startups Archives - Page 7 of 17

Introducing Venture Capital to Kids

Wednesday, 13 November 2019 by Paul O'Brien

With three kids of my own (10, 12, and 14), and a lot of time spent in incubators and corporate innovation programs, I’m frequently wondering if and how we can’t better introduce our kids to entrepreneurship and prepare them for what’s involved in raising capital. Begging this question, How would you explain venture capital to

Published in Startups

16 Comments

Education in Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Thursday, 17 October 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Two VERY different things. Love this question, I mentor in our local High School program and with University incubators and accelerators. Our schools can do better, if we help them do so. Peter Drucker (economist notable in the 70s and 80s), “Only two things create value in business – Marketing and Innovation; and Marketing is the

college education entrepreneurship high school marketing startups

Published in Advertising, PR, Social Media, Startups

2 Comments

“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

advisors equity startups valuation venture capital

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

entrepreneurship key performance indicators kpis metrics startups

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