Military Contractors Looking to Move Their Products or Technologies into the Commercial Markets have a Lot to Learn

I have worked with many traditional military contractors that see the commercial markets as a panacea for their military-based products or technologies.  While there often exists an opportunity to take a military product or technology, commercialize it, and then address a broad range of commercial market applications, generally it is not a straight forward transfer of these same military products or technologies to the commercial markets.  This is something that traditional military contractor companies and their entrepreneurs have a hard time understanding.  Having only worked with customers that define their product needs through a “request for proposal” process, they need to step back and understand that the commercial market is much different.  As such, products or technologies that were necessarily developed for a given military application through the request for proposal process do not necessarily translate into products that are sellable in the commercial markets. This article outlines several items traditional military contractors need to consider before they jump into the commercial markets.

Military Products or Technologies do not Necessarily make Commercial Products

Military contractors traditionally developed products or technologies that address a focused military-based application. That is, the U.S. military is looking for a product or technology to solve an identified problem.  As such, they send out a request for proposal to a set of military contractors, which respond with an engineering services proposal to develop the products or technologies to solve the identified problem. Once completed, the military contractor usually ends up with a technology or a set of products and technologies that are to be used in a very specific military application. 

Some military products or technologies may have commercial value, but as defined by the U.S. military, more often than not, these products or technologies are not sellable as products in their current form in the commercial markets. This often means that the military product or technology as defined, is a not a complete product offering. That is, this product or technology will often require other technologies, products or services to make it a “product” for the commercial markets. So, as a military contractor, one should not expect that their military-focused product or technology is sellable in the commercial market in its current instantiation.  Yes, an existing military product or technology may have some commercial value, but often it will need to be substantially modified to be competitive in the commercial market space.

Military Price Points Do Not Cut it in the Commercial Markets

The price points defined for military products and technologies do not cut it in the commercial markets.  So often, an existing military-based product or technology will need to be cost reduced to make it viable in the commercial markets. This is something that needs to be realized by military contractors and addressed right away.  Trying to force fit a military-based product or technology into the commercial market, with a military price tag, is a losing proposition.  But, this is often the mentality of traditional military contractors and their entrepreneurs.  They often wrongly believe they have a “product” that is viable in the commercial markets and want to sell it “as is”.  What they really have is a product or technology with a price point that will not stand up to the competition of the commercial market place.  So, as a military contractor, realize the price points you are currently selling your products or technologies at, are not the price points that the commercial markets will support.

Military Products or Technologies Often Require Additional Investment

Military contractors typically want to sell their products or technologies “as is” in the commercial market.  They do not want to invest any additional monies to make their products or technologies commercially viable. This lack of desire to spend any of their own money comes from their military background where the government pays for all of their R&D, plus overhead, to secure a desired product or technology for a particular application. This is a “no risk” venture for the military contractor.  This is not the case in the commercial market.  The commercial market is a “risk” and “return” based opportunity.  So, as a military contractor and entrepreneur, you more often than not will have to invest some of your own money to develop a product that is targeted for the commercial markets. It may be a little bit of money, or in some cases, it may be a lot of money, but the capitalist-based commercial market requires one to take a “risk” by investing their own monies to properly commercialize a military-based product or technology offering.  If as a military contractor, you are not comfortable with this, then the commercial market is not for you and your products or technologies.  Remember, the commercial markets often require additional investment monies to make military products or technologies commercially viable.

Military contractors often want a piece of the commercial markets.  With the limited upside to their military contracts, they often have a desire to take their military-based products or technologies into the commercial markets and harvest the large financial rewards the commercial space has to offer.  What these same military contractors often do not understand is that their military products or technologies do not necessary translate into products that are sellable in the commercial markets.  In addition, these same military-based technologies or products usually have price points that are too high and at the same time usually require additional investment monies to make these same products or technologies a commercially competitive product offering. Therefore, traditional military contractors often have a lot to learn when moving their military products or technologies into the commercial markets.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, Putting a Stake in the Ground Early will Help Move your Start-up Company Forward

If certain items are not defined early in the development of your start-up company, things will tend to meander and not move forward in a coherent manner.  You will continue to have early meetings with customers, and potential strategic partners, etc., but your start-up company and its product offering will continue to be fluid and not coalesce into a defined market position and complete product offering with an associated roll-out schedule.  As these discussions continue, things will become more fluid and less defined as each potential customer or strategic partner you meet with will have their own product requirements, opinions and overall list of concerns regarding your start-up company and its potential product offering.  So unless you put a stake in the ground early, you will continue to move down an undefined path and the world will look murkier by the day or by the meeting.  Therefore, to help drive your company forward, as an entrepreneur, you need to address three things that will define your start-up company to your customer base and potential strategic partners. This article defines these three items which will help move your start-up company forward.

Position Your Company and its Product Offering

Defining the market position of your start-up company and its product offering early will help define you in the eyes of your customers and strategic partners. Having meetings with potential customers and strategic partners without a clearly defined market position for your start-up company is a big mistake.  If you continue down this undefined path, each meeting will end up with individual customers or strategic partners walking away with their own conclusions as to where your start-up company and its product offering fits in the competitive and market landscape. This is not good for your customers and definitely not good for your start-up company.  So, define your start-up company and its product offering early. Position yourself against your competitors. Leave your customers and potential partners with a clear idea of why your start-up company and its product offering is different and provides a value proposition that is important to them as either a customer or potential strategic partner.  Anything less will create confusion and leave these same individuals to define your start-up company on their own, with each customer and potential partner coming to a different conclusion.  Therefore, positioning your start-up company and its product offering early is definitely something you want to do as the entrepreneur.  It will help you create a smoother path forward.

  

 Define Your Product and its Key Features and Functions

Often entrepreneurs have a clear view of their product offering in their minds. They believe that they can do anything their customers want, and with each meeting, the list of required product features and functions only gets longer and longer.  Some of these features and functions are important, while many others are only a “wish” list of features and functions from these same potential customers.  So, it is the responsibility of the entrepreneur, early in their start-up company’s existence, to define the key features, functions and capabilities that will not only make their product offering competitive, but make it unique when compared to other product offerings in the market.  Once defined, it is an important to discuss your product’s key features and functions with your customers, as they may want you to prioritize certain features and functions over others. So once you have a clear product description, including features and functions, make sure you talk to your customers. This will validate the product definition you have defined and provide you with a clear path forward for developing your product offering.

