Ren Carlton

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Fourth Powerful Secret to Battling Giant Competitors - Speed - How Startups can Competing Against FAANG - Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Alphabet Google - David vs. Goliath

This is part four of a series we are doing on David vs. Goliath and battling giants. I will talk about how startups can compete against the FAANG companies and other major, well-funded, legacy competitors. The FAANG are Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG.

Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2
Click here for part 3

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week."

George S. Patton

The Fourth Powerful Secret to Battling Giant Competitors - Speed

"He (Goliath) had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels (about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms); on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels (about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms.)

Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Samuel 17

David was small, fast, and not weighed down by heavy armor or weapons. Goliath was large, slow and carrying a lot of weight.

This is my favorite way to compete with large companies. Speed is a huge advantage when battling giant, large competitors. Startups can launch a business concept the day the founders hear about it. No approvals, meetings, bureaucracy, or oversight. You can just do it!

How to Grow Your Business Fast

-Outsource and hire - Make a list of the roles you need and focus on filling them as quickly as possible.
-Focus on driving cash - Build systems and process that keep cash flowing in. No cash = no business. Investment dollars, loans, or revenue can meet this requirement.
-Be ready to pivot - Don't fall in love with any ideas until you found a winning formula. Giants have the resources and time to over-commit to bad ideas. You must change early and often until you find the winning formula. YouTube was a video dating site. Twitter was a podcasting network. Flickr was an online role-playing game.
-Establish meaningful milestones - Meaningful means milestones that will either attract investors or create revenue. It's tough to grow when you do not have a target. Picture bowling blindfolded. Tough to hit the target (bowling pins) when you do not know where to aim.
-Manage risks - Create situations where you have unlimited upside and minimal downside. That way if a situation is under-performing you do not need to worry about abandoning it for better opportunities.
-Focus on win-win situations - When you create win-win situations, everyone has incentives to keep making progress

One of My Favorite Stories About Speed

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger founded Instagram in a San Francisco co-working space in 2010. With only 13 employees, Instagram grew to 30 million users by 2012. Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012 for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock. Now that is fast!

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/07/02/the-7-greatest-pivots-in-tech-history/
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+17&version=NIV
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Instagram
https://www.inc.com/business-insider/companies-startups-unicorn-1-billion-valuation-record-time.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/07/19/how-to-build-your-dream-team-and-grow-your-company-fast/#664e1cf54845
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7690-rapid-business-growth-tips.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Hunting Unicorns - Investing in the Right Founders - Bet on the Jockey, Not on the Horse - Ren Cartlon

When it comes to investing in startups, it is all about the founders

There is a saying, bet the jockey, not the horse

What founders do to encourage our investments, and what others do that scare us away

Impatient vs. Patient
Arrogance vs. Confident
Difficult vs. Cooperative
Annoying vs. Responsive
Scattered vs. Focused
Evasive vs. Direct
Shady vs. Honest
Unprofessional vs. Impressive
Rude vs. Polite
No Personal Financial Investment vs. Committed
Entitled vs. Grateful

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Third Powerful Secret to Battling Giant Competitors - Vision - How Startups can Competing Against FAANG - Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Alphabet Google - David vs. Goliath

This is part three of a series we are doing on David vs. Goliath and battling giants. I will talk about how startups can compete against the FAANG companies and other major, well-funded, legacy competitors. The FAANG are Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG.

Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2

The Third Powerful Secret to Battling Giant Competitors - Vision

The Philistines declare war on the Israelites and wrench the Arch of the Alliance from them. David was not born into royalty. He entered life as a humble shepherd, rose to found a dynasty, and became a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Samuel the prophet had informed David that God had chosen him to be the next king of Israel and anointed him with his brothers around him (1 Samuel 16:13). David knew this information when he arrived in the camp and heard Goliath’s sneering rants. And he drew additional confidence by remembering how God had helped him in the past (1 Samuel 17:34–36).

As Israel's second king, David built a small empire. He conquered Jerusalem, which he made Israel's political and religious centre. He defeated the Philistines (Goliath was a Philistine) so thoroughly that they never seriously threatened the Israelites' security again, and he annexed the coastal region.

