Startup Tools For Entrepreneurs

Posted by Longniao's Blog on March 10, 2015

1. Startup Tools Click Here

2. Lean LaunchPad Videos Click Here

3. Founding/Running a Startup Advice Click Here

4. Market Research Click Here

5. Life Science Click Here

6. China Market Click Here

Startup Tools

Getting Started

Lists of Tools from Others

Groups

Find a Co-Founder

Developer Bootcamps

Tools from Steve: Lean Startup/Business Model Canvas/Customer Development Tools

  • Founders Workbook – A Checklist for the Startup Owners Manual
  • Over 500 presentations and videos (mine and my students class finals) on Slideshare
  • Harvard Business Review article on Lean here

  • My free online Lean LaunchPad class on Udacity is here.

    • All the Lectures and their subtitles can be download for free here. Creative Commons license applies.
  • I also share all my syllabi, student presentations and my class lectures slides as well.
  • Educators Training Guide is here
  • Course for Educators is here
  • Teachable moments videos for the Lean Launchpad class here

  • How do Customer Discovery videos here[

    ](http://startupweekend.wistia.com/medias/tao3s8hf7l)

  • How to do Customer Discovery workbook here
  • Sample Lean LaunchPad Lecture slides and suggested syllabus here
  • Latest presentations posted click here
  • Latest student videos posted here
  • National Science Foundation presentations here
  • Stanford presentations, lectures and syllabus here
  • Berkeley presentations, lectures and syllabus here
  • Columbia 5-day presentations, lectures and syllabus here
  • Caltech 5-day presentations, lectures and syllabus here
  • Business Model Competition slides here
  • Some general customer development slides click here
  • National Science Foundation I-Corps presentations, lectures and syllabus click here
  • National Science Foundation/NCIIA I-Corps Faculty toolkit is here
  • LaunchPad Central - the standard for Bus Model Canvas/Customer Development progress for companies/incubators/accelerators

Business Model Canvas

Customer Development

Social Entrepreneurship / Non-Profits

Customer Discovery Checklist

Introduction

Before Leaving the Building

Outside the Building

Returning to the Building

How to Do Customer Discovery Interviews

Founder Stories

Website Domain Names

Create Websites Automagically

“How Big is the Market?” Tools

“How Do I Contact Customers?” Tools

Surveys

Product Launch Tools/Landing Pages

Product Demo Videos

Screencasting Software

Traditional Media

On-Line Advertising Platforms (SEO)

Competitive Online Adword/PPC Analysis

  • SEMRush – SEO and campaign management tool
  • SimilarWeb – discover traffic for any web site or mobile app
  • Alexa – competitive website info
  • Tapdog – competitive website info
  • Compete – see competitive website traffic
  • Spyfu – download competitors keywords and ads
  • Market Samurai – SEO Keyword Analysis Tool
  • WordStream – competitive adword analysis

Social Media Advertising

  • Atlas – Facebook’s cross platform solution
  • Adaptly – twitter and facebook advertising platform
  • MarinSoftware – online advertising platform
  • Adroll – retargeting and display advertising
  • Kenshoo – predictive marketing
  • Adstage – manage google, bing, facebook, twitter & linked in Ads
  • Tweetdeck – twitter real-time tracking, organizing, and engagement
  • Followerwonk – Twitter analytics

Search Engine Optimization and Tools

SEO and Analytics Tutorials

Web/Social Customer Analytics Tools

  • Google Analytics – web analytics and optimizer from the borg

  • Kissmetrics– actionable analytics
  • QuantcastMeasure – measure reach, traffic, frequency, demographics, interests/lifestyle, etc
  • Comscore – ad agency/enterprise analytics
  • AdobeAnalytics – ex Omniture
  • Amazon Analytics – cross–platform mobile analytics reporting service for your app or game
  • FacebookDomainInsights – provides developers and Page owners with metrics about their content
  • HeapAnalytics – captures user action Clicks, taps, swipes, form submissions, page views and lets you measure it
  • GetClicky – real-time web analytics
  • Swix – analytics for social media and online
  • Leadlander – marketing automation analytics
  • Segment.io – analytics API
  • Wordtracker – find the best keywords and links
  • Serpico – monitor your competition, backlinks & rankings
  • WhatRunsWhere – locate and assess competitors ads and copy
  • Chart.io - easy analytics for business data