 

Develop a Go To Market Strategy, Rollout Schedule, and Product Road Map

Your customers will also be interested in knowing what your go to market strategy is and how it will benefit them. If you have developed a unique go to market strategy that allows your customers to secure a competitive advantage in the market, this is surely something they will be interested in knowing about early.  So, define your go to market strategy early and share it with your customers.  If it is something that truly differentiates your start-up company from its competitors, this will definitely be something that will pique their interest and possibly allow you to secure a level of early commitments from your customer base.

 

It is also important to define a realistic rollout schedule early so that your customers will know when your product will be available in the market. This rollout schedule should necessarily include your start-up company’s initial product offering along with a product road map, which defines future product generations and their associated feature and functions.   Remember, customers need to know when your product will be available and what they can look forward to with future product offerings. One product, single generation product start-up companies do not cut it in the market. This is true for customers and for investors.

 

Entrepreneurs, you need to put a stake in the ground early to move your start-up company forward.  Doing anything less will cause your start-up company to meander and become ill defined for both your customers and investors.  So, define your start-up company’s market position and product offering early. Include in this process, the key features and functions of your product offering.  Finally, develop a realistic go to market strategy, rollout schedule and associated product road map.  Accomplishing these tasks early will help define your start-up company in your customers’ eyes and with potential strategic partners and help move you forward to achieve success in the market.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, Make the Tough Decisions Necessary to Move your Start-up Company Forward

Start-up companies by their nature are very volatile. As such, things change rapidly and need to in order to stay ahead of the game.  Unlike large companies, many daily decisions can have an inordinate affect on both the short term and the long term success of a given start-up company.  Accordingly, entrepreneurs often need to make tough decisions that will have a material impact on their start-up companies.  These decisions should not be taken lightly. On the other hand, due the fast paced nature of start-up companies, and the need to focus on creating significant value in an accelerated time frame, many of these same decisions do need to be made and quickly.  Often delays in decision making can create missed opportunities, and at the same time wreak havoc on a start-up company’s potential for success in the market. This article outlines several examples of tough decisions that need to ultimately be made by entrepreneurs that can significantly affect the long-term success of their start-up companies.  Here, quick decisions are welcomed, as prolonging the decision making process can often lead to a failed venture.

Changes in the Executive Team

The executive team is the key component that drives the success of any start-up company.  Therefore, this is the first thing, beyond the business opportunity, that venture capitalists look at when deciding to invest in a start-up company.  As such, if there is a member of your start-up company’s executive management team that is not working out or not adding significant value to the start-up company and its ultimate goals and objectives, the best thing to do is to remove this person from the team.  Why, because for start-up companies, there is no room for “non-contributing” executive team members. This situation only puts more burdens on the rest of the executive management team. Also, with each executive team member having more than enough to do, everyone needs to be pulling their own weight.  Anything less is a drain on the start-up company and its overall performance.  So, as an entrepreneur, if you recognize that your team has an executive member that is not working out, a quick decision needs to be made to cut your losses.  Here, removing the executive team member and having an empty position is much better than having a non-contributing team member.  Non-performance, by a single team member will lead to resentment from the other executive team members and pull the performance of the overall company down.  So, as an entrepreneur, once you recognize that one member of your executive team is not performing, it is important to remove this person, and quickly.  If you do not do this, your investors will.

 Changes in Strategic Direction

From their inception, start-up companies often go through multiple changes in strategic direction. More often than not, there are good reasons for this and it is necessarily part of the process to support the long-term success of the start-up company.  What is important here is that as an entrepreneur, you need to recognize that sometimes a significant change in strategic direction is necessary to enhancing the overall value of your start-up company. In addition, once the decision has been made to make a significant change in the strategic direction of a start-up company, the executive team needs to fully embrace this decision and commit the company to this new direction. Anything less will cause the start-up company to fail.  A one foot in, one foot out commitment to changes in the strategic direction of a start-up company will not work.  Finally, it is important that any significant changes in the strategic direction of your start-up company are not taken lightly, and do not happen too often, as too many changes in the strategic direction of your start-up company will kill the overall momentum of your start-up and as such will result in disaster. Therefore, once a decision has been made to change the strategic direction of your start-up company, get buy-in from all of the executive team members and move quickly to make it happen.  This approach only will benefit your start-up company.

Deciding on Strategic Alliances

Strategic alliances can help create phenomenal success for start-up companies and at the same time significantly enhance their overall value with investors and in the market.  By providing access to markets, sales channel support, complementary technologies and services, all value added propositions, strategic alliances can be used to create significant value for your start-up company.  That being said, a bad strategic partnership can have the opposite impact on your start-up company.  Therefore, when determining the value of a strategic partnership, look at the market credibility of the strategic partner.  Are they a significant player in the market? Does their name add credibility to your start-up company? Will they be able to deliver on the promises of the strategic partnership?  Often it is often better to step back and make an overall assessment of the potential long-term benefits of the partnership before committing your start-up company’s future on a particular strategic partner.  This will provide you with perspective and allow you as an entrepreneur to make a better decision.

Sometimes it is the case that as an early stage start-up company, you will not be ready for a strategic alliance relationship.  Here, be honest with yourself.  Does a strategic alliance partnership make sense at this point in time?  If it does not, then it pays to walk away, as it may only serve as a distraction to the important immediate goals and objectives of your start-up company.  Therefore, take the necessary time to properly evaluate any potential strategic alliances.  Move quickly, but remember to make an informed decision as the wrong strategic alliance can be detrimental to the overall performance of your start-up company.

Determining a Funding Strategy

Determining a funding strategy is often a difficult task for entrepreneurs. Do I go after all of the required funding now and give away more of my start-up company to investors, or do I look to secure funding in multiple tranches?  This is a very difficult question to answer and how it answered is specific to the each start-up company, their overall funding requirements and their ultimate value at a given point in time.  The key thing here is to outline your start-up company’s significant deliverables for the various funding scenarios and then make a decision as to whether at the end of each funding scenario, if significant market value has been created to secure addition funding from either existing investors or new investors. Remember, investors want to see significant value at the end of each funding round.  So, take the time and map out your start-up company’s significant milestones their associated time frame and then overlay the funding requirements.  This will allow you to determine that natural break points in securing funding and provide your investors with the insight necessary to determine if your start-up company’s funding strategy makes sense.  Remember, determining a funding strategy is often one of the most difficult decisions an entrepreneur can make.  So take the time to make an informed decision, but do not dwell on, as investors will often dictate the overall all funding terms and tranches of your start-up company.  The key point here is to make a decision and then move to secure funding to push your start-up company forward to the next level.

