Questions regarding execution of business' long term goals
3
votes
3answers
327 views
Web development - Outsource or go in-house?
All,
A non-coder friend of mine based in India is considering developing a portal for his startup. His is a web-based idea and the portal will be his source of revenues.
Since he can't code, he's ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
How do you make people to spend more time on a political website
I'm part of a political website which publish analyses, news and interviews on a regular basis.
It's been almost a year since our foundation, and even though our visitor count raises we still could ...
6
votes
6answers
878 views
Does Lean startup work in Mobile?
I started reading into the lean start-up method, and it makes a lot of sense that this is the way to start a company. The thing is, can this method work with a mobile app, where it can take a while ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
Starting company with co-founder in industry
At what point do you end a startup relationship, if you're 1.5 months into development and the business cofounder says he only have 8-12 hours a week to work on a company? After saying he could do a ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Does anyone have suggestions for building a user base for a budding SaaS project?
What specific actions lead to getting users to try your new product?
5
votes
3answers
236 views
Should I make my service free?
For the past year I have been developing a VERY niche based review/community site, in the healthcare field. I did as much h/w as possible in searching for competitors, and there were zero direct ...
5
votes
4answers
274 views
First time in a startup meeting. What should I take care before it?
I am going to a startup seminar/meeting this week where there will be entrepreneurs, investors and business people . I am getting ready for my startup 's online/offline presence, hopefully that this ...
2
votes
2answers
157 views
What is the best branding strategy?
I want to have my brand strategy in place when I finally launch my startup. I'm not sure what the best strategy is for a multiple product brand. I see some brands like 37signals have a different ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Will my company be worth more if…?
I have got an idea which is new in concept and is based on the cellular market. I am a programmer, an animator and I can do graphics and presentations. I am definitely NOT a business man, and for some ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
Did my acceptance for cooperation was correct?
The previous months I came with that fancy idea. I found a great to-the-point name and domain name, and started building it. At the time there is a prototype of this project. As a web ...
0
votes
2answers
27 views
How should I deal with after-delivered web page additions?
I am a web developer/designer and I constructing my plan/strategy on the process on delivering a project. My problem is what happens after the delivery.
As far as I know I have to send a ...
1
vote
2answers
91 views
How do you make people start searching with your keyword phrase?
I have found a good keyword phrase to target, however, there is no global or local search for it. How do I make a user start typing my keyword phrase, which is almost at zero according to the Google ...
5
votes
4answers
813 views
It is possible to startup a sucessful software company without being a programmer?
the idea is simple. How to execute, i don't know.
I have an idea for a software. Very good and simple idea, and I think it's simple to execute too. This software can bring to life a new company. I ...
3
votes
3answers
81 views
What carries more weight, adding new users or increasing interaction with existing members?
I'm Founder to a new online application/website.
We have made modest progress in the past 6 months (just over 150 member sign ups). Given that we were in beta for the first couple of months, I feel ...
6
votes
8answers
754 views
Is it a good strategy to quit college and learn about entrepreneurship just by reading books at home?
There are alot of resources online about best books for entrepreneurs, is it good to quit college and learn that at home and then do a startup after learning it?
1
vote
1answer
70 views
Strategical question on starting a new service. Should I follow my existing road?
I have a website where bloggers share their posts in it, so visitors will visit their blogs. It is local, with a quite good number of members that share about 300 posts per day.
Even though this ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
Building a service around external APIs
I am thinking about building a service around some other company APIs. However, prior of diving into some code, I would like to evaluate all the strategic aspects of such a "one way partnership".
...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
Is it better to launch all the feautures of your web application at the beginning?
I am developing a web application, the whole idea is a social network. There is a list of features/characteristics/apps that the users will be able to use either free or charge or paid and a list of ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
Need guidance/suggestion on tough situation
We gave a free product trial for 2 months with our first potential client. It is a unique product, there's a great learning process and we have had an amazing response from both students and tutors.
...
3
votes
1answer
143 views
Why do distributors or wholesalers hide their prices and ask for quotation request from the enquirer/potential buyers?
Why do distributors or wholesalers hide their prices and ask for quotation request from the enquirer/potential buyers?
I have seen in many B2B internet websites.
Please let me know.
Thanks :)
3
votes
1answer
93 views
Getting started on a vertical market application
I have an idea for a vertical market application. Although I have the skills to create the application, and have some business experience, I really don't know generally how to proceed. There are a ...
1
vote
5answers
248 views
How to promote a cooking software?
I have a hard time getting visitors to my site where I sell a cooking software for Windows. I'm still improving it by SEO (especially the english version is far from perfect) but suppose that will pay ...
2
votes
1answer
292 views
What are the cons of going with Lean Startup Strategy?
What should one consider before going with Lean Startup and MVP Strategy. Are there any cons that one should be aware of?
4
votes
3answers
253 views
Should I let my (large, established) competitors snoop around our service?
we built an idea management system at the Taipei Startup Weekend (a few days ago) and were delighted to finish second.
This morning we've found that a competitor, one who's clients include FedEx, ...
0
votes
2answers
405 views
How to reduce risks when developing Iphone/Android game?
We are considering investing in the development of a game, which will run on either IPhone or Android (both later). The game is very innovative with and has some genuinely new features, which means ...
0
votes
2answers
170 views
How to scale a startup?
We build a profitable startup In 2 years without any outside investment we are building enterprise software(and producing hardware) for Customer Service Improvement in different ...
