CxO-Atlas is a website with hundreds of articles covering a wide variety of business issues.

The site’s content, use, and genesis are described in FAQ format.

This site contains information that can help the 100 million managers in business today.

The content on this site is arranged by subject and company stage for quick and easy access.

Multiple, simple search methods provide access to all content quickly.

This collection captures many of the good, bad, and ugly business experiences from the past.

The site helps to relieve the weight of issues on managers by identifying solution routes.

Site content is believed to be original except as noted, with more content planned to be added.

Volume 1 describes the intent, scope, and use of the CxO-Atlas website.

The entrepreneur’s journey can be divided into sequential phases and stages.

It always seems to take longer than planned should be the entrepreneur’s mantra.

Starting a business requires objectively answering some tough questions.

Making the commitment to start a business needs to be a conscious, objective decision.

Carefully deciding what does not have to be done now, is the key to a successful start.

The ability to demonstrate a new offering represents only 10% of the total effort required.

Many steps must be taken before a company should attempt to raise money.

The commitments from customers are exciting, but it starts an entirely new set of challenges.

Internal expansion to address increased customer demand requires careful planning.

Planning for the unexpected is an effective method of dealing with operational issues beforehand.

The continuous receipt of revenue is the lifeblood of every enterprise.

This is an AI-generated summary of the ten articles in Chapter 1.03.

This is an AI-generated summary of the four articles in Chapter 2.01.

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This is an AI-generated summary of the twenty-five articles in Chapter 9.02.

Establishing specific guidelines for behavior is critical for every organization.

Somehow, we have lost civility and stopped treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Vision and mission statements need to be augmented by operational tenants embraced by all.

Continuous exposure to the Seven Principles will heighten awareness and compliance.

Business survival is the exception, not the norm, usually through a self-inflicted wound.

Business failure, not success, is the norm for businesses of all sizes and stages.

If your business fails, it was probably caused by your unwillingness to act upon likely events

“Faking it just this once” leads to faking it for the long-term as well, with disastrous results.

Give as much thought to product and market extensions as was given to the original business.

Treating people with dignity and respect must be applied to all internal and external relationships.

The Golden Rule is right on the money and should always be followed by everyone.

You play like you practice, be consistent when treating all others with dignity and respect.

Trust is built by first making and then keeping commitments consistently.

Based on circumstances, people will fall into one of two categories: critics or creators.

Each of us may define success differently; think about the other person’s point of view.

There is no substitute for real-time, interactive dialogue to avoid accidental misinterpretations.

We cannot tolerate those who ignore respecting others for their beliefs or positions.

There are four categories of investors: employees, business partners, customers, and financial.

Defining an acceptable return will vary from one investor group to another.

Each investor group will define success differently; ask each of them what they feel is important.

As events occur, take time to keep investors informed with an interpretation of the information.

Discussing possible variations beforehand helps set proper expectations.

Of the four investor categories, employees are the most important.

You must learn to rely on others and give them responsibility and authority to grow.

Clearly establish goals and responsibilities for everyone to avoid cracks and overlaps.

It is easy to get caught up with tactical business issues and forget that employees are human.

Relying on the core competence of partners significantly helps the chances of success.

Working with other companies that have unique core competencies is required for success.

Partners need to share similar characteristics to maintain a successful relationship.

Once a partnership arrangement is finalized, the real work begins to make it successful.

Customers make financial investments in the company by purchasing their goods and services.

Through continued purchases, customers are the key element for long-term company success.

Customers invest in a company by making purchases based on trust, which offsets risk.

Financial investor commitments provide objective validation of a company’s future value.

All investors expect at least an acceptable return on their investment as they define it.

Financial investors do not have the time or skills to manage a company; they rely on the CEO.

Investors cannot continuously focus on each company; CEOs must update them regularly.

Merely satisfying customers is no longer adequate to maintain or increase market share.

Exceeding customer expectations has become table stakes in retaining customers.

There are nine general levels of customer satisfaction that range from amazed to dismissive.

Talk to your customers; don’t survey them to find out how they really feel.

Develop a company-wide customer service strategy while developing your offering, not later.

You can only set the stage; the customer will form their own expectations.

Accept all customer complaints as valid and objectively determine an appropriate response.

Many customers have customers; understand what your customer’s customer wants.

Upfront explanations can set proper expectations to avoid future exasperation.

Jointly determining “what’s in it for me” and discussing the answers is critical in partnerships.

Metrics are the cornerstone to improvements and must be embraced across the organization.

Customer demands are ever-increasing; metrics allow measurement of progress.

Many individuals resist being measured, but it is essential to improving performance.

Begin by asking everyone to determine how to measure performance to meet established goals.

Measure constantly, making incremental changes as required immediately.

Metrics reviews need to be part of the normal course of business, not only reviewed monthly.

Reducing the overall time to complete a task usually provides improved quality and efficiency.

Change is constant and must be embraced by all companies and employees.

Technology, customers, and competition are constantly changing, so responding is mandatory.

Change invariably causes disruption, often resulting in knee-jerk reactions

Reprioritizing activities based on the latest seemingly crisis situation is rarely appropriate.

It is natural to fear the unknown future and look back at the “good old times.”

Proposed changes need more than an initial, enthusiastic push out of the starting gate.

Quickly inform others of proposed changes to minimize the ever-present negative rumor mill.

Companies depend on the communities in which they operate and need to pay back accordingly.

There is always enough time; take it to help in the community.

The CEO can start but employees need to embrace community involvement programs.

CEOs should lead the discussion regarding which activities to support and then get out of the way.

Cross-organizational involvement in community activities leads to the formation of tight bonds.

Recognizing individual efforts in supporting community-wide activities will inspire others.

From the idea stage to the on-going operations period, challenges are everywhere.

