startups Archives - Page 7 of 17

“A VC is asking 6% for acting as an advisor…”

Friday, 27 September 2019 by Paul O'Brien

As a startup mentor, that’s the start of the all too common question from founders trying to figure out if they should part with equity to get someone involved. As a venture partner, that’s a reflection of what too many startups are offered and it’s a turn of the phrase that ranks right up there

Published in Featured, Raising Capital, Startups

104 Comments

Do Startups Not Need to Be Profitable?

Wednesday, 14 August 2019 by Paul O'Brien

We’re in this really weird era as Silicon Valley creeps out to the rest of the world, in which investors elsewhere, traditional business owners, and the like, keep advising everyone to, “focus on customers,” “it’s all about revenue,” and questions such as this. Startups never needed to become profitable. Venture Capital investors fund EXITS Grants fund

funding investing profit profitability revenue startups

Published in Insights / Research, Search

28 Comments

Peter Drucker: Decades Later, Perhaps More Relevant to the 21st Century

Thursday, 08 August 2019 by Paul O'Brien

The best way to predict the future is to create it. Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said. Knowledge has to be

business entrepreneurship leadership management marketing startups

Published in Advertising, Insights / Research, Startups

8 Comments

Startup KPIs

Tuesday, 09 July 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Alright, in a rare break from how I tend to write, no narrative this time besides this which you’re reading now. A list! The KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) your startup should have. More importantly, Startup KPIs must be: Well defined Quantifiable Communicated throughout your team If they’re not, they’re not KPIs, they’re distractions or vanity

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Published in Advertising, Analytics, Insights / Research, PR, Startups

8 Comments

Startups: Marketing Yourself or Hiring a Professional

Monday, 10 June 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Marketing is the first, foremost, and most important thing a business does. No market for your idea… nothing for you to do, no? You are doing that, yes? There is no customer, no investor, no partner, no desire, no demand, no co-founder, no support for what you want to do. You keep going? No, if

agencies consultants entrepreneurship hiring marketing startups

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

13 Comments

Does a University like Stanford Produce more Successful Startups? This Might be Why

Friday, 05 April 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Culture. It all, always, comes down to the culture of community. Why does Silicon Valley produce startups differently than elsewhere? Why does Hollywood have a style and way about their films that really isn’t replicated elsewhere? Why is Arizona State University a “party school” that produces highly social people? As entrepreneurs, we like to THINK

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Published in Insights / Research, Regional Development, Startups

16 Comments

The Hub of Entrepreneurial Artists; Making the Most of SXSW

Monday, 11 March 2019 by Paul O'Brien

This is my… 13th SXSW (I think). Hazy to recall. Having had so many experiences with the conference, the question of WHO excels there, why, and how to help others make the most of one of the world’s most culturally and economically important events, struck me as a worthwhile question. I like to refer to

artists creative class entrepreneurs film makers founders musicians startups sxsw

Published in Austin, Startups

No Comments