Why does your original goal have to be unattainable? Figure out another way to generate the money to go to your MBA school. That should draw you on. Honestly, you pick up the pieces by picking up the pieces. Wallowing in self-pity is pointless. We all go through ups and downs. If you get beaten once and give up, you won't be a winner. The key is in the getting up again. Every day there are goals which have plans for their attainment invalidated by events. The planners keep the goal...and come up with new plans to reach them. Perhaps a review of Think And Grow Rich will help you. It has been a goal of mine to be a public figure. During the years I was 27 - 30, 4 full years, I bent my entire life towards becoming a council member in my home town. I kept a fairly easy management job so I could focus on evening activities supporting reaching my goal. I joined fraternal organizations and rose in them. I was appointed to and participated heavily in committees of council. I produced press in the local papers and got the city's non-profits and business groups talking, and more. I viewed this as no less than a "life purpose" thing. The 2005 election came and went...and as if I had been standing at train platform, waiting for the thing to come along that was so important to me, only to find that it blew on past without stopping--I lost. If you feel anything like the sense of loss and confusion I felt at that moment...after 4 years of deliberate, consistent effort, and rising high in the related fields...coming so close to what I desired, only to have it fly away...then I understand how you're feeling right now. The goal didn't change, but the means of achieving it did. It took at least three years for the sense of bitterness to fade. I moved thousands of miles away to a different country. I changed jobs and got an entirely new focus. But the goal didn't change. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and ask yourself: What out of the MBA education is what I really want? Is it the diploma? Is it the skillset? Is it the prestige? Is it the key to unlocking some great job opportunities? Is it something else? I'll bet you can learn and apply whatever these things are some other way...or you can figure out how to get back on top and afford the program. First thing to do is get your head straight. You know the old homily, and I am not usually one to repeat them, but it is apt for you: The Man Who Thinks He Can by Walter D. Wintle If you think you are beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win, but think you can't It's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you'll lose, you've lost, For out in the world we find Success being with a fellow's will; It's all in the state of mind. If you think you're outclassed, you are: You've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late the man who wins Is the one who thinks he can.

Yes, you absolutely can have your virtual office wherever you wish for public facing correspondance. it is a good idea for your registered agent to be where you are incorporated. Most of your customers will not know the name of the corporation (unless writing a check to you or become a vendor for you), and when they do, they wont care. Any official documents will go to the registered agent. I suggest you also set up your business account with bank of america or wells fargo etc where they have brances in every major city. Besides the address there are other things to consider when setting up a virtual headquarters I am happy to discuss with you. Set up a call.

Start off with what you have written: Identify his message and mission. From what you write it sounds like his speaking presence is the way to go with this; maybe filming live presentations and selling them off as web/video. Or you could help him ghostwrite a book, and publish it yourselves on Amazon. Or he could become known in a youth program or some other type of charity, summercamps about baseball or something similar. With regards to message and mission, you could go in different directions with this, although they should most likely circle around one of these themes: - How he has transformed the MLB-experience into life lessons - How MLB has helped him become a different person (“Ugly duckling”-theme): - War stories from the dugout/lockerroom. A few ideas could be: - Life story: How did he become and MLB-player? So few become that at any level – what took him all the way? Physical gifts? Persistence? Grit from his childhood? Everybody loves a life story like that. - What has the MLB-experience taught him about life? Which tools from his career has helped him after retiring? - How do you maximize the chances to succeed in the big leagues? A How to-story for minor leaguers and college players to follow. - How to learn to hit a baseball? Document how his mind works. For the interested, that would be fascinating if told correctly. I think if you start off with 3-4 themes like these, he could become a motivational speaker. You could also limit this to pure MLB-war-stories, which would probably lower the volume of followers, but it would be a dedicated group. Then the themes could be more specialized also, f.ex.: - How I won the Silverslugger. - How I became a great hitter. - The numbers revolution in baseball – a view from the hitters box. (His view of statistics and its impact on modern baseball). Good luck with your positioning. These are just ideas I came up with while writing this response. If you want more or want to discuss these further, feel free to set up a call. Best regards Kenneth Wolstrup

Take half the money and start a business, it will likely fail. You will also learn a great deal. Take the other half of what you would have spent on university and start your next business. You will have a better outcome. I spent 10 years after getting my BBA degree un-learning what I was taught. Even though the degree is in Entrepreneurship, the majority of your credits will be preparing you for middle management in a Fortune 500 company. If you want to be an Entrepreneur, be one. Schedule a call if you'd like to bounce any ideas off me. Cheers Dave

1. Boise Cleaning Fairy, we sell residential & move out cleans. 2. We had no brand, no clients, no cleaning experience. 3. We wanted more customers. To do this we focused on review platforms that had very little competition. The top Yelp cleaner only had 7 reviews, the top Thumbtack cleaner only had 29 reviews, the top Google+ local page had 50 reviews. 4. After the clean was done, we asked the client if they were happy. If they were, we offered them $25 off to leave us a review on either Yelp, Thumbtack, or Google+ (because me & my cofounder were doing the cleans ourselves, this didn't even cost us anything). The end result is we became the #1 rated cleaning service in Idaho within 6 months and went $0-$10k/mo revenue. And we were only spending maybe $200/mo on advertising.