Entrepreneurs need to make tough decisions every day. These decisions often have a significant impact on the start-up company and its long term success in the market. For each decision presented here, whether it changing the make-up of the executive team, moving the start-up company in a new strategic direction, deciding on alliances, or determining a funding strategy,  it is important to make an informed decision.  Also, the quicker the decision is made that more likely you will get your start-up moving forward, and creating momentum for your start-up company. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, make the tough decisions it will only benefit your start-up company.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Venture Capitalists Consider Four Characteristics to Determine Whether a CEO can Lead their Start-up Company to Success

It is said that venture capitalists invest in the entrepreneurial team.  This is the case for all start-up companies. After reviewing and getting the good understanding of the investment opportunity, the first thing venture capitalist look at is the team.  Why, because they need to understand that their investment will be well managed by individuals with the appropriate backgrounds, skill sets, and capabilities to bring their investment to a successful conclusion. That is, creating the necessary value such that the investors can secure the financial returns they expect, according to their financial risk. For these same investors, it is the underlying characteristics of the CEO of the start-up company, the leader of the team, that are the most important to them.  As investors, venture capitalists seek CEO’s with the necessary characteristics to create a successful start-up company. This article outlines the four characteristics venture capital investors look for in a strong CEO.  By having a CEO with these characteristics, these same investors are more likely to take the risk and invest in your start-up company.

High Moral Character

As in any business, the CEO of a start-up company must be of high moral character. That is, they must be trustworthy and make the appropriate moral decisions for both themselves and their start-up company.  The last thing investors want are moral or ethical situations that will result in a law suit for the start-up company.  Therefore, the investors do background checks and deep personal and professional character interviews to determine the underlying moral character of the CEO.  This high moral character, as with any individual, must permeate both in the CEO’s personal and the business lives. Remember, the CEO has both ethical and fiduciary responsibilities to the start-up company, and as such, needs to conduct themselves appropriately in both their personal life and the business life.  Anything less can have an adverse affect on the start-up company.  Therefore, investors first look into the moral character of the CEO, to determine if he or she is fit to both represent and run the start-up company.  If they are not, as investors, they will either move on or require a change in management before investing. 

 Strong Leadership Capabilities

Leadership is important to any company, but having a strong leader at the top of a start-up company is especially important to a start-up company.  With all of responsibilities and the necessity to get many things accomplished on both a limited budget and in a limited time frame, the CEO of a start-up company must have the ability to lead the company and its team to accomplish, often insurmountable tasks. Accomplishing these tasks is often the difference between receiving and not receiving additional funding from these same investors.  Therefore, investors need to be assured that the CEO of the start-up company has the leadership abilities necessary to make the company successful.  Anything less will be a recipe for disaster, as investors necessarily do not need to take on the risks associated with a CEO that has weak leadership capabilities.  So, when reviewing the characteristics of the CEO of a start-up company investors need to be assured that this same individual have the necessary strong leadership capabilities to drive the company and its team to success.  Anything less will result in a poor investment for the venture capitalists.

Appropriate Background and Experience

Does the CEO have the appropriate background and experience?  This is one of the first questions the venture capitalists ask themselves.  A desirable background necessarily includes the corporate operational experience necessary to run the start-up organization from the top.  If the CEO does not have a similar level of experience, the investors will wonder if they will have the ability to grow into this position.  Remember, investors do not want the start-up company’s CEO to be learning on their dime. As such, they need to be assured that the person in charge will be able to make the appropriate operational decisions as the company grows and progresses through its development and expansion.  More often than not, this requires a CEO with the appropriate operational background and experience. In addition, it is the necessary requirement for the CEO to have had specific experience in the target industry of the start-up company is intending to address.  Again, anything less will require the CEO to learn about their specific industry on the fly and puts this same start-up company at competitive disadvantage in the market. Therefore, it is also important for the CEO of the start-up company to have specific industry experience and the appropriate operational background. This will provide for a much smoother development path for the start-up company and its investors.

Driven Personality

Start-up companies go through many ups and downs as well as changes in direction during their development.  The investors need to be assured that the CEO is driven to make their start-up company successful no matter what situation arises during its development.  Therefore, these same investors need to make an assessment as to whether the CEO has the necessary personal drive to power through the ups and downs of a start-up company.  If they do not believe this is the case, they will not invest.  It should be remembered that a start-up investment is often a marathon and not a sprint, and hence the necessity to have a driven CEO to guide the start-up company for the long-haul is often necessary for a successful start-up company. Therefore, investors need to consider how driven the CEO is to make the start-up company successful in the long term.

Evaluating the characteristics of the CEO of a start-up company is the necessary job of the venture capitalists.  This evaluation can make the difference between a successful investment and an unsuccessful investment.  As outlined here, venture capitalists look for four characteristics of the CEO in determining if they have the necessary characteristics to run the start-up company. This includes: a high moral character, strong leadership capabilities, the appropriate experience and background and a driven personality. By assessing these four characteristics, venture capitalists can gather the appropriate insight as to whether the CEO has what it takes to lead their start-up company to success in the market.  So entrepreneurs, when picking the CEO of your start-up company keep these four characteristics in mind, you can be assured your investors will be.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, What is Your Start-up Company’s “Value-Added” Proposition?

Simple questions from venture capitalists can be the most difficult to answer for entrepreneurs. Why, because they often require both a strategic vision and specific insights to the long-term nature of all aspects of the market, your competitors, and your customers.  This requirement often eludes entrepreneurs as more often than not they are tactically focused and do not really have a strategic vision for their start-up company and the long term business opportunity their investment represents to their customers and to these same investors.  Therefore, when asked “What is the value-added proposition of your start-up company?” they often stumble and in some instances cannot answer this most simple of probing questions.  Why, because they have not taken the time to really evaluate what they are trying to offer the market and their end customers. That is, “Why are customers going to buy your product?”  As an entrepreneur, there are four tenants that you need to address, which will provide you the necessary insight to address the issue of defining the “value-added” proposition for your start-up company.  This article addresses each of these tenants and their ultimate importance to the potential success of your start-up company’s product offering to the market and its end-customers.

