by John Gavin
on April 8, 2013
Today Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks(tm) accounting software, gave startups and entrepreneurs a great lesson in how not to run a promotion. I outline what Intuit did wrong and what we can learn from it. I also reiterate my respect for the software itself, marketing foibles aside.
Before I trash the marketing geniuses at Intuit, I need to first affirm my conviction that QuickBooks remains a must-have software for any startup or entrepreneur taking themselves seriously. It's so feature-packed, at such a reasonable price, you are foolish if you still keep your accounting records in a spreadsheet or, worse, the proverbial shoebox.
So I'm definitely not picking on QuickBooks software. I've relied on it for more than a decade in my businesses. For my personal finances, I rely on Quicken which is also made by Intuit. To me, there's simply no substitute for either. (Full disclosure: If you buy QuickBooks or Quicken by clicking on these links or the links to the right I do earn a small commission on the sale for which I am most grateful.)
What I am critical of today is the way Intuit has botched a one-day promotion. Instead or winning fans, I'll bet they've got a lot of annoyed people questioning their credibility. Let's just say that in the time I was on hold waiting to talk to people at their call center, I went from a cold start to getting this far in writing this blog posting (it was nearly a 20 minute hold time mid-morning today).
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by John Gavin
on March 28, 2013
Today’s show discusses why I am repositioning the Quiet Innovation podcast and what you can learn from it.
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My analysis of my own business model and the flaws I discovered.
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Use it as a lesson for other people with great ideas.
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Tell you what to expect going forward.
Why am I making the change:
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Flawed business model – too much time for too little return.
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My audience was not getting the full benefit of my my expertise, experience, and perspective.
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I was losing the fire, the passion.
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I realized my own "great idea hiding in plain sight" was my own background and how I could use that to help others.
Choosing to focus on helping others instead of just telling their stories got me fired-up again!
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by John Gavin
on March 15, 2013
This is the introductory episode of the Quiet Innovation podcast. It explains the core concept of the show which is to help you turn your great ideas into reality. Whether you simply have a great idea bouncing around in your head, or maybe you’re even a few years into it and need some help to take it to the next level, you’ve come to the right place for the advice, tips, and inspiration you need.
In today’s episode I talk about what this show is all about, who it’s aimed at, and how it’s going to benefit you. And, of course, I also tell you about me and the background that qualifies me to help you turn your great ideas into reality. It’s all coming up!
With nearly 30 years of professional experience as a professional investor and successful entrepreneur to draw on, I have the perspective and the track record of success – and even failure – needed to strike the balance you need for staying motivated and hopeful, yet realistic.
Topics covered in the Quiet Innovation podcast can include –
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Matters pertaining to operations, including: the importance of key metrics, setting up an office, building an infrastructure, dealing with leases and contracts, recruiting, hiring & firing of employees, accounting and legal matters, risk mitigation, cash management, outsourcing,
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Product design: idea generation, when to go-to-market, testing your new concepts, intellectual property.
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Sales & marketing including: the importance of planning, designing and running marketing and sales campaigns, branding, public relations & dealing with the media,
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social media, trade shows,
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Topics related to raising capital, including: venture capital, angel investors, & crowd funding. Oh, I’ll also talk about the value of business plans and what makes a good one.
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Leadership topics such as setting strategy, effective planning & goal setting, servant leadership, formulating a vision, managing through crisis, dealing with lawyers, accountants, consultants, and even lawsuits.
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Topics of a personal interest like investing your own money, maintaining life balance, negotiating tactics and strategies, cashing out, time management, getting things done,
Basically, nearly anything related to helping you turn your great ideas into reality.
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Important Editorial Note: This podcast originally launched in early January 2013, but I changed the editorial direction in March 2013. The change is so big that I decided to re-record this introductory episode in May so as to not confuse the newcomer to the show (it's backdated for continuity purposes only).
To learn more about that change in editorial direction I encourage you to go ahead and listen to episode 5. I’ve already pulled the original episodes 1-4 from iTunes so as to not create confusion for new people here. But the blog postings remain here on the site. Episode 5 starts the new format and goes from there.
All the best, John
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by John Gavin
on January 19, 2013
W
hile many innovations are developed inside existing organizations with their own sources of funding, there nonetheless remains a great need to put innovators & entrepreneurs together with sources of capital. Today I will introduce you to a resource that has my respect in this regard. That resource is called GUST, the self-described platform that "… enables skilled entrepreneurs to collaborate with the smartest investors by virtually supporting all aspects of the investment relationship, from initial pitch to successful exit."
In short, GUST is a place for innovator/entrepreneurs seeking capital to more easily connect with so-called "angel" investors looking to deploy capital. Great ideas without access to capital (as well as planning and discipline – but that's for a different post), are like unharvested fruit that is destined to wither and die.
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