  • Mixpanel– real-time event tracking

  • DigMyData – analytics dashboard for sales, email, social and ad marketing
  • Crazyegg– visualize analytics
  • Mint – site analytics
  • Piwik – open source web analytics
  • Visistat – web analytics measure marketing campaigns
  • DbFace – SQL database application builder build no coding PHP or any frontend html, css
  • Webtrends – analytics and segments
  • Chartbeat – website analytics for doers
  • Kontagent – user analytics for the social and mobile web
  • Forsee – web, mobile, social, contact center analytics
  • Woopra – real time customer and visitor analytics
  • StatsMix – track and display internal & web metrics
  • Keylines – amazing email visualization tool (Palantir for the rest of us)
  • Ducksboard – very cool way to measure any online metrics
  • Cyfe – monitor social media, analytics, marketing, sales, support
  • Mention – media and social monitoring
  • Geckoboard – widget-driven business dashboard
  • Grappster – dashboard for your cloud apps
  • Leftronic – dashboard for real-time analytics
  • Ubiq -data into dashboards
  • PirateMetrics – track acquisition, activation, retention, referral, and revenue
  • Recon.io – Twitter brand monitoring
  • WhosTalkin – Social Media Search tool
  • Diffbot – identify and extract from any web page (stealth search engine!)
  • Kumu – track, visualize and leverage relationships

SEO for Mobile Apps

Mobile App Store Customer Analytics / Ad Platform

mobile marketing

Mobile App Location / Ad Platform / Misc

  • Placed – location based analytics for mobile apps & websites
  • Burstly – mobile app monetization tools
  • Yozio – campaign tracking & viral optimization for mobile apps
  • Tapjoy – mobile app turnkey ad platform
  • Appbackr – market, sell and distribute your apps
  • Chartboost – make money with mobile games
  • Playtomic – game analytics for all platforms
  • Google AdMob – monitize and promote your mobile games
  • Vungle – integrate video ads into your apps

content marketing toolsOnline Marketing Suites

  • HubSpot – online marketing and web analytics system
  • Eloqua – marketing automation
  • Pardot – marketing automation for multi-touch sales
  • Silverpop – end to end marketing automation
  • HipCricket – mobile marketing platform
  • Performable – personable web analytics/lifecycle marketing
  • Custora – customer retention, churn reduction, lifetime value
  • Zoho – free/cheap web customer relationship mgmt software
  • Highrise – small business CRM
  • Pipedrive – sales pipeline management
  • Zferral – affiliate and referral marketing on the web
  • Genoo – marketing automation software
  • Act-on – marketing automation suite
  • HootSuite – social media dashboard
  • Wishpond – social media marketing
  • Intercom – CRM and web messaging tool for web apps
  • Salestrakr – low cost CRM
  • OntraPort – small business CRM, email management, list segmentation, marketing automation, billing, easy website building
  • InviteBox – referral program platform
  • Crowdtap – Influencer Marketing platform
  • Helloworld – promotions, loyalty, mobile, live events, analytics

Content Marketing Tools

  • ScoopIt – publishing by curation
  • Roojoom - turn content into leads
  • SnapApp – Content Marketing platform

Reddit

GrowthHacking

Social Monitoring

Email Marketing/Blasting

Transactional Email

Email Testing

  • Litmus – email previews and email analytics

Social Acquisition

  • Woobox – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social sweepstakes and coupons

Gamification

  • Bunchball – gamification for user engagement and loyalty
  • Hoopla – motivate employees, increase sales productivity
  • Badgeville – gamification platform
  • Gigya – social plugins, gamification

Loyalty Programs

  • RewardStream – loyalty, customer referral
  • 500Friends – customer loyalty program for ecommerce
  • NextBee – customer referral and loyalty programs
  • BigDoor – gamified loyalty and reward programs
  • UrbanAirship – push marketing for mobile

Collaboration

  • Pastebin – store and share text snippets online
  • Hipchat – private group chat & IM for business and teams
  • Yammer – private social network for companies
  • Google Apps – Email, Chat, Docs
  • LibreOffice – free wordprocessor, spreadsheet, drawing, presentation, pdf maker and database office suite
  • Skype- free voice and video communication tool
  • Fuzebox – web/mobile online conferencing
  • UberConference – online conference with visual icons
  • Typewithme – document collaboration tool
  • Google Hangouts – Googles uber Skyoe
  • Evernote – remember everything
  • Campfire – team collaboration
  • RealTimeBoard – online whiteboard & collaboration tool
  • Wikispaces – wikis for everyone
  • Slideshare – share Powerpoints and docs with customers
  • Join.me – free screen sharing
  • Ning – Create your own social network
  • Doodle – online group scheduling
  • Freeconferencecall.com – Free conference calls – awesome!
  • Speek – easy to setup conference calls, file sharing
  • Syncpad – real time mobile collaborative whiteboard
  • Piktochart – make infographics

Personal Cloud Storage

  • Dropbox – free store, sync, and, share files online.
  • Tresorit – secure dropbox alternative
  • Google Drive – cloud storage and file backup
  • iCloud – Apple store everything in the cloud
  • OneDrive – Microsoft store everything in the cloud
  • Box – online file sharing

On-line Q&A / Development Communities

Blogging Platforms

  • WordPress- king of blogging platforms…doubles as startup website
  • Tumblr – another blogging platform
  • Disqus – Comments Platform
  • Livefrye – alternate to Disqus

Wireframing Tools

Markdown – text to HTML Text Style editor

  • Markdown – John Gruber’s original markdown syntax
  • Mastering Markdown – github
  • CommonMark – strongly specified, highly compatible implementation of Markdown
  • BabelMark2 – tool for comparing the output of various implementations of John Gruber’s markdown syntax
  • MDtest – Michael Fortin’s test suite for Markdown implementations
  • Mou – markdown editor for Mac
  • Markdown editors for Windows
  • Marked – provides a preview of your Markdown as you work in a text editor
  • Dillinger – free online markdown editor that syncs with Dropbox, Google Drive and Github.

