Q: How To Estimate Prospect Counts and Market Sizes
Here are some back of the envelope models to estimate prospect counts and market sizes.
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Rules of Thumb
Preserving Trust And Demonstrating Expertise Unlocks Demanding Niche Markets
Preserving Trust And Demonstrating Expertise Unlocks Demanding Niche Markets Q: We are preparing to enter a B2B market where the potential buyers are high-value but relatively few in number and close-knit. I am concerned that they will have a low tolerance for a minimum viable product (MVP) approach; much less pre-MVP research that misses the
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Seven From Skip Walter’s Laws Of Software Development
Skip Walter designed successful software products for over three decades. Here are 7 laws from his list of 18 laws of software development.
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Lisa Solomon: Effective Meetings Choose One of Reaching Understanding, Generating Options, or Making Decisions
Lisa Solomon says that an effective meeting can do one–and only one–of 3 things: build a common understanding, generate option, or make decisions. In this talk on “Designing Time: Make Meaning” she elaborates on this and challenges the person calling the meeting to work backward from the end of the meeting and define: what has
Mission Often Matters More Than Monetization In An Early Market
Q: I am a newly minted entrepreneur who has been developing a technology product for an emerging market (state-legalized marijuana) that is proving especially hard to crack. I am a long-standing business strategist who understands and appreciates the imperatives of customer development, however have been very unsuccessful in getting business owners and consumers to open
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Byron Wien’s Lessons Learned in 80 Years: Seven for Entrepreneurs
7 Tips for Entrepreneurs from “Lessons Learned in 80 Years” by Byron Wien. The best is “Don’t try to be better than your competitors, try to be different.”
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Making Adjustments at the Half for 2013
The four day 4th of July weekend is a good excuse to take a break from the day to day pressures of bootstrapping, reflect on your goals for the year and what you have accomplished and learned so far…and perhaps make some “adjustments at the half.”
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Due Diligence Checklist For Evaluating A Service Business for Acquisition
We did some work recently advising a client on a possible acquisition a small service business and came up with a checklist of items to review: key employees – plan for retention and role in merged entity financials check register – all checks in last two years bank statements income sheet and balance statement contracts
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They Screwed Up: They Followed Our Specification
A story from my engineering days at Cisco about how a lack of trust led to a default assumption that “they screwed up.”
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Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
A talk I enjoyed by Simon Sinek (@simonsinek) on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action Some great insights from Apple, Dr. Martin Luther King, and the Wright Brothers: Why -> How -> What Start with Why Why is not “to make a profit” that’s a result.. Why is your purpose, your
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Six Tips For Writing An E-Mail To A Prospect or Potential Partner
Here are six tips or writing an E-Mail to a prospect or potential partner: the Hollywood approach, the schoolboy approach, add a middleman, quit typing, begin at the end, and sketch a picture.
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The Lucky And The Wise
Advice from a lucky entrepreneur tends to be very specific and suggest a “copy exactly” model. Better advice will offer principles and several perspectives.
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Eric Berne: A Little Boy Sees And Hears Birds With Delight
When a little boy sees or hears a bird he appreciates it without having to label or identify it. It’s useful for entrepreneurs to engage in direct observation and thoughtful reflection without having to classify or characterize.
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Prepare Your “Getting Started” Plan Before A Prospect Asks For It
Always prepare a slide detailing a getting started plan or next steps for when a prospects says “This sounds great, how do we get started?”
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Your Startup Is Only One of Many Obligations
Your startup is only one of many obligations: don’t wait to reconnect with folks who have made a difference in your life. Your Startup Is Only One of Many Obligations “Fifty years of experience have taught me that admission to an academic hospital is not restful. I have stopped counting the patients who want to
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Subsidizing Startups Does Not Produce Entrepreneurs
“Subsidizing the markers of status doesn’t produce the character traits that result in that status; it undermines them.” Reynold’s Law In the same way that free range animals are healthier than those that are caged, people learn how to become effective entrepreneurs when the have the freedom to experiment and they are focused on pleasing
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The Benefits of Collaborative Writing, Interviewing, and Improvisation
Our collaborative writing approach has no backstage: clients see our ugly early first drafts, but this “wiki style” collaboration allows rapid iteration.
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Joel Mokyr on Creative Forces and Cardwell’s Law
Cardwell’s Law (named for British historian Donald Cardwell): every society, when left on its own, will be technologically creative for only short periods. I explore the implications for Silicon Valley and for entrepreneurs.
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Howard Tullman on Distinguishing Mistakes From Failure
Howard Tullman writes the Perspiration Principles blog in Inc. His recent post “Who Said Failure was Fashionable? Frankly, It Sucks” made four great points: Mistakes vs. Failures Somehow, it has become cool to brag about how your last business failed–and what a wonderful learning experience it all was. But that’s a crock. You only fail
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“Sharing My Practice” Discussion with CPSquare: Intro
In May of this year I was invited to take part in a month long group discussion on CPSquare where my consulting practice was the focus. This is the introductory statement I posted to explain a little bit about my background and what I do. Intro I worked in Electronic Design Automation on board, chip,
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