is a document that investors make you write which they then don't read."
From Steve Blank.
I've been looking at slides on Business Model/Lean Canvas creation.
Thursday, 24 September 2015
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Business planning
Part of the day was spent asking myself how much Löwenbräu did I really have to drink last night, the rest was looking at the business plan.
No matter how much displacement activity I find I am coming up against the need to put in numbers.
I don't like my earlier, home-brewed spreadsheet for the finances (startup and projected) but I don't like the templates I've found either.
And we have set ourselves the deadline of the end of the month to have the business plan ready to show to investors. But next week I am on holiday with friends (booked a long time ago).
No matter how much displacement activity I find I am coming up against the need to put in numbers.
I don't like my earlier, home-brewed spreadsheet for the finances (startup and projected) but I don't like the templates I've found either.
And we have set ourselves the deadline of the end of the month to have the business plan ready to show to investors. But next week I am on holiday with friends (booked a long time ago).
Did go
In case you were wondering yesterday I did drag myself from my sick bed and go to the Oktoberfest.
I even drank three Maß of beer.
Although I didn't make any great contacts it was important that I went and I wouldn't have gone otherwise (not least as we were in a Löwenbräü tent - the things I do for this startup).
I even drank three Maß of beer.
Although I didn't make any great contacts it was important that I went and I wouldn't have gone otherwise (not least as we were in a Löwenbräü tent - the things I do for this startup).
Sunday, 20 September 2015
apps baby
As you can probably tell, at the moment we are keeping details of our actual business to ourselves. You will all learn in time.
(By the way, this blog is really for ourselves: to remind us of things we did and capture stuff which doesn't necessarily fit well into samepage.io which is our main collaborative suite. But you are welcome to continue reading).
But it is also 2015 and as we are in the technology sector that means mobile apps. Or as it is past mid-2015, just apps.
Being poorly today I checked one of the recently delivered flyers I've received in my mailbox advertise. One of them is very good but to my utter shock it didn't have an app.
The web site was good, and the service (and food) was also good. But no app.
That seems so strange these days.
(By the way, this blog is really for ourselves: to remind us of things we did and capture stuff which doesn't necessarily fit well into samepage.io which is our main collaborative suite. But you are welcome to continue reading).
But it is also 2015 and as we are in the technology sector that means mobile apps. Or as it is past mid-2015, just apps.
Being poorly today I checked one of the recently delivered flyers I've received in my mailbox advertise. One of them is very good but to my utter shock it didn't have an app.
The web site was good, and the service (and food) was also good. But no app.
That seems so strange these days.
Every day is like Sunday
Well, when it is Sunday.
Whilst my business partner is doing serious networking at the Oktoberfest I have been feeling ill.
From experience I know that if I do any work while ill I just make loads of errors. In fact this afternoon I ordered some food (the home delivery service is really picking up now) and got my own address wrong.
Today I also received a message from the data analysis guys I met up with a few days ago. They invited me to their Wiesn (that is their Oktoberfest) company table tomorrow.
But I have so much to do ... but I genuinely see this as work related - getting contacts etc.
Yesterday I started looking at AWS's help to startups and will to continue to do so (because I can just read rather than do anything). They seem to have a really good network of investors with whom they collaborate and provide special offers (for using their services).
Whilst my business partner is doing serious networking at the Oktoberfest I have been feeling ill.
From experience I know that if I do any work while ill I just make loads of errors. In fact this afternoon I ordered some food (the home delivery service is really picking up now) and got my own address wrong.
Today I also received a message from the data analysis guys I met up with a few days ago. They invited me to their Wiesn (that is their Oktoberfest) company table tomorrow.
But I have so much to do ... but I genuinely see this as work related - getting contacts etc.
Yesterday I started looking at AWS's help to startups and will to continue to do so (because I can just read rather than do anything). They seem to have a really good network of investors with whom they collaborate and provide special offers (for using their services).
Business and beer (1)
Business and beer - (1) because this is Germany and there will certainly be more business and beer.
I can't help but think that we are missing some excellent chances by not going to the Oktoberfest with various business and startup groups. This is really a networking event for many companies; "the 'fest" isn't only extremely crowded because of drunken tourists - large companies in Bavaria book tables every year for their higher-level staff, top customers and potential customers.
