Have a great idea? Prove it by finding ten customers ready to hand over cash. Everything else is avoiding the truth.| A Smart Bear
When even "free" is too expensive.| A Smart Bear
Bootstrapped and unsure about CPC? Use the rule of ARPU/25.| A Smart Bear
Competing against big firms? Their revenue streams are their Achilles heel. Learn how smaller startups have a shot.| A Smart Bear
Mid-sized companies: Small enough to have small budgets, big enough for bureaucratic nightmares.| A Smart Bear
"You're so lucky." That's true. There's also decades of sacrifice, emotional turmoil, long hours, perseverance. So… is it lucky?| A Smart Bear
I remember "disruptive" when it was called a "paradigm shift." You should be worrying more about making something people want to buy, and less about disrupting everything.| A Smart Bear
Stop talking past each other. Translate between the three "languages" of customer desires, product features, and business goals.| A Smart Bear
A simple workshop that evaluates new business ideas relative to your existing strengths -- the key to expanding without overreaching.| A Smart Bear
Why do startups typically fail? It turns out that "avoiding those things" is already a plan for success.| A Smart Bear
Luck always plays a role in startups, but there are ways to better capture upside and mitigate downside.| A Smart Bear
Why "expected value" doesn't work; here's a better framework for making long-term investments in your career, startup, and life.| A Smart Bear
Targeting your "Ideal Customer Profile" (ICP) is the best way to differentiate and win sales, but does it limit your target market?| A Smart Bear
Hiring even one person creates a lot less profit than you'd think, and launching a product rarely works out. Here are some tips for consulting companies.| A Smart Bear
Some of the most enticing, important metrics are impossible to measure, even after the fact. Here's how to identify and avoid this trap.| A Smart Bear
These forces make larger companies slower and more difficult to execute, but also more effective when harnessed and leveraged.| A Smart Bear
Most so-called "strategies" are vague, wishful thinking, written once and never seen again. Don't do that. These are the characteristics of great strategy.| A Smart Bear
An objectively "worse" strategy can win, if it leverages something unique or unexpected. Startups can use this concept to beat incumbents.| A Smart Bear
Most high-performing people experience Impostor Syndrome. I did too. When you understand the cause, you can defeat it.| A Smart Bear
Beware of advice that tries to change who you are. True wisdom guides you to a better version of yourself.| A Smart Bear
This fresh take on "Willingness-to-Pay" analyzes three types of customer motivation, leading to superior strategies for growth that also better the world.| A Smart Bear
Leveraging strengths -- not "fixing weaknesses" -- is how to win. Better when differentiated. Best when durable. Here's how to create leverage.| A Smart Bear
A startup is a crucible -- a fiery place that tests your limits, not by probing them but by violently exceeding them, all of the time. It's worth it.| A Smart Bear
This simple method positions your product to be more valuable, especially against competitors who aim to disrupt you, or you them.| A Smart Bear
You can charge much more than you think, if you reposition your value-proposition. Here's how.| A Smart Bear
Many startups fail despite identifying a real problem and building a product that solves that problem. This explains why, so you can avoid their fate.| A Smart Bear
Pricing is inextricably linked to brand, product, and purchasing decisions. It cannot be "figured out later," because it determines your business model today.| A Smart Bear
We dramatically, repeatedly fail to predict the future. Does that mean "strategy" is senseless? No, it means you need these techniques to navigate a volatile world.| A Smart Bear
A simple but effective system, used to vet what is now a Unicorn, for generating insights about how your potential customers think, what they need, and what they'll buy.| A Smart Bear
According to the Internet, being a Product Manager is impossible. Can you ever measure up? No. But don't worry, there's a better answer.| A Smart Bear
We know, "no idea is a bad idea," but brainstorming is often unsuccessful. These prompts actually work. They could even lead to a unique business model.| A Smart Bear