Expertise: I currently run a high performing referral channel with several million invites every year. As you build out your growth strategy it’s important to identify the main “macro” conversion. This is an action that you need users to take to make the product successful. In your case, the product goal is - get multiple people to commit to buying a single product. On the other side of this, your customer’s goal is - to get a deep discount on a product. On the surface it would seem that the more comprehensive way to get users to invite others to your service is to get them to go in on buying a product together. This would mean that you want to build your growth features around sharing product pages. However, one might consider that while friends and family might be buying same offer for things like food, activities and experiences, they might not be willing to buy the exact same shoes, dress or pants. That said, you seem to be on the right track with the referral link plan. The key to getting people to invite others is to clearly showcase the functionality and benefits. a) Triggers - you need multiple placements from which to invoke the invite flow. Product page to display -10% price with CTA to share ("Get this product for 10% by inviting friends) Home page (“Make your next purchase 10% by getting your friends to sign up and buy”) Emails promoting the program. b) Landing page that clearly explains the program (“Get $30 to spend when your friends join and buy”) c) 2-sided benefits, consider clearly offering something to the invitee other than your great group buying prices (“Invite your friends and you both get 10% off your next purchase") On the technical level for Facebook sharing you might want to consider Messenger vs. Wall Posts. While you might think that you’re getting more reach with a wall post, consider that Facebook algorithm is not very kind and your shared post might not get seen much. Direct messages on the other hand are user-to-user. They have a very high likelihood of getting opened and lead to much better clickthrough. This might be quite a bit to build on your own and you might want to experiment with a service like Extole. I haven’t used them myself, but I’ve recently reviewed their offering and it seems like a good way to get a new referral program started. Lastly, don’t discount email invites. They still perform really well in terms of engagement and can be fairly simple to set up with a mailer and a well optimized template. Most important - figure out what kind of numbers work for you. It’s easy to get a referral program get out of hand in terms of cost if you’re finding that your payback period is of significant length. Feel free to schedule a call if you would like to discuss further.

I am not a lawyer, and I suggest you get one and ask this question of them. When you have the lawyer write up the contract the best thing is to probably include a non-discloser agreement in it, that way they cannot disclose the workings of your code. Next you will want the contract to say they are just licensig your code, they do not own it, they cannot change your code and resell it, nor can they reverse engineer it to re-create and sell it. Those would be a couple of things to talk to the lawyer about. The lawyer will probably have more, the big thing is you want a contract that keeps this customer from taking your code and changing it to sell as something different. Goog luck, and get that lawyer.

Use HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and sign up for free so you can see the daily offers for reporters looking for people to interview, then respond to the targeted topics you are interested in being interviewed for as an expert.

What I've seen be incredibly effective is to gate the webinars and offer them for email addresses. At this point you can drop these prospects into a highly targeted drip campaign. To use this most effectively you would want multiple webinars for each persona you are targeting and segment them by the stage in the funnel (education, buy ready, etc.) they're most useful for. This way, by simply watching the webinar, the prospect gives you the information you need to market to them effectively.

The decision to join a Startup vs a large corporation - and the associated pros and cons are not a static set - they vary greatly based on where you are, what your skill set is, what stage of your career you are in and so on. There are of course some that are universal (like being part of something new that might change the world) - but I’ll focus on some that are perhaps less obvious. I’ll give you 16 points to consider looking at two points within the career stage spectrum - they are by no means comprehensive. Just getting started If you are just entering the job market - right out of college (or not) a startup provides some really interesting opportunities: - Greater involvement / visibility in decision making. - Wider skill set use / development opportunities. - Greater opportunity for responsibility growth and promotion. - More flexibility in lateral moves within the company. It also comes with a unique set of potential downsides: - On the job training? Better be a self starter. - Amazing salary and benefits? Someday, maybe. - Uncertainty and instability of the business. - Resume implications. Seasoned industry pro Similarly, there are enticements at the startup level that make it a great choice for those of us with a few extra notches (and maybe holes) in our belts: - Leverage existing networks / partners and deep industry knowledge to accelerate success in the position and the company. - Elevate to a new strata of management (i.e. VP to CxO). - A chance to expand your personal brand. - Leverage market value for a larger equity position within the company. And with the rewards, come the risks: - Salary may be less than market rate. - Resume implications (can be seen as a step backward - depends on outcomes). - Stability / long term security concerns. - Wildly different work environment / comfort zone issue. In summary - Startups are awesome for a lot of reasons, and as a serial entrepreneur who can’t imagine doing anything else, my personal opinion would skew heavily towards the opinion that everyone should join a startup at some point. As with all decisions in life, being informed, entering into them with eyes wide open, knowing the benefits and risks and managing for them is required to make the right decision. I’m more than happy to chat with anyone considering joining a startup and tie it directly to their own situation.