What are the Strategic Opportunistic Needs of the Market?

When developing a product offering you need to start from the markets.  Specifically, you need to address the “strategic opportunistic needs” of the market.  That is, what is the “problem” or “need” you are solving.  If there is no “problem” or “need” to solve, then there is no particular reason for customers to buy your product.  Whether it is lower costs, lower power consumption, higher efficiencies, or better service, etc., there needs to be a strategic opportunistic customer need that you are addressing with your start-up company’s product offering. Therefore, to determine your value-added proposition to the market place and the end customer, you need to definitively identify and solve a market or customer need that is currently not being addressed in the market.  The basis of this strategic opportunistic requirement needs to be based on a real assessment of the customers and the market. Anything less, will not cut it, as customers are very discerning, and if they do not see a definitive need to buy your technology, product or service offer they won’t.  Therefore, take the time to define the needs of the market place. Write these needs down on paper, and verify them by talking to a number of potential customers. You will then be able to appropriately define the “strategic opportunistic needs” of the market and one important tenant of the value-added proposition of your product offering.

 Do You Have a Long-Term Competitive Advantage?

Investors need to know that as a start-up company that you have a long-term competitive advantage in the market. This is usually accomplished through the development and subsequent patenting of certain intellectual property as it relates to your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering. This intellectual property, as defined, needs to differentiate your start-up company’s product offering in the market, and at the same time provides significant value to the long-term competitiveness of your technology, product or service offering.  Remember, investors are looking to create long term value, so that they can ultimately cash-in by either selling your company to a third party or going public (not too often these days).  Therefore, you need to create and protect your value-added proposition with patented intellectual property.  Doing so, will provide your start-up company with a long-term sustainable competitive advantage and allow your investors to earn substantial returns on their investment.

What is the Competitive Positioning of Your Start-up Company?

Do you know the competitive position of your start-up company? More often than not, entrepreneurs do not really understand the value of creating a “unique” competitive position in the market.  By creating this competitive position in the market you are differentiating your start-up company in the market and at the same time creating a value-added proposition to your customer base.  Whether it is a lower cost solution, or a unique service offering, you need position your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering as differentiated from your competitors. Apple does this well with their entire line of product offerings.  By offering unique operating systems and value-added user interfaces, they provide a differentiated end-user experience.  Hence, Apple has developed a “value-added” and unique competitive position in the market.  As such, they are able to charge more for their products, as the customers believe that there is value in the Apple product offerings and the overall end-user experience. Therefore, as a start-up company you need to develop a unique position in the market, such that your customers believe there is significant and unique added value in your product offerings when compared to your competitors.

How Do You Define your Start-up Company’s Product Offering?

How you define your start-up company’s product offering can add significant value to your customers and their needs. As an example, many times there is significant value to your customer base in how you deliver your product to the market.  For example, take Netflix and the movie rental industry. By developing a new delivery channel for a “generic” product offering, the home movie rental market, they have been able to provide substantial “value” to their end-customers, and at the same time differentiate themselves in the market.  Therefore, take the time to properly define your start-up company’s product offering. Make sure you are doing this in the context of developing a differentiated product offering for your target customers and the market.  This will allow you to develop a product offering that is defined by market and the end customer needs.  Solving a customer’s problem by appropriately defining your product offering to the market can be a key to adding significant value to your end customer and at the same time differentiate your product offering in the market.

Creating a “value added” proposition for your target market and its customers requires vision and specific insight to the long-term nature of all aspects of the market, your competitors, and your customers. To do this, as an entrepreneur you need to address four tenants, including: identifying the strategic opportunistic needs of the market, determining your long-term competitive advantages, developing a defendable competitive position, and determining your unique product configuration.  These items together will allow you to develop a “value added” proposition to the markets you are addressing and your end customers.  This will also provide your potential investors with the necessary insight to develop a quick understanding of potential for success of your start-up company and its product offering in the market.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, Self-Education the Key to Securing Funding

First time entrepreneurs often want to begin day one by writing their business plan and talking to potential venture investors about their “concept” or “idea”.  This is a big mistake.  As an uneducated participant in the start-up funding process, you have little chance of developing a compelling, investor focused business plan or securing venture funding.  This lack of preparation and self-education is pervasive among first time entrepreneurs and results in substantial frustration from both the investors as well as entrepreneurs.  As a result of this lack of self-education on the entrepreneurs’ part, investors always complain that they cannot find “good” deals and at the same time, entrepreneurs complain that there is no venture money available to fund their investment opportunities.  As with any story, the truth regarding this funding dilemma is often somewhere in between.  But, in this case, since entrepreneurs are the ones seeking investor money, the overall responsibility here lies with the entrepreneur.  They need to educate themselves so that they are properly prepared when talking to potential investors. This article discusses the importance the self-education of entrepreneurs and how this self-education is the key to securing funding for your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering.

Take the Time to Really Understand Your Own Investment Opportunity

It is never really good to “learn” about your business investment opportunity while you are talking to investors.  But, this is what many entrepreneurs do. Most entrepreneurs never really take the time to research all aspects of their investment opportunity from the market size, to their competitors’ positioning, to the details of their financials. As such, they go into their first venture capital investor’s meeting unprepared and get ripped apart by seasoned venture capitalists.  Not a fun experience.  There is an easy way around this scenario.  Take the time to really understand your own investment opportunity. This means, don’t start by writing your business plan on day one. Instead, do the opposite; take the time to research your own investment opportunity. This process usually takes about one to three months depending on your background, the number of markets you will be addressing and the breath of your product offering.

This research process is a valuable exercise.  It provides perspective and allows you as an entrepreneur to step back and evaluate which aspects of your investment opportunity that requires more work, before you begin writing your business plan.  Also, this research is a self-education process that ultimately provides you as an entrepreneur with the necessary knowledge and background to be prepared for the test –your first meeting with venture capital investors.  By having done your research on all aspects of your business investment opportunity you will be prepared and will then be able to answer the necessary questions investors ask to properly evaluate you as an entrepreneur and your associated investment opportunity. Remember, you need to be properly prepared to talk with investors about your business opportunity. The self-education process is the key to this preparation.

Understand the Investment Expectations of Venture Capital Investors

Most first time entrepreneurs falsely believe they are fundable, without really understanding the investment expectations of venture capital investors.  This false sense of entitlement is not based on any reality.  Instead it is based on an unrealistic premise – “if I have a “concept” or “idea” it must be fundable”.  Nothing is further from the truth.  Instead, investors have strict investment criteria and specific things they look for when considering potential investment opportunities. Remember, venture capital investors are “money managers” and have a board or directors to report to, so they necessarily have to be selective in the investment opportunities they consider as potential investments. So, as an entrepreneur, it is very important to educate yourself in understanding the expectations of venture capital investors. From the expected financial returns, to the requirement of strong team, to the necessity of creating a long-term sustainable competitive advantage in the market, it is necessarily important to develop a solid understanding of venture capital investors and their investment criteria. Therefore, take the time to read on the subject, attend seminars on venture funding, and go to business plan competitions. This will enlighten you as an entrepreneur with regard to the venture capitalist investor’s funding criteria and provide you with insight to what these same investors look for in potential investment opportunities.

Target Your Venture Capital Investors and Get a Warm Introduction

Most entrepreneurs believe they can send their start-up company’s executive summary to a venture capitalist they do not know and magically this same venture capitalist will read it and invite them to come in for a review session. This is not the case.  In fact, this rarely happens, if ever.  There are a couple reasons for this.  First, venture capitalists are very busy and rarely have time to review let alone read any business plans that come into their office “cold”.  Secondly, venture capitalists like anyone in business prefer to have investment opportunities introduced to them by people they know.  This is known as a “warm” introduction.  The reason for this is that if they know and respect the person that has introduced the potential investment opportunity to them; they know that this person’s reputation is on the line and they would not ask them to look at it unless it was a “quality” investment opportunity.  Remember, investors are always more comfortable in working with people they know and trust.  It is just human nature. Therefore, when looking to secure venture funding it is important to do two things. First, target venture capitalists that have a history of investing in similar start-up companies.  All venture capital firms have target investment criteria (target technologies, markets, investment amounts, etc.).  Spend the time to investigate and target those venture capital firms which meet your investment criteria.  This will provide you with a target list of potential investors. Second, work hard to get a “warm” introduction to these targeted venture capitalists. You can do this by:

• Going to networking event in which a venture firm’s partner is a panelist,
• Looking at the companies they have funded and determining if you know someone at these firms,
• Working with a law firm that has connections to your target list of venture capitalists.

Remember, targeting specific venture capital firms and then working to get a warm introduction will get you a long way down the road to securing funding. 

As first time entrepreneur, you need to necessarily educate yourself.  This takes time, but in the end is the key to successfully securing funding from the venture capital community.  This self-education process includes understanding all aspects of your own business investment opportunity, having a realistic understanding of venture capitalists’ investment expectations, targeting specific venture capitalist firms and securing a warm introduction.  By doing your homework here, you will save yourself a lot of time and substantially increase your chances of securing funding.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, Use General Technology and Market Trends to Define the Future for Your Start-up Company

The stock market always looks to the future.  This should also be true for first time entrepreneurs.  When defining your start-up company’s business proposition, you need to look at both the general technology and the general market trends of the future.  Why, because it is these general trends that will define the future market place for your technology, product or service offering.  General trends are often over looked by entrepreneurs, but venture capitalists always take a “big picture” view as to what technologies and markets will be pervasive five to ten years out in time. As is often the case, what is true and certain today regarding technologies and markets will not be true and certain five to ten years in the future. Therefore, as an entrepreneur you need to have a “big picture” view of the future and make sure your technology, product or service offering will have a role to play in the future, when defining a given market “problem” or “need”.  This article discusses the importance of creating this future frame work, based on general technology and market trends when presenting your technology, product or service offering to your potential investors.

Develop a Clear Understanding of the General Technology Trends

General technology trends change over an extended period of time.  Unlike the predictions often set forth by the technology pundits, a new technology does not take hold in the market in a year’s time frame. It often takes five to seven years or more for a new technology to take hold.  It even takes longer than that for a new technology to become pervasive and accepted by the general public.  Why, because there are many issues that come into play when rolling out a new technology.  These include the following:

• Initial costs of new technologies are generally high,
• Infrastructure roll-out takes time and is very expensive,
• The new technology may not be ready for prime time, and
• End-users do not always readily embrace new technologies.

These issues can substantially delay the rollout of new technologies.  But in the whole scheme of things, the entrepreneur must be aware of new, general technology trends, their timing and availability to the market.  In this context, having a good understanding of general technology trends, their availability, and how they can affect your start-up company’s product or service offering, in a positive or negative manner, is key to positioning your start-up company and its product offering in the future markets. Knowing and properly presenting your start-up company’s technology product or service offering in the context of these general technology trends will not only gain you credibility with your potential investors, it will provide the underlying and necessary credence to overall potential value of your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering. This is important, as investors need to know and believe that your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering has the ability to create long-term value in the context of the general technology trends of the market.

Review and Understand the General Market Trends

Knowing the general market trends is often a key to positioning your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering to your investors.  General market trends provide the “big picture” of what the future markets are going to look like.  What are the long-term market growth areas?  Will these market growth areas be the same as those markets today? What will the population look like in five to ten years? What will drive the long-term economic engine of the US and world economies?  These high-level general market trends need to be considered, understood and addressed by entrepreneurs looking to define the future for their start-up company’s technology, product or service offering.  Knowing and being able to appropriately define the general market trends of the future will provide potential investors with the necessary context as to how or why your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering will be important to addressing the “problems” or “needs” of future markets.  This is very important to investors, as they need to understand the “big picture” and how your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering will impact the markets of the future.

Define Your Start-up Company’s Product Offering in the Context of These General Technology and Market Trends

As an entrepreneur, remember you are trying to sell your technology, product or service offering to potential investors.  To properly do this you need to sell a vision.  Why, because a vision necessarily provides context, looks to the future, and requires an appropriate presentation of how your start-up company’s technology, product, or service offering fits within the general, future technology and market trends.  This vision necessarily needs to define your start-up company’s product offering in the context of both future technology and market trends.  Not doing so will necessarily hurt your efforts to convince investors of the potential future value of your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering.  By properly painting both the general technology trends and associated general market trends and how your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering provides an opportunity to secure a unique position with regard to these general trends, investors will then buy in to your vision and are much more apt to invest in your start-up company and its technology product or service offering.  Therefore, take the time to step back from your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering and take in the “big picture” in terms of both general technology and market trends.  This will allow you to develop the necessary context and associated vision for your start-up company. It will also allow you to provide the “big picture” contextual view to your potential investors, providing the necessary road to securing funding.