Focus on what customers are likely to do, not what you want them to do.

There are a handful of key issues an entrepreneur should keep in mind.

Identify definitive six-month success goals to keep focused and avoid diversions.

Carefully and regularly review errors and traps you and others have made to avoid them.

Ask and answer a broad range of questions before committing to starting a business.

Once aware, there are several pitfalls that an entrepreneur can easily avoid.

There are a series of questions that need to be answered while on your journey.

It is easy to make simple decisions today that can have long-term negative consequences.

Ask a few basic questions before you start and answer them objectively.

Sound business practices should be followed by both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Entrepreneurs who are artists or subject matter experts face unique challenges; get help!

Turning your highly developed marketable skills into a business is harder than one would think.

Do you want to run or sell your business in the long term?

Many creative ideas should not be pursued.

There are different skill sets required for an entrepreneur and a CEO.

Doing more of the same is usually not an effective method to grow a business.

Employees and investors need total confidence in you.

There are many roles that an entrepreneur must fulfill before becoming a Chief Executive Officer.

Before you start a business, ask yourself what is next?

Truthful feedback may be appropriate in the long run, even if it hurts others’ feelings.

Step back and take a practical look at your business’s potential from the customer’s perspective.

Hire only people that you need and not friends and relatives that you may have to terminate.

our perception of what the customer wants may differ greatly from the customer’s.

Planning ahead to address all of the elements required for the company to be successful is crucial.

Carefully build a business plan that can stand up to the evaluation of independent investors.

It is easy to envision the future, but it is hard to reach.

Divorce yourself from your new idea and ask some fundamental questions before you commit.

The real issues only appear after you actually begin to develop a product or service offering.

Customer discovery involves far more than socializing a plan with others.

An entrepreneur needs to obtain candid and objective advice as early as possible.

Focusing on raising money at the start is the wrong approach.

“Don’t even try” is the best advice to those who want to raise money from financial investors.

Entrepreneurs should first focus on investors that invest amounts similar to their request.

Demonstrable market acceptance is the key to raising money; not a good idea.

Time is your most precious resource; spend it on building a business not investor slides.

Solicit candid opinions from seasoned startup veterans to avoid quick rejections from investors.

Focus on minimizing the market and product risk before seeking investment.

Focus on the core competencies of your business and seek outside help for other tasks.

The true mark of success is when customers purchase from you the second time.

Investors invest to make money, which may not be the same motivation as the entrepreneur.

Different investors can offer significantly different expertise in addition to their financial support.

There are several different types of investment instruments that should be considered.

There are more investor options than angel or venture capital investors that are available.

Focus on specific investor categories that fit your model and long-term goals.

Establishing a mutual satisfactory relationship between the company and their investors is critical.

In reality, business models accurately predict what most likely will not happen.

Establishing a mutual satisfactory relationship between the company and their investors is critical.

Identify the key elements and variables before building the financial model.

Build the financial model based on the revenue phases that the company will go through.

Your financial model will grow and become more complex; initially build in flexibility.

The key metrics are the time and cash required to break even and the revenue growth.

Develop a clear planned use of funds for the investors; include amounts, timing, and milestones.

Set realistic expectations about gaining market share in a large, expanding market.

You cannot expect investors to study your financial model; provide summary conclusions.

The Valuation of a private company is an opinion that may or may not be based on an evaluation.

A private company’s valuation are nothing more than a person’s opinion and may vary widely.

What television viewers see is only a fraction of the investor-entrepreneur interaction.

Emotional biases can easily occur, develop an objective method to evaluate a company.

There are many factors that can be used to evaluate a company, here is one such list.

Objectively evaluate where you are, what you can control, and what you cannot.

There is no mathematical or logical method to determine the valuation of a pre-revenue company.

The equity percentage for a given investment is only one factor to consider in a financing deal.

Focus on what investors want to hear, not what you want to say.

Focus on what investors want to hear, not what you want to say.

Clearly define the desired end message before you start creating your investor pitch slides.

Clearly define the desired end message before you start creating your investor pitch slides.

Be more than skin deep; be ready to provide detailed data to potential investors quickly.

Written FAQs documents dramatically help ensure what was heard aligns with what was said.

The same, universal pitch universally does not work for all audiences.

People naturally eliminate the bad before focusing on the good.

Nothing happens until investors get excited about a potential investment opportunity.

Be passionate not emotional to show you can make logical business decisions.

Nothing happens until investors get excited about a potential investment opportunity.

Use term of art words and abbreviations only when absolutely necessary.

Saying too many things may communicate nothing; less is more.

What makes you think a competitor will not or cannot close the gap between you and them.

What makes you think a competitor will not or cannot close the gap between you and them.

Expect unexpected questions and do not get flustered; it’s all about handling pressure.

Investors are interested in specific, verifiable facts, not generalizations.

Being first also means being the first to make mistakes.

Explaining Why you started the company can establish a relationship with potential investors.

There are a series of common messages that are sure to get an investor’s attention.

A slip of the tongue or an obviously incorrect statement can quickly turn off potential investors.

It’s tough getting rejected repeatedly, but that one “yes” can make it all worthwhile.

Pretend you are the investor; ask yourself a series of questions that they might ask.

Presentation slides without narration can lead to erroneous conclusions.

Ask for candid feedback if investors say no to you; do not argue or defend.

Follow the Boy Scout Motto: “Be Prepared” for the next investor meeting the next morning.

A term sheet is like the beginning of a wedding engagement, with many issues to discuss.

In hindsight, carefully developed definitive plans typically document what did not happen.

A continuous, growing supply of profitable revenue is all that matters.

Revenue develops in stages; understand where you are and what you want.

It is not what you say that counts; it is what paying customers say to others.

After initial orders are received, scaling may require significant changes.

Positive gross margin is only the first element in determining profitable sales.

