Comments on: A Couple of My Rules for Startups http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/ the mark cuban weblog Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:20:22 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: A Couple of My Rules for Startups | IIT-Knapp Entrepreneurship Center http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-64507 A Couple of My Rules for Startups | IIT-Knapp Entrepreneurship Center Wed, 06 May 2009 23:14:15 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-64507 [...] By Mark Cuban, found at Blog Maverick. [...] [...] By Mark Cuban, found at Blog Maverick. [...]

]]> By: 17 Startup Tips Start A Blog Fight http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63734 17 Startup Tips Start A Blog Fight Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:12:13 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63734 [...] found very interesting though was how positively many successful startup folks received the piece. Mark Cuban for example, praised it and added his own startup nuggets including “NEVER EVER EVER buy [...] [...] found very interesting though was how positively many successful startup folks received the piece. Mark Cuban for example, praised it and added his own startup nuggets including “NEVER EVER EVER buy [...]

]]> By: Kevin Neilson http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63067 Kevin Neilson Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:13:29 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63067 Getting funding is a tuff and has a long wait period. I've heard this is how investors like YCombinator, TechStars choose which startup to fund http://gooogle.comyr.com/articles/index.php?funding Getting funding is a tuff and has a long wait period. I’ve heard this is how investors like YCombinator, TechStars choose which startup to fund
http://gooogle.comyr.com/articles/index.php?funding

]]> By: Mark Cuban’s Rules for Startups « Sam Davidson http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63007 Mark Cuban’s Rules for Startups « Sam Davidson Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:17:24 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-63007 [...] Mark Cuban’s Rules for Startups 2008 March 11 by samdavidson Regardless of what you think about Mark Cuban or the Dallas Mavericks, these are some great rules Cuban has for startups. [...] [...] Mark Cuban’s Rules for Startups 2008 March 11 by samdavidson Regardless of what you think about Mark Cuban or the Dallas Mavericks, these are some great rules Cuban has for startups. [...]

]]> By: Speed linking, 25th of March 2009 | Mellow Business http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-62555 Speed linking, 25th of March 2009 | Mellow Business Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:07:50 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-62555 [...] Cuban provides some 12 rules for startups which you should probably check out if you’re starting a [...] [...] Cuban provides some 12 rules for startups which you should probably check out if you’re starting a [...]

]]> By: Kurt http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52543 Kurt Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:52:46 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52543 I have been part of 2 start ups. The most successful start up was lead by a guy that would LISTEN to us. No idea was stupid for him. We learned on the fly, adjusted often and outworked the competition. Guys were working monster hours. We believed in our service. The best part was we all had an equity interest in the business. The better the company did, the more money I made. We had a great team. This is the only kind of atmosphere I will accept. I have been part of 2 start ups. The most successful start up was
lead by a guy that would LISTEN to us. No idea was stupid for him.
We learned on the fly, adjusted often and outworked the competition.
Guys were working monster hours. We believed in our service. The best
part was we all had an equity interest in the business. The better the
company did, the more money I made. We had a great team. This is the
only kind of atmosphere I will accept.

]]> By: Guna Govind http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52514 Guna Govind Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:33:54 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52514 Disagree on not having an "exit strategy". In a business, planning for an early acquire to going IPO is considered clear strategies. When you start a business you must have clear exit strategies, good or bad; remember your strategies change along the line, but thats what business is about. Disagree on not having an “exit strategy”. In a business, planning
for an early acquire to going IPO is considered clear strategies.
When you start a business you must have clear exit strategies, good
or bad; remember your strategies change along the line, but thats
what business is about.

