advice Archives - Startup Economist

How One of the Best Product Launches Ever Proves You Need Better Advisors

Wednesday, 08 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Be it a startup, a corporation, or even a public office, I would bet money before I’d invest in a startup that success hinges on the quality of its advisors. Advisors are not just voices in the background; they are formal participants in an organization’s structure, uniquely positioned to provide insights and strategic guidance that

Published in Startups

11 Comments

The Unfair Advantage: 10 Books Every Founder Needs Because Marketing, Teams, and Persuasion Matter Most

Monday, 18 November 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Success in startups, initial funding, and traction, don’t come from ideas and MVPs — it’s built on the pillars of marketing, team-building, and persuasion. These three areas consistently prove to be the leading causes of success — or failure — for founders. Yet, despite the endless lists of “must-read” startup books, founders continue to stumble

advice books cofounders entrepreneurship marketing personality types persuasion psychology sales startups team building

Published in Startups

5 Comments

Startups Solving Founders’ Problems are Failing

Monday, 30 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Here’s a problem that you might address as a startup founder: other startup founders struggle to find problems to take on, to come up with ideas to address, and to expose issues in industries, so that they might launch a successful venture presenting a solution to that problem. How do I know this is a

advice entrepreneurship ideas market research marketing research startups

Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Startups

25 Comments

“I have an Idea but lack Experience or Startup Capital…”

Monday, 09 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

This is one of those frequently heard statements that helps a startup ecosystem recognize that gaps remain. Last week, I pushed founders and economists to recognize the distinction between innovation and technology (between startups and businesses), and from that, I was asked for advice too frequently asked, “How can I capitalize on an app idea

advice capital entrepreneurship funding ideas innovation Mentorship startups

Published in Raising Capital, Startups

27 Comments

Founders, VCs Might Not Like My Sharing This, But They Should

Thursday, 21 September 2023 by Paul O'Brien

One of the more challenging skills to help develop in a founder, is being able to discern b.s. from experienced and valid advice. As you might imagine (and I hope you can relate from the all too prolific frequency with which this happens), it’s particularly difficult to know how to put questions back on a

advice advisors angel investors entrepreneurship investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

15 Comments

Startup Founders, a Good Idea Solves a Problem, A Great Idea Creates Value

Thursday, 29 June 2023 by Paul O'Brien

We have a huge problem in the startup ecosystem; that’s that most founders have been misled by a lot of people to think in terms of Problem / Solution. That a solution to a problem is what matters foremost in a startup. And that has led to the notion that validation is a simple matter

advice entrepreneurship innovation marketing startups success venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

27 Comments

25 Startup Lessons from Serial Startup Executives

Friday, 29 January 2016 by Paul O'Brien

Advice about startups is prolific as grains of sand on a beach. Heck, here I am, sharing advice and implying I have the answers. In truth though, classically trained and experienced as a marketer, I hope I also convey more than most that there are no answers, only insight, opportunity, experience, and potential. Everyone wants

advice advisors entrepreneurship executives mentors Mentorship

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

9 Comments