When seeking sources of information on Black Swan Bayesian investments, you might explore the following: Books and Academic Papers: "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb provides foundational knowledge on Black Swan events and their implications. "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb explores concepts related to Black Swans and their impact on investments. Scholarly articles and papers on Bayesian methods in finance, which may be available through academic databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, or SSRN. Financial and Investment Journals: Publications such as the Journal of Finance, Financial Analysts Journal, and Quantitative Finance often feature articles on advanced investment strategies, including Bayesian approaches. Investment Research Firms and Think Tanks: Firms specializing in quantitative finance or risk management, such as AQR Capital Management or Bridgewater Associates, may publish research or insights related to Bayesian methods and Black Swan events. Online Courses and Lectures: Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy offer courses on Bayesian statistics, risk management, and advanced investment strategies. Look for courses that cover Bayesian analysis and its applications in finance. Professional Networks and Forums: Engaging in discussions on platforms such as LinkedIn, specialized finance forums, or professional groups can provide insights and updates from industry experts. Financial News and Media Outlets: Reputable financial news sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Financial Times occasionally cover advanced investment strategies and their applications. Consulting Firms and Advisory Services: Consulting firms that specialize in risk management and investment strategy may offer insights and case studies on Bayesian approaches and Black Swan events. These sources will provide a well-rounded view of how Bayesian methods can be applied to understand and manage Black Swan risks in investment strategies.

Really tough to answer this question without seeing the site :)

It all depends on whether they are all selling the same thing to the same persona. If yes, then combine all the campaigns into one adwords account, which feeds into one analytics account. That way they can get feedback on the effectiveness of different keywords, ads, etc. more quickly (because there will be more data, from all the different websites, all in one place, for a particular keyword). If they are each selling different things, or to different personas, then don't combine their accounts, because it will just make things confusing and not useful from an analysis perspective.

I help companies with their digital strategies and have been a startup mentor. Follow the sequence, WHY- HOW -WHO. First discuss the problem and how it is becoming an issue. Also discuss some of the failed solutions which people have been using. Say that you will be sending a possible solution. This will make them curious while not being sales pitch. Second mail should discuss the solution and how it can help address the issue. This will educate the customers. Third mail will detail your solution and what exactly you do to implement the solution and solve the problem. Please add customer testimonials as well. Hope this helps. Please feel free to call me if you wish to discuss further. All the very best, Sridhar

It's best to define your initial MVP's persona as narrowly as possible, and learn from your tests (initially small scale) to make it work well for them, and only then expand to other verticals if necessary. It sounds like you think it will work best for sales teams, so start there, get some data on its effectiveness / demand, and tweak it so it works really well. Then you can build from there. If you'd like to discuss best ways to run initial testing with your specific product send me a message, I'd be glad to help out.

Captain Obvious: "Meet the KPIs." In addition: - don't give them the secret sauce, what makes you "you" - do things they don't want to do - demonstrate positive ROI. Keep the details of your technical expertise, how you do what you do, to yourself. That way they won't be able to simply hire someone and duplicate your process in-house. By doing tasks they find distasteful or outside their comfort zone, you make yourself indispensable. Clearly show, in measures they give you themselves ("If they say it, it's true; if you say it, you have to defend it"), that your efforts have brought in new revenue, saved them money, or both. Finally, ASK THEM. Get them to clearly state under what circumstances they would declare continuing to work with you 12 months from now a "No-Brainer." Don't leave it fuzzy. If you want my help with this, book a call to discuss.

Probably the cheapest answer would be bitcoin.

I have more than 15 years of marketing experience and this includes experience in growth hacking. I look forward to the possibility of talking soon.

I recommend targeting the brand owners/marketing departments directly. You then can likely find out the decision makers and can make your pitch directly to them. I have found this easier than going through ad agencies.