As an entrepreneur looking to present the future to your potential investors, you need to necessarily have a good handle on both the general technology and market trends.  This will allow to you provide the appropriate context as to how and why your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering will be both important to addressing these trends and how at the same time you are solving future “problems” and “needs” in support of these overall trends.  The bottom line is that by addressing these general, future technology and market trends, you will be providing your investors with a vision that allows them to see the future appropriately and how your technology, product or service offering will create value and play an important role in this future.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Entrepreneurs, A Breath of Markets Approach Will Lead You to the Right Conclusions

Having a business “idea” or “concept” does not necessarily provide the entrepreneur with much direction in getting started in developing a valuable and fundable business proposition.  This beginning point in the development of a start-up company often leaves first time entrepreneurs in the dark as to which direction to proceed forward with regard to their proposed technology, product or service offering.  They often ask themselves: “Where do I start?”  The best answer here is to begin by focusing on the markets.  Why, because it is the markets where you will sell your technology, product or service offering.  It also the markets that will determine the “problem” or “need” you will be solving.  This focus on the markets will also help you determine how to position your technology, product or service offering against your competitors.  In short, by focusing on a broad breath of markets and the possibility of potential opportunities they represent, you will come to the right conclusions as to where to take your initial “idea” or “concept”, how to develop a value added product offering, what your product offering will ultimately look like and it will in the end provide you with the ability to determine the best return on investment for your venture investors. This article addresses this breath of markets approach in determining how to take your product “idea” or “concept” into reality of a valuable business proposition.

Look at a Broad Breath of Markets

In the beginning of your product definition process, all markets look the same.  Why, because at this point you do not have any details on the size of the market, the growth of the market or the potential “market needs” you will be addressing for any particular market.  Therefore, you should look a broad breath of markets that can potentially be addressed by your technology, product or service offering.  Don’t pick a favorite market at this time.  All you need to do is to determine the baseline market characteristics (size and growth), and potential “needs” or “problem” you will be addressing for a given market.  This analysis will provide you with a high level overview of the market opportunity and at the same time give you the necessary background to determine if a particular market or a number of different markets may be of interest to you and your start-up company.  Remember, this is not the time to discount a given market.  Why, because you do not have enough information on the details that will make your product competitive in this space.  All you are trying to do is to determine, from all the markets you could address, which set of markets are of potential interest and why.  This preliminary market data will be useful in drawing your final conclusions as to which markets are of interest and how to prioritize these same market opportunities.

Review the Competitors for Each Market

Once you have a list of the targeted markets that are of interest, you should next look at the competitors in your potential target markets and review their positions and product offerings.  As such, the competitors for each market will most often be different and have unique product offerings to address the market needs and requirements for that specific market. Pay particular attention to the details of each competitor’s product offering by market. Why, because different markets will require different product features, functions and capabilities, and each given competitor’s product offering will provide you with the appropriate insight as to the necessary key differentiators that make their product offerings competitive for a particular market of interest. These key product differentiators are often unique to a particular market or they may be common across a number of potential markets.  This is something you need to pay attention to since you generally at this point are looking to address as many markets as possible with your product offering.  In addition, you are looking to determine the features, functions and capabilities that will give your start-up company’s product offering a competitive advantage over your competitors for a particular target market.  Here, it pays to be very detailed.  As it is these details that will ultimately lead you to the right conclusions in determining the competitive advantage of your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering.

Define the Product Requirements for Each Market

After you have had time to review the various competitor product offerings for each potential target market of interest, you need to spend time sweating the details on the necessary product requirements for each potential market of interest. Here, you need to develop a product feature, function and capability list for each potential target market. Why, because it is this product requirements list that will provide you with the necessary insight as to what it takes to not only be competitive in a target market of interest, but what it will also allow you determine what additional product capabilities are necessary to make your product a “complete” product offering.  This often requires you to add capabilities (e.g., software, hardware, services) to your start-up company’s “core” capabilities that are well beyond the scope of your company and will require you to secure these capabilities through a strategic partnership or by other means.  In the end, you will have a compelling and “complete” product offering that addresses the needs of each particular target market. This is your goal.  Finally, it is through this market driven product requirements process that you may determine that certain markets cannot be addressed by your start-up company or will necessarily need to be addressed in the future, with follow-on product offerings, once you first establish yourself in other markets. Therefore, defining the detailed product requirements, for each given market will give you the insight you need to not only determine the necessary feature and functional requirements, it will given you insight so setting your start-up company’s targeted market priorities.

Develop Focus for Your Targeted Markets

Once you have looked a breath of markets, reviewed your competitors’ product offerings and defined the product requirements for each potential market of interest, you need to focus in on your target markets.  Here, you need to first identify which markets you believe, based on the above information, you have a clear competitive advantage.  Then you need to identify which of these markets have the highest potential for return on investment for your potential investors.  That is, which markets are the largest and have the highest long term growth.  Finally, you need to prioritize these markets in terms of total financial investment requirements and associated risk.  Some, target markets may be attractive, but will require substantial up-front investment and result in much longer time-to-money and profitability. Alternatively, other target markets may not be as attractive, but are easier to penetrate and will allow you start-up company to generate early cash flow and at the same time provide higher potential near term returns while you establish your start-up company in these target markets.  The point here is to take a look at the whole breath of markets that are available to you and your start-up company and develop a focus for a given, limited number of target markets that make sense logically, strategically, financially and opportunistically. Doing so will provide your start-up company with the focus necessary to move forward with a targeted market driven plan and at the same time provide your start-up company with higher potential for success.

