Customer Conversation Starters In the early stages of customer discovery, it's vital to ask a series of probing questions to allow potential customers to open up and give you feedback. Good questions open the door for true customer discovery. In this video, I...
What's in a Tagline? Thinking about #taglines today and how effective they can be to articulate your value proposition. But it's important to not treat taglines as marketing. Done well, they can be the thread that sews together a compelling story.
Investment Guidance Not all ideas are candidates for investment and in fact, for all early stage founders, the first source of funding should be paying customers. But if you are in the market for funding, look for non-dilutive funding first.
Craft a Compelling Pitch I follow the one-third rule when building my pitch decks. Maybe this can work for you.
Start Narrow, Then Expand I was lucky to begin my tech startup career when Geoff Moore introduced the bowling pin analogy to enter markets. This provided a beacon for founding teams to focus and come together on what was important - winning customers and revenue. So,...
What's Your Business Model? When founders are asked this question, it can often lead to a discussion about distribution channels, financial forecasts and beyond. This question needs to be answered with clarity and confidence.
Cash is King! Last week I was asked about financial metrics I suggest for a first time founder – I’m a believer in starting with a few and then building out as you grow. Here are my first three.
Are You Investor Ready? Many founders don't prepare themselves to be investor ready, yet it's a competency they need to master.
What are Your Three Words? Here's a simple technique for founders to craft a compelling message that captures the attention of customers.
The Power of Role Models Throughout my career I've been lucky to have great role models - both personally and for my company. This is one of those things that makes a marked difference when the path forward gets fuzzy and uncertain......
A Founder's Biggest Challenge Founders often think their biggest challenges will be technical - so they are often surprised when it turns out to be something else.
The Problem with Customer Discovery Don't get me wrong....customer discovery is a valuable process for founders....but only if it's done right.
