A whackload of trouble. (See, I answered my own question!) As 2008 comes to an end you should be well on your way to planning 2009. And what a year it will be! The economy is in shambles, it’s getting harder to raise capital (and it was already hard!) and customers are freezing budgets. 2009 […]
Startups Need More Practical Guidance Not Fluff
I’ve argued before that startups need mentorship more than anything – practical, hands-on help from more experienced entrepreneurs, investors, executives, etc. That’s even more true now, given the tough times many startups will face. First time startup entrepreneurs in particular, who might not have gone through the last crash, are not adequately prepared to handle […]
How-To Price Your Software Product
Deciding on pricing for a software product is never easy. There are a lot of variables and unknowns. There are certainly no guarantees. But there are some fundamental things to look at when deciding on how to price your software product. Frequency. One of the first major decisions you have to make is on frequency. […]
Startups Launching at TechCrunch50 and DEMO Fall 2008
Launching a startup at a big event is a great idea. There are many advantages. Hard Launch Date: Launching at an event forces you to launch. There are many examples of startups that delay their launch (several times over) because they can. An event means you’ve got to launch. Granted, I’ve seen a lot of […]
Enterprise 2.0 Startups – Know Your Market
I started my first company in 1996. A couple years later that company morphed from a service business (offering web design and development services) into a product business with the launch of our web-based project management application. Those were the early years of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). In fact, we were referred to as an ASP (Application […]
Startup Fundraising According to Paul Graham
Paul Graham is well-known in the startup world for his past successes and most recently, the launch of Y Combinator. Y Combinator continues to garner a ton of attention, from a combination of the sheer volume in startups being launched through the program, the successful exits, and the way in which they’re shaking up the […]
Startup Communities and Startup Failure
I’ve got two critically important articles to point your attention to today – on startup communities and startup failure. Jevon MacDonald talks about how startups can save venture capital (in Canada). He includes a great presentation that he’s given in a few places about how startup communities can work more effectively to get great startups […]
Using Great Customer Service as a Differentiator
In a “me too” world of easy-to-build and low cost startups, it’s becoming harder and harder to differentiate yourself from the competition. Just think about your potential customers and all the “stuff” they’re getting bombarded with on a regular basis. You might have invented a better mousetrap, but getting that message across isn’t easy. And […]
The Copycat Benefit for Startups
A few people have told me that pitching the “first mover advantage” for a startup isn’t always the best thing. Being first doesn’t guarantee success. If anything, being first is fraught with more peril; since you don’t have anyone to copy or compare to. And, depending on how innovative your product offering, you might be […]
The Big Bang Theory of Launching a Product
Many people will tell you the best way to launch a product is to do so early and iterate constantly. I’ve said the same thing, and generally agree with that sentiment. You don’t want to spend a year building a product without any serious customer feedback, without putting your feet to the fire in the […]
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