Entrepreneurs can be paralyzed by the rich set of possibilities they face. It seems almost paradoxical that when you have one choice you can start immediately, when you have two you can flip a coin, but as possibilities multiply the desire to make the best choice can paralyze you. To fully embrace your creativity you […]
Kierkegaard: Creativity Must Master Dread of the Unknown Read More »
I have been selected as a mentor for Startup Weekend Santa Clara Nov-11-2016; here are 5 ways that I plan to assist the teams of entrepreneurs taking part.
SKMurphy Mentor for Startup Weekend Nov-2016 at Santa Clara Univ. Read More »
Edited transcript of an interview with Yodit Stanton (@YoditStanton), CEO of OpenSensors, by Jenn Webb (@JennWebb) at Strata + Hadoop World 2015 “Make Data Work” in London. Yodit talks about what led her to found OpenSensors.
Yodit Stanton on Why She Founded OpenSensors Read More »
I have been working on my adjustments at the half for 2016 and thinking about lost arts and roads no longer taken. As much as we focus on creating and adopting new methods and technologies, it can be useful to consider capabilities that different societies have abandoned.
Lost Arts and Roads No Longer Taken Read More »
I am giving a talk on “Extracting Competitive Insights from Software Demos: Crafting and Refining Your Company’s Message Through the Analysis of a Competitor’s Demo” at the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Society for Competitive Intelligence (SCIP) Tue-May-24 at 6PM.
Extracting Competitive Insights From Demos: SCIP Tue-May-24-2016 Read More »
Texas Hold’Em offers some useful models for technology startups: pick the right table (competitors) and understand how your cards best combine with common cards (the status quo and adjacent possible)
Texas Hold’Em as a Model for Technology Startups Read More »
Fred Brooks wrote “No Silver Bullet: Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering” in 1987, 12 years after his “Mythical Man Month.” Both offer realistic perspectives on programming in particular and knowledge work in general.
Fred Brooks’ “No Silver Bullet” Revisited Read More »
Here are two explainer videos Verdafero has produced: the first is intended for REIT executives, the second for general managers of hotels. They condense key symptoms for a customer need or problem and the impact of Verdafero on the bottom line.
Verdafero Explainer Videos Read More »
Excerpts with commentary on Bill Watterson’s 1990 Kenyon College address: “Some Thoughts on the Real World By One Who Glimpsed it and Fled.”
Bill Watterson on the Real World Read More »
Be clear with customers about what is on your product roadmap. We recently did some win/loss interviews for a client to collect stories on why a customer purchased–and why a prospect failed to purchase. When we asked one customer about the quality of their support we got an answer that was initially a little surprising: “We
Be Clear on Product Roadmap to Customers Read More »
Recently, we worked with a startup on team building as they wrangled with the rapid growth of their business. They needed to bring on new team members and wanted them to be productive and effective as quickly as possible. Working with the leadership team we reviewed Bruce Tuckman’s four stages of team development.
Team Building: Rapid Ramp Read More »
Trying to take on established competitors using their same business model and value proposition is called “attacking a walled city.” It’s important to understand what your customer is actually paying for and find some way to offer a different value proposition.
Be Wary of Attacking a Walled City Read More »
StartupLJackson was the alter ego of Parker Thompson (@pt) who tweeted insights for entrepreneurs from 2011-2016. Here are my pick for his seven best with some additional commentary.
Seven Best Insights From StartupLJackson on Startups Read More »
A common mistake technical entrepreneurs can make is to focus on what’s easy to build, and enter a market with dozens of competitors without thought to differentiation. Or to hope that by making it “free” they can make money by selling ads.
Q: A Google Search Finds Dozens of Competitors, What Now? Read More »
I have learned the hard way whenever I wish for smarter prospects it means I need to improve my presentation, demo, or proposal: whatever it is that I have offered them that they didn’t understand, or believe, or decide to act on.
If You Need Smarter Prospects, You Need a Better Message Read More »
In 2006 Eben Moglen gave the keynote address at the Plone Conference 2006 that traced the evolution of economies from steel to software to collaboration. Here are some key excerpts with commentary.
Eben Moglen: Steel to Software to Collaboration Read More »
You can only capture a share of the value that you create if you want to create a sustainable business. While you need to assess the likely return on investment from your efforts and your probability of success, you also need to look at any deal from the other side of the table. It’s as
Q: How Can I Maximize ROI and Minimize Risk? Read More »
Each interaction with a business prospect or a customer has to promise an exchange of value: their time or money for at least the strong possibility of benefit. Many of the startup fantasy camp customer development training models neglect this and teach beginning entrepreneurs to rely on the kindness of strangers. This may work in
Q: How Do We Get A Business Prospect To Talk To Us? Read More »
You may have been the smartest person in the room for a long time, but getting into a room with a customer changes that because a key knowledge domain of interest is the customer’s situation and needs. Here are some suggestions for how to keep learning instead of acting like the smartest person in the
When You Are No Longer The Smartest Person In The Room Read More »
A recent question from an office hours session on how to handle a prospect asking you to critique a competitor when both of you have new offerings in a new application area.
Q: How To Critique a Competitor? Read More »
