DISQUS

VentureBeat: How to lose at Buzzword Bingo while launching your startup

  • furnitureanddesignideas · 3 months ago
    It's the same with almost any presentation. For example, interior designers who talk about design concepts rather than showcasing some works as examples. Trying to use words to cover substance will only backfire most of the time.

    Nicolette
    http://www.furnitureanddesignideas.com/
  • James · 3 months ago
    this used to be called the BS generator during the hey days of '99
  • Oliver · 3 months ago
    BUZZWