How Startups Need to Think About Marketing Today
No doubt the life of an entrepreneur is hectic, especially in the current environment! You’ve got to accomplish everything, seemingly all at once, with not enough people or money to get it done. For most young companies trying to break through and accelerate their growth curve, the focus is on product and sales. Marketing has
Read MoreCrisis Framework – Applied
I attended a Board Meeting last week for Guidant Financial, a company I’ve been working with for 14+ years. As one would expect, we reviewed the company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and its interim plan. This was not Guidant’s first crisis. The company successfully (although not perfectly) navigated the collapse of the US economy
Read MorePrepping for an Exit – In a Challenging Economy. A Founder’s Guide Webinar
This 60-minute webinar is designed for Startup Founders and CEOs considering fundraising or exploring the option of selling their company. This program is focused on what you need to do in advance to prep for a successful exit. Recordinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/5_BeAIGpy0lOaM_P1XzGWIcRFI_Aaaa82ylM_acEnUqbLnPE9W70Clthpg0CFyz5 Password: 0k=3^3^1 What we covered: Choosing Your Own Adventure! Should you do a fundraising round or exit
Read MoreStabilizing and Growing Your Business – mapping your growth plan to your buyers
VC funding was down 9% in Q1 globally, but even so, early large deals (>$100M) pushed total cash invested up 14% QoQ. Most of us aren’t in the mega deal category and are more concerned about how we’re going to restart operations in the midst of muddy signals from government. What’s the new normal going
Read MoreSituational Awareness and Self-Awareness
Situational Awareness is all about what’s going on around you right now. Today there’s a lot going on! News and financial market data are occupying everyone’s time. For some, that news is filtered via social media and our own confirmation bias. In the military, situational awareness takes on the context of combat decisions in a
Read MoreSurviving and Thriving – 2020 Edition
I launched my first startup in 1998. Two years later we were facing the tech bubble followed by 9/11. My fifth startup was launched in early 2008 and was growing monthly until October of that year. The first one weathered the storm and sold, though it was a very rough sale. The fifth one we
Read MoreYour Last Valuation Isn’t Going To Matter Much
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But the relevance of the post-money value on your last round of funding doesn’t matter very much anymore. Venture capitalist our advertising that they are “Open for Business” but we’ll see what that means when it’s time for a term sheet or getting a wire completed after
Read MorePrepping for an Exit in a Challenging Economy
April 23, 2020 3:00 PM in Pacific Time, 6:00PM New York Time This 60-minute webinar is designed for Startup Founders and CEOs considering fundraising or exploring the option of selling their company. This program is focused on what you need to do in advance to prep for a successful exit. You can Register for the
Read MoreEvery Founder Knows Startup Math, but…
None of them thinks that math applies to them! Everywhere I go in the world, when I was with Startup Weekend or now working with Accelerators, I love to be in a room with founders. In a room of 100 founders, all of them know that a huge percentage will fail. All of us know
Read MoreDiverse Teams and Boards Produce Better Results
Data continues to show that diverse teams and boards produce better results for both established and startup companies. But that doesn’t mean finding the right talent for your team is going to be easy. You’re going to have to look in different places to find different talent. If we’ve learned anything from social networks it’s
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