Referrals
Building a strong referral base is critical to every entrepreneur. Three things you can do today to build referrals: Make a list of 30 people you have had a shared success with, go back to school,...
View Article“Startup Maturity Checklist” Slides From Today’s SVCC Session
I very much enjoyed the opportunity to present our startup stages model and the “Software Startup Maturity Checklist” at Silicon Valley Code Camp today. I have posted the slides here. Software Startup...
View ArticleTips for Choosing a Logo
We get a number of questions about logos, here are three tips for designing or choosing a logo when you are bootstrapping or just getting started: Text Treatments: text logos are simple, the company...
View ArticleJohn Gardner: Leaders Detect and Act on the Weak Signals of the Future
Some excerpts with commentary from “On Leadership” by John W. Gardner. Gardner outlines how leaders detect and act on weak signals of the future by looking beyond the horizon and planing for renewal....
View ArticleNadia James’ Daily Checklist for Aligning Efforts With Goals
Nadia James recently posted a thoughtful article on “Why Entrepreneurs Must Stretch to Reach Their Visions of Success” that included the following daily checklist for aligning efforts with goals for...
View ArticleMap Customer Buying Process Before Sending a Proposal
Map the customer buying process, needs, and situation before you invest time sending a detailed proposal. A quick request can mean you are column fodder. Q: We are still trying to close our first...
View ArticleLabor Day 2014: Knowledge Work Productivity
“A holiday gives one chance to look backward and forward, to reset oneself by an inner compass.” May Sarton I have not yet internalized the lessons from Daniel Cook‘s “Laws of Productivity: 8...
View ArticleQ: What Are Critical Tasks In A Startup?
Q: What is the target allocation for each of these critical tasks in a successful startup? Here is my list of critical tasks in a startup and a percentage allocation: Planning 10% Execution 50%...
View ArticleQ: Is It Waste To Build A B2B MVP That Inspires Trust?
Q: I am preparing to launch a website for my minimum viable product (MVP). It’s a few pages and has has some forms and a file upload capability. Potential customers will be able to explain a particular...
View ArticleSerious Problems With Business Model Canvas For Startups
Q: I’m just about to get out of the building to validate hypotheses and start learning, but I have a problem with the business model canvas. I have been advised to develop detailed hypotheses before...
View ArticleWelcome to 2014
“It is never too late to become what you might have been.” George Eliot My resolutions for 2014 are less about goals and more about habits, systems and capabilities. Habits: I have been running a log...
View ArticleQ: How Do I Interest People In My Product?
Q: We have a product for bloggers but I am having a lot of trouble getting leads. I have met bloggers from popular media companies at events, I have cold called them, e-mailed them, and e-mailed to...
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Checklist for Successful Products
There are broadly three categories of challenges a new product must address: it has to be feasible, it has to be desirable and it has to be profitable. Below is a simple checklist to help you evaluate...
View ArticleQ: How To Evaluate Acquiring a Small Software Firm
We recently helped a client frame the exploration of an opportunity for acquiring a small software firm. Here are some questions to consider if you are contemplating the sale or acquisition of small...
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A Simple Checklist for Introducing a Collaboration Application
We work with several teams who have launched or are launching an application that makes a team or group more productive. Here are a couple of suggestions for things to consider. Be compatible with the...
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Good and Bad Reasons to Pivot
Much has been written about a startup making a pivot in direction after Eric Ries first coined the term in a 2009 blog post “Pivot don’t Jump to a New Vision.” The word pivot has attracted almost as...
View ArticleMike Van Horn on “Are You Ready for Growth?”
Mike Van Horn has a lot of good articles on his small business website. One in particular that’s worth reading is “Are You Ready for Growth?” Here are some highlights: The better teams you can build…...
View ArticleQ: Can I Be My First Customer?
It’s OK to solve your own problem first, to be the first customer. This at a minimum gets the idea out of your head and reduced to practice where it can be tested. The trick is to use this basic...
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Making Tea
In the last decade I have switched to drinking tea from coffee. I came across a neat process description for making tea by George Orwell in “A Nice Cup Of Tea” that mirrored what I do–except for adding...
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Tips For Entrepreneurs On Surviving The Holidays
Surviving the holidays can be hard for entrepreneurs. If you visit family or see old friends few if any may understand what you are doing or going through. You may face a variety of suggestions that...
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