Recent Posts
Jul. 26th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Sebastien Provencher (from Praized Media) tweeted recently: The great un-cracked opportunity: small and medium-sized businesses. #geoloco He was at an event; not sure if someone said that or if there was a group discussing it. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. And there’s certainly a lot of truth to the statement. Most B2B startups immediately target small and medium-sized businesses. It looks so appealing; after all, most companies are small and medium-sized businesses. The SMB market […] Continue Reading The Great Un-Cracked Opportunity: Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Jul. 22nd 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> It’s been a few months since I instigated the return of a Montreal technology news site. And today I’m pleased to announce that things are actively moving forward on the project. NextMontreal.com will be a news and opinion site for Montreal technology. The site won’t be launched for awhile, but you can stay up-to-date by following NextMontreal on Twitter. I’ve assembled an initial team including myself, Phil Telio, Sylvain Carle and Patrick Tanguay. I’m certain more people will join […] Continue Reading Announcing: NextMontreal.com – a News Site for Montreal Tech
Jul. 22nd 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Entrepreneurs need a very healthy ego to succeed. Many might be self-effacing and humble, but there still has to be a deep-seeded, positive sense of self and ego. Some might call it drive. That’s part of it. Courage and belief in one’s own abilities is also important. Natural leadership qualities and a desire to lead are driven by ego. Ego is important. Without a healthy ego entrepreneurs don’t have the necessary internal reserves to survive the daily rigors of […] Continue Reading What Role Does Ego Play in Entrepreneurs?
Jul. 20th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Things certainly feel frothier these days. More and more companies are raising money, and valuations seem to be skyrocketing. But even in stronger economic times (we hope!) and bubblier eagerness to put venture and angel capital to work it’s still extremely hard to raise financing. And in many cases the amount of money you’re looking to raise isn’t particularly relevant. Often it’s just as hard to raise $50,000 as it is $5,000,000. And this is true for startups as […] Continue Reading It Doesn’t Matter How Much Money You’re Raising, It’s Still Hard
Jul. 14th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> All the theory in the world won’t make a lick of difference if you don’t get into the field and do something. That’s why advice isn’t worth as much as it should be, and isn’t nearly as effective as it should be. Entrepreneurs consistently make the same mistakes over and over, even when there are lots of competent and successful people out there advising otherwise (and non-successful, non-competent people too!). Founders are doers, simple as that. Not theorists. Not […] Continue Reading In Customer Interviews Don’t Rush to Pitch the Solution
Jul. 13th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> No one likes being wrong. It’s frustrating, demoralizing and irritating. Some people flat out refuse to be wrong … ever. You know the type, right? Being wrong is so hard. But it can be so good too. If you can accept being wrong (at least from time to time!), then you’re more likely to have success validating your startup ideas. It might not be the original idea you had, but keeping an open mind will guide you towards new […] Continue Reading Being Wrong is So Hard But So Good
Jul. 5th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> When ranking value propositions to pitch customers, efficiency should be at the bottom of the list. It doesn’t mean enough or have enough real value to inspire purchasing decisions. For starters, efficiency means different things to different people. Who will be more efficient? Is it the person using the software, or are the efficiencies realized by others that get to view data and reports coming out of the application? If the person directly using the software isn’t the one […] Continue Reading Efficiency isn’t a Sellable Value Proposition
Jul. 2nd 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Mega-trends are good. Investors like mega-trends. There are lots of opportunities that exist as a result of mega-trends. For example: The population of old people is going to massively overshadow the population of younger people that can replace them in the workforce. That sure looks like a huge opportunity in the recruitment space! But be careful. Riding a mega-trend isn’t the same as solving a real problem. Big, bold statements are great. Startups can very effectively align themselves with […] Continue Reading Riding a Mega-Trend Isn’t the Same as Solving a Real Problem
Jun. 30th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Writing things down has an amazing impact. It commits us more. It serves as a reminder and marks our past. It allows us to get things out of our brains so we can fill them up with more cool ideas. It pushes us into the future. It helps visualize things. It creates structure. It acts as a public statement. It stirs debate. It builds awareness and brand. Writing is an extremely powerful tool I’m fascinated by pitch decks and […] Continue Reading Write
Jun. 28th 2010
in Uncategorized by Benjamin
/> /> Companies with the best record and most success at hiring top people don’t sit around and wait for those people to show up. They go out and grab them by the throats. OK, it’s fair to say that grabbing someone by the throat and dragging them to your office for a job isn’t going to work, but sourcing talent is extremely important. Sourcing talent means actively recruiting. It means going out there, finding prospects, reeling them in, and getting […] Continue Reading A Systematic Strategy for Sourcing Startup Talent
Claudia re Best Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Reading these great comments from all members! Having a plan of attack and executing the plan is the best advice I know. I've read that many new […]
Eric re Best Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Thanks DeAnna - Our members have so much to offer other entrepreneurs, it's all a matter of getting the word out so that we can collectively help […]
DeAnna Lynn re Best Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Awesome article Eric! There is some GREAT advice here! :) So great of you to highlight the advice of others that are out there learning, do-ing and […]
Natalie re Three Self Assessments for Young Entrepreneurs
Thanks for your note John. I think that's a really good lesson: "Focus on the positives and eliminate as many negatives as possible." I've enjoyed going through […]
Business Planning: Prove and Get Operational | Garage Entrepreneurs re Garage Entrepreneurs Business Planning Blog Series: Part 2 (Screening Your Idea)
[...] Garage Entrepreneurs Business Planning Blog Series, we’ve taken you through generating an idea, assessing good ideas, and validating your idea – now it’s time to get […]