Identifying prospects and turning them into customers on a large scale can be quite difficult.

Build a recurring revenue base through anonymous sales that occur without direct engagements.

Do not try to control situations; instead, choose how to respond, not react.

Creeping feature requests can easily add undue complexity and lengthen the time to market.

Break up serial events and address them in parallel to minimize overall cycle time.

With today’s fast pace, it is easy to leave people out of critical discussions inadvertently.

Define and focus on very short, easily attainable goals, following the adage of one step at a time.

As they say, “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” ask an outsider for help.

Don’t replace thoughtfulness with speed; re-work is always time-consuming and expensive.

Moving a home-based business to a professional setting requires careful consideration.

As you grow, focus on investing in your core competence and outsource everything else.

It always seems to take longer to receive orders, especially if you are not focused.

Patents take time and money; it might be better to focus on other things.

Attorneys sell their time, buy it wisely, and only when necessary.

Create and use a document archiving process on day one to avoid lost time searches later.

Do not hire a sales rep until well-documented customer responses are available.

Virtually every article in this collection is about management, this Volume only skims the surface.

Company and business expansion invariably leads to growing pains and uneasiness at all levels.

Changes cause disruptions and can result in negative attitudes that, left unchecked, can spread.

New employees, without the benefit of past experiences, can quickly become rules based.

As organizations grow, more specialization occurs, and communications can become ineffective.

Plan how to address activities as demand significantly increases.

Initial revenue success may be misleading, understand the underlying reasons.

Change is constant, often moving us out of our comfort zone, we all must get used to it.

Individual and department goals vary which causes a seemingly purposeful non-cooperation.

Changing expectations by the company or the employee is a major cause of employee turnover.

Open individual and group two-way dialogue is the most effective way to combat growing pains.

CEOs must provide a “brain drain” to new employees, especially sales reps.

Near-instant access to events causes many of us to react to it instead of responding.

We often react without considering factors; when we do, we are more likely to respond.

Reacting can become addictive and inappropriate; can you ignore your cell phone for an hour?

Jumping from one activity to another is inefficient; there is really no such thing as multitasking.

Taking a deep breath implies stopping for a moment to think, not filling up the lungs to scream.

Many times, speedy responses are made without reasonable deliberation of facts.

Practice makes permanent; consistent reactive behaviors can become the norm.

When the answer is clearly known, in most cases it should be delivered quickly.

Take the time to ask a few others to help you develop a reasonable response.

Slow and deliberate may be much faster than quick if it avoids false starts.

Find the route that led to the root cause and eliminate it.

Ballpark answers can lead to strikeouts.

Every manager in every organization is responsible for properly managing all employees.

Management needs to be aware of how employees judge the company’s overall actions.

Employee morale can be significantly impacted by what is considered to be acceptable behavior.

Consciously take time to show employees that you care about them as people.

As organizations grow, they, naturally, can become less friendly unless simple actions are taken.

Avoid actions or segmentation that can inadvertently divide the employee population.

Other’s perceptions, not company or management intentions, determine morale.

Organization charts can easily send some inadvertent negative messages.

The use of walls or open spaces and other environmental factors can have significant impacts.

Company success is determined by the performance of individuals who must be held accountable.

ffective communications require that the sender ensures the receiver hears and understands.

Providing a non-threatening, open environment to identify business impediments is easy.

Management must go out of their way to keep all employees informed of events as they occur.

Document answers to common questions to provide consistency across the board.

Open-door policies only work if employees truly feel that managers are approachable.

Texting and emails are only appropriate for certain types of communications. Be careful.

Emails are convenient but are often simplistic communication tools with negative consequences.

Humor to some may be offensive to others; establish company norms accordingly.

Thoroughly developing and documenting the expectations for a new hire are critical to success.

Often, if you wait to hire people when you need them, it is too late. Plan accordingly

Referrals, internships, job boards, and retained searches need to be considered when recruiting.

Plan the candidate interview day considering the wants and needs of the candidate.

Companies need to understand that a candidate’s loved ones will influence their decision.

There are advantages and pitfalls in recruiting individuals with vastly different work experiences.

Use newly available tools to identify qualified candidates that fit into the organization.

Carefully planning a new employee’s first day’s activities makes a lasting impression.

New employee managers need to provide special help and attention well past the first day.

Ask newly hired employees to develop their own training material as they learn it.

Goals for new hires should only be established when the employee can meaningfully participate.

Showing others you appreciate their efforts will return significant rewards for everyone involved.

Taking time for people and saying thank you can have instant and dramatic positive impacts.

: A peer recognition program can be a powerful motivator that can impact the entire organization.

Company support of employee involvement in outside organizations benefits everyone.

Positive events happen every day; take the time to capture and share them.

Determining the appropriate level of compensation involves far more than salaries.

Announcing salary adjustments individually rather than collectively is a major motivation factor.

Buy a memory with part of the salary increase or bonus you receive.

Treating people fairly is often more difficult, but it is more important than treating them equally.

Supplementing salaries with variable, performance-based programs provides substantial benefits.

Paying sales reps for achieving sales targets is an accepted practice that requires careful design.

Goals in an MBO program can be crafted for individuals at every level to reward performance.

Effectiveness of an MBO program is dependent on establishing mutually acceptable goals.

Goal performance grading should be a simple exercise to help motivate participants.

Implementing and managing an MBO program requires the use of a well-defined process.

Provide timely feedback, both positive and negative, to employees as events occur.

Make performance reviews a continuous, thoughtful process for everyone’s benefit.

Using a standard template for performance reviews can greatly improve its effectiveness.

Listen to the advice from individuals with applicable experience, then decide to follow it or not.

Employee perks today can become problems tomorrow as an organization grows.

Management needs to quickly address performance issues as soon as they become aware.

