Loading...
Answers
MenuWhat are the best sources of competitive advantage for a fast growing Internet software company?
This question has no further details.
Answers
There's never a substitute for building your product and talking to customers.
If you're not well versed in growth hacking, let's talk.
Depending on your market, there's a variety of algorithmic ways to pursue customers and hundreds of API's to power the pursuit.
The one insight I have here that isn't often mentioned is the number of high fidelity backlinks per an hour that you're able to produce.
If you use http://ahrefs.com you'll notice that the highest growth ventures have a strong correlation with backlinks. (Causality is difficult to identify, but correlation isn't. ) The internet was built for land-grab tactics.
I have worked with several internet software companies and the best sources are the most popular social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. They test different sections of the site and remove the more unsuccessful ones to trim the fat.
LinkedIn is the best example. They give members the most desired features on top without the member having to scroll down.
Also, reading online magazines like Mashable help with trends.
Bruce
There is not a lot of details with your question. But here is some competitive advantage you can get:
- Visibility
- Branding
- Money
- Users / Customers
- Ressources: see assets (physical, intangible, human...)
- Processes / Methods
- Technology
- Marketing
And the list goes on...
Wanting to look at how your business might leverage newer software is just one reason you might find yourself contacting a specialists won’t necessarily try to sell you on the newest, most hyped-up software solutions, but they can take a look at both your current and future business needs to determine what kind of system will put you ahead of the pack. Integrating this kind of software into your own business can help you seamlessly follow up with customers, manage complaints, and organize your customers based on their spending preferences. Ultimately, there has never been a better time to use contemporary software to get your business where it wants to be. One of the keyways that companies stay competitive is by keeping tabs on data about their clients and the market in general. Advances in data analysis have shaped the way companies make their business decisions, particularly because we now have access to such a wealth of statistics, facts, and figures.
It is hard to find an industry anywhere that has not been revolutionized by the advent of mobile and tablet popularity. To keep competitive, you really need to recognize the impact of mobile and plan your business around it. For example, allowing your employees to handle business remotely can give your team an advantage, but the challenge then becomes providing rock-solid security for business communication and information storage when your employees might not have access to a secure network. Moving your business operations to the cloud can decrease your business costs, improve your company’s agility, and encourage better collaboration between your teams. Keeping competitive is all about looking toward the future and embracing the way it shapes how we work. If your technology is behind the times, your brand is not reaching its full potential. Technology trends can evolve swiftly, and sometimes the options seem overwhelming.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
Related Questions
-
My startup just failed. What could I start to "immediately" generate $1,000/mo?
The quickest path to cash is almost always consulting. Be very specific about what it is you can offer. Don't just offer "business consulting". Find a niche and serve it. Reach out to your network, including friends and family and ask if they need or know of anyone who might want to hear about what your consulting has to offer. That will be way faster than trying to go at it from scratch or cold calling. If you call 100 people in your network this week, you will have a consulting gig within 3 weeks. Good luck, and let me know if you'd like advice on entering a digital marketing/lead generation consulting niche. I've grown from zero to $8,000 of monthly recurring payments in the last 40 days! DaveDR
-
How can I smoothly transition from full time worker to self-employment?
The ways I've done this in the past are 1) Find some customers that are willing to hire you (or your product) but know that you'll only be free nights & weekends to support/work with them. 2) Find a "partner" (co-founder or other) that's got a flexible schedule that can help build the business while you're at work. 3) Block out nights, mornings and weekends to build the business till you have enough orders to cover 50% of your salary. This might mean 7pm-11pm most nights, and 4 hours each day Sat & Sun. Make progress (sales $$$) and momentum. All that being said, it's risk reward. Sounds like you want to avoid taken the risk, and I get that .. but the upside is always smaller. Unless you put yourself in a position to have to succeed (ex: quitting your job) then you may never make the scary decisions that are required to build a company (like cold calling, going in debt, making a presentation, etc). I'm on company #5 with many other side projects started nights & weekends .. so I get it - but don't be afraid to bet on yourself and go all in.DM
-
How has Uber grown so fast?