As a first time entrepreneur with a product “idea” or “concept” it is not always easy to see how to move forward to develop a compelling, value added business proposition.  To take this leap forward it is always necessary to start from the markets. This market focused approach requires the entrepreneur to identify a broad breath of markets that have the potential to use their start-up company’s technology, product or service offering to solve an unmet market “need” or “problem”.  Following this market opportunity analysis with a both a review of the competitors product offering and the development of listing of the product requirements for each potential targeted market will provide you with the necessary insight to determine which target market you will ultimately have a sustainable competitive advantage.  In addition, it will provide you with the ability to prioritize these same markets, based on market opportunity, investment requirements, potential risk, and projected overall return on investment.  So, take the time to use a breath of markets approach in the development of your start-up company’s “idea” or “concept”. It will lead you to the right conclusions and provide your start-up company with necessary focus to be successful in your final target markets of interest.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Three Things Entrepreneurs Absolutely Need to Know Before They Talk To Their First Venture Capitalist Investor

Being an entrepreneur is not a guessing game.  Like any successful endeavors in life, starting a business as an entrepreneur, which depends upon third-party venture investors for its ultimate success, requires time and lots of hard work, as well as considerable planning and preparation.  Much of this planning and preparation process is often overlooked by first time entrepreneurs.  Why, because many of these same first time entrepreneurs believe the following: “Hey, I have a business idea and why shouldn’t I receive funding from a venture capitalists no questions asked.”  This thinking will not get you too far with potential venture capitalist investors.  They expect you to be prepared, and have thought through your proposed business idea from all angles.  In this vain, as a minimum, there are three items you need to answer before you step foot in front of any venture capitalist investor.  This article addresses these three items and outlines why by answering these three questions, you most likely will succeed in getting a follow-up meeting with these same venture capitalist investors.

What Problem am I Solving?

Investors first want to know that you are solving a problem in the market.  They do not want to invest in start-up companies with a technology, product or service offering that is looking for a problem to solve.  Why, because unless there is a “defined need” for you start-up company’s technology product or service offering no one will buy it.  Remember, you are in business to acquire paying customers and not to develop a “cool” technology, product or service offering.  Venture capitalists understand this, and from the beginning they are looking for the underlying reason customers will pay for your product offering.  Is your product offering cheaper?  Does your product get your customers to market faster?  Does your product offering save your customers money?  There many underlying reasons customers will buy your product offering. You need to determine this reason.

All venture capitalists want to know is that there is a reason for customers to buy your technology, product or service offering.  Therefore unless you are filling a “need” in the market you will be hard pressed to convince these same investors that you have a fundable start-up business.  This is very simple and at the same time is more often overlooked by entrepreneurs.  So, before you decided to present your business plan to potential venture investors, take a self assessment and determine what problem you are solving.  Be realistic and practical in your assessment, as you should know your investors will be.

What is My Business Model and Projected Financial Returns?

Most first time entrepreneurs do not really understand the venture funding game.  That is, they really don’t take the time to understand venture capitalist and their objectives and goals. So, let’s be clear, venture capitalists are in business to make money – a lot of money. Therefore, they need to invest in business opportunities that make business sense from the financial point of view.  Therefore, a new start-up company with a proven business model will make sense to venture investors.  On the other hand, a new business venture with an unproven business model will not get any real attention from these same investors.  Why, because venture capitalists are in business to mitigate their financial risk, and having a business model with a proven track record in the market will give these same potential investors the level of comfort that they need to consider the investment opportunity.

In addition, as an entrepreneur it is necessary that you know your projected financial returns of your start-up company for your venture investors. The standard rule of thumb here is 5 times the initial investment in 3 years or 10 times the initial investment in 5 years.  These numbers, do not reflect any reality or are even close to the average returns venture investors receive on their investments, but are merely the standard financial hurdles venture capitalists use to judge different start-up business opportunities.   So, as an entrepreneur you need to know your financial returns and make sure they conform to these industry standard projections.  Anything less will not get you a follow-up meeting with these same potential investors. 

Finally, as an entrepreneur you need to remember that venture capitalists only invest in a limited number of start-up companies over their lifetime of their venture fund, so they need to be careful when vetting start-up company investment opportunities.  Understanding the business model and the projected financial returns is their first step to considering a potential investment opportunity.

Is My Product Offering Unique and Compelling?

As an entrepreneur, you need to have a product offering that is both unique and compelling.  Anything less, will most likely not get venture investors attention.  Why, because these two attributes will differentiate your start-up company’s technology, product or service offering in the market.  If your product offering is unique, it more than likely is patentable or has intellectual property associated with it.  This will differentiate your product offering to your investors.  Why, because it provides the opportunity to create value – something that will potentially bring much higher financial returns when the investors go to sell the company.  Also, being compelling provides a reason for customers to buy your product.  This will provide the ability to create market “buzz” and associated market traction.  Remember, “time-to-money” increases the financial returns for your investors.  So creating a product with compelling value proposition for your customer base will get your investors attention from the beginning. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, if you wish to secure funding from third-party venture investors you need to create a product offering that is both unique in the market and compelling to your customer base.

Venture capitalists see lots of investment opportunities every year. Many review thousands of executive summaries and business plans.  Very few, if any of these same investment opportunities get the attention of the venture capitalists.  Why, because they do not address necessary items that will make their investment opportunity successful from an investor’s point of view.  This article has outlined three necessary things that entrepreneurs need to know before they get in front of venture capitalist. If these three things are not addressed in detail during your first meeting with investors, you will not get a follow-up meeting.  Therefore, be aware these three items as they most likely will provide you with the ability to secure immediate traction with potential third party investors.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.

Six Product-Focused Items Venture Capital Investors Necessarily Consider When Reviewing an Investment Opportunity

Venture capitalists have to consider many things when trying to understand a potential investment opportunity. From the management team, to the total amount of investment, to the nature of investment environment, venture capitalists are trying to identify potential risks and at the same time mitigate these same risks so that their investments have a higher probability of success in the market.  In addition, when venture capitalists consider and then assess the potential of a start-up company’s technology, product or service offering, these same investors necessarily focus on six items. These six individual product-focused items provide a complete picture and a realistic assessment as to whether the start-up company’s technology, product or service offering will be successful in the market.  This article addresses these six product-focused items and provides the reasoning as to why investors consider these things when assessing the potential success of a start-up company’s technology, product or service offering.

Does the Product Offering Have a Long-Term Sustainable Advantage?

Investors are always looking at the big picture.  One thing they need to understand regarding a start-up company’s product offering is its ability to remain competitive over time.  That is, does the product have a long term sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace? Why, because a long-term sustainable advantage facilitates exceptional revenue generation capabilities and a much higher return on investment.