Address disappointing results with others nonconfrontationally to help resolve the issue.

New positions usually require the use of different skill sets to accommodate the new setting.

Telling people what they like to hear instead of the truth can create damaging misconceptions.

Discussing disagreements leads to effective decisions, while contrarian views can be destructive.

Minimize the time between the announcement and the departure of an employee.

Only a select number of people in business get the opportunity to run an organization.

Focus on vision, strategy, and tone to move the organization in the desired direction.

Leading and managing are two different activities that the CEO must perform simultaneously.

An audience is always present, filled with supporters and critics that interpret your every action.

Performance consistency, compliance, and longevity are critical elements for meeting all goals.

A CEO must balance the needs of employees, partners, customers, and financial investors.

Spending the right amount of time on the right things must be every CEO’s top priority.

Take time for people instead of filling your time with activities that are not truly important.

As the CEO, you have a unique perspective on the business. Do not expect others to share it.

Find individuals that you can ask to do something, confidently knowing it will get done.

Companies at different stages require different leadership and management skills.

Show others that you are human and truly care about them and not just the work they do.

Hiring someone to help shoulder the load of the CEO in a new company is critical to its success.

Lead by example, showing the attributes you believe in and need to be embraced by all.

Focus on asking questions to allow others to discover answers on their own.

Joining an existing company as the new CEO always involves responding to incredible demands.

Culture develops on its own over time but takes its direction and nurturing by the CEO.

We are constantly deluged with persuasive ideas that we have to decide to embrace or not.

Treating everyone the same or equal can result in unfair and resentful feelings and behaviors.

A recognized, repeatable decision-making process is critical to a company’s success.

Does your company run on cruise control, or do you have to constantly be behind the wheel?

Establishing clear meeting expectations can dramatically improve meeting effectiveness.

Implementing some common meeting process techniques will improve meeting effectiveness.

The need for reports seems to grow without bound in an organization; are they necessary?

View problems as an opportunity and apply the Seven Business Principles to decisions.

Too many points of view can be just as problematic as too few when making decisions.

ake decisions quickly and crisply to survive, thrive, and create a competitive advantage.

Ask individuals to focus on what is good for the organization rather than their self-interest.

Good enough performance or outcomes should be considered in all decision-making activities.

Develop a standard process to reconsider decisions to help ensure that they are correct.

Some individuals are managers, while others are leaders, and some are both.

Explaining why a task needs to be performed is as important as explaining what has to be done.

“Follow my lead” when actually done, shows commitment and inspires others.

Openness and tolerance are worthwhile traits to support up to a point.

Focus on “how” and not “if” individuals will be held accountable.

Following the same accountability rules is necessary regardless of the setting or observation.

To be successful, empowerment relies on the simple principles of trust, commit, and perform.

Fear of retribution usually results in less than expected performance.

Project Managers need to be empowered to be Project Leaders

The term “management” is an all-encompassing word that touches every aspect of our lives.

Use forecasted performance to determine if different actions are required to meet goals.

Focus on sharing and explaining information instead of simply posting data.

Consciously consider events that could hinder goal progress and develop plans accordingly.

Establishing simple meeting “Rules of the Road” is the best way to make meetings effective.

The “Top Line” or revenue is the organization’s lifeblood and must be continually available.

Meeting top-line revenue goals requires a company-wide strategy led by the CEO.

Understanding and managing the overall sales process often does not receive enough attention.

Increase forecast accuracy by understanding why past forecasts were correct or not.

Sales probabilities are always 50%, an order is received or not.

A sales process consists of a series of definitive steps that can easily be measured.

Predict sales using a series of simple yes/no progress progression questions.

Use actual experience to identify the 5 or 6 milestones in each level of the sales funnel.

Sales reps should follow a standard process like airline pilots with a pre-flight checklist.

A stagnant sales funnel or one filled with unqualified prospects consumes valuable resources.

Customers focus on how a new product can be integrated into their entire business.

Sales opportunities need to take advantage of initial enthusiasm.

Sales cycles vary considerably based on the company’s stage and market acceptance.

Past performance IS indicative of future results unless changes are made.

One seven-part question provides an accurate assessment of a sales opportunity.

The customer is really a person, not a company.

The actual customer is the person responsible for the deployed success of the product.

There is always one single reason to buy that resonates with the customer.

“One Must Have” versus many “Nice to Have” reasons will drive the purchase decision.

A transaction needs to produce recognized revenue to be considered an “order.”

Although many buying signs may be made, the actual receipt of the order is all that matters.

Understand if a customer is buying from you, as a person, or from your organization.

Understanding how you and your business partner can succeed is critical.

There are only a few true root buying motives. Take time to determine your customer’s.

Decisions require consensus, not just the action of one individual, no matter at what level.

Enlist the entire organization to sell throughout the prospect’s organization.

There are a dozen major activities that can impede the flow of sales that are often missed.

Select one message and demonstrate it often.

Positioning the sales team is as important as positioning the company’s product or service.

Completing development is only one part of having an offering that can be sold and supported.

Sales reps need to be scrappy for new companies or when entering new markets.

Sales reps are creative and will naturally push the rules, so set them clearly first.

People must unlearn old habits before learning and embracing new ones.

Focus on serving one segment instead of the total imaginable market.

Develop a strategy and plan for the sales team and then get out of their way.

There are significant upsides and downsides for the CEO to act as a sales rep; timing is everything.

Not all orders are in the best interest of the company or the customer.

Ask prospects early and often about upcoming product features and capabilities.

Customers are reluctant to make fundamental changes to use your product.

Make sure the customer knows they have a problem before you offer a solution.

Maintain the relationship long after the sale by keeping in contact with the customer.

You can learn intimate information about your prospects through public information.

It is easy to make commitments about the future that we quickly forget.

Before you launch a product, be sure to have all of the support mechanisms in place.