Web Drawing Libraries

  • Paperjs - vector graphics scripting framework runs on HTML5 Canvas
  • Raphael – vector graphics JavaScript library – best for older browsers
  • Processingjs – vector graphics scripting framework runs on HTML5 Canvas
  • Verb -Javascript CAD Library for manipulating NURB surfaces on the web

Web Screen Scraping Tools

  • Import.io – screen scraper and crawler – free

Word Cloud Generators

  • Taxedo – word cloud with styles
  • WordMosaic – create word cloud inside your own symbol/picture
  • Yippy – create world cloud for your blog-generates html and matches blog style
  • Worldle – word cloud generator
  • Worditout – word cloud generator
  • VocabGrabber – word cloud plus visual thesaurus – really useful

Website Usability Testing/Heatmaps/Mouse Tracking

  • Usertesting – $39 live users testing your site – cheap
  • ProdThink – test a feature before you code it
  • YouEye – usability testing with webcam eye tracking
  • Validately – Test a feature before you write code
  • LuckyOrange – affordable usability testing, heat maps, polls, visitor map
  • Experimently – heat maps, A/B testing experiments
  • SessionCam – session replay, heat maps, conversion funnels
  • FiveSecondTest – fine-tune landing pages
  • TryMyUI- watch videos of users using your site
  • FeedbackArmy – $20 website usability testing
  • WhatUsersDo – UK live usability testing
  • Clicktale – watch live clicks and browsing, optimize usability
  • Usabilla – Micro usability tests
  • OptimalWorkshop – tool suite for remote user research
  • Clickheat – heat map of a website (where do users click)
  • Mouseflow – attention heatmaps, mouse tracking and video playback
  • Clixpy – tracks users clicks and browsing
  • Openhallway – lets you remotely record user test scenarios
  • InspectLet – Usability testing/Heat Maps and screen capture
  • UsabilityTools – discover user needs, increase conversion rates
  • Criticue.com – web designers get free feedback about their designs
  • LookTracker – eye tracking maps

Emotion Analytics

  • Affectiva – Test content for emotional engagement by facial analysis
  • Emotient – facial expression recognition software
  • Realeyes – measure peoples emotions via a webcam
  • Sension – use webcams as a visual interface for interacting with content

Mobile Usability Testing/Heatmaps/Build Tools

  • Amazon Mobile SDK- build mobile apps, mobile-optimized connectors to AWS data streaming, storage and database services
  • HeatData – heatmaps for Mobile website
  • Heatma.ps - Heatmaps for IOS apps
  • Clutch.io – A/B testing for Mobile Apps
  • Taplytics – A/B testing on IOS without app store updates
  • Apptimize – mobile A/B testing for iOS and Android
  • TestFlight – IOS beta testing on the fly
  • Elusivestars – mobile app testing for developers
  • Testin – cross platform automated app testing solutions
  • Pusher – hosted API for realtime mobile/web apps
  • Corona – mobile development platform
  • PerfectoMobile – mobile app testing
  • MobiReady – testing tool evaluates website mobile-readiness
  • Compuware – test your website for “mobile ready”
  • Rigor – test/monitor performance of mobile apps/websites
  • W3C Mobile OK – test your website for mobile
  • Google Page Speed – test your mobile speed
  • AppMockUpTools – iPhone App Mockups
  • Bugclipper – plug n play bug reporting library capture screen shots, highlight issues & record screen activity
  • Appery – Cloud-based HTML5, jQuery Mobile & Hybrid Mobile App Builder for Android, iOS and Windows Phone

Website A/B and Landing Page Testing

Website/Browser Testing

  • Sauce Labs – cross-browser testing in the cloud
  • Browerstack – test websites across all browser w/debugging tools
  • CrossBrowserTesting – pick an OS, pick a browser, pick a website
  • Testling - cross browser testing
  • Browershots – free browser testing makes screenshots in different os’s and browsers
  • 99Tests – Crowdsourced software testing
  • BetaList – get beta testers online

Website Performance Testing

  • NewRelic – manage and tune website performance for Rails
  • WebPageTest – website speed test from multiple locations around the world
  • Google Pagespeed – performance recommendations
  • PingDom – uptime and user monitoring
  • Super Monitoring – uptime and basic website functions monitoring
  • SpeedCurve – front-end performance benchmarking
  • Monitive – site uptime monitoring
  • Monitor – free website monitoring
  • Webmon – website monitoring and escalation

