Comments for Rocky Top MBA http://www.rockytopmba.com The Life Less Ordinary of an MBA in East TN Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:01:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Surviving the Wilderness: Raising Seed Capital by Arvin Poole http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/08/28/surviving-the-wilderness-raising-seed-capital/#comment-410 Arvin Poole Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:47:09 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=513#comment-410 Great comments! I am a firm believer in prepare, prepare, prepare. I am currently working w/ a few concepts here in the Silcon Valley of the South (Austin), and nothing is more valuable than building the right investor team to "have your baby called ugly" in the earliest stages. As far as a year and half to get someone to see your idea to fruition is not far off, but there are several variables to that: one of the more important variables is what I call the "Strength Factor" of your Advisory Board. A great concept will take you twice as long to get the attention if you have not carefully thought out your strategy and careful pickings of who should be on your team. I am learning first-hand that this is "do or die" when going out knocking on investors doors. Build a team that is complimentary to your goals, people that have a vested, mutual interest in the work that you are doing, and even more important, willing to provide advise for minimum to no cost - an investment relationship, per se. My 2 cents! Good Luck Entrepreneurs, Arvin Great comments! I am a firm believer in prepare, prepare, prepare. I am currently working w/ a few concepts here in the Silcon Valley of the South (Austin), and nothing is more valuable than building the right investor team to “have your baby called ugly” in the earliest stages. As far as a year and half to get someone to see your idea to fruition is not far off, but there are several variables to that: one of the more important variables is what I call the “Strength Factor” of your Advisory Board. A great concept will take you twice as long to get the attention if you have not carefully thought out your strategy and careful pickings of who should be on your team. I am learning first-hand that this is “do or die” when going out knocking on investors doors. Build a team that is complimentary to your goals, people that have a vested, mutual interest in the work that you are doing, and even more important, willing to provide advise for minimum to no cost - an investment relationship, per se.

My 2 cents!

Good Luck Entrepreneurs,
Arvin

]]> Comment on Surviving the Wilderness: Raising Seed Capital by Trevor Hansen http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/08/28/surviving-the-wilderness-raising-seed-capital/#comment-409 Trevor Hansen Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:41:05 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=513#comment-409 Great post! I'd say to everyone who reads this, read the post again - it is accurate. I recently heard a statistic that it takes the average entrepreneur a year and a half to do a raise (that is, a successful raise)... Over a year of that time is spent trying to locate the right investor! - that is, an investor having funds AND and understanding and appreciation of your deal. Here's a website you might want to check out. It is designed perform a realtime search of active members to locate those who have the cash And the desire to do the exact kind of deal. They have thousands of financial professionals signed up and active... Little hard to explain, but works - and quick. Takes care of one part of the equation :) http://www.PPXonline.com . Once again, great post! Great post! I’d say to everyone who reads this, read the post again - it is accurate. I recently heard a statistic that it takes the average entrepreneur a year and a half to do a raise (that is, a successful raise)… Over a year of that time is spent trying to locate the right investor! - that is, an investor having funds AND and understanding and appreciation of your deal. Here’s a website you might want to check out. It is designed perform a realtime search of active members to locate those who have the cash And the desire to do the exact kind of deal. They have thousands of financial professionals signed up and active… Little hard to explain, but works - and quick. Takes care of one part of the equation :) http://www.PPXonline.com . Once again, great post!

]]> Comment on Surviving the Wilderness: Raising Seed Capital by Eric McCarty http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/08/28/surviving-the-wilderness-raising-seed-capital/#comment-403 Eric McCarty Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:19:55 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=513#comment-403 Great post, Chris. Thanks for sharing. Did you know that there is a business pitch competition coming up this November in Johnson City? It's gaining some momentum. http://www.willthisfloat.com/ I'd love to talk with you about my start-up sometime. Thanks again, Eric Great post, Chris. Thanks for sharing. Did you know that there is a business pitch competition coming up this November in Johnson City? It’s gaining some momentum. http://www.willthisfloat.com/

I’d love to talk with you about my start-up sometime.