Obviously, they do the fundamentals well. Good brand. Good experience. Good word of mouth. Good PR. Etc. Etc. But after my interview with Ryan Graves, the head of Global Operations at Uber (https://www.growthhacker.tv/ryan-graves), it became clear that they are operationally advanced and this is a huge part of their success. I'll explain. Uber isn't just a single startup, it's essentially dozens of startups rolled into one because every time they enter a new city they have to establish themselves from essentially nothing (except whatever brand equity has reached the city ahead of them). This means finding/training drivers, marketing to consumers, and building out local staff to manage operations for that city. This is where Ryan Graves comes in. He has a protocol of everything that must be done, and in what order, and by who, to ensure the best chance of success in a new city. So how has Uber grown so fast? Essentially, they figured out how to grow in one locale and were relentless about refining their launch process to recreate that initial success over and over in new cities. No plan works for every city, and they've had to adapt in many situations, but it is still a driving factor for their success.BT
-
How much equity should I ask as a CMO in a startup?
Greater risk = greater equity. How likely is this to fail or just break even? If you aren't receiving salary yet are among 4-6 non-founders with equivalent sweat investment, all of whom are lower on the totem pole than the two founders, figure out: 1) Taking into account all likely outcomes, what is the most likely outcome in terms of exit? (ex: $10MM.) Keep in mind that 90%+ of all tech startups fail (Allmand Law study), and of those that succeed 88% of M&A deals are under $100MM. Startups that exit at $1B+ are so rare they are called "unicorns"... so don't count on that, no matter how exciting it feels right now. 2) Figure out what 1% equity would give you in terms of payout for the most likely exit. For example, a $10MM exit would give you $100k for every 1% you own. 3) Decide what the chance is that the startup will fail / go bankrupt / get stuck at a $1MM business with no exit in sight. (According to Allman Law's study, 10% stay in business - and far fewer than that actually exit). 4) Multiply the % chance of success by the likely outcome if successful. Now each 1% of equity is worth $10k. You could get lucky and have it be worth millions, or it could be worth nothing. (With the hypothetical numbers I'm giving here, including the odds, you are working for $10k per 1% equity received if the most likely exit is $10MM and the % chance of failure is 90%.) 5) Come up with a vesting path. Commit to one year, get X equity at the end. If you were salaried, the path would be more like 4 years, but since it's free you deserve instant equity as long as you follow through for a reasonable period of time. 6) Assuming you get agreement in writing from the founders, what amount of $ would you take in exchange for 12 months of free work? Now multiply that by 2 to factor in the fact that the payout would be far down the road, and that there is risk. 7) What percentage share of equity would you need in order to equal that payout on exit? 8) Multiply that number by 2-3x to account for likely dilution over time. 9) If the founders aren't willing to give you that much equity in writing, then it's time to move on! If they are, then decide whether you're willing to take the risk in exchange for potentially big rewards (and of course, potentially empty pockets). It's a fascinating topic with a lot of speculation involved, so if you want to discuss in depth, set up a call with me on Clarity. Hope that helps!RD
-
What advice do you give to a 16 year old entrepreneur with a start up idea?
First, hat tip to you for being a young entrepreneur. Keep it up! If you have the funds to build out your MVP, hire a developer and possibly a mentor. If your idea is marketable, you don't need to give up equity by bringing in a co-founder. If this is your entrepreneurial venture, I would recommend you do retain a coach to help you see all the things you may not know. Have you already done your SWOT analysis? Have you identified your target market? What is your marketing plan? What will be your operating expenses? There are lots of questions to ask. If you would a free call, I'd be happy to help you in more detail. Just use this link to schedule your free call... https://clarity.fm/kevinmccarthy/FreeConsult Best regards, Kevin McCarthy Www.kevinmccarthy.comKM
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.