Website Designers

  • 99 Designs - marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design
  • IconFinder – great way to find free graphic icons on the web
  • FindIcons – 400,000+ icons on the web
  • xScope – measure, align and inspect on-screen graphics and layouts
  • Scoutzle – curated community for the best mobile designers

Website Design Tools

Phone/SMS Cloud Apps

  • Twilio – add mobile and sms to your app
  • Tropo – Cloud API for adding voice and sms to your app
  • Callfire – add voice and sms to your app
  • Voxeo – voice recognition and IVR to your app
  • Jajah -telephony api
  • PlumVoice- IVR Systems

Video Analysis Tools

  • Tracker – way cool video analysis tool

Voice Analysis Tools

Web Application Frameworks

Apple iOS and MacOs Frameworks

Android Development Framework

Machine Learning/Deep Learning/Data Science

machine intelligence

machine learning skills

Computer Vision/Image Recognition

  • PCL – Point Cloud open source 2D/3D image and point cloud processing Library
  • OpenCV – **open source computer vision **library
  • SimpleVC – open source computer vision Python library
  • Scikit – open source image processing in Python

  • ImageNet – easily accessible image database for researchers organized according to the WordNet hierarchy

  • Great paper – Fast, Accurate Detection of 100,000 Object Classes on a Single Machine
  • Clarifai – advanced image recognition
  • Torch/fbcunn – examples to train classifiers over ImageNet
  • Pixy – Open source vision system, connects to Arduino
  • Camfind – Image Recognition API
  • Sirius – open source Speech and Vision Based Intelligent Personal Assistant

Text Analysis Tools/Natural Language Platforms

Physics Engines for games/robotics

  • Box2D – 2d physics engine for games
  • Bullet – physics simulation engine
  • Chipmunk- 2D real-time rigid body physics engine
  • Chrono:Engine – C++ simulation library
  • Farseer – based on Box2D w/collision detection
  • Havok – collision detection and physics engine
  • Matter.js – JavaScript 2D rigid body physics engine for the web
  • Metali – 3D physics engine
  • Moby – multi-body dynamics simulation library written in C++
  • Newton – life-like physics simulation library
  • Open Dynamics Engine - library for simulating rigid body dynamics
  • p2.js – JavaScript 2D physics library
  • Physics Abstraction Layer (PAL) – unified interface to a number of different physics engines
  • PhysicsJS – physics engine for javascript
  • OpenTissue – algorithms and data structures for rapid development of interactive modeling and simulation
  • Tokamak – real time physics engine
  • TrueAxis – real time physics engine

Simulation/Game AI Engines

  • Stage –sophisticated simulation scenarios across massive gaming areas
  • Artificial Contender – AI middleware for behavior-capture
  • Cyntient AI – AI middleware
  • DI-Guy – human simulation software
  • Gameware - AI middleware, NavMesh generation, hierarchical pathfinding, and path following
  • Masa Life – AI middleware, design how characters behave and how they interact with the world
  • Rain – AI character engine – behavior creation, automatic navigation mesh generation, and animation control
  • SimBionic – create intelligent behavior for games and simulations
  • SpirOps – AI middleware for crowd simulations
  • Kerbal – space program simulation

DARPA Open Source

NASA Open Source

  • NASA Open Catalog – curated list of NASA-sponsored software, also Wow – worth a look

Security

Cloud Services and Tools

BessemerCloudscape

Enterprise Data Center Operating Systems

  • Why the data center needs an os – O’Reilly
  • Scheduling on Large Clusters – Tiwari

  • Apache Mesos – distributed systems kernel up to 10,000 nodes

    • Apache Spark – general engine for large-scale data processing on Mesos
    • Apache Storm – distributed realtime computation system on Mesos
    • Chronos – distributed and fault-tolerant scheduler on top of Mesos
    • Marathon – cluster-wide init and control system for services in cgroups or Docker containers runs on top of Mesos
    • Hadoop – running on Mesos
  • Mesosphere – distributed systems for data centers
  • Docker – king of containers – open platform for distributed applications for developers and sysadmins

  • Kubernetes – Manage a cluster of Linux containers as a single system from Google

  • YARN -Apache Hadoop NextGen MapReduce
  • Apache Zookeeper – centralized service for config, naming, distributed synchronization, group services
  • Coreos – linux for massive server deployments – shared configuration and service discovery

Data center orchestration and configuration management tools

  • Puppet – configuration management system
  • Chef – configuration management system
  • Saltstack- cloud orchestration, server provisioning, configuration management
  • Ansible – configuration management, app deployment
  • CFEngine – IT infrastructure automation
  • NixOS – Linux configuration management system
  • Apache Nifi – dataflow system (directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic)
  • Apache Flume – collect, aggregate and move large amounts of streaming event data
  • Apache Kafka – high-throughput distributed messaging system

NoSQL Databases

Development Tools

  • VirtualBox – x86 Virtualization
  • Perl Object Environment – Perl framework for reactive systems, cooperative multitasking, and network applications
  • Codeacademy Labs – program in Ruby, Python, and JavaScript online without downloading a code editor or IDE
  • Koding – cloud development environment, code editor, hosting service, collaboration platform
  • CircleCi – Continuous integration and deployment tool for web apps
  • yUML – sketch uml diagrams.
  • WebSequenceDiagrams -sketch sequence diagrams. automatic links to generated images
  • Rietveld - asynchronous code reviews on changesets
  • Fluid – turn webapps into Mac OS X apps
  • TextMate – code and markup editor
  • Coda – one-window web development app for the Mac
  • Coderunner – Edit/run code in any programming language with a click
  • SourceLair - cloud coding platform C, Python, Ruby and API
  • WebBiscuits – framework for web apps for smartphones and tablets
  • Best free programming books
  • CodeAcademy – learn to code

  • Webkit – build your own browser

  • Appery – Cloud-based HTML5, jQuery Mobile & Hybrid Mobile App Builder for Android, iOS and Windows Phone

Project Management

Open-source software hosting

  • Github – Free public repositories, collaborator management, issue tracking, wikis, downloads, code review, graphs

  • Sourceforge – Free. For open-source projects
  • JavaForge – free open source project hosting site
  • Bitbucket – free cloud hosting for Git or Mecurial projects
  • Sourcetree – free mac client for Git, Mercurial and SVN
  • Mercurial – free, distributed source code control management system
  • Aha! – product roadmap software

Kanban and Scrum Tools

  • Kanban versus Scrum – description

  • Kanban Tools

  • Scrum Tools

  • Basecamp- web-based project management and collaboration tool
  • Pivotal Tracker – Agile project management tool real time collaboration
  • Ansible – configuration mgmt, app deployment, continuos delivery
  • Trello – team collaboration around “boards”
  • Sprintly – agile collaborate>prioritize>create git integration
  • Podio – collaborative project management
  • Flow – collaborative task and project management
  • Interstate – open project management
  • Apollo – integrated project and contact management
  • Rally – agile product management
  • Blossom – lean product management
  • BrightPod – product mgmt for marketing teams
  • Trajectory – agile product mgmt, write and discuss user stories, bugs, and to-dos
  • Clarizen – cloud project mgmt tool
  • Webplanner – online collaborative project management application.
  • ChiliProject – web based project management
  • Exepron – cloud based project management
  • ProofHub – web project mgmt & collaboration
  • Kiln – Version control and code review
  • PushPinPlanner – online real-time resource planning for agile teams
  • DaPulse – cross company collaboration
  • Asana – shared task list for your team
  • ProdPad – proj mgmt w/road mapping
  • Producteev – web/mobile task mgmt
  • ProcedureRock – create, procedures, instructions, guides, online help
  • Managewith.us – Collaborative Task Manager
  • ProcessPlan – task mgmt via email
  • Redbooth -combines social networking and project management
  • ProjectManager – project planner, time/expense tracking
  • TeamCity – continuous integration/unit testing, code quality analysis, pre-tested commits, report on build problems
  • Milestone Planner - planner for deadline/outcome driven environments
  • 5pm – Online project management tool
  • TimeBill – Replicon task management tool
  • AgileZen – project management visually see and interact with your work
  • GoPlan – collaborative project management
  • Unfuddle -hosted project management solution for software teams
  • Taskpoint – online project mgmt and collaboration
  • Centroy – online project mgmt
  • Do[Box] - project mgmt, save, resuse and share project models
  • Projify – simplified project management
  • Mavenlink – manage project communications, documents, schedules, budgets, payments
  • NeuLexa – enterprise project mgmt
  • ProcedureRock – operations and procedures mgmt
  • Userlike – live chat software for websites
  • Industrial Logic – Agile eLearning
  • PMToolkit – project management templates
  • Kanbanchi – dashboard/collaboration tool for Google Apps
  • Sandglaz – online team collaboration

Product Roadmaps for Product Managers

  • Wizeline – create product roadmaps
  • Aha! – roadmapping software for product managers
  • ProdPad – create product roadmaps

Bug/Issue Tracking

  • Bugherd – simple issue tracking for web developers
  • Lighthouse – Issue Tracking Tool
  • Sifter – hosted bug and issue tracking
  • Toggle – time tracking tool
  • Jira – Bug, Issue and classic Project tracking tool
  • Fogbugz -bug tracking, project mgmt, customer support
  • Bontq – hosted bug tracking and project management needs
  • WakaTime – Automatic time tracking for your text editor
  • Intervals – time tracking and task management
  • Preceden – simple way to make timelines for presentations
  • RayGun – error tracking tool for software developers