]]> By: Mark Graham http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52301 Mark Graham Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:05:11 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52301 Mark, you are (half) right about point #10 Imagine if Cuban (or any Yobaby target customer for that matter) received a relevant piece of merchandise that promoted Yobaby's brand promise. Yobaby is an organic yogurt line made for babies and toddlers. A polo shirt? Maybe for a staff uniform at a trade show. But for a client facing promotion? I don't blame Mark Cuban for his views on the value of promotional products and their ability to create excitement. Let's look at this closer. Would the results be different if the promotional gift was a light yellow and lavender receiving blanket, coupled with an organic cotton baby one-sie and baby toque, each tastefully decorated with a subtle screen print (not embroidered as this requires a rough pellon on the other side of the garment to hold the stitches - too rough for a baby/toddler). Such a promotion focuses on the brand's color palette and, more importantly, the needs of its target customer - parents with messy babies! You can never have enough baby clothing. I imagine most parents would line up to receive such a gift of high perceived value. The cost of such a bundle would be approx $25. Imagine if this promotion helped create a loyal customer for years (Yobaby graduates to Yokids which graduates to Stonyfield's adult line of yogurt). What is the value of a lifelong customer? Certainly more than $25. A branded polo shirt being sent to someone like Mark Cuban seems just silly to me. However, Cuban is also a parent (he has a toddler). Despite his billions, I am sure he would have a use for a tastefully designed baby gift package from the yogurt brand he uses to feed his child. Now there's an emotional connection between the marketer and the customer. If I was to re-write Cuban's rule to startups, it would go something like this: DON'T WASTE your money on swag that is ill-suited to your ultimate marketing objective. Think of promotional items like you would any other advertising medium (TV, outdoor, print, etc). If you were developing a TV ad campaign for Yobaby.com, you would not air the ads on the NASCAR channel. Oprah would be your better property. If you are going to spend money on promotional goods, be sure that the goods speak to your audience and will resonate with them in such a way that you build loyalty. If you have no intention of being strategic with the medium, NEVER EVER EVER buy swag! Mark, you are (half) right about point #10

Imagine if Cuban (or any Yobaby target customer for that matter) received a relevant piece of merchandise that promoted Yobaby’s brand promise. Yobaby is an organic yogurt line made for babies and toddlers. A polo shirt? Maybe for a staff uniform at a trade show. But for a client facing promotion? I don’t blame Mark Cuban for his views on the value of promotional products and their ability to create excitement.

Let’s look at this closer. Would the results be different if the promotional gift was a light yellow and lavender receiving blanket, coupled with an organic cotton baby one-sie and baby toque, each tastefully decorated with a subtle screen print (not embroidered as this requires a rough pellon on the other side of the garment to hold the stitches – too rough for a baby/toddler). Such a promotion focuses on the brand’s color palette and, more importantly, the needs of its target customer – parents with messy babies! You can never have enough baby clothing. I imagine most parents would line up to receive such a gift of high perceived value.

The cost of such a bundle would be approx $25. Imagine if this promotion helped create a loyal customer for years (Yobaby graduates to Yokids which graduates to Stonyfield’s adult line of yogurt). What is the value of a lifelong customer? Certainly more than $25.

A branded polo shirt being sent to someone like Mark Cuban seems just silly to me. However, Cuban is also a parent (he has a toddler). Despite his billions, I am sure he would have a use for a tastefully designed baby gift package from the yogurt brand he uses to feed his child. Now there’s an emotional connection between the marketer and the customer.

If I was to re-write Cuban’s rule to startups, it would go something like this:

DON’T WASTE your money on swag that is ill-suited to your ultimate marketing objective. Think of promotional items like you would any other advertising medium (TV, outdoor, print, etc). If you were developing a TV ad campaign for Yobaby.com, you would not air the ads on the NASCAR channel. Oprah would be your better property. If you are going to spend money on promotional goods, be sure that the goods speak to your audience and will resonate with them in such a way that you build loyalty. If you have no intention of being strategic with the medium, NEVER EVER EVER buy swag!

]]> By: More useful "rules" for startups http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52014 More useful "rules" for startups Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:09:32 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-52014 [...] http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/ [...] [...] http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/ [...]

]]> By: Weekend Links | Subverting Mediocrity http://blogmaverick.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-51632 Weekend Links | Subverting Mediocrity Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:54:00 +0000 http://blogmaverick.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/my-rules-for-startups/#comment-51632 [...] Mark Cuban: Rules for start-ups.  Read it. [...] [...] Mark Cuban: Rules for start-ups.  Read it. [...]

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