David's vision was to be King of Israel. What is your vision?

Building Your Vision

Your vision for your company should be exciting and motivating. One way to do this is to use your business that solves a problem or reaches a goal that is meaningful to you. If you can do this, the bare minimum outcome of success will be doing something that benefits you. If it benefits you, it is likely to benefit others as well.

Adopting this methodology avoids the challenge of developing a solution looking that is looking for a problem. This is one of the problems we see in some of the pitches we receive. Start with the problem and find a solution.

By having a concise vision of what you want your business to become, you will be in an improved position to work toward that goal. Do not make goals that are overly broad, such as "I want to make a lot of money." Instead, aim toward something like "I want to add three new customers a month" or "I want to see a rise in my search each week." As you establish measurable objectives, it is possible to view your progress. Also, it will make you more confident.

Examples of Famous Clear, Concise Visions

“Give me liberty or give me death.”
– Patrick Henry, United States Revolutionary War leader, 1776

“We shall never surrender.”
– Winston Churchill, England prime minister, 1941

“By the end of the decade, we will put a man on the moon.”
– John F. Kennedy, United States president, 1962

“A computer on every desk and in every home.”
– Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer, 1980

One of My Favorite Story About Vision

Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman launched Reddit in 2005 as a social website that allows users to post thoughts or content and have others rank submissions by voting it up or down. Soon after, they flew to meet with Yahoo executives in Sunnyvale. Upon hearing that Reddit had about 10,000 users at the time, one executive sneered, “You guys are just a rounding error compared to Yahoo. What are you guys even doing here?”

“The first thing I did when I got back to my desk, I put this on my wall, ‘You are a rounding error,’ because I wanted to know every single morning who we were proving wrong,” Ohanian said.

As of 2018 Reddit has 330 Million Monthly Active Users.

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://www.britannica.com/biography/David
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/where-real-courage-comes-from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people-in-the-bible/story-king-david-goliath/#close
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054788/plotsummary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/2432/power-of-a-clear,-concise-vision
https://www.inc.com/murray-newlands/6-tips-to-build-self-confidence-for-business-success.html
https://www.ocregister.com/2014/01/28/status-update-reddits-ohanian-motivated-by-rounding-error/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Friday, May 1, 2020

Angel Investors - How Much Money Does a Startup Need to Launch or Grow? - Use of Funds - Ren Carlton

I was messaging a friend of mine earlier this week about launching a new business. When I asked her how much money she thought we needed she said:

"We can each invest a max of $500 each, as partners, and make a prototype, then we can both apply for further business grants or angel investors."

A bit shocked by her response, I turned to the internet for further guidance. When I googled "how much money does a startup need", this was the first result:

"Estimate your costs. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, most microbusinesses cost around $3,000, while most home-based franchises cost $2,000 to $5,000 to start."

How Much Money Does a Startup Need?

Most technology startups, raising outside funding is a necessary step in the process of building a viable business. Not every business needs to be a technology company, but most of the businesses we see have some component of technology.

Most companies that reach a Series A round of funding Raise between $25,000 - $500,000.

That is a pretty wide range. Let's take a deeper look.

Common Startup Costs

Here are some common startup costs they may have:

-Office space

-Equipment and supplies

-Communications

-Utilities

-Licenses and permits

-Insurance

-Lawyer and accountant

-Inventory

-Employee salaries

-Advertising and marketing

-Market research

-Printed marketing materials

-Making a website

Make sure to add any other expenses that are unique to the business.

Stage

This is probably the biggest factor. Idea and prototype stage companies may have very lower costs, where a business that is producing and growing may have to support a full team, inventory, etc.

How Are You Going to Pay Your Bills?

One of my favorite questions I ask founder is "How are you going to pay your bills?

Almost everyone gets caught off guard. I am not sure why. When evaluating an angel investment, I want to make sure the founders are thinking through everything.

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/23/does-it-really-matter-how-much-your-startup-raises/
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/calculate-your-startup-costs#section-header-10

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

David vs. Goliath - Part 2 - Battling Giants - How Startups can Competing Against FAANG - Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG

This is part two of a series we are doing on David vs. Goliath and battling giants. I will talk about how startups can compete against the FAANG companies and other major, well-funded, legacy competitors. The FAANG are Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG

Click here for part 1

Battling Giants - Lesson 2 - Confidence

"If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

Vincent Van Gogh

In the story of David and Goliath, we are told David goes into battle with five stones. Why five? Maybe so he can have five shots at Goliath?