Web Server Stress Testing

  • Google Page Speed – test your web page speed
  • Httperf- HP Web Server Performance tool
  • Siege – http load testing and benchmarking utility
  • Jmeter – java-based server load testing
  • Tourbus – ruby website load testing tool

Digital Asset Management

Localization

Self Created Products Selling Sites

  • Gumroad – sell your digital products directly to your audience
  • Etsy – buy and sell all things handmade
  • Amazon 3D printing store
  • Cafepress – buy and sell T-shirts, Personalized Gifts, Unique Mugs, Posters & More
  • Zazzle – buy and sell T-shirts, Personalized Gifts, and more
  • Folksy – buy and sell handmade gifts and crafts
  • RedBubble – art gallery & community
  • Storenvy – buy and sell goods and brands that inspire
  • Blurb – publish books

Credit Cards/Billing/Subscription Management/E-Store

Building information modeling

  • Autodesk Revit – BIM solutions
  • Vectorworks – 2/3D CAD and BIM solution
  • BIMx – sharing hypermodels
  • BIMcloud – BIM in the Cloud
  • AllPlan – EU BIM software
  • OpenBIM – home of Open BIM collaboration via the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file format

Customer Support/Feedback/Engagement

  • Nirror – live support/watch playback of customer actions on your site
  • Tender – support, knowledgebase tool for your site
  • GetSatisfaction - conversations between companies / customers
  • Triibe – incentive-based customer service
  • Zendesk – web help software
  • Clickdesk – Help desk, live chat, social toolbar
  • Zopim – real time customer support/live chat
  • HelpScout – simple setup, easy integration, help desk software
  • Desk – from Salesforce, easy and simple; email/social/chat/phone
  • SnapEngage – live chat integrates with your apps
  • Freshdesk – completely unique never seen before web help software
  • Olark – live customer chat and customer loyalty
  • LiveChat – live customer chat, archives of conversations
  • Groove – simple online Help Desk
  • VisitorEngage – behavioral-based feedback button, surveys & website notifications
  • Assistly – Support customers by Web, email, chat, and social networks
  • Vision Helpdesk – Support for multiple companies from one place
  • OneDesk – ideation to delivery and support issues, tickets, tasks
  • HappyFox – collate, categorize and respond to all requests
  • CustomerSure – online customer service, feedback into retention
  • HelpSpot – Helpdesk software
  • Webengage – engagement; website survey, feedback and notification tool
  • SupportBee – help customers via email, robust ticketing
  • JitBit – Help desk ticketing system, cloud and on premises versions

Testimonials/Social Reviews

  • Testimonial Monkey – integrate customer feedback into your site
  • PostKudos – collect customer testimonials
  • Yotpo – social reviews for eCommerce
  • Kayako – Help desk
  • UserVoice – turn customer feedback into action
  • Kampyle – turn customer feedback into sales and relationships

Recruiting Tools

Password Managers

Password API’s

  • Authy – add two-factor authentication to your sites
  • Userbin – add two-factor authentication to your sites

Misc Office Help

cb insights unbundling fedex

Outsourcing/Freelance Help

  • Amazon Mechanical Turk – set up any task and get answers
  • Elance – find/hire freelancers
  • SkillsHive – become a/hire freelancer online
  • Odesk – hire low-cost international engineering talent
  • Freelancer – outsourcing for small business
  • VWorker – find/hire freelancers
  • GroupTalent – developers and designers on demand
  • BusinessTalentGroup – consultants and executives on demand
  • Tongal – get creative work -TV commercials, social videos, music videos, branded entertainment on demand
  • Handy – outsource home cleaning, Ikea assembly, handyman
  • TaskRabbit – outsource errands and skilled tasks
  • Medicast – house call doctors on demand

Robotics/Drones

  • ROS – Robot Operating System – open source framework for writing robot software

  • Gazebo – 3d Robot simulation software
  • MRPT – Mobile robotics C++ libraries
  • OpenPilot – Open Source UAV autopilot
  • Paparazzi – open-source hardware and software autopilot for fixedwing & multicopters
  • DIYDrones – community for amateur UAV’s
  • QGroundControl – open source UAV ground control operator station
  • DroneDeploy – outsourced drones
  • Navio+ – raspberry pi autopilot

Software Defined Radio

  • GNU Radio – open source software defined radio
  • ETTUS Research – hardware for software defined radio
  • HackRF – software defined radio 10 MHz to 6 GHz

Audio

  • AudioKit – audio synthesis, processing and analysis
  • Essentia – open-source C++ library for audio analysis and audio-based music information retrieval
  • Csound – a C-based audio programming language
  • SuperCollider – environment and programming language for real time audio synthesis and algorithmic composition

