AGV Consulting - India

29/10/2017

29/10/2017

01 Startup - Learning
4/5 Wisdom: 2+2=4 happens only in Maths, in life it can be -22 or +22 but never 4, however in business, 4 is an exception, 99.99% it will be any figure less than 4.

27/10/2017

01 Startup - Watchout
3/5 Pain Point One of the most common issues with startups’ early attempts at positioning, is making the “problem” too self-serving. For example, if you’re making compression software, then the problem would be: “people don’t have good compression software.”

But that ignores the fact that people already use other solutions, and getting them to switch would involve solving a still deeper problem. What about their current solution is bothersome enough to change? The first round of positioning often breaks down to: “this product is for people who don’t have this product.” True, no doubt, but also not very compelling.

Pain points can be tricky to identify, because they don’t always reflect exactly what the startup thinks of itself as doing. The above example is useful: a company that is working on compression may see themselves as “providing compression software.” But the customer may not be looking for compression software. The problem isn’t “I need compression software,” but rather, “I need to send files faster,” or “I need a better storage system.”

One of the exercises I do with startups is to ask them to imagine positioning for basic tools everyone is familiar with. What is the positioning for a drill? It becomes obvious that “this drill is for people who need drills,” is not complete enough. In fact it misses the point entirely. “This drill is for people who need to make holes,” is better. Better still might be: “this is for people who can’t make many holes quickly and easily.”

This process forces the startup to stop thinking in their terms, and start thinking in end-user terms. Founders think about market opportunity, about technology, and about finding efficiencies– as well they should. Still, the question of what pain point they address must be raised. “I can’t technology,” is not a pain point. Nobody sits down and googles: “how to find efficiencies.”

Ok, maybe they do, but it probably doesn’t lead to a lot of sales. A startup can do a lot of cool and far out things with technology, but if it doesn’t solve a clear pain point -the instantly identifiable reason why the customer needs the product- then it won’t get very far.

26/07/2017

01 Startup-Watchout:
2/5 Buzzword Soup - Communication often becomes muddled as startup leaders lean on the crutch of buzzwords. Stop describing your product as a "Curated ecosystem, peer-to-peer, hyper-local, cloud-based, social mobile platform with a robust narrative". Clarity always has, and always will, carry the day. Einstein noted that "if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." This becomes heightened in an age of tech jargon. Tell me what it does, who your users are, and why it works. Get me excited about that and then we can keep talking. If you're an early stage tech company, nothing you've built is "robust." If it was, you wouldn't need capital.

26/07/2017

01 Startup-Watchout: Entrepreneurs should ensure that they keep in mind these 5 points while contemplating the Idea:
1/5 The Swiss Army Knife - One of the most common mistakes that befall entrepreneurs are trying to squeeze too many product features or services into an offering to the point where it loses potency and elegance. Too often, a lack of profound innovation lures entrepreneurs into adding more ingredients to the stew in hopes of achieving a big win. With each tidbit of advice they receive, they add in a new feature, pricing model, service, bell or whistle. Objective: delight customers. Outcome: confuse customers. The recent success of Instagram, in contrast, shows the rewards of simplicity. Instagram didn't try to be all things to all people. It did one thing really, really well. Same with Twitter; the simplicity and ease of use enabled it to scale and change the world.

18/05/2017

: AGV helps in getting the basics clear before you start investing.

17/05/2017

16/05/2017

Transformational Marketing Strategy
A transformational marketing strategy can do amazing things for your brand.
When it enables new product or service success; highly effective and efficient communications; and improved integration across functional areas, agencies, and distribution channels, you will see increasing sales, profitability, and brand loyalty.
Is there Value .....??

16/05/2017

Turnaround Consulting
Business Has Changed. Now What?

Turnaround Consulting
If you're like most business owners, you've sacrificed a lot for your company: worked long hours, borrowed money, and missed family events. Until recently, the business did OK and provided you with a nice income.
Today, things have changed. Our economy is in decline, expenses are rising, and you find yourself between a rock and a hard place. You certainly didn't plan for this to happen, but your business is struggling. . . and the pressure is mounting.

What's the answer?