Guy Kawaski’s 10/20/30 Post
I find myself frequently referencing Guy Kawasaki 10/20/30 blog post. The central premise is that 60 page pitch decks don’t work and you should replace that with 10 Slide, 20 Minutes and 30 Point Font. I’m reposting the reference to the 10 slides as an easy reference for the new semester for Founder Institute Seattle.
Read MoreCommon Pitfalls in Naming Your Startup
One of the topics for the Founder Institute sessions is naming and branding. Last week we had three Entrepreneurs speak on the topic. The content was great, from brand strategy/framework down to the specific tactical ideas of naming and branding. I know for you “Branding Types” you will say I’m just talking about naming here
Read MoreIs Wellness the next Daily Deal Startup Trend?
There is no doubt that startups and startup ideas run in trends. One of the things I try to gauge as I meet with entrepreneurs during our Ideation Bootcamps for Founder Institute is what are the current categories that are trending for startup ideas – but unlike a Twitter trend this is totally unscientific. To
Read MoreDo you want to be Right or Effective with your Startup?
The other night we did a Ideation Bootcamp in Seattle. In the agenda we talked about what makes up a big idea and a big market for startups – slides posted here. After the content portion, we provided an opportunity for potential founder/entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas (not a fundraising pitch but just their idea)
Read MoreWhat is Founder Institute Seattle program?
As we open the new semester at the Founder Institute Seattle I’m out meeting with different groups about the program and answering the questions for potential candidates about both the program and where we fit into the Seattle Entrepreneur Ecosystem…As we start our fourth semester in Seattle were very clear on our program goals and
Read MoreRise of the Designer? #SWSEA
I had the chance to participate in the final pitches last night at Startup Weekend Seattle (#SWSEA). There were 15 teams that pitched after working all weekend to build out their ideas and create products. One to the changes they made at this event from previous events was the deliberate effort to recruit designers into
Read MoreKey Metrics (KPIs) for Startup Founders
I recently did a mentor session for the Founder Institute San Diego (thanks to Jeanine Jacobson for asking me to participate). The session was on Revenue, Costs and Profits is here on Scribd.com. First, as always, I want to give a shout out here to Steven Carpenter and his Blog, The World According to Carp
Read MoreFirst Revenue Employee – Base Salary, Commissions, Titles and Stock Options
This is Part 2 for the First Revenue Employee Hire – What’s realistic for Startup. You’ve raised some convertible debt or a small angel round… First, let’s talk about what do you need from your first Revenue Employee. Revenue (duh!) Customer Feedback by selling – not survey You can have an intern survey prospective customers;
Read MoreHow Much Stock Should Advisors Get in a Startup
I wanted to post a link to a Tech Crunch Interview that Rip Empson did with Adeo Ressi from The Founder Institute on How Much Stock to provide a Advisory Board Member for startups. The Founder Institute uses a percentage of each participating company stock for a pool of shares. These shares are split with
Read MoreFirst Revenue Employee Hire – what’s realistic for a startup?
So, you’re hiring your first Revenue Employee for your new startup, Congrats! I’ve called in revenue because sometimes it’s called called Sales, or Business Development (Biz Dev) or Sales and Marketing. But make no mistake, this first hire is about revenue and getting revenue traction. It’s not about “strategizing” about getting revenue. This isn’t about
Read More