Founders almost always cite lack of money as the reason for failure, but if you look deeper, I believe the reason is more often about dysfunctional people and leadership. Sometimes it comes right back to the founder, in terms of a malaise often called “Founder’s Syndrome.” A few years ago I was int
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Martinzwilling voted on the following stories on BizSugar
This Entrepreneur Malaise is Deadly for Any Startup
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4502 days ago
Are You Agile Enough for the New Business Economy?
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4503 days ago
Prior to the recession, many companies and even startups were acclimated to prosperity, maybe too comfortable. We have now been through some turbulent times, but has your strategy really changed? All too many simply hunkered down to wait out the economy.
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The Cost Equation for a Startup is Better Than Ever
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4504 days ago
I come from a high-tech software background, and only a few years ago, it would cost at least a million dollars ($1M) for a team of professionals to produce any commercial software product. Now, with open source software components, and low-cost development tools, the same job can be done by one go
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Entrepreneurs Need to Brand Themselves First
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4505 days ago
Starting a business is usually the result of a personal dream or need. Investors tell me that they invest in people, more than the idea. Customers buy from people, not from a company, at least at the startup stages. That’s why it’s important to build a personal brand, in parallel and before your bu
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Startup Professionals Musings: 9 Leadership Failures to Avoid as an Entrepreneur
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4506 days ago
After working with dozens of startup founders, I’m still amazed that some seem to be able to do the job easily and effectively, always in control, while others always seem to be struggling, out-of-control, and fighting the latest crisis. I am more and more convinced that it is the right founder beh
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5 Reasons a Startup Mentor Need Not Be Your Friend
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4507 days ago
Friends tell you what you want to hear. Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. You always need the friend.
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7 Attributes of a True Entrepreneur, Young or Old
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4508 days ago
To be an entrepreneur, you have to be navigate lots of unknowns, and the path is fraught with risk. Once you are past a certain mental age, you know too many of the things that can go wrong, so you never start. Sort of like the old saying that if we didn’t have young men to fight our wars, we could
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Even Startups Can’t Innovate Without a Process
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4509 days ago
Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). That means they need to build an innovative team, which is not a skill that most people are born with. In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or invent
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Is User Base or Profitability the Key to Scale?
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4510 days ago
Every entrepreneur dreams of that sweet spot in the life of their business when it will reach critical mass, and they can focus more on scaling it than finding another investment round, or pumping in more cash. The challenge is how to recognize the point where the business is self-sustaining and st
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Entrepreneurs: Don’t Quit Your Real Job Too Early
Posted by martinzwilling under StartupsFrom http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 4511 days ago
Many entrepreneurs I know feel guilty about not quitting their day job when initiating their startup, worrying about not giving their all to an employer, juggling the multiple roles, or even a legal conflict of interest. I’ll try to offer some guidelines to address these issues, but I generally rec
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