Three tips for attending a trade show and scoping out breakthrough innovations: Start on the perimeter and work you way in to the main floor. All the innovation is in the startups booths on the outside. Before the show spend some time checking out exhibitors’ websites. Especially if you are not familiar with the company […]
Looking for Innovation at a Trade Show Read More »
Some great insights from a column by Frank Hayes on “Conventional IT Wisdom” including: “A good idea is no match for a bad habit.”
A Good Idea is No Match for a Bad Habit Read More »
Google’s acquisition of YouTube seems to have captured the imagination of a lot of entrepreneurs that we meet at various events, in particular everyone wants to start a consumer Internet or media oriented businesses based on “viral marketing.” Here are a couple of key questions to answer for your pre-viral marketing plan, or what you
Your Pre-Viral Marketing Plan Read More »
I really liked “Pithy Thoughts For Startup Founders” by Dharmesh Shah. This post uses six as a point of departure for exploring the challenges of getting a startup off the ground.
Dharmesh Shah’s Pithy Thoughts For Startup Co-Founders Read More »
Please Come Back Soon accompanied by a promise of more information shortly. If you do, don’t put a date next to it because when that date is three months old prospects get a “lost dial tone” sensation, they are not sure your firm is still active. Variations that are equally annoying: Please check back soon
Three Phrases Prospects Should Not Find On Your Website Read More »
Three rules of thumb on deal making I took away from a conversation with an electrical engineer and serial entrepreneur.
Don’s Three Rules of Deal Making Read More »
Hugh MacLeod, the matchbook cartoon artist, had a great post in January on “Random Thoughts on Being an Entrepreneur” that I am going to cherry pick for a few that I thought were excellent. I have preserved his original numbering (putting the thought in the cartoon at 0). 0. If you can express your soul,
Hugh MacLeod’s Thoughts on Being an Entrepreneur 2 Read More »
Here are ten oblique strategies to help get you and your team unstuck. The first line is the oblique strategy with added for a startup.
Oblique Strategies for Startups 1 Read More »
As you develop your presentation–and more importantly refine it in response to feedback–here are five things to remember when selling a new product.
Five Things to Remember When Selling A New Product Read More »
Text Treatments: text logos are simple, the company name is always right there. Most high tech logos are text treatments, they are clear and simple. With text logos you have instant impact, customers don’t need to decipher anything. Another benefit of text treatments are logo aspect ratio comes naturally with words. They always seem to
3 Tips for Choosing a Logo Read More »
The goal of forecasting is not to predict the future but to tell you what you need to know to take meaningful action in the present.” Paul Saffo Paul Saffo is speaking at a Churchill Club Breakfast on Tue Aug 28 7:30am to 9am at Fenwick ( 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94041) on
Paul Saffo at Churchill Club Breakfast Tue Aug 28 Read More »
Networking in Silicon Valley is not a spectator sport, it’s essential to helping your startup prosper. Networking is good questions, listening, and helping others. Carry more than your own card and connect folks who will benefit from talking to each other.
Networking in Silicon Valley Read More »
A summary of key business rules of thumb from W. J. King’s “The Unwritten Laws of Business” that are particularly applicable to startup entrepreneurs.
W. J. King’s “Unwritten Laws of Business” Read More »
To prepare for a contentious meeting I read Russell Ackoff‘s “The Art of Problem Solving,” over an early breakfast to cultivate calmness in a crisis.
Cultivating Calmness in a Crisis Read More »
Don’t imitate Google: there are many criteria to consider in a hiring policy for a sales person, but college GPA has to be one of the least useful indicators of future success.
One Google Hiring Policy Startups Should Avoid 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 »
You can only have four top priorities at any one time according to Tom Peters. The Marines advise limiting your key objectives to no more than three in situations of uncertainty and high hazard. Limiting the “must do” section of your to do list to four items seems like a good idea for startups.
No More Than Four Items on Your To Do List Read More »
Crossing the chasm between risk tolerant early adopters and risk averse early majority? Look niche markets of early majority prospects who are in a lot of pain.
Crossing the Chasm – Look for a Niche in a Lot of Pain Read More »
I enjoyed the latest WIC (Women In Consulting) South Bay lunch today. Denise Brosseau from Brosseau & Associates talked about tools that she or clients use to run their business. Her talk, “Play Like the Big Guys: How To Use New Web Tools To Easily Build Your Company” was full of ideas and useful tools.
3 Things I Learned at WIC Tech Talk Read More »
What follows are some quick thoughts on how to apply insights from the “Agile Manifesto” (see also Martin Fowler’s excellent essay on “The New Methodology” for a nice overview of what agile development entails) to early stage software startups. Value This More In Preference To Individuals And Interactions Processes And Tools Working Software Comprehensive Documentation Customer Collaboration Contract Negotiation
Applying the “Agile Manifesto” to Software Startups Read More »