Bible scholars speculate that David chose five smooth stones because Goliath had four brothers, and David was readying himself to dispatch all five giants. This theory is based on 2 Samuel 21:15–22. That passage lists four very large Philistines who were related to Goliath in some way.

Now that is confidence.

Entrepreneurs must demonstrate confidence. Customers need to believe that you will deliver your products or services. Investors want to be assured that you will produce a healthy returns on their investments. Your team needs to know that you will still be there tomorrow.

Tips for Building Entrepreneurial Confidence

Fake It Until You Make It. Ask yourself "If I was a successful entrepreneur, what would I do?" Than do those things. It may sound a bit silly, but it works.
Keep learning. Learning about your business and industry will do wonders. Always be aware of seminars and courses that can keep you up-to-date on your industry or make you more in-the-know in regard to business overall.
Have a clear vision. One method to improve your confidence is to establish objectives. By having a concise vision of what you want your business to become, you will be in an improved position to work toward that goal. Do not make goals that are overly broad, such as "I want to make a lot of money." Instead, aim toward something like "I want to add three new customers a month" or "I want to see a rise in my search each week." As you establish measurable objectives, it is possible to view your progress. Also, it will make you more confident.
Become optimistic. Negativity has the ability to reduce your motivation and drag you down. As we surround ourselves with good energy, we are automatically more productive. Have a power group of positive influences around you who'll support your goals. Not only are they able to provide you a little push when you are feeling sluggish, they're also able to reel you in when you get a bit off track.
Take calculated risks. Helen Keller once said, "Life either is nothing at all or an adventure." Do things that temporarily remove from your comfort zone. Make sure these things are consistent with your vision. Don't forget to manage your downside risk. Taking caluculated risks means that the reward for taking the risk far outweighs the downside risk of failing. That is the difference between calculated risk-taking and reckless gambling.
Ditch doubt. If you possess good ideas, but a phobia of moving ahead has you paralyzed, take it step by step. Many times we'll blame lack of knowledge, funds, and support when in fact we're blocking our road to success. Do not listen to negativity; have faith. You may be shocked at what you're able achieve.
Recognize small things you have accomplished. As you make that initial sale, celebrate. As you diffuse a problem that might have exploded out of control, give yourself a pat on your back. Those little victories will serve as a reminder of how talented you are and that you have more business successes to go.

One of My Favorite Story About Confidence

On November 14, 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook offered to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion from Evan Spiegel. Spiegel was a college dropout and living in his father's basement. Spiegel declined the cash offer.

Was that a good decision?

In 2020, Snapchat is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Evan Spiegel's net worth is estimated to be $3.4 billion dollars.

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://www.goalcast.com/2018/07/16/confidence-quotes/
https://www.gotquestions.org/five-smooth-stones.html
https://www.inc.com/murray-newlands/6-tips-to-build-self-confidence-for-business-success.html
www.investopedia.com
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+17&version=NIV
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/ceos-founders-lived-parents/story?id=26888490

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton

Friday, April 24, 2020

The Most Common Mistake Founders Make When Raising Money - Friction-Less Fundraising - Ren Carlton

If you have been following me for a while, you may remember my story about the guy in the desert,

As you probably already know, raising money can be tough. Investment dollars are are limited and less than 1% of small businesses successfully raise capital.

Let's talk about how you can beat the odds and find funding

Frictionless Fundraising

One of my main priorities when raising money is to make it as simple as possible. We call it Frictionless Fundraising. How can I make it very easy for someone to invest in my business?

The Most Common Mistake Founders Make When Raising Money

Around 20% of founders ask me to sign an NDA when I am evaluating their business for investment. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement (CA), confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), proprietary information agreement (PIA) or secrecy agreement (SA), is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to.

Founders frequently ask potential investors to sign an NDA before sharing some or all of the information that is available about their business. I think this is often a bad idea.