If you consider yourself one of the best (which I assume you do, given that you're looking for high-paying clients), you should look into TopTal https://www.toptal.com/talent/apply TopTal is a freelance site similar to UpWork, Freelancer, Odesk, etc...the difference is, TopTal ONLY hires the top 3% (so bring your A++ Game) and they only allow the top companies to hire their freelancers, so you don't have to worry about competing lowball bids to get work. Supply is low, demand is high, and you could literally pick up full time work immediately after being approved. The application process is pretty intense but if you get through it it's worth it. They are rabidly looking for UI & UX designers. If you're not already using Upwork, I would get on there too. Some of the companies on there are looking for quality over price and willing to pay more for good work, but the demand is much lower.

A good question. The fact that you don't have revenue yet may be result of a number of factors. Without knowing more specific information about your product, key customer segments, your team, and other key data, it's not possible to give you a definite continue/or shut down recommendation. That said, generally, I would recommend adding a third decision point - the pivot. Many businesses don't see the expected returns after initial launch or MVP testing, and decide to pivot to a different direction, ultimately finding success. The pivot can be a slightly different product (product-based pivot), a slightly different market segment (market-based pivot), or both. Here are some recommended action items to help you uncover extra insight as you examine whether to continue, close down, or pivot: 1) How did you organize the initial customer's interviews? What kinds of questions did you ask them, and were any of them leading questions? 2) Review your core customer segment(s) at this point. How did you determine a product-solution fit to them? Are the customer segments clear and specific enough? 3) Did you run a MVP (minimum-viable product) to test potential product-market fit? Were any findings contrary to your initial assumptions? 4) Consider running another set of quick interviews. Determine any differences between the new interviews versus the initial customer interviews. 5) Make some hypotheses on the key assumption or factor that could have contributed to zero revenue. Run a basic test to confirm that hypothesis. If correct, you may be able to pivot by eliminating that factor or substituting with something else. For example, pretend that your core assumption is that young urbanite foodies will appreciate recommendations on best dishes. If that assumption turns out false, then you may need to consider pivoting to a different customer segment (professionals who don't have time to research the best dishes?) 6) Examine your pricing model. How did you determine it? What tests have you made? Try running a few simple tests with alternative pricing schemes, and see if anything changes. 7) What is your current monthly burn rate, and how long can you project to last at this rate?

Can you give more detail about what you mean by backup your projects? This question is super vague... I can tell you about backup software, and backup systems if you are just looking to backup your work so you don't lose it in a disaster. I just am not sure that is what you mean seeing as you seem to want to share income with whomever helps you on this.

First, you need to make sure you have the conversion funnel set up properly. Enter the urls for all of the checkout steps (cart, login/register, checkout page, etc) and then look at the conversion funnel. This will help you to see if there are any bottlenecks or major problems causing a huge portion of your customers to drop-off at any point in the checkout process. Ideally a checkout should be one page, the more clicks, the higher the drop-off. Also look at all of your individual pages, see which ones have the highest abandonment and the highest conversion. That will help you see what you are doing right/wrong. I'd also highly recommend doing extensive A/B testing. You'd be surprised how much difference the wording of a button or even the color can make on whether or not a user clicks on it. Same goes for navigation elements, position of items on a page, promotions, etc. You can never A/B test enough!

I've had a bunch of my own 'maker' / hacker projects publicized. Here's what I suggest: 1) Write up a project and suggest it to Make Magazine (http://makezine.com/) 2) Tell hobby electronic supply shops about it to see if they want to stock it (e.g. https://www.sparkfun.com/ https://www.adafruit.com/) 3) Subscribe to HARO to be able to get your stuff written about in the press 4) Tweet links to the project your wrote up to relevant designers or instructors at fashion institutes (e.g. google the professors at FIT, etc.) 5) Other ideas If you want to discuss these or other ideas with more specific tailoring to your specific kit let me know. best, Lee

Hey Slava! I actually have a ton of experience with this. For the last year myself and my partners have built out Rocketlaunch (www.rocketlaunch.co) to a growth agency focused on marketing and sales for Startups. We work on core items internally and outsource when possible. My caveat on outsourcing would be to ensure the work is good. We have worked with outsourcers in the Phillipines and Colombia and had some great successes. We have also had issues where we have passed work across to a client where we didn't do enough QA and it was poor quality. If you can find partners that deliver good work, consistently, nurture them and reward them as much as possible. We have been working with an agency in Colombia to great success, but we've also cycled through a few that didn't work out. QA is king, and if you can ensure the work is quality, reselling can be highly profitable (just ask any retailer). Feel free to PM me if you want to have a more direct conversation!