Thanks again,
Eric

]]> Comment on Customer Service: Missed “Wow” Opportunity by Milton http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/07/07/customer-service-missed-wow-opportunity/#comment-402 Milton Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:42:55 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=511#comment-402 yeah, but did you ever read the "choose your own adventure" book about being a ninja? I always died from starving to death and being locked in a dungeon. customer service = FAIL yeah, but did you ever read the “choose your own adventure” book about being a ninja? I always died from starving to death and being locked in a dungeon.

customer service = FAIL

]]> Comment on Part II: Your Company Just Isn’t Right… You Just Don’t Get It by pH http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/07/09/part-ii-your-company-just-isnt-right-you-just-dont-get-it/#comment-401 pH Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:16:30 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=512#comment-401 Great post, but I'm interested in the apparent contradiction you have highlighted. I agree that you should "focus your fundraising efforts," but doesn't this mean you should be more a sniper than a machine gunner? If I'm a sniper, I'm highly focused, taking down one target at a time in priority order. If I'm a machine gunner, I'm splaying the landscape with bullets. Perhaps I'd rewrite your conclusion: "Fundraising isn't about being a machine gunner. Its about being a sniper. Focus on one high priority target. Aim. Fire. Move to the next target. If unsuccessful, adjust your sights, re-focus, aim and fire. But keep firing!" Great post, but I’m interested in the apparent contradiction you have highlighted. I agree that you should “focus your fundraising efforts,” but doesn’t this mean you should be more a sniper than a machine gunner? If I’m a sniper, I’m highly focused, taking down one target at a time in priority order. If I’m a machine gunner, I’m splaying the landscape with bullets. Perhaps I’d rewrite your conclusion:

“Fundraising isn’t about being a machine gunner. Its about being a sniper. Focus on one high priority target. Aim. Fire. Move to the next target. If unsuccessful, adjust your sights, re-focus, aim and fire. But keep firing!”

]]> Comment on Customer Service: Missed “Wow” Opportunity by Joel Towner http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/07/07/customer-service-missed-wow-opportunity/#comment-400 Joel Towner Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:41:56 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=511#comment-400 came across your post off of facebook. A solid, simple rule that too many in management just don't understand. I had a whole part of employee training dedicated to pounding this very lesson in to store staff members. Hope all is well and I'll have to read more often. Joel came across your post off of facebook. A solid, simple rule that too many in management just don’t understand. I had a whole part of employee training dedicated to pounding this very lesson in to store staff members.

Hope all is well and I’ll have to read more often.

Joel

]]> Comment on Too Funny; Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. on Viral Marketing by » Blog Archive » Viral per Tropic Thunder http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/06/18/too-funny-ben-stiller-jack-black-and-robert-downey-jr-on-viral-marketing/#comment-399 » Blog Archive » Viral per Tropic Thunder Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:49:56 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=504#comment-399 [...] viral tropic thunder [...] [...] viral tropic thunder [...]

]]> Comment on Pork and Beans; Viral Marketing Weezer Style by T-Enterprise http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/06/16/pork-and-beans-viral-marketing-weezer-style/#comment-398 T-Enterprise Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:48:10 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=503#comment-398 Great music video and shows brilliantly the technique of viral marketing. Great music video and shows brilliantly the technique of viral marketing.

]]> Comment on What is the Deal with Twitter? by Twitter's Learning Curve | Rocky Top MBA http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/06/09/what-is-the-deal-with-twitter/#comment-397 Twitter's Learning Curve | Rocky Top MBA Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:02:22 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=494#comment-397 [...] previously wrote about my frustration with Twitter’s growing pains. I know this is part of the start-up experience, but I was becoming frustrated by what I perceived [...] [...] previously wrote about my frustration with Twitter’s growing pains. I know this is part of the start-up experience, but I was becoming frustrated by what I perceived [...]

]]> Comment on Why I’m Not Surprised by Couch-Gate by Milton http://www.rockytopmba.com/2008/06/12/why-im-not-surprised-by-couch-gate/#comment-396 Milton Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:25:37 +0000 http://www.rockytopmba.com/?p=499#comment-396 mark my words friend. in 15 years--print will be dead (except for photography, comic books and the occasional masturbatory playboy). We will be at war with 4 ---YES---4 countries, Britney Spears will get a sex change operation, and the Democratic Convention will elect Alec Baldwin as presidential nominee. and you know who will still be around? bloggers. (thank God they can't take it away) mark my words friend. in 15 years–print will be dead (except for photography, comic books and the occasional masturbatory playboy). We will be at war with 4 —YES—4 countries, Britney Spears will get a sex change operation, and the Democratic Convention will elect Alec Baldwin as presidential nominee.

and you know who will still be around?

bloggers.
(thank God they can’t take it away)

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