We have decided to focus instead of reaching a couple of goals before the end of the month, and repeated visits to the World's Biggest Beer Bash (tm) tend to be counterproductive to planning.
And though TJHWNN might be going with a few contacts, I am (so far) only going once - with a group of mainly retired Bavarians. Shall make the goal of engaging in at least one business related conversation.
Prost!
I can't help but think that we are missing some excellent chances by not going to the Oktoberfest with various business and startup groups. This is really a networking event for many companies; "the 'fest" isn't only extremely crowded because of drunken tourists - large companies in Bavaria book tables every year for their higher-level staff, top customers and potential customers.
We have decided to focus instead of reaching a couple of goals before the end of the month, and repeated visits to the World's Biggest Beer Bash (tm) tend to be counterproductive to planning.
And though TJHWNN might be going with a few contacts, I am (so far) only going once - with a group of mainly retired Bavarians. Shall make the goal of engaging in at least one business related conversation.
Prost!
(Not the authors of this blog.)
Friday, 18 September 2015
Curry and data
Yesterday evening a former colleague and I had a curry with two founders of a data analysis consultancy. I met the main founder a couple of times at a business networking club and the former colleague has a focus on big data technologies.
For the avoidance of doubt curry means curry and cocktails afterwards. What do you think I am, some sort of barbarian?
It was a very pleasant evening but two particular take-aways were:
- AWS may be giving significant benefits to startups
- I was given the name of someone I actually know within the business networking community who could assist in certain aspects of the business (sales etc.).
For the avoidance of doubt curry means curry and cocktails afterwards. What do you think I am, some sort of barbarian?
It was a very pleasant evening but two particular take-aways were:
- AWS may be giving significant benefits to startups
- I was given the name of someone I actually know within the business networking community who could assist in certain aspects of the business (sales etc.).
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Mutual Muses
TJHWNN and the Crazy Chicken have completely difference approaches to life and work, and work incredibly well together.
Multi-tasking for CC now involves switching from Facebook with morning coffee to reading reference articles and links added to the collaboration space (so far mainly by TJHWNN). I can get just as lost reading articles and links on startups (and less frustrated than by reading blindingly posted Facebook memes).
This morning a piece on "Red Flags for Startups" led me to a piece on frugality in startups. (See Cash Efficiency.) A key sentence for me was "Cash efficiency is the core indicator that a founder understands what she or he is trying to accomplish." Whilst I sometimes plead for financial restraint, TJHWNN has in "Go big or go home" in mind for our project - and we keep each other on track.
What constitutes cash efficiency in a startup? When is an item a necessity or a luxury? If you were employed in a startup, how would you confront a CEO about an unnecessary purchase – or try to convince them to purchase something? Or would you?
Multi-tasking for CC now involves switching from Facebook with morning coffee to reading reference articles and links added to the collaboration space (so far mainly by TJHWNN). I can get just as lost reading articles and links on startups (and less frustrated than by reading blindingly posted Facebook memes).
This morning a piece on "Red Flags for Startups" led me to a piece on frugality in startups. (See Cash Efficiency.) A key sentence for me was "Cash efficiency is the core indicator that a founder understands what she or he is trying to accomplish." Whilst I sometimes plead for financial restraint, TJHWNN has in "Go big or go home" in mind for our project - and we keep each other on track.
What constitutes cash efficiency in a startup? When is an item a necessity or a luxury? If you were employed in a startup, how would you confront a CEO about an unnecessary purchase – or try to convince them to purchase something? Or would you?
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
MVP
This evening I attended a meetup.com meeting about the power of MVP and product testing (such as AB testing).
A good meeting - in fact a very good meeting - which gave me the realisation that there is more to product development than I thought (I know I should have thought of this already).
Earlier today, despite a hangover, I assembled an outline for the business plan. It's more about the structure and none of the business plan guides I have seen have a structure I really like.
A good meeting - in fact a very good meeting - which gave me the realisation that there is more to product development than I thought (I know I should have thought of this already).
Earlier today, despite a hangover, I assembled an outline for the business plan. It's more about the structure and none of the business plan guides I have seen have a structure I really like.
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