Chip/Hardware Resources/Tools

Electronics Component Suppliers

Startup Design/Prototype/Manufacturing Consultants/Helpers

  • Proto Services – ISO 9001/2000 certified manufacturing in Silicon Valley
  • The Build Shop – 3D printing and Laser cutting shop in LA
  • Jatco – plastic molding and manufacturing in Silicon Valley
  • Studio Fathom - Prototype Fabrication & Bridge-to-Production Services
  • Fictiv – order 3D parts easily for hardware prototyping
  • Dix Metals - provider of precision-cut, machine-ready blanks
  • Tempo Automation – desktop pick and place robot automates surface mount assembly
  • Dragon Innovation – works with startups to provide a clear from prototype through production with manufacturing expertise and trusted connections
  • MakeSimply – idea to production, simplified – get MVPs, get products into production

Manufacturing Resources

3D Printers

3D Printing Services

3d printer market

Custom Machine Parts/Industrial Supplies

Low cost CAM Software

Life Science Resources

Medical Device Resources – Stanford Biodesign

Medical Device Resources – General

Synthetic Biology

Digital Health

digital health

____

Market Research Tools

Private “pay for market research” firms

Datasets

U.S. State/Canada/Federal Open Data

Solar & Renewables Open Data

Other Governments Open Data

Research Data

Statistics

Open Company Data/Stats/API

Genomic/BioMed Data

Public or University library Resources:

Market Research Resources Online

____

Starting and Running a Startup Advice

Best Startup Advice

Incorporating Your Company

Entrepreneurship Reading List

Entrepreneurship Online

Startups Data

  • Mattermark – quantifying company growth for startup investors
  • Compass – Turn data into actionable insights
  • AngelList - connecting startups and angels

Coworking Spaces

Angel/SuperAngel Investors

VC’s Focused on Commercializing University Technology

Crowdfunding

Incubator List/ Startup Jobs

Advice on Raising Startup Capital

Cap Tables / Valuation

Education Startups

New Schools EdTech Map

Higher Ed tech landscape

Venture Capital Financing

Boilerplate Venture Funding Documents

Building/Managing Your Board

Intellectual Property Advice

Founder Equity Issues

Compensation

Executive / Advisory Board Compensation

Public Relations (PR) For Tech Companies

Finance 101 for Entrepreneurs

Metrics/Benchmarks/Growth

Untitled

Web/Mobile/Marketplace Revenue Models

Commission Fees

Burn Rate/Balance Sheet

Product Pricing 101 for Entrepreneurs

Channel Partners

Getting Acquired

Lawyers/Legal

Fighting Patent Trolls

Corporate Innovation Programs

List of Investment Platforms

China – Doing Business

china ecosystem

2015 china top100 brands

China Blogs

China Military Books/Blogs

Japan – Doing Business

Must Read Blogs

venture blogs

More to read

Lean LaunchPad Videos

This is the complete list of Launchpad Video clips created to date and sorted by topic:

_Legend:_
TC Teaching Critigues
SL Student Learning
CD [Customer Discovery series](https://vimeo.com/groups/204136)
UCB [UC Berkeley LaunchPad Spring ’13 series](https://vimeo.com/groups/190717)
UCSF [UCSF Life Science & Healthcare Launchpad Fall ‘2013 series](https://vimeo.com/groups/213077)

Mentor Training

  1. Lean LaunchPad Mentor Training UCSF

General Discussion

  1. How Large Will You Scale? (03:03) TC UCB
  2. What If You’re a Visionary? – Risks & Rewards (4:53) SL UCSF
  3. Your Startup: Do You Want to Spend 3 to 4 Years Doing This? (5:14) TC UCSF
  4. Don’t Let the MVP Limit Your Vision (03:40) TC UCB

Customer Discovery

  1. “It Saved Us Several Years” (1:45) SL UCSF
  2. Stop Telling Yourself What You Want to Believe (1.39) SL UCSF
  3. Narrowing the Focus (1:21) SL UCSF
  4. Why PI’s and Founders Need to Get Out of the Building (2:15) SL UCSF
  5. “This Was the Best Outcome” (2:50) SL UCSF
  6. Getting to the “Better Idea” Faster (3:59) SL UCSF
  7. Insights on: Does Customer Development Work in Therapeutics? (6:11) UCSF
  8. The Phases of Customer Discovery (0:37) CD

Before Leaving the Building

  1. Pre-Planning Contacts (4:34) CD
  2. Customer Interview Dry Runs (0:49) CD
  3. Discovery is for Founders (1:30) CD
  4. Pass/Fail Experiments (1:32) CD

Outside the Building

  • Rules of Customer Interviews
  1. Being Aggressive (1:29) CD
  2. Conducting a Customer Interview (1:30) CD
  3. Letting the Customer Interview Flow (1:37) CD
  4. Sizing the Opportunity (2:50) CD
  5. Finding Patterns (1:50) CD
  6. Looking for Insights (0:58) CD
  • Early Mistakes to Avoid
  1. Death by PowerPoint (1:42) CD
  2. Death by Demo 1 (2:18) CD
  3. Death by Demo 2 (1:45) CD
  4. Understanding the Problem (3:22) CD
  5. Multi-Person Interview (2:03) CD
  6. Assuming You Know (1:56) CD
  7. B-to-B to C (2:15) CD
  8. Existing vs. New Markets (5:29) CD
  9. Asking the Right Question (2:37) CD
  10. Public Interviews (2:11) CD