3
votes
4answers
397 views
My startup is in “concept” stage. Where should I go from here?
I just found OnStartups and I'm looking forward to sharing
insights with you guys. My startup is currently in "concept" stage, and
I was wondering where to begin my journey. I have a great idea, ...
1
vote
2answers
48 views
Recruit Managers before Junior Execs or other way around?
Have been running a business for a couple of years now but been managing most of the areas of the business myself - web development and marketing - while I have staff who take care of customer ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
Do any services provide email management to allow a limited number of 'shareable' invites? Or are there alternatives to that system out there?
Here is the backstory - we are launching a service in the next few weeks, but wish to invite a limited number of contacts initially. A major part of the plan is to allow these contacts to invite ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
Seeking Google+ Development Partner
Does anyone know of or have contacts for any companies that have products centered around Google’s APIs? We’re looking to potentially partner with a company on a product for Google+ and specifically ...
4
votes
4answers
252 views
What if my startup concept is not new?
After having worked on my startup concept for few weeks I realised that some form of the same product as we are planning is already in the market. We do believe that we can do it better and bring more ...
4
votes
5answers
475 views
How to find a technical co-founder without compromising our company's plans?
We are a team of 2 and we hit an idea about a social media startup some time back.
Everything said and done we know that we don't have a tech cofounder.
while we look for one we don't want to discuss ...
3
votes
2answers
116 views
Six Months Into Start-Up - Focus On One Client or Expand Platforms?
I am currently working for a start-up and our first product has been in development for several months. We have reached a fork in the road and I would like to ask the OnStartups community for some ...
3
votes
2answers
131 views
How can I build up a new McKinsey in a niche field?
I would like to build a new consulting company like McKinsey. I do have a significant competitive advantage, (based on software) in a niche field, and now I need advice on how to start creating a ...
5
votes
4answers
255 views
I have a startup that is almost ready and I'm finding it hard to get companies on board, what can I do?
I know this question has been asked many times before in a plethora of different ways, but I couldn't find anything to help me out, so my apologies if this comes off as a duplicate of another question ...
2
votes
4answers
277 views
What kind of software could be sold to a large company in one week?
In my experience, it takes around a year to sell software to a large company. I have seen it getting done in three months, but it is very seldom. Therefore, my question is whether you know of any ...
4
votes
2answers
266 views
Becoming a great business strategist
It has been said that a business must grow or die. Many businesses start because someone knows how to do something and they start a company to do it. While expertise in their field is required to ...
3
votes
3answers
193 views
Are there any reasons not to sell software to large enterprises solely for a quarterly fee?
I am about to give an offer for software to a large enterprise. I know that it is normal to say that there is an upfront price for software and a yearly maintenance fee of around 18% of the upfront ...
7
votes
3answers
177 views
Managing Technical debt in an early stage startup
Technical debt affects all companies, and in startups where there is pressure to get things out the door as quickly as possible, the pressure to build up technical debt is high.
Is it an acceptable ...
2
votes
3answers
101 views
How could one take advantage of releasing very late?
There is talk about the minimal viable product and release early and often. These principles are fine in most circumstances, but what if you KNOW that your product will be far better than the ...
0
votes
3answers
488 views
Business strategy vs technology strategy
In essence my question is: is a CTO supposed to provide the company vision and business strategy?
I am bringing into a startup the following: vision, business strrategy, technology strategy/roadmap ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Question about a Food Brand
I have a friend who makes very good banana bread. She tried to sell it on the street and got sold out of a huge batch within a very short time.
She wants to stay local within her city, but isn't ...
3
votes
4answers
167 views
In this tough economy, what is the single best trick to survive or even thrive as a small business startup?
After all this time, it is still pretty tough to be a small business startup nowadays, but I know there are people out there who have not only survived, but are flourishing! If you had to pick one ...
1
vote
2answers
130 views
Local advertising strategy
I have break & fix computer business and would like to find out how to go about figuring out the best marketing medium for my advertising.
There are some local magazines and news papers, radio ...
9
votes
9answers
524 views
How would you differenciate yourself if you were to compete with online accounting software?
E-conomic is online accounting software, which enables you to write invoices to customers using web forms, track inventory etc.
I am considering to start a company, which would compete with this ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
What employee turnover rate is too low for a high-tech company?
There is a lot of focus on the cost of employee turnover in companies. I am curious to know whether there are any studies on failure-rate of high-tech companies increasing if the turnover rate is too ...
3
votes
4answers
122 views
Growing strategies: starting free and small, or going all in?
I was just reading a thread which I cannot find again, and it brought up a question.
People were advising this guy not to develop his idea 100% perfectly, but to start small, and make it free, and ...
28
votes
17answers
1k views
What criteria do you use to judge the viability of a startup?
I'm currently building an evaluation grid to help me pick my next venture from my list
I would like to get more criteria to complete it.
Criteria can be both objective and subjective. I prefer ...
2
votes
1answer
549 views
How did Gilt get designers to sell them stuff when they first started?
High end designers try their hardest to keep their wares out of bargain shops (i.e. you won't see Hermes at TJ Maxx). I don't see how Gilt convinced the fashion world to allow them to sell the high ...
1
vote
1answer
197 views
What's the best launching strategy when building a (social) community?
I'm contemplating a couple of options: A) Create a lot of buzz, just before the opening B) Create quite a bit of buzz about the beta phase and have interested people sign up/test C) Just let the ...
