There are many ways to go about launching a new product, and there are many ways to fail before you even get off the ground.  It’s not a myth that most new businesses fail.  From funding troubles to challenges in connecting with the market, there are numerous dangers waiting for both entrepreneurs and product managers. However, there are some best practices for creating a successful product launch.  Here are five of them.   Know your market Large companies spend as much time studying the marketplace as they do in research and development on the product.  In the build-up to a product…

The year 2004 was the year that would change the way the world would communicate forever. We did not know then that a little startup, an idea born from the mind of its founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, would become not only the leading social network but that it too would infiltrate the Internet’s existing eco-system and turn itself into the most successful startup to date. Not only would Facebook Inc. become successful amongst Internet users of all ages and demographics, but its net income would surpass the estimated value of all other startups that too are deemed successful. We are talking far…

When the overall economy is slumping, as it currently is, people begin to focus just on surviving—success is simply defined as the ability to pay bills on time. So, why is now actually the best time to start a business? Well, for one thing, there is less competition during recessionary times. Too many people are focused on surviving, not thriving. Challenging times actually create new opportunities since shifted priorities mean new needs must be filled. New businesses that can adjust to and overcome these difficult times have the great opportunity to enjoy a head start for gains when the economy…

The only silver lining in a bleak global economic outlook today has been the technology industry. Within it, the many triumphs – such as Apple, Workday and Amazon – have been peppered with sporadic financial letdowns. Whispers of a second ‘dot com bubble’ – referring back to the sharp decline in the performance of technology companies in the late 90s, following a number of consistently lucrative quarters – have been rampant due to many entrepreneurial ventures that simply fizzled out. Whatever the case maybe, the picture is indicative of a larger, more alarming scenario; the failure of conventional…

Creating a new app every week might seem impossible to even the most ambitious app developers. However, 52apps, a startup based out of the University of South Carolina, has set the goal of creating 52 iPhone/iPad apps over the course of a year, and they’re pretty sure they can actually accomplish this goal. Since June 1st of this year, 52apps has successfully achieved their goal of weekly app creation, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to be missing the mark anytime soon thanks to a module framework that allows them to make and test apps while eliminating some of the more time-consuming backend…

For the past ten years, small businesses have been the stronghold of domestic job creation in the United States. Currently, there are more than 27 million small businesses in the U.S., but only one in ten small business startups will succeed. 80% of new businesses fail within the first three years, and the remaining businesses will be slashed in half by the five year mark. But there’s a silver lining in all this failure — entrepreneurs with multiple attempts at starting a business are the most likely to succeed. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The average technology entrepreneur…

Every startup is in a phase of development looking to add some type of new feature or user accessibility to their company. In most cases, building a website from the ground up and including multifaceted elements can be extremely time consuming and usually involves a vast array of professionals in order to get the job done. The entire process ends up being slow and drawn out either due to a breakdown in communication or by having its development be dependent on someone else’s schedule. One key factor for any startup is to be in control of your time management in order for it to be successful. Time plays…

In 2011, the boom of startups following in the footsteps of an economy showing signs of recovery filled the pages of craigslist looking for talent. While other sectors were still struggling with unemployment, the tech startup world was competing for top people. Now, with the economy looking even better (despite bad gas prices) and tech-related professions showing a demand above the rest of the field, there’s a sense amongst the potential employees that they have choices. Many are willing to move to the places where opportunities exist. While California still has a stranglehold on tech, there…

The short answer is no. They will have an extremely successful IPO on launch day followed by volatility for a month. How they handle the volatility will determine how successful it will be long-term, but the first few months will be measured on “how” rather than “if it’ll be” successful. The longer answer is a bit more disconcerting and may make the long-term prospects for a Facebook IPO look something like what is happening with Groupon (pictured above). The fourth amendment to their S-1 filing with the SEC revealed some risks that many had speculated about but nobody knew for sure until Monday….

Hope can be a great thing. False hope can destroy lives. Such is the case with what an esteemed colleague wrote on Fast Company about how startups should build the next Tabasco rather than shoot for the next Instagram. The idea is simple: build something that will last. Don’t shoot for the quick cash. Buyout should be an option, not a goal. Ideal world this, utopian society that. The reality of today’s ultra-competitive startup world is that the quick in, quicker out companies like Instagram are the only examples that startups should be following. While it’s nice to believe that companies have an…