This post on customer development interviews is one of my most popular. If you would like help preparing for customer development interviews or reviewing results from recent interviews please sign up for a no cost no obligation office hours session and I will be happy to help you rehearse or de-brief. Here are my lessons learned from taking […]
Tips for B2B Customer Development Interviews Read More »
A bootstrapper needs four attributes to succeed: purpose, patience, politeness, and prudent risk taking. These are markers for strength not weakness.
Purpose, Patience, Politeness, and Prudent Risk Taking Read More »
Malcom Gladwell suggests appreciative inquiry into inner-city schools. We can apply lessons from effective sports programs to the classroom.
Malcolm Gladwell Suggests Appreciative Inquiry Into Inner-City Schools Read More »
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a mindset that is essential in customer discovery. It encourages you to look for what’s working in an potential customer’s organization and “work with the grain of the wood.” It enables you to build on demonstrated strengths and accomplishments in framing your solution to a critical business problem.
Appreciative Inquiry Mindset Essential to Customer Discovery Read More »
Always assume you are targeting busy prospects for you customer development conversations.
Customer Development Conversations With Busy Prospects Read More »
Lenny Greenberg, Founder and CTO of Assistyx, e-mailed me a long and thoughtful response to my “Learning from Netflix” post.
Learning From Netflix: Lenny Greenberg’s Response Read More »
It’s the Picture on the Box that Sells the LEGO Set: provide specific examples of how your product can be used to solve problems.
It’s the Picture on the Box that Sells the LEGO Set Read More »
Selling to a businesses requires conversations that build trust. Trust is built over time from predictability and meeting commitments.
Selling to a Business Requires Conversations that Build Trust Read More »
Netflix made several pricing strategy mistakes in 2011: an arbitrary price increase of 60%, poor communication from the top, and a demonstrated lack of concern for customer experience.
Learning From Netflix’s 2011 Pricing Strategy Mistakes Read More »
If you are an entrepreneur then sales is always a part of your responsibility. Here are some tips for cutting your teeth in sales.
Cutting Your Teeth in Sales Read More »
There are many useful ways to measure customer commitment to your product. Here is a rubric to help you assess each of your customers.
Gauging Customer Commitment Read More »
Here are the slides from today’s “Working for Equity” panel at Silicon Valley Code Camp. It was a standing room only crowd of over 70 that made for a very interactive session with the panel.
Slides from “Working For Equity” Panel at SVCC 2011 Read More »
Marshal Field’s “Twelve Things to Remember” is a good list of qualities bootstrappers should cultivate within themselves.
Twelve Things to Remember by Marshall Field Read More »
If you are considering joining a startup or are in the process of building out your initial team I am moderating a panel at Silicon Valley Code Camp with three startup CEO’s offering lessons learned on their entrepreneurial experiences. The Working For Equity panel is Sunday October 9 at 10:45 am in Room 4306 and
Working For Equity Panel at SVCC 10:45am Sun-Oct-9 Read More »
Networking is good questions, listening, and helping others. Some rules of thumb for networking from Ford Harding’s Rainmaking (pages 44-59).
Ford Harding on Rules of Thumb for Networking Read More »
Hard to believe that 2011 is already three-quarters over. Slightly more actually. I need to take the time in the next week to recap our goals for 2011 and recalibrate what is still “in the feasible region.” If I am feeling more ambitious I will also sketch out a preliminary list of goals for 2012.
The Fourth Quarter of 2011 Read More »
Rave Reviews for Theresa Shafer 2011 “Theresa does an excellent job with the marketing for my company. Because of her technical background, she is able to write an article from a brief interview, and I usually only need to do minor editing. She is creative in the collateral material she has developed. She does what
Rave Reviews for Theresa Shafer 2011 Read More »
Entrepreneurs feel a calling to improve the world by creating an exchange of value. They are motivated by a dissatisfaction with the status quo and blessed with the energy and gumption to change it. People who are content or phlegmatic rarely try to change things.
Restlessness & Discontent, Gumption & Sisu Read More »
Kevin Kelly has a great blog post up on “working smart” called “What You Don’t Have To Do.” He defines a capability maturity model for working smart:
Three variations on the idea that “successful entrepreneurship is an ongoing self-improvement” project, program, or process.
Successful Entrepreneurship Is Ongoing Self-Improvement Read More »
