Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
One of the big questions entrepreneurs ask me about is how to price their product. 99% of the time, I tell them that their product is underpriced. But this begs the question, how should I price my product? The advice I tends to be very specific to the product and industry. For example, I urge … Continue reading Three foolproof ways to price your startup’s product
I was chatting with my friend Ramit Sethi (or as I like to call him in front of the ladies, “New York Times Bestselling Author and Millionaire Ramit Sethi”) when I realized something: A lot of men in Silicon Valley (and on Hacker News and Reddit) understand how to pitch VCs and angel investors. It … Continue reading How To Date Like An Entrepreneur
At TechCrunch Disrupt, legendary venture capitalist (and Sun Microsystems co-founder) Vinod Khosla warned entrepreneurs against the dangers of hype: “During his TechCrunch Disrupt talk, Khosla explained that the key role of early investors is not funding, but personal attention and guidance. But generating buzz too early can inflate a startup’s market cap and make them … Continue reading The only ways hype helps startups is to a) raise money b) attract customers c) recruit employees
There are Microsoft people and Apple people. Microsoft people want every option, and can’t imagine why others would find the surfeit of choices intimidating or annoying. In the parlance of psychology, they are “optimizers“. Apple people want a simple, elegant experience, and care little about individual features. They adapt to the limitations presented to them, … Continue reading Microsoft People vs. Apple People
One of the dynamics that interests me most is the relationship between insiders, outsiders, and fans. Many of my favorite publications are aimed at insiders. SLAM serves hardcore basketball fans who care about the latest sneakers. The Atlantic Monthly appeals to upscale professionals who want to maintain an intellectual life. Harvard Business Review has an … Continue reading Insiders, Outsiders, and Fans
I recently had the pleasure of attending a dinner for startup VPs of Marketing. I had a great time chatting with peers and laughing about the unrealistic demands we all face. “Get me in the Journal and fill the pipeline–but don’t spend any money.” The most interesting and worrisome aspect of the evening was the … Continue reading Is Social Media Marketing A Crock?
With all due respect to the genius that is Jessica Hagy and Indexed, the seed of a startup is *NOT* cheap technology, disgruntled workers, and an anemic economy.While that portion of the Venn diagram represents the ideal soil for starting a company, the real seed of a startup is a need.Every successful startup gives people … Continue reading The Real Seed Of A Startup Is A Need
A few weeks ago, my friend Ramit and I went through BarackObama.com to analyze what made the site so successful. Here were our conclusions. 1) The site is incredibly audience focused.For example, the text of the site is largely second-person; rather prattling on about Barack Obama, BO.com puts things in terms of you, your life, … Continue reading Be Like Barack: 6 Lessons Marketers Can Learn From BarackObama.com
Free video streaming by Ustream Right now, I, like 20,000 others, are watching the cutest Web site in the world, the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam on Ustream. It’s simplicity itself: a webcam trained on the sleeping area where a litter of 6 Shiba Inu puppies are growing up. Yet it’s currently averaging a viewership that’s … Continue reading 4 PR Lessons from the Puppy Cam
Seth Godin hits it on the head:“Attack ads don’t always work. There’s a reason most product marketers don’t use attack ads. All they do is suppress sales of your opponent, they don’t help you. Since TV ads began, voter turnout has progressively decreased. That’s because the goal of attack ads is to keep your opponent’s … Continue reading Cult Psychology: Why McCain’s Attack Ads Didn’t Work