Reasons Why We Will Not Sign Your NDA

-We have thousands of other investment options.
-We don't have time to read your NDA.
-How can we promote you to other investors if we cannot talk about your idea?
-What if we are already working on a similar idea with another group?
-What if we receive a similar idea in the future?
-If secrecy is the only thing special about your business we are not interested anyways. Build your moat...
-You probably don't have the funding to protect your idea.

-You may not be able to legally protect your idea.

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen in the information age. Structure, process, and execution is what creates entrepreneurial success. Adding an additional layer of complexity to your search for investors is not a good idea.

Ways to Make It Easier for Angel Investors to Invest in Your Business

-Have basic information ready to send.
-Answer questions pleasantly.
-Don't answer questions with questions.
-Don't ask too many questions.

Are you looking for investors for your business? Contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com

Click here if you would like me to personally consider investing in your business. If I do not personally invest, I will give you specific tips for finding funding for your business. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Sources and Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

David vs. Goliath - Battling Giants - How Startups can Competing Against FAANG - Part 1 - Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG

This is part one of a series we are doing on David vs. Goliath and battling giants. I will talk about how startups can compete against the FAANG companies and other major, well-funded, legacy competitors. The FAANG are Facebook FB, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAP, Netflix NFLX; and Alphabet/Google GOOG

The Original Story - David vs. Goliath

Here are some excerpts from the Samuel 17, just in case you are unfamiliar with the bible story of David and Goliath.

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span [about 9 feet 9 inches]. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels [about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels [about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms].

He [David] took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

In Malcolm Gladwell's book David and Goliath, Gladwell points out that giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness. And the fact of being an underdog can change people in ways that we often fail to appreciate.

Battling Giants - Lesson 1 - Target a Specific Niche

David was properly equipped to battle Goliath. He wore no armor and used a deadly projectile weapon. He was fast and mobile. Goliath wore heavy armor and held a heavy weapon. He was slow and immobile. He was well equipped to go into a war leading a massive army. But he was not prepared to battle with a fast, single sharpshooter. Goliath didn't stand a chance.

Battling modern day giants with virtually unlimited resources requires you to focus on a specific niche. Otherwise, your marketing costs alone will likely bury before you get started.

Amazon launched in 1995 as a website that only sold books, founder Jeff Bezos had a vision for the company's explosive growth and eCommerce domination. He knew from the very beginning that he wanted Amazon to be "an everything store."

In 1997, Reed Hastings founded Netflix, a DVD-by-mail rental service at the time, in part after being frustrated with a $40 late fee from Blockbuster.

Mark Zuckerberg competed with MySpace by focusing on students at Harvard.

Notice a pattern? All of these FAANG companies started by attacking a very specific niche. Niches may include:

-Type of service or a subset of a service, e.g. Uber for eats

-Specific attribute of an existing business model, e.g. Free delivery

-Geography, e.g. city or state
-Demographic, e.g. white females 25-35
-and more

Once you pick your specific niche, you can properly equip yourself for battle.

Are you looking for investors for your business, contact us today, funding@omegaaccelerator.com.

Are you interested in angel investing and helping us fund early-stage businesses? Email info@OmegaAccelerator.com.

Sources and Links
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/2432/power-of-a-clear,-concise-vision
https://www.ocregister.com/2014/01/28/status-update-reddits-ohanian-motivated-by-rounding-error/
https://deanyeong.com/reading-note/david-and-goliath/
www.investopedia.com
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/536961-the-reasonable-man-adapts-himself-to-the-world-the-unreasonable
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+17&version=NIV
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rencarlton
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/RenCarlton
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxQWgUDlPJo0IHCIa6SzrQ
https://omegalegacyacceleratorx.com/924-2/https://www.facebook.com/TheOmegaAccelerator/
https://www.instagram.com/omega.funding/
https://rencarlton.blogspot.com/2019/09/funding-session-with-ren-carlton.html

Disclaimer: This does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service. We are not offering any legal, investment, tax, or medical advice. Please consult the appropriate professional before doing anything you learn from the content posted on any of our digital properties. All stories are based on true events, but are altered to protect the identity of the individuals involved.