Understanding What the Customer Is Telling You

  1. Engaging the Customer (3:37) CD
  2. Customer Empathy (2:25) CD
  3. The Distracted Customer (3:12) CD
  4. Customers Lie (2:37)
  5. The User, the Buyer & the Saboteur (2:24) CD

Back in the Building

  1. Extracting Insight from Data (2:59) CD
  2. Pay Attention to Outliers (2:16) CD
  3. Getting the MVP Right (3:34) CD
  4. The “Other 85%” (2:32) CD
  5. Finding Early Evangelists (1:17) CD
  6. Communicating Your Discoveries (2:26) CD

Value Proposition

  1. Pivoting…or Groping for a Business Model? (02:37) TC UCB
  2. Seduced by Insufficient Data (02:34) TC UCB

Customer Relationships

  1. Insights on: Customer Relationships – Week 4 (12:00) UCSF
  2. Use Customers to Find More Customers (02:22) TC UCB
  3. Customer Conversion (03:22) TC UCB

Customer Segments

  1. Insights on: Customer Segments – Week 2 (12:43) UCSF
  2. Estimating Market Size (01:49) SL UCB
  3. Customer Workflow (02:10) SL UCB
  4. Customer Discovery / Customer Archetype (04:04) SL UCB
  5. Customer Archetypes; Hypotheses & Experiments (03:21) SL UCB
  6. Customer Segments & Customer Archetypes (03:47) SL UCB
  7. The Fog of Entrepreneurship (03:01) TC UCB
  8. At the Start, All Your Stakeholders Are Customers (02:32) TC UCB
  9. Square Pegs & Round Holes – Mira Medicine (4:33) TC UCSF

Channels

  1. Insights on: Channels – Week 3 (14:52) UCSF
  2. Framing the Experiment (02:27) TC UCB
  3. Distribution Channels: One Data Point Is Not a Test (02:37) TC UCB

Revenue Streams

  1. Value Based Pricing – “We Were Gobsmacked!” (6:43) SL UCSF
  2. Insights on: Revenue Streams – Week 5 (17:04) UCSF
  3. The Importance of Experiments (03:57) TC UCB
  4. Validating Product Pricing (03:55) TC UCB

Key Partners

  1. Insights on: Key Partners – Week 6 (17:08) UCSF
  2. Listen Carefully for Customer Discovery (03:20) TC UCB
  3. The Timing of Partnerships (03:46) TC UCB

Key Activities & Key Resources

  1. Insights on: Science Advisory Boards (4:53) UCSF
  2. Insights on: Resources, Activities & Costs (12:26) UCSF
  3. No Laundry Lists. Just Facts! (02:43) TC UCB

Final Video

  1. Accelerated Medical Diagnostics: Final Video (2:41) SL UCSF
  2. Knox: Final Video (2:17) SL UCSF
  3. Magnamosis: Final Video (2:51) SL UCSF
  4. Making Friends: Final Video (2:19) SL UCSF
  5. Mira Medicine: Final Video (2:23) SL UCSF
  6. ResultCare: Final Video (3:08) SL UCSF
  7. Tidepool.org: Final Video (3:48) SL UCSF
  8. Vitruvian Therapeutics: Final Video (8:34) SL UCSF

Final Presentations

  1. Knox: Final Presentation (8:33) SL UCSF
  2. Magnamosis: Final Presentation (10:19) SL UCSF
  3. Making Friends: Final Presentation (8:38) SL UCSF
  4. Mira Medicine: Final Presentation (9:26) SL UCSF
  5. ResultCare: Final Presentation (11:34) SL UCSF
  6. Tidepool.org: Final Presentation (16:45) SL UCSF
  7. Vitruvian Therapeutics: Final Presentation (8:34) SL UCSF

“Getting Your Story Straight” – David Riemer on Storytelling

  1. Story Narrative and Product Narrative (10:24) UCSF
  2. Story & Storytelling (4:35) UCSF
  3. The Power of Story (10:24) UCSF
  4. Story Structure (10:24) UCSF
  5. The Main Character (9:27) UCSF
  6. The Main Conflict (6:13) UCSF
  7. Story Challenges & Solutions (2:03) UCSF
  8. Telling a Great Story (13:16) UCSF

Misc

Some of the material I have created or use in my classes does not lend itself to blogs. It’s more reference material. Thus, these pages. I’ll add more as time goes on. See my slide/video links

Tenacity If you’ve gotten this far, here is a visual representation of tenacity and persistence

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