It does not have to be unique. Simple ideas are enough, just keep in mind that it must help the masses out there struggling with a problem, thus creating a gap in the market. Having an idea is important. The mere definition of the word business brings to the fore the importance of the idea. At t...
By experience, I will tell you that is Finance or Economics, Marketing & Communications and Soft Skills that help you be a followed and likable leader. You might know or will find out that in business, any business, its not about you but about them - your end user, end customer. If you want to s...
Startups are, by definition, "temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.” (as reported by Steve Blank). The main bits differentiating startups from mature companies are: * Narrow target - startups always start small, focusing on a narrow niche/subset...
Anyone who tells you that the branding and design isn't important is smoking meth. Your brand is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT things related to your company and product. It is the firs thing someone sees and it is your FIRST impression. Because of that, your prospects will make a slew of initial j...
My 2 favourite are: - www.uxpin.com - www.flinto.com Flinto is by far my favorite for mobile. I also us www.balsamiq.com for anything wireframe. Sometimes I jump into Sketch http://www.bohemiancoding.com/sketch/ for more high fidelity mockups using their Mirror feature http://www.bohemiancodin...
If you're bootstrapping, pay yourself less and re-invest in the company. If you've raised money, then pay yourself average salary as you aren't subsidizing and getting more stock (for the $$) as an investor would - so once you raised, then it's a shared risk - don't make the financial subsidy a ...
I would suggest spending some money and cash hanging out at bars where some of these bands perform, Also, try to find a way backstage to talk to the musicians after they perform to do your research. If you're going after well-off musicians, contact their agents or band managers. They are always l...
You can but it's dangerous. You want validation from your idea to come from who are truly likely to be your customers. Also, the setting creates more bias to answers then what you'd want in a good customer development process. This is a great place to ask about how to go about good customer de...
1) Look up local universities and email the chairperson of whichever programs relate to the type of cofounder you need (i.e. electrical engineering, marketing, etc.). You could even possibly go there in person and put up a sign on a bulletin board. 2) There may be relevant Meetups in your area, ...
As someone who is deeply involved with startup studios, here are a few hints. 1. First, calculate your optimal scale of operations. In our startup studio this was about 12-15 people core team + dedicated ceo-s for each startup experiment 2. Raise funds for the studio, for at least 12-18 months. Y...