a question and answer session on developing the right
Athol Foden at Friday May 8 Bootstrapper Breakfast in Milpitas Read More »
I worked at Monolithic Memories from 1984 until 1988, in 1985 Irwin Federman, who was CEO at the time announced that the company was informally banning meetings on Fridays. It seemed reasonable to me and I thought it would probably make us more productive. A few weeks later he announced that the company was going
Fewer of You Will Be Listening To Someone Else Read More »
William Feather’s “Dead Business” details the stark differences between a going concern and all the agreements and understandings that have been reached to make it viable, and a bankrupt one.
William Feather on “Dead Business” Read More »
Focus on establishing your team as trustworthy and dependable. The biggest question in a prospect’s mind is how your team will you perform when things go wrong. Stress earlier engagements with the problem you help your customers solve. Make this “phase two” of efforts to solve these problems, building on earlier relevant experience and accomplishments.
5 Tips For Writing a Startup’s First Backgrounder Read More »
I worked at Cisco for more than a decade in two stints between 1990 and 2003–taking time off from 1995-98 to work with a number of web startups–so I was intrigued to see John Chamber’s picture on the cover of the December issue of Fast Company. In the feature article by Ellen McGrit titled “Revolution
Cisco Presents Collaboration Technology as Sufficiently Advanced Read More »
Real entrepreneurs don’t need encouragement to form a startup–although they may benefit from outside perspectives on their plans. Encouraging non-entrepreneurs to form a startup does them a disservice.
We Don’t Encourage Individuals to Form a Startup Read More »
I had an unfamiliar pain recently. It was sharp, sudden, and unexpected: I ended up talking to my doctor about it. I have been trying to understand why it was more frightening, even though it was less painful than many other problems I have experienced.
Startups survive because they can live on the scraps of a market (a niche) that larger competitors ignore or would be unable to pursue profitably. This is doing less with less.
Doing Less with Less Read More »
Nov-17: the last full week before Thanksgiving, if you are trying to close business it can get much harder between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day [Full Week] Nov-24: a half week at best. [Half-Week] Dec-1: normally a good week [Full Week] Dec-8: normally a good week [Full Week] Dec-15: unless you are chasing end of
6 Work Weeks (or Less) Until 2009 Read More »
I think every startup above a certain size needs someone who can do “odd jobs” with an even temper. Especially in tough times, don’t underestimate the value of small kindnesses, humor, and calmness in a crisis.
Odd Jobs With an Even Temper Read More »
Some startups ask for an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before sharing any details about their product. This is a recipe for disaster.
Why NDA Is Not On the Startup Maturity Checklist 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 »
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 »
Software companies typically have to convince prospects to adopt new technologies based on their shared history, their service track record, and their ability to accurately predict and deliver real results that overcome the cost and friction of adopting new tools and methodologies. There are a number of lessons we draw on to help startups fostering
Fostering Technology Adoption: Early Customers & Early Revenue Read More »
Anonymous Coward landing pages don’t inspire trust or confidence in prospects, as a result few contact you. Startups should sign their work. Requiring a signed NDA before providing basic information also deters inquiries.
Startups Should Sign Their Work Read More »
Entrepreneurs prowl Silicon Valley for a Venture Capitalist to listen like a department store Santa to their list of needs and make their dreams come true.
Silicon Valley: Not as Nuts as 99…Yet Read More »