From the potential investor’s point of view, a long-term sustainable competitive advantage really has two components. First, is the technology, product or service offering disruptive in nature? A disruptive product offering changes the basis of competition in the market and often results in a paradigm shift for a given market.  This disruptive nature is necessarily “revolutionary” and not “evolutionary” in nature.  A revolutionary change can address any or all of the following:

• A shift in the structure or nature of the technology offering in the market,
• A significant reduction in the average selling price,
• A significant reduction in the time to market and
• A new avenue for sales channel logistics.

Overall, the underlying theme of a disruptive product offering is that it provides the means and justification for the target customer base to change their status quo and go with the start-up company’s technology, product or service offering, as a means to obtain a competitive advantage in the market. 

The second aspect of a long-term sustainable advantage is the fact that there is intellectual property or patents associated with the start-up company’s technology, product or service offering.  Patents are used to provide legal recourse against competitor infringement, or the copying of certain proprietary aspects of a start-up company’s technology, product or service offering. Using patents to protect a product offering can provide the start-up company with a long-term sustainable competitive advantage in the market.  Accordingly, investors are interested in patents for several reasons, including:

• The ability to protect the start-up company’s market position,
• The potential to provide enhanced revenue and gross margins,
• Perceived “value” in which to sell the start-up company at a higher price. 

Having a sustainable long-term competitive advantage in the market is one sure way of securing the attention of potential investors.

Who is the Competition?

Venture capitalists are always interested in understanding the competitive landscape. Why, because having a good understanding of a start-up company’s competitors and their product offerings provide the start-up company and their potential investors a good idea on how to position their technology, product or service offering in the market.  In addition, knowing the specific details of a start-up company’s competitors and their product offerings also gives these same investors a level of comfort regarding the potential of success in the market for the start-up company and their technology, product or service offering. 

As investors know, potential customers always evaluate a start-up company’s technology, product or service offering against their competitors’ offerings. This provides the necessary justification as to why a customer is willing to move from the status quo to a new product offering.  Whether it is pricing, lower system integration costs, lower power consumption or enhanced services, investors need to understand the compelling features, functions and capabilities of a start-up company’s product offering and how it stacks up to the competition on a feature-by-feature basis.  This information will allow them to make an informed decision when considering investing in a start-up company. Therefore, know the competition. This will facilitate the potential investors in making their investment decision.

Is This a One-Product, One-Market Investment Opportunity?

Potential investors always want to avoid one-product, one-market investment opportunities.  Why, because if the product fails for any reason, they have lost their monies and there is little to no recourse to recoup their investment. So, venture capitalists prefer to invest in start-up companies with a technology, product or service offering that can be used to develop multiple product offerings across several targeted markets.  This multiple product, multiple market investment approach substantially lowers the venture investors risk by creating the potential for multiple revenue streams.  In addition, this investment approach is preferred by venture capitalists as it has the ability for substantially increasing their return on investment.  Remember, venture investors are all about mitigating their risks and increasing their potential returns, so a multiple product, multiple market approach is preferred by potential investors.

What is the Size of the Target Markets of Interest?

Venture capitalists prefer to invest in start-up companies that have the potential for high returns. To do this, these same start-up companies need to address large market opportunities.  Therefore, as part of their analysis for determining if a start-up company and its technology, product or service offering is of interest, these same investors are always interested in understanding the total addressable size of the markets of interest.  The bigger the size of the addressable market, the better. Why, because larger markets provide the potential for higher returns on investment and at the same time lowers the market risk for investors.  So, when targeting their markets of interest, entrepreneurs need to take this investor mentality into consideration. This will provide you more credibility with your potential investors and also enhance your start-up company’s potential returns. 

Is the Product Offering a Complete Product?

Start-up company technologies, products or service offerings as initially defined by the entrepreneur and their management team are usually incomplete from the market perspective.  Often the “core” capabilities that define the start-up company’s product offering need to be augmented with additional technologies, products or services to make this same product offering a “complete” product that addresses the necessary needs as defined by the target customers in the defined markets of interest.  Product “completeness” is a concern for investors. Why, because incomplete product offerings often require substantial additional investment, identification of the appropriate strategic partnerships, and additional integration time. All of these items individually and together will delay the time to first revenue, and as a result, lower the return on investment potential for the venture capital investors.  So, as an entrepreneur, define your product offering as complete as possible.  This means talking to your customers.  If done appropriately, you can define a complete product offering and gain credibility with both your customers and your potential investors.

Is There a Product Road Map and What Does it Look Like?

Many times an entrepreneur has failed to develop a product road map for their technology, product or service offering. The lack of a product road map will cause concern for your potential investors.  Why, because investors want to know that as an entrepreneur and the CEO of your start-up company you have a clear understanding of both the macro- and micro-economic trends in your target markets of interest.  They also know that, very seldom is a first product a homerun product and it often takes several generations of products with the necessary evolving features, functions and capabilities to secure significant traction and hence substantial revenue flow.  Therefore, these same potential investors necessarily need to see a product road map with defined, multi-generation features, functions, and capabilities.  This will ensure multiple things for your potential investors, including:

• You understand the macro- and micro economic market trends,
• You are not trying to do too much with your initial product offering,
• You have a firm grasp of the future anticipated development costs associated with your product offering, and
• You have defined a product road map with a long-term, sustainable competitive advantage in the market.

Therefore, as an entrepreneur, it is imperative that you develop a product road map for your proposed technology, product or service offerings. Again, this will provide your investors with confidence in you and your start-up company.

Venture capitalists have to consider many things when trying to assess the market value of a start-up company’s product offering and its ability to secure market traction.   As an entrepreneur, when presenting your technology, product or service offering to potential investors, you need to be aware of the six, basic product-related considerations that these same potential investors necessarily concern themselves with when making a go, no-go investment decision. This article has outlined these six product-focused items that if not addressed in detail will often make your potential investors pass on your start-up company and the associated investment opportunity.  Therefore, you need to be aware of these product-related, investment considerations when presenting your start-up company and its technology, product or service offering to potential investors. This will provide you with a good starting point when considering securing funding from venture capitalists.

This information was taken from Robert’s new book: “Business Planning, Business Plans and Venture Funding – A Definitive Reference Guide for Start-up Companies”.  Available at www.amazon.com.  For more information on the book go to www.carlsbadpublishing.com.