Avoid The “Just One More Feature” MVP Trap
Just like an itch you need to scratch, adding features to your MVP may be too tempting for you to resist. Although you know additional features cost you time, energy, and money… you keep adding them. And one feature calls for another one: a search bar calls for ‘filters’… that calls for ‘categories’… that calls […]
The One-Page Cash Plan for Early-Stage Startups [Excel model included]
Your startup’s cash is the fuel of its validation journey. Go out of it, and your dream is over. So, that’s why a cash plan is a non-negotiable item on your to-do list, from day one. Well, maybe you rolled your eyes when you read “cash plan”—because you thought about “Balance Sheet”, “Cash Flow Report”, […]
Close Your Ears To These Startup Validation Noises
During your startup validation interactions with other people, you’ll hear a lot of noises—pleasant words about your idea that make you feel joyful. Although these words look like validation evidence, they actually pose a threat to your progress. They simply make you feel over-optimistic about your idea. On the one hand, people will naturally feel […]
Focus On Your Startup’s Cycle’s Average Burn
While working on one of my Excel models, a question popped up in my mind: what cash metric could translate the Lean Startup Methodology‘s principles in the most accurate way? We certainly count on great cash metrics, such as the burn rate and the runway. But, I wasn’t satisfied with them as answers to my […]
The Worst-Case Cash Scenario May Save Your Startup
It’s funny how new startup founders tend to turn unlikely desires into certain facts. Frequently, they’re over-optimistic about a bunch of things, including their startup’s cash inflows. That reminds me of an old movie called “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989). In the movie, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is a traditional late 90s father/husband who just […]
Why Your Startup Needs Its Own Cash
Are your startup’s cash and personal cash being kept in the same pocket? In other words, do you manage your startup’s expenses and personal expenses under the same account/controls, etc? If you’re doing that, it’s time for you to change. Okay, I get it. You have a ton of things on your mind right now. […]
What Babies Can Teach You About Your Early-Stage Startup
Books, podcasts, mentors, blogs. They are great sources from where you can gain insights about how to lead your early-stage startup. But there is an even more powerful source of knowledge you’ve been missing so far: BABIES. Yes, babies. Although they are clueless about what’s happening around them, they carry a “key” inside their heads. […]
Prioritize and Optimize: The Founder’s Everyday Mission
Cash Management is the key to unlocking your startup’s potential. And the mission of wisely managing your cash is translated into 2 powerful orders: Prioritize and Optimize. To prioritize is to be effective. To optimize is to be efficient. But, wait. What exactly do these words mean? What’s the difference between one and the other? […]
3 Attitudes To Leverage Your Early-Stage Startup’s Cash
The way you manage your startup’s cash in the early days will directly impact your chances to succeed. By making the right choices, you’ll guarantee enough money to support your validation process and to find traction. By making the wrong ones, you’ll find yourself in a dead-end, with your pockets empty. In the next paragraphs, […]
Subscription Marketing: CAC, LTV, and ROI
A great subscription startup demands wise marketing initiatives. And to be wise about your marketing campaigns you must master key metrics such as Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), and Return on Investment (ROI). Probably, you’ve listened about these metrics before. They might seemed interesting, but you didn’t care thaaaat much about them. […]