Startups Archives - Page 11 of 36

The Future of our Economy Lies in Property Development and Startups Finding Common Ground

Thursday, 17 December 2020 by Paul O'Brien

“Perhaps one of the most important financial decisions a forest landowner will make is determining when to harvest timber.” That, the opening of a PennState article exploring the financial decisions land owners consider in this use case, including how to determine and calculate when to maximize financial returns, prompted a thought about investing in property

Published in Economic Development, Startups

20 Comments

A Competition Slide that Closes Capital

Wednesday, 25 November 2020 by Paul O'Brien

I was asked recently if Facebook and Google are competitors, and the question being asked, struck me with as much alarm as hearing a startup founder say they don’t have competitors. What most frequently gives an investor pause is a slide in a pitch deck that communicates that you’re not paying attention to your market and

advice advisors competitive advantage competitive analysis failure marketing mistakes startups

Published in Raising Capital

4 Comments

Ideas Are Valuable; Stop Saying They’re Not!

Tuesday, 17 November 2020 by Paul O'Brien

Businesses without ideas are like people with matches trying to light a wet campfire. Striking, striking, and striking again. You have the stuff that's valued (wood, matches) but you can't do anything without a ton of work.

brainstorming entrepreneurship funding ideas ideation intellectual property startups

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

22 Comments

The Emperor’s New Clothes of Entrepreneurship

Tuesday, 10 November 2020 by Paul O'Brien

When you're prepared for loss, failure, isolation, commitment, tenacity, perseverance, and living on nothing, THEN maybe give it a shot; not because someone else says it's easy or that they'll help you. You need to be more prepared for the very likely downside than living on the hopes and dreams perpetuated because a small fraction who try make it work.

entrepreneurs entrepreneurship mental health

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

3 Comments

Maybe Starting with the Problem is the Problem

Tuesday, 06 October 2020 by Paul O'Brien

In a world wherein overwhelmingly most founders and startups fail as a result of a lack of product/market fit, and incubators, University startup programs, and mentors, are flush with “ideas” that genuinely warrant, “that’s already being done,” perhaps the advice to start with the problem (or solution, for that matter), is wrong. Think on it:

entrepreneurship ideas startups

Published in Startups

28 Comments

Why a Competitive Analysis is a First Step as a Founder

Thursday, 17 September 2020 by Paul O'Brien

There is a trick to entrepreneurship, to starting a venture, that no one really ever talks about. Not sure why they don’t talk about it… perhaps because they don’t understand how to do it… perhaps because everyone is selling something… perhaps because they’ve hired help and it sucked… regardless, I’m going to let you in

competitive analysis competitors entrepreneurship marketing startups

Published in Advertising, Featured, Insights / Research, Startups

45 Comments

The Funding Flywheel

Wednesday, 09 September 2020 by Paul O'Brien

Businesses and startup founders learn early of a critical methodology in sales referred to as a funnel. Developing products and services, marketing is the process therein by which organizations get to know potential customers and then profile people so as to better understand the needs and motivations. The goal, of course, being the conversion of people

angel investors entrepreneurship flywheel funding fundraising funnel startups venture capital

Published in Advertising, Startups

35 Comments