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	<title>First Steps Consulting - Startup Strategy &#187; General</title>
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		<title>Dynamics, Disruption and the Running Shoe</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/12/2011/dynamics-disruption-and-the-running-shoe</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/12/2011/dynamics-disruption-and-the-running-shoe#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:41:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disruption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minimalist running]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[System dynamics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/12/2011/dynamics-disruption-and-the-running-shoe</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post is a self indulgent exploration of how the new minimalist running shoes represent an excellent example of a classic market disruption to a mature market that exhibits some interesting system dynamics. The objective of this post is to showcase system dynamics at play in the context of a disruptive market. It is my [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Creative Tension Trumps Performance Management</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/10/2011/how-creative-tension-trumps-performance-management</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/10/2011/how-creative-tension-trumps-performance-management#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:36:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tension]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/10/2011/how-creative-tension-trumps-performance-management</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have been an entrepreneur and then enter an organizational work environment then one of the first new things you may encounter is &#8220;performance management&#8221;. I have recently been intrigued by the lack of performance management in startups, as well as the limited effectiveness of performance management in large organizations. In considering the differences [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When decisions matter, how do you decide?</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/09/2011/when-decisions-matter-what-do-you-measure</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/09/2011/when-decisions-matter-what-do-you-measure#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:02:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decision analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Decision trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[palisade]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/09/2011/when-decisions-matter-what-do-you-measure</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been intrigued recently by the question of when to use primarily intuition in decision making versus when to use primarily analysis. Clearly at the extremes there are obvious incentives to use one or the other. A decision to swerve when a child runs onto the road, or the decision to take a defensive [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are you measuring what matters?</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/07/2011/are-you-measuring-what-matters</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/07/2011/are-you-measuring-what-matters#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:30:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial Modeling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[performance metrics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/07/2011/are-you-measuring-what-matters</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a recent article by Healy Jones titled &#8220;VC Valuation Valley of Death&#8221;, Healy argues compellingly that startups go through a period of hyped valuation, followed by a period of depressed valuation and then an eventual return to the original or higher valuation if the startup survives. One of the things I love about Healy&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Segment like a startup</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/segment-like-a-startup</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/segment-like-a-startup#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:48:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positioning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[segmentation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[startup]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/segment-like-a-startup</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An interesting article by Alan Armstrong titled &#8220;Positioning Beyond the Product &#8211; Think Relationship&#8221; highlights the fact that many products or services start off focused on customer needs and deteriorate into a bundle of features. Essentially the product becomes the focus rather than the consumer. Fundamentally positioning is about segmenting the market based on demonstrated [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An Innovation Zone is more than just a physical location</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/an-innovation-zone-is-more-than-just-a-physical-location</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/an-innovation-zone-is-more-than-just-a-physical-location#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:56:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[incentive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[risk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/06/2011/an-innovation-zone-is-more-than-just-a-physical-location</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I just finished reading an interesting overview for &#8220;The Innovation Zone&#8221; by Thomas Koulopoulos and was reminded that innovation requires more than just physical space, but also political and emotional space. In many ways it requires the same environment that my two year old requires to be at her most creative. It takes all the [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stickiness and WebInnovator&#8217;s Demos</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/12/2009/stickiness-and-webinnovators-demos</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/12/2009/stickiness-and-webinnovators-demos#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:39:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pitches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WebInnovators]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/?p=152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was fortunate enough last night to be able to attend the excellently run WebInnovators Event at the Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.  WebInnovators provides a forum for startups to pitch their idea in front of a crowd of mixed programmers, designers, funders and otherwise entrepreneurially enthused individuals. I am also currently consuming the intriguing &#8220;Made to Stick&#8221; [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Experienced entrepreneurs will succeed by staying young</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/11/2009/experienced-entrepreneurs-young</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/11/2009/experienced-entrepreneurs-young#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:14:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opportunity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[young]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/?p=135</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Usnews.com highlights an interesting drop in entrepreneurial activity among young Americans.    While this may be alarming to some I think it represents an opportunity for existing, experienced entrepreneurs.  Want to know why and how you can take advantage of it? First, it is no surprise that the interest in business in general has taken [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Our newly launched &#8220;Overview&#8221; document</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/10/2009/our-newly-launched-overview-document</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/10/2009/our-newly-launched-overview-document#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:06:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just completed a quick overview document for First Steps Consulting.  You can download the actual full Overview Presentation as well. Let us know what you think&#8230;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lessons from an early failure&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/01/2009/lessons-from-an-early-failure</link>
		<comments>http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/01/2009/lessons-from-an-early-failure#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:39:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[startup]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.firststepsconsulting.com/blog/?p=19</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It could be assumed that every successful entrepreneur is likely to be in ownership of a few failures buried in the closet.  I will often project the potential success of a new client by the number of failures that preceed him or her.  As knowledge rarely comes from a vacuum, it is actually comforting for me to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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