Kendall's "Internet startup checklist":

1. Idea:

  1. Would YOU write a check for your idea?
  2. Don't spill your candy in the lobby.
  3. Is your idea refining or revolutionizing?

2. Funding:

  1. Are your financials realistic if nothing goes right?
  2. Could you see your investors with a 10X, 20X return in 3 years?
  3. Do you have back-up plans b,c,d before quitting your day job?
  4. Do you have a great answer for the most cynical of investors?

3. team:

  1. Can you build your idea or will it take a team of pros?
  2. Is a specific person on your team essential or can he/she be replaced?
  3. Dont give up the farm to recruit talent.
  4. Hire brave & passionate smart people.

4. Product:

  1. Does your product SOLVE a problem?
  2. Beware of feature creep! Customers & prospects add features, not developers.
  3. Stay focused on money earning features, not cool ones.

5. Marketing:

  1. Is it costly (time/resources) to get branded in your target market?
  2. Make a goal of closing a core group of customers the first year. (traction)
  3. Adjust marketing resources to get traction (don't need much).
  4. Be sure to test your "seo / ad-words / ad-sense" properly before banking on them
  5. Nothing is better than "boots on the street." Start knocking on doors.

6. Customer:

  1. How many "loss leaders" do you have?
  2. Does your idea help your customer or is it just a "nice to have"?
  3. Make each customer feel like they are the only customer you have.
  4. Can your customers be up-sold? Do they have peers they could refer?


February 10, 2012 Have courage!

Are you spending your days being productive or just sustaining status quo? Are you one of those people who believe they are stuck in a role for survival? Whether its working only to feed the hog (dependents, utilities, mortgage, etc.) or being a weekend warrior, or worse yet a clock watcher! What brings this comfort zone of “just getting by” or not caring about the daily work? Is it the environment? Is it the boss?

dilbert2006

I believe these “status-quo” thoughts have extinguished the burning desire to improve our life simply because its easier. It is not the conditions, (because those come and go) it is the comfort zone. We all get discouraging words or thoughts when we tip toe out of the comfort zone.

Talk about being discouraged far away from any comfort zone: I remember being in front of a panel of potential investors and being so ridiculed for not saying or doing the right things, they simply kicked me off stage. Holy SHNICKIES! did that sting. Do I remember that experience vividly 9 years later? Yes. Did it get me down for 6 months? Yes. Did I get an achievement start-up award from that same group 2 years later? Yes. (WTF)

Be sure to have a “go-getter” mindset. Do not let discouragement effect you. Whether its external voices, internal dialog, or being sore from lifting a box last year ;), simply know discouraging stuff will come, but stop allowing yourself to get discouraged. Or even better: know there is negative sh*t everywhere, but stay away from it!

Encouragement: Tips.

  • 01Physically write a short term plan (6+ months) Helps to read it aloud when you feel like you are stuck or it is raining B.S.
  • 02 Misery loves company. So stay away from those freaks! Surround yourself with achievers.
  • 03 Do not let your or anyone’s emotion dictate your mood. Nice and steady. No one likes a moody person.
  • 04 Change your internal dialog. Use your conscious thoughts to improve yourself instead of talking about problems (yours or other peoples.)
  • 05 Stop watching that damn FOX NEWS! They cannot report positive news for 10 minutes straight. I guess sensationalism is not going away soon. Feed your brain with positive encouraging words. Go on a drama diet!
  • 06Talk and think shop when you are bore. Check out BNet or Fast Company.

Want to comment? Comments: 0

Posted by Kendall in Leadership


0 comments so far

Add a comment

RSS Flickr Wordpress