Startup resentment and other stories
Over the past few years I encountered a great number of startups who come to me with a dream and an idea. They are all passionate about their vision and they are desperate to make it happen. I always admire these startups for their commitment and enthusiasm but I do not always share their optimism. In most of these cases, they present me with an incomplete monetisation model. In fact, they have not even considered such a model. They are ready to give away their product for free, so that ‘they create brand awareness’. They think that afterwards, everybody will flock to buy it! You cannot imagine in how many ways this is the wrong attitude. I will try to outline here most of the basic reasons for which you should actually charge for your product from Day One. First […]
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Bad Advice to Startups from Unknown Writer
Have you suffered from writer’s block! I have. Several times in my life time. Even though my colleagues always considered me a prolific writer, my writing does not take place regularly. I spend long periods of time procrastinating (mostly on twitter). This time my procrastination reached new levels; hence I now have 16000 followers on twitter. So, I decided to take drastic measures. Naively, I thought I could hire someone to write a few blog posts for me. Then I could revise them and unleash them to the world. At this point, I did not want to hire a ghostwriter on a permanent basis. Consequently I decided to do a gig on Fiverr. If you have never heard about Fiverr, you should check it out. It is the largest database of freelancers for small jobs. So, I located someone who […]
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Brown Bag seminars for businesses who want to grow fast and furiously
Today, it is the first ‘Brown Bag’ seminar. Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with booze, as most of you suggested. These are lunch time seminars for businesses who aspire to high growth. Just bring your lunch in a brown bag and join us in Apex. The seminars will take place once a month and will cover topics relevant to the fast growth of a business. They are not aimed at startups. In fact, startups may find them confusing as they are not yet at the right stage. Instead, they are perfect for established businesses. Nuggets of information will be offered to the interested parties. The participants, then, can analyse their own business and contemplate on ways to take it forward. For more information, check out the website http://ekonomiaconsultants.com/brown-bag-seminars/ And join us on Innovation for Enterprises Meetup Innovation […]
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Customer Development in Enterprises
Actually, I am astonished at the lack of customer development I witness in large corporations. I am sure they do their best to focus on customer services, thus keeping the customers as happy as they can be. However, they fail miserably in increasing their sales or expanding their customer base. Because of the Digital Revolution, many corporations face steep competition from small and agile businesses. These new entrepreneurs know how to talk to their potential customers, how to find exactly what they need and how to sell their products or services. Despite the lack of established processes they achieve growth of 15-30 % per week. How many large enterprises do you know who achieve such growth? The secret lies in the successful practice of customer development techniques. These techniques are easy to learn, though not so easy to implement. Founders […]
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Eazy Lean Startup
Finally! My book is on Amazon! And I am very pleased with the result! I believe that I have achieved my primary aim: to write an easy book on lean startup methodology. There is no reason to toil through hundred of pages to get to the main points. The lean principles are only a handful and they can be learned quickly. There is no reason to get lost into a labyrinth of unknown terminology and theoretical concepts. A few practical advice is sufficient for the purpose of a startup. The idea behind the book is to inspire startups to launch their business immediately. They just need to follow a few basic guidelines that will help them stay on the right track. For the rest, they can improvise depending on the nature of the business. I never believed in full-proof systems […]
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Growth Hacking and Full Stack Marketing for Startups
Thursday, June 11, 2015 from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM (BST) London, United Kingdom An exclusive one-day public workshop on growth hacking and full stack marketing by Patrick Vlaskovits and Casey Armstrong. I would strongly recommend that you attend. These opportunities do not become available often. WHO SHOULD ATTEND Startup founders who want to get to cashflow positive or ensure their next round of funding. Startup marketers and growth hackers looking to take their skills to the next level. Anyone – technical or not – who wants confidence to lead marketing by broadening their digital marketing knowledge. Consultants, innovation managers and innovation directors, and businesses coaches looking to stay ahead of their competition. AFTER THIS WORKSHOP YOU WILL HAVE Discovered the fundamental tenets of growth hacking and full stack marketing. The confidence and competence to apply your knowledge in any […]
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How to write convincing emails to your list
Not everyone is a writer. The art of writing takes years to master and a lot of effort. Despite the fact that the vast majority of authors get paid peanuts, they painstakingly spend hours every day on their craft. So, the question is, how can you write a decent email, without having to resort to attending a creativity course? There are a few rules you need to take into account. 1) Be clear about what you want to communicate. Clarity should be achieved, first, in your mind. Do not attempt to write your first words, until you know exactly what you would like to say. Of course, there are exceptions. I am the not-so-bright example of a chaotic writer, whose thoughts become clearer as she writes. Please, do not follow me! 2) Do not be overly formal or stiff in your […]
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I love starting a startup!
It is astonishing how many startups serial entrepreneurs make. Not all of them are successful. In fact, most of them fail quickly, a fact that gives them the opportunity to move to greener pastures. They tend to move from one idea to another at the speed of light, until they discover the one that will be profitable. Or the one that interests them the most. The one thing they like the most about this process is the excitement. Butterflies in the stomach, strong heartbeat, fluttering of the chicks. All of these are the feelings an early startup can cause to its founders. Does it remind you of other instances in life? Of course! This is exactly how we feel when we fall in love! We cannot wait to meet the man or woman of our dreams! We count the hours, […]
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Lean Startup for Small and Medium Sized companies
It is not a coincidence that lean startup has been used extensively in large corporations and startups. On one hand the term ‘lean’ reflects the methodology used by Mega corporations such as Toyota. It was employed successfully in manufacturing and it is (until today) the main way to cut waste in both time and money. On the other hand, the second term ‘startup’ reflects its application in these organisations that are still trying to find their business model. This is a highly risky phase, full of uncertainties and hard work. Lean startup has been used successfully for several years and brings astonishing results to its practitioners. Up to know, virtually no small and medium sized businesses have been using it. Why? One of the main reasons is ignorance. it has not been connected with their type of business, therefore it […]
Read MoreEasy Lean Startup: New Book
I have just finished the first draft of my next book! I worked solidly on this for the past few weeks, until I saw the blank pages transformed into a dense text. The working title of the book is Easy Lean Startup. I broke down lean startup methodology to its absolutely basic premises. I included several examples of how it works, so that the book has a practical feel. I avoided all complicated notions and terminology. Above all, Tara Roskell is illustrating it in a way that the book will become self explanatory. There are a lot of cartoons and designed-led pages to satisfy even the most demanding artist! The purpose behind this book is to allow for more startups to read it. Startups without any previous knowledge of lean methodology or business theory. Startups who are more interested in […]
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