Startups Archives - Page 21 of 36

How to Start Your Startup – Whether You Need Code or Capital, Start Here.

Monday, 05 March 2018 by Paul O'Brien

By FAR, the greatest mistake that startup founders make is that they start with the wrong things. They tend to have an assumption or desire about how to solve a problem and they go. You read that “startup” book that tells all you need to know… you went to a meetup or networking event that

Published in Startups

15 Comments

What Does a CEO Actually Do?

Friday, 19 January 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Looking at it through the lens of a startup (small team), years ago I had a great discussion with a group of VCs that the ideal core leadership in a company is CEO, CMO, CTO (or, as appropriate to the type of business) Explaining further, we discussed first that the CMO’s job is to answer why, for whom, with

ceo cmo companies CTO hiring org structure organizations startups team titles

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

1 Comment

So How do I Decide if I Should Join an Accelerator?

Friday, 19 January 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Let me cut to the chase: MOST are businesses selling you services, using you as their product, to promote their brand while leveraging the word “accelerator.” As you consider such programs, head into them first being clear about what Accelerator means and validate that they actually do that. Then look to what the founders and

accelerator accelerators founders incubator startups

Published in Startups

33 Comments

The Fore Steps to a Startup’s Addressable Market

Tuesday, 12 December 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Here’s the thing, I suck at golf and as an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur, I can’t fathom making myself available for 5 hours to putt around a golf course. Yet, succeeding as a founder might be as commonplace as hitting a hole in one… very least, it’s fair to say you have to shoot par. Rest assured,

4ps addressable market customer profiles customer segmentation market segmentation marketing tam

Published in Advertising, Insights / Research, Startups

9 Comments

Early Stage Startups: Sales vs. Marketing

Monday, 13 November 2017 by Paul O'Brien

It’s that this question of priorities exists that one can appreciate why so many startups fail. For decades, economists have noted that only two things create value in business: innovation and marketing. Everything else is a cost of doing business. Yet… we’re exploring here the notion that Sales is more important. You’ve been led to

entrepreneurship marketing sales

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

4 Comments

Overcoming Obstacles: How Startups Prevent a Hiccup in Due Diligence

Monday, 18 September 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Most of the articles you read about venture capital, and getting funded, are focused on the positive outcome – finding, meeting, and pitching the VC. Let’s take a look at a startup from the other perspective – how to avoid a “no.” If an investor takes a shine to you, they’re going to go through

angel investment due diligence funding investment investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Startups

5 Comments

Telling a Story that Raises Capital

Tuesday, 29 August 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Shehzad Bharwani and Adnan Merchant have helped start an incredible story; a story about the role Austin will play in FinTech. It was the fact that they have a story about the work they were doing as entrepreneurs – the experience Shehzad shared with me in transitioning his company, Dealytics, from New York to Austin,

austin entrepreneurship fintech funding innovation mediatech star wars startups

Published in Startups

4 Comments