Focus new product field trials with respected customers who will allow public references.

Suggest Conditional Sales instead of Free Trials to move the buying decision forward.

Ask the customer at the end of the trial for a candid assessment.

Thoroughly understand sales impediments and develop plans to avoid or resolve them.

Maintain objectivity when prospects question new product capabilities.

Objections from prospects can help to optimize products.

There is an outcome for every prospect that starts the sales process. Understand them.

There are a few seemingly universal customer concepts that should always be considered.

Customers supply the wonder drug: Revenue

Take time to understand your customer relationships.

KDMs do not make decisions without underlying support.

Overcoming the resistance to change is difficult.

Focus on Users, not just Buyers, when prospecting.

Take time to identify the characteristics of an ideal customer for future comparisons.

Strategies need to focus on ensuring that customers actually experience value.

Conserve resources by unqualifying sales opportunities early.

Small customers may not be equipped to support your offering.

Don’t mistake interested individuals for customers.

Terminating a customer relationship may be the best option.

Every interaction with a prospect is a pass-or-fail test.

Bank multiple positive experiences to offset negative events.

Assuming some of the customer’s risk can help close a sale.

Without direct contact, it is easy to develop an impersonal attitude.

It takes consistent performance over time to build trust.

It is natural to focus on what we are saying instead of what is being heard.

When a stalemate is reached, the game has to be changed to recover.

Email and mechanized responses do nothing to build relationships.

Determine the customer’s issues as they perceive them before trying to resolve them.

Distant views are usually deceiving; activities need to be up close and personal.

Strengths can become weaknesses when approaching customers in different markets.

Staying focused is critical, but examining potential distractions may be a game changer.

Some companies assume others will fill the gaps they ignore. It seldom happens.

Sales depend upon a clear understanding of the availability of a solution to a problem.

The market and customers do not revolve around you; the opposite is true, but often missed.

In any relationship, neither party has total control; either party can terminate it at any time.

Marketing is the broadest range of all business topics; it is easy to miss a few basic concepts.

First, aim for your initial market, and then get ready for it.

Marketing needs to ask some tough basic questions before prospects do.

It is easy to fall into the “group think” trap and miss issues until after product announcement.

Long-term growth is more easily achieved by focusing on expanding served markets

Do not attempt to serve every segment in a large market. Instead, focus on a segment.

Develop strategies to offset potential negative comments before they even occur.

Keep the buying choice simple and straightforward to avoid confusing the customer.

Premium features quickly migrate to today’s standard features, requiring constant repositioning.

Make realistic claims about your company to help customers make favorable comparisons.

Launching a new product can be very exciting but can also have significant negative impacts.

New product announcements can cause short-term revenue slumps.

A successful product launch can result in delayed revenue.

A successful product launch only sets the stage for the revenue-producing follow-up activities.

Don’t’ initially confuse your audience with details; sell the fundamental value proposition first.

Don’t waste your time telling customers how good you are. Explain how you provide them value.

Paint a simple picture that encapsulates the value that you provide.

Provide the means for prospects to educate themselves instead of just informing them.

Naming companies and products can be an arduous process. Providing value is more important.

Make sure your intended message is what the other person heard – It can be very different.

Finding and working with business partners is a mandatory activity for every business.

Developing fair and equitable compensation for part-time, outside resources is crucial.

Partnering with either small companies or large companies has different advantages.

Provide a description of how customers will benefit from the partnership first.

Looking longingly at big potential partners is easy, but are you ready for them?

Partners require mutual benefits but are always subject to some level of friction.

Different core capabilities may make a partnership look attractive but may backfire.

Partner revenue sharing is an excellent method for growing a business, but it requires agreeing on many key issues.

Leveraging existing distribution channels can significantly jump-start a business.

There can be positive benefits in agreeing to exclusivity and some significant downsides as well.

Nothing speeds up partnering discussions more than a short-term revenue opportunity.

Constantly increasing your value to your partners will help to keep the relationship intact.

There are many different channel partner arrangements, and all require detailed definitions.

Minor bad news or even good news can adversely affect your partner if it is a surprise.

Forming a relationship with a large company first requires careful dancing.

One never knows when an opportunity to meet a Goliath will occur; be ready.

Prepare carefully and thoroughly before initially meeting with a potential business partner.

Get Goliath’s attention by talking about increasing their revenue and market share.

What’s In it for You and Me are obvious relationship questions that must be answered clearly.

Your Goliath contact needs to act as a local guide that helps you through the corporate maze.

You are on-stage, in full view, during your first meeting with a Goliath act accordingly.

Individuals within a Goliath can sabotage your efforts; don’t be surprised, but plan for them.

Potential landmines that can derail a David-Goliath relationship are everywhere; be careful.

Clearly developed and implemented strategies are the key to the success of every business.

Think about the strategic implications of every tactical activity and vice versa.

Separating tactics and strategy but treating them equally generally causes severe consequences.

Use a methodical approach when strategic planning to help make conscious business decisions.

Ask some basic questions before formulating this year’s strategy.

To avoid envisioning a bright but unrealistic future, ask hard questions during strategy formulation.

Let others worry about keeping the trains running on time while you plan other destinations.

Strategic plans need to be based on some simple, objective, and consistent criteria.

Show the interdependencies of all elements of the business with linked roadmaps.

Build your strategy on what the customer clearly wants, not what you want.

Build your strategies on what the customer wants, but take your needs into account as well.

The keys to success for larger clients and smaller clients may not be the same.

Prospect awareness of your offering is not enough; they must have a sense of urgency.

Fair fights imply equal odds of winning and losing. Figure out how to tip the odds in your favor.

Studying the past is useful, but remember future events will unfold differently than expected.

Build optional capability into your offerings, then carefully release it.

