One of the biggest reasons that a startup’s marketing initiative fails is because they aren’t treating potential customers like people. It’s an easy mistake to make.

When you have target KPIs to meet, you need to be thinking in terms of numbers and metrics. But if you start seeing the world merely through the lens of numbers and begin to neglect the human element, your message is unlikely to connect with your target audience.

What’s the solution? Buyer personas.

Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers, based on real data and categorized by market segment.

When you envision a composite “person” as you’re creating your marketing content and messaging, you’re more likely to create something that’s relevant and mea...

I have a confession to make: I’ve left my one-time beloved SoulCycle for a younger bike. For a Peloton.

It’s fitting that the two places I keep seeing Peloton ads are on cable news commercial breaks and in my social feeds: Because that’s where all my unhealthy election angst is generated, and there’s no greater way to deal with that angst than 45 minutes of balls-to-the-wall intense cardio.

“Y’all came to slay!” my favorite Peloton instructor likes to say as if he can see my sweat through the tablet screen. Yep, slay my workplace stress and slay my fear of Donald Trump being president—all in one spot. That marketing can’t be an accident.

Peloton– in case you don’t spend as ...

I’ll admit, I’ve fallen horrible victim to the entrepreneur’s trap of trying to work on multiple startups at once. During the 2000’s I once had 5 startups that I was running at the same time. I used to think it was a badge of honor, that I could manage so many priorities at the same time.

I learned over time, it’s just a horrible strategy that works for pretty much no one and will likely lead to startup failure.

I get tons of emails from aspiring entrepreneurs that are some version of “Hey Wil, I’m working on these 2-3 startup ideas and trying to figure out which one to pursue. What do you think?”

I’ve answered this question so many times that I figured I may as well just give you the detailed...

Don’t miss out! Check out the previous editions here:

–Getting Your Idea Going: There is no perfect idea
–Getting Your Idea Going: Popular Excuses for Not Starting
–Getting Your Idea Going: When to Jump Ship
–Getting Your Idea Going: Don’t Quit your Day Job

A long, long time ago—in a galaxy far away, someone invented the myth that if you have a great business idea for a startup, you need to keep it top secret.

That you should shroud it in mystery, several Non-Disclosure Agreements and only share it with someone at a secret location at a prescribed time in a lead room—without any windows.

The myth went on that if someone were to hear your startup business idea—they would steal it! Ah, the idea thieves and their dastardly ways. The ins...

Who are angel investors?

Angel investors are typically high net worth individuals who invest very early into the formation of a new startup company, usually in exchange for convertible debt or equity. Angel investors serve as a critical bridge between the very early stages of a startup and financing they’ll get later on. That’s because angels are much more likely than other types of investors to take on high risk investments without much proof of return. In other words, they’re betting on you and your idea — not your metrics.

Angel investors tend to invest in companies that are in industries they know a lot about. So, for example, if an angel investor made a lot of money in the real estate industry, you can imagine they would be most comfor...

All salespeople — even top stars who seem to have innate abilities to close deals — can benefit when they have reliable selling tactics; so can their employers. Yet far too many startups are filled with starry-eyed salespeople operating like lone wolves. As each goes his own way, the sales experience becomes fragmented and less attractive to prospects and clients.

Don’t think it’s just a small business problem, though. The issue faces even longstanding behemoths like Sears Holdings: It’s big, but it’s not immune to problems associated with crumbling, chaotic, and undependable sales strategies. According to CNN Monday, by the final quarter of 2017, Sears Holdings reported a $558 million loss, cementing annual consecutive losses since 2...

How to Create a Founders Agreement for Your Startup

A founders agreement covers everything from ownership structure to intellectual property rights to which the co-founder can make critical decisions over others. In short — every startup needs a Founders Agreement!

But do We Really NEED a Founders Agreement?

Since co-founders are often very familiar with each other, we can easily jump ahead and forget to formalize anything beyond our basic ownership structure. We snap up titles quickly ("You're the Chief Technology Officer! I'll be the Chief Operating Officer!") among all of the founders and go on our way. We're friends, right? That should be enough... right?

Being Friends doesn't Equal a Founders Agreement

And while all that is certainly t...

Look, we love blog posts as much as the next person. (Maybe even a little bit more.) There’s a lot of knowledge startup founders can find on the internet. But when it comes to real deep dives, you can’t beat a good startup book.

“Imagine your personal network was filled with titans of industry — from marketing mavens to business moguls,” Benjamin Evans, startup founder and lead designer on Airbnb’s Anti-Discrimination team tells Startups.com. “How much easier would it be to level up in business and life if you had the best insights available to you whenever you needed them? Well, I believe that’s the value of books. In my ideal world, I’d have a network filled with my role models — from Seth Godin through to Richard Branson — on hand ...

There is one category of consumer tech that’s being built largely outside Silicon Valley: E-commerce. Fab, NastyGal, ShoeDazzle, Birchbox, Bonobos, Honest, Dollar Shave Club, JustFab, Warby Parker and so many other once-hyped (and in a few cases, still-hyped) “e-commerce 2.0” companies were centered in fashion and celebrity hubs of LA and New York.

This interview with Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal shows that the geographic distinction isn’t just about the weather. It’s about how the company is built. I’ve never before spoken with a Web founder who put more thought into his PR hire than his…. developers.

Warby may wind up out surviving other ecommerce roadkill because they got what they were early: A fashion and lifestyle brand, no...

Question: How can I distinguish my startup Pricing Strategy from a lower-priced competitor?

Can’t figure out how to beat your lower-priced competitors? Don’t let predatory competitor pricing strategy destroy your business.

The answers below are provided by members of FounderSociety, an invitation-only organization comprised of ambitious startup founders and business owners.

1. Specialize Further

There’s one thing a client will always privilege over low cost, and that is specialization. If a client has the choice between a cheap offer and an offer that is specifically geared towards them, they will choose the latter nine times out of 10. Find a way to tailor your product or service to sub-groups of customers. You can still...