Comments on: Startups and Amateur Entrepreneurs http://guidewiregroup.com/2008/01/startups-and-amateur-entrepreneurs/ Connecting Innovation and Opportunity Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:30:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: richieblueeyes http://guidewiregroup.com/2008/01/startups-and-amateur-entrepreneurs/comment-page-1/#comment-25 richieblueeyes Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:14:19 +0000 http://guidewiregroup.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/startups-and-amateur-entrepreneurs/#comment-25 DEMO = prestige. If you get to demo, everyone in the valley will know who you are. There's no promise of getting funding or doing a deal off of it but there is no better low cost PR tool to launch a product in SV. A friend of mine actually had a successful DEMO presentation a few years back and has a track and couldn't raise money but he still made out just fine with no complaints. The credibility attached to it is second to none. Sure, you have techcrunch now and and the alwayson series but they are followers. In NYC where I am there's a few that do investment community demo forums with mixed success, they don't create buzz. If you want to launch a product you can hire a pr firm that hopes to get you in front of people or you can hope to get into demo. One of the first things I tell any entrepreneur I work with is expect to spend money on PR, its the most important thing because of word of mouth marketing doesn't exist from nothing, it needs to be seeded. On the comment about amateur entrepreneurs, that's the first time i heard the term, i like it, i think there's a ton of people out there that want to be entrepreneurs but don't have the drive, guts or vision to really be successful, i agree and disagree with the point though. Some companies are pure bootstrapped and really can't afford it - which is one thing, and if you're able to build something dirt cheap even if you don't have a bankroll, it can be impressive in its own right, however, pulling a last second "but i'm a startup" is bullshit, that's just unprofessional. Just my 2 cents R DEMO = prestige. If you get to demo, everyone in the valley will know who you are. There’s no promise of getting funding or doing a deal off of it but there is no better low cost PR tool to launch a product in SV. A friend of mine actually had a successful DEMO presentation a few years back and has a track and couldn’t raise money but he still made out just fine with no complaints. The credibility attached to it is second to none. Sure, you have techcrunch now and and the alwayson series but they are followers. In NYC where I am there’s a few that do investment community demo forums with mixed success, they don’t create buzz. If you want to launch a product you can hire a pr firm that hopes to get you in front of people or you can hope to get into demo. One of the first things I tell any entrepreneur I work with is expect to spend money on PR, its the most important thing because of word of mouth marketing doesn’t exist from nothing, it needs to be seeded.

On the comment about amateur entrepreneurs, that’s the first time i heard the term, i like it, i think there’s a ton of people out there that want to be entrepreneurs but don’t have the drive, guts or vision to really be successful, i agree and disagree with the point though. Some companies are pure bootstrapped and really can’t afford it – which is one thing, and if you’re able to build something dirt cheap even if you don’t have a bankroll, it can be impressive in its own right, however, pulling a last second “but i’m a startup” is bullshit, that’s just unprofessional.

Just my 2 cents

R

]]> By: alper celik http://guidewiregroup.com/2008/01/startups-and-amateur-entrepreneurs/comment-page-1/#comment-24 alper celik Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:22:28 +0000 http://guidewiregroup.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/startups-and-amateur-entrepreneurs/#comment-24 Hi, I am Alper from Stockholm. I am a master student in ICT Entrepreneurship department, i read your blog and liked it. If you want you can also check my blog out http://celikalper.wordpress.com Keep going :) Hi, I am Alper from Stockholm. I am a master student in ICT Entrepreneurship department, i read your blog and liked it. If you want you can also check my blog out

http://celikalper.wordpress.com

Keep going :)

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