Explaining why you intend to follow a particular path is critical to gain support.

Starting with the end goal, look backward to determine what is needed by when.

Resources are always in short supply. Focus on de-risking your approach to gain acceptance.

Reallocate resources from stronger elements to the weakest element to increase overall resilience.

Examine outsourcing tasks first and only apply internal resources if no alternatives can be found.

The unique skill set combination of EMBAs can help a company meet current and future challenges.

Unplanned events invariably occur. Think about what could happen and how you will respond.

Take into account that, with a few exceptions, purchases are not made linearly throughout the year.

Identifying potential alternative actions to avoid missing a forecast should be part of the strategy.

Confidence in your core assumptions and position may be misplaced leading to negative surprises.

Game plans and strategies need to be flexible to accommodate variations that are likely to occur.

Ego, timing, and execution are three major root causes of strategy failures that can be avoided.

Well-intentioned strategic activities are always prioritized less than daily routine activities.

Strategic plans often are viewed as putting the status quo at risk causing resistance.

Competition comes from a variety of sources and needs to be considered in every sales opportunity.

Gaining a prospect’s attention is the most challenging competitor you will face.

Be careful not to ignore potential negative outcomes because they may be uncomfortable.

From a business perspective, you are driving on ice and fast. Anticipate events to survive.

Many companies fail due to their unawareness of new competitive threats from unlikely sources.

The Internet is truly only two-dimensional, exposing only what site authors want you to see.

The same facts can be used for or against you. Interpret them for others first.

Avoid fair competitive fights by finding ways to disarm your competitors.

Stay buried in the pack and then, when the timing is right, sprint for the finish line.

Avoid attempting to meet all competitive challenges simultaneously with the same offering.

Set your company apart by being easy to do business with; think like the customer.

List your competitive advantages in a seemingly simple way that is easily understood by others.

You may not be able to control the sales opportunity, but you can choose how to compete.

A competitor’s seemingly illogical acts may be totally logical to them based on their motives.

Look carefully for root causes in all encounters to identify subtle but serious weaknesses.

When in a losing competitive situation, focus on what is best for the customer, not you.

Consider “later” activities “earlier” in the process.

Consider “later” activities “earlier” in the process.

Customer Service activities need to focus on resolution, not only helping customers with issues.

All groups need to support Customer Service Departments as part of their normal activities.

Customer Service is the most significant element in the overall process of satisfying customers.

Think of customer service as a force multiplier that can help generate sales.

omer service’s primary goal should be to exhibit a caring attitude while addressing issues.

Measuring the right or wrong items equally creates awareness, which influences behaviors.

Make sure that company policies and rules for customers are reasonable and appropriate.

Murphy’s Law certainly applies to new product releases. Customer Service needs to be prepared.

Customer service perspectives need to be considered early in product development.

Customer support is a continuous process that must occur even when no issues exist.

Sharing customer issue information can result in resolving issues before they reoccur.

Product Development activities need to start well before work begins.

ailed requirements and their management are critical factors for development success.

Adusting feature content is the only viable method to maintain product development success.

Functional elements within an organization must develop fluid boundaries.

Planning activities can occur before the fact or involve recovery activities after the fact.

As they say, “what’s done is done”. Focus on the future, not the past.

an on uneducated users; assume you, not them, are to blame.

Clearly develop and communicate the expected customer’s experience before starting.

Specify your new product based on capabilities from radically different products.

Think past the current development plan to provide decision guidance for current activities.

Planned schedules invariably change as details emerge. Plan accordingly.

Planning for unforeseen, potential delays should be part of the development planning process.

The removal of features to adhere to schedules must take into account the impact of delay.

Time to market has become a major goal for product releases, but be sure to spend enough time

Seek many diverse opinions in determining applicable product requirements.

Although well intended, Creeping features can cause serious consequences

Provide developers with as much insight as possible to help them make better design decisions.

New product requirements need to carefully consider past product compatibility.

Carefully consider the long-term impacts of providing special products at customer requests.

velopers need to carefully consider the capabilities of their product’s end users.

Practical implementation methods need to be considered in the earliest stages of development.

Document design decisions and parameter limits as they are incorporated into the design.

Documentation plans and timing are as important as the product development plan itself.

Product testing encompasses a broad spectrum of activities that need to be carefully considered.

High quality can only be maintained through the implementation of and following processes.

Quality must be a fundamental component of every principle and activity, every time.

Some fundamental quality principles need to be embraced by all company elements.

Quality should never be compromised when meeting demands for features, time, and resources.

Plans to address compromised quality standards to meet schedules can be a ticking time bomb.

It is easy to lose sight of the point of view of others who do not participate in discussions.

Developing any product or service requires trade-offs that must be made consciously.

At the most basic level, a process is an ordered set of repeatable steps to create a desired output.

Establish clear milestones and metrics for all elements involved in product development first.

Take time to explain the advantages of implementing process to avoid resistance.

Successful early lab demonstrations can lead to overly optimistic schedules.

Re-work and inefficiency due to a lack of processes can be tolerated — until they can’t!

Unrealistic schedules, including worse-case estimates, can occur based on each element.

Unexpected results are a key indicator of when to implement processes.

Start process implementation in a small way with an easy projected victory to gain acceptance.

Utilizing a common process format will help implementation across the organization.

Divide the process of a creating process into well-defined discrete steps.

Let the actual implementers define how they perform their tasks within a process.

Process development can easily get off track by well-meaning but misguided activities.

Internal product requirements documents need to be driven by customers.

Work closely with Boards of Directors, Advisors, Customers, and others as the business grows.

An entrepreneur needs to develop a strong relationship with a mentor when they first start.

Deciding who to add to the new company’s ecosystem is critical but not easy.

Legal counsel will shift from providing advice to the entrepreneur to representing the company.

