I often loathe and am hesitant to use anything that feels like a “buzzword,” but the often discussed “lean startup” has some real validity. The “lean startup” is really just a marketable description put forward by Eric Ries – the thinking isn’t new, it’s simply packaged in an easy-to-consume-then-copy manner. The core of this entrepreneurial philosophy is […]
Crowdfunding Investment Platforms to Watch
With Title II of the JOBS Act having been enacted this week, there are some significant changes happening in the world of startup fundraising and investing. The opening up for general solicitation means that now companies can publicize their fundraising needs and actively seek investment through more ‘traditional’ advertising. If you are interested in being […]
Don’t Assume Your Way to Failure: Testing Assumptions
Assumptions – We’ve all made them from time to time, and sometimes they can be harmful. Nowhere is this truer than in developing a business. When it comes to taking an idea to prototype, and then from prototype to product, there is a key ingredient to success that is all too often overlooked: assumption testing. […]
Developing the Nucleus – Startup Marketing
Marketing a startup efficiently is vital — I doubt this notion requires much convincing. Ensuring that user acquisition costs are effective and profitable will practically determine whether or not a company succeeds or fails. A company without customers is just an expensive project. Running on a lean budget (as many early stage startups do) means […]
Don’t Declare a Thumb-War: Mobile UI/UX Tips
Building great software, regardless of the goal, industry, and cost, requires that the interface be slick, simple, and intuitive. Carefully designing a terrific UI flow is central to making a product that people will want to use, and more importantly – will want to share. Designing a mobile application has its own unique challenges, and […]
Where Are Mobile Payments Headed – A Forecast & Analysis
The world of mobile is growing quickly, nobody needs convincing of that. Mobile payments and transactions have been of particular interest recently; phones have been gradually consolidating our “daily-carry” items such as MP3 players, cameras, watches, and now of course the wallet. Yesterday, the research group Gartner released its findings regarding mobile transactions. The results […]
Kickstart Your Idea – How to Crowdfund Successfully
With the JOBS Act having gone through, the flexibility available to raise funds to start a business has increased drastically. With this, has come a proverbial tidal wave of services designed to take advantage of this exciting new era of fund-raising and entrepreneurship. Kickstarter is arguably the premier crowd-funding platform – with nearly 43,000 successful […]
Why Service is the New Competitive Advantage
In many cases there is a true disconnect between businesses and consumers regarding the reasons that customers become dissatisfied and leave. Although many businesses tend to think that price is the most critical factor in terms of customer loyalty, the research shows that customer service is generally the most pivotal component. I hope to offer some tips […]
The Three Rs of Web Success
Landing pages are the real first-step of just about every startup – regardless of their industry. The landing page usually comes at a time when the main product/website is still under construction and the company isn’t truly ready to do business. In other cases, it serves as the “welcome mat” and gives new-arrival users a […]
Kickstarter Statistics Dissected
Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms offer a great opportunity for anybody with a great idea and the motivation to get the funding they need. Successfully launching a campaign takes time and effort, but it also requires considerable strategizing. To make this platform more understandable, and to serve as a reference guide, I have crunched some […]
Are you Buying or Building?
In getting a company off the ground, or in growing an existing company, there is often a decision that needs to be made: “do we buy X or do we build X?” This is a tricky one, but taking the time to arrive at the best decision is worthwhile. There are many facets of business […]