There are many indirect or support functions that need to be added sooner rather than later.

Many indirect or support functions need to be added sooner rather than later.

The market is filled with individuals with outstanding expertise who are available on a part-time basis.

Outsourcing allows a company to focus on its core competencies while leveraging others.

Critical functions are often ignored with severe consequences encountered later.

To be successful, recruit and engage with experienced individuals in different Board capacities.

Using domain expert advisors can be the difference between success and failure of a startup.

Customer Boards can provide unique insight into what to do now and in the future.

Understanding how to operate under the supervision of a Board of Directors is critical.

Maximizing the effective interaction with the Board is the CEO’s responsibility.

The CEO and the Board Members should be aware of some common potential areas of conflict.

Develop a simple, replicable template for Board Meetings to minimize the preparation effort.

Coordinate Board Meetings early to avoid conflicts and follow a standard format.

Boards need the CEO’s objective and candid assessment to provide effective guidance.

It is the CEO’s responsibility during Board Meetings to set a positive, open dialogue tone.

Successful Board Meetings require detailed preparation and management of the meeting flow.

Develop a standard Board Meeting template to minimize prep time.

Pre-merger communications often averts poor post-merger performance.

Try to form a business partner relationship before pursuing a transaction.

Each type of merger or acquisition will have a lasting impact on the new organization.

Understanding each party’s motivation for pursuing a transaction is critical.

Each controlling entity needs to ask and answer some basic questions about the transaction.

Spend time in a detailed “get to know” session early in the M/A discussion.

Poor employee communication during early transaction discussions usually results in failure.

Employee communications with first-level supervisors or managers is critical.

Management must recognize the negative feelings of employees when merger discussions begin.

Management needs to address employees as soon as any M/A discussions begin.

Increased levels of anxiety will be ever-present until merging activities are complete.

Develop an overall communications plan to ensure consistency of the M/A messages.

Provide an FAQ document to employees to replace rumors with factual information.

The valuation of a company discussed in an M/A transaction can vary widely.

Identify issues that could stymie an M/A transaction as early as possible in the discussions.

This Volume contains tools and presentations related to articles in this collection.

This article lists the planned tools and presentations that will be released over time.

This is a list of the available tools on the CxO-Atlas website.

Use a numeric rating system to help determine if an investment should be made in a company.

A numeric rating system to help determine if an investment should be made in a company.

User instructions for the numeric rating system tool.

A numeric rating system to help determine if an investment should be made in a company.

User instructions for the numeric rating system tool.

Identify and then assess the risks the company may experience and plan accordingly.

This is an easy-to-use tool to identify and quantify risks a company may face.

This is an easy-to-use tool to identify and quantify risks a company may face.

This is an easy-to-use tool to identify and quantify risks a company may face.

This is a “building-block example of creating a risk analysis model.

Evaluate your company with statements that are likely to be important to investors.

Rate your company with statements that are likely to be important to investors.

Rail Diagrams are a helpful tool to objectivity assess different opportunities.

Quick Summary: Create and use some objective criteria in weighing alternatives to help avoid biases.

Qualify prospects using an objective technique to minimize biases.

Target customers using an objective technique to minimize biases.

Create and use some objective criteria in comparing investor alternatives.

Align your company with venture capital firm focus to avoid wasting time and effort.

Align your company with angel investor’s focus to avoid wasting time and effort.

Create a Business Profile by selecting multiple-choice characteristics, then use AI to refine it.

Create a Business Profile by selecting multiple-choice characteristics, then use AI to refine it.

Create a Business Profile by selecting multiple-choice characteristics, then use AI to refine it.

Prepare an FAQ document to ensure you have clear, concise, and compelling answers to investor’s questions.

Prepare an FAQ document to ensure you have clear, concise, and compelling answers to investor’s questions.

An example of an FAQ document that addresses investor’s potential questions.

Frame the valuation discussion with some objective, but debatable, criteria.

Frame the valuation discussion with some objective, but debatable, criteria.

Using simple tools can make process implementation quick and easy.

This one-page Excel™ template is remarkably effective as a high-level process overview.

This is an example of the use of five simple tools to create a process.

These are the five simple tools to create a process described in article 8.020201.

This is an example of the sequential use of five simple tools to create a series of processes.

This is an example of the sequential use of five simple tools to create a series of processes.

This is an example of using only two or the five available tools to create a series of processes.

In this example, only two or the five available tools are used to document processes.

Adequate Limited Partner returns require VCs to find Grand Slam company exits.

Calculating Limited Partner returns from venture capital investments is extremely complex.

The deal terms, not the valuation, determine the outcome of a company investment transaction.

Understanding all the deal terms is critical; some can have draconian impacts on the company.

Develop a sales compensation tool that is easy to use by the sales rep and the company.

Developing a fair and equitable sales compensation plan is in everyone’s best interest.

Excel Tool_ Deferred Equity Compensation using a Convertible Note

Excel Tool_ Deferred Equity Compensation using a Convertible Note

A group of one-page summaries of some of the articles and presentations in this collection.

From an entrepreneur’s initial idea to their becoming a Fortune 500 company, transitions occur.

Awareness of business details enables preventive actions.

As an entrepreneur starts the journey, they ARE the business.

There are a few basic concepts that apply to all companies in their quest to generate revenue.

Marketing is all about delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Leverage the capabilities of others is the key to achieve initial and long-term success.

Operations provides lifeblood to the entire organization; address it accordingly.

Scaling operations rarely involves doing more of the same. Significant changes are required.

There are many investor alternatives, but only a few choices at any one time.

Attempting to raise venture capital is a waste of time until a company has revenue.

This is a series of presentations created from the contents of the CxO-Atlas article collection.

This is a list of the available presentations on the CxO-Atlas website.

Seven business principles need to be the foundation for every business.

Seven business principles need to be the foundation for every business.

Seven business principles need to be the foundation for every business.

Business Plans are a document while Planning a Business is an Activity.

Business Plans are a document while Planning a Business is an Activity

Business Plans are a document while Planning a Business is an Activity.

Ask others for their objective opinions about your idea and potential customer acceptance

Ask others for their objective opinions about your idea and potential customer acceptance.

Ask others for their objective opinions about your idea and potential customer acceptance.

Think of these issues as a checklist of what not to do.

Think of these issues as a checklist of what not to do.

Think of these issues as a checklist of what not to do

Think of these issues as a checklist of what not to do.

Planning who to hire, when and for what is requires careful analysis.

: Planning who to hire, when and for what is requires careful analysis.

Planning who to hire, when and for what is requires careful analysis.

Planning who to hire, when and for what is requires careful analysis.

Continually review a list of pitfalls that others have made to avoid them.

Continually review a list of pitfalls that others have made to avoid them.

Entrepreneurs who are artists or subject matter experts face unique challenges; get help!

Focus on listening, being willing to pivot, and working on the business above all else.

Focus on listening, being willing to pivot, and working on the business above all else

Entrepreneurs have ideas and visions; Chief Everything Officers and Chief Expansion Officers make them real.

Entrepreneurs have ideas and visions; Chief Everything Officers and Chief Expansion Officers make them real.

Entrepreneurs have ideas and visions; Chief Everything Officers and Chief Expansion Officers make them real.

Performing detailed customer discovery is absolutely critical for an entrepreneur.

Performing detailed customer discovery is absolutely critical for an entrepreneur.

Performing detailed customer discovery is absolutely critical for an entrepreneur.

Careful Problem Discovery is the most important aspect of Customer Discovery but ofthen overlooked.

We have to expect the unexpected; someone always seems to know –ask them.

We have to expect the unexpected; someone always seems to know –ask them.

We have to expect the unexpected; someone always seems to know –ask them.

Yearly goals can be missed one day at a time due to unforeseen circumstances.

Yearly goals can be missed one day at a time due to unforeseen circumstances.

Create your messages on what you want your audience to understand and remember.

Create your messages on what you want your audience to understand and remember.

Create your messages on what you want your audience to understand and remember.

Developing mutually beneficial partnerships is essential to businesses of every size.

Developing mutually beneficial partnerships is essential to businesses of every size.

Developing mutually beneficial partnerships is essential to businesses of every size.

Continual, profitable revenue growth requires careful planning and execution.

Define who you are by your actions, not your words. Involve everyone in the company.

There many key performance indicators that can be measured, three stand out.

There many key performance indicators that can be measured, three stand out.

Developing a funding roadmap and considering all alternatives are well worth the effort.

Developing a funding roadmap and considering all alternatives are well worth the effort.

Developing a funding roadmap and considering all alternatives are well worth the effort.

Understanding the thought process and goals is critical to receiving funding from investors.

Understanding the thought process and goals is critical to receiving funding from investors.

Understanding the thought process and goals is critical to receiving funding from investors.

Understanding the thought process and goals is critical to receiving funding from investors.

An investor pitch should summarize the details that address obvious investor questions.

An investor pitch should summarize the details that address obvious investor questions.

An investor pitch should summarize the details that address obvious investor questions

An investor pitch should summarize the details that address obvious investor questions.

It is extremely difficult to raise money without referenceable, paying customers.

It is extremely difficult to raise money without referenceable, paying customers.

It is extremely difficult to raise money without referenceable, paying customers.

A second investor meeting requires that you have loads of details at your fingertips.

A second investor meeting requires that you have loads of details at your fingertips.

A second investor meeting requires that you have loads of details at your fingertips.

A presentation on the development and use of a Valuation tool.

A presentation on the development and use of a Valuation tool.

Your first investor presentation must deliver a compelling message that resonates.

Your first investor presentation must deliver a compelling message that resonates.

Your first investor presentation must deliver a compelling message that resonates.

Unlike other presentations, this tool is intended to start group discussions.

Unlike other presentations, this tool is intended to start group discussions.

This Volume’s contents that do not fit nicely into the structure of the site, but they may be of interest.

Landing a new job requires planning, alignment, and execution, just like landing an airplane.

It is easy to rationalize any new position if one is focused on running away from where they are.

Does the candidate and the company want subject matter expertise or general knowledge?

It is important to explore the different characteristics of a candidate and the company.

Large Company Perks

Both the candidate and the company must assess their long-term value in the hiring process.

Examine all available sources of information during the interview preparation process.

Interviews need to be two-way dialogues in which both parties ask and answer questions.

Online information about you will be reviewed during the hiring process; plan for it.

Prepare answers to what your past boss might say about you and a mistake you made.

Providing relevant information should dictate the length of a resume.

Prepare a resume as if it were a paper for a Language Arts class, not as a quick SMS to a friend.

The topline statement of your resume should focus on how you can help the company.

Show who you are with stories in your resume.

Both the candidate and the company should expend the same effort in researching each other.

Demonstrating sound business judgment sets candidates apart.

Assume that everyone you meet or see is evaluating you as part of your job interview.

Ask appropriate and well-thought-out, relevant questions during the interview.

Engage the interviewers by asking probing and follow-up questions.

It is OK to pause while you are formulating a thoughtful response to a question.

Asking for the job at the appropriate time is OK, but asking too early or continually asking is not.

Your boss’s boss, is the likely person to help your career advancement.

List what you learned during interviews and what you think the interviewers learned about you.

Send non-self-serving information to interviewers to keep you top-of-mind.

Executive MBAs have unique skill sets that make them valuable to Private Equity firms.

Due to the volume of requests, investors focus on quickly saying “no” for the smallest reasons.

The CEO is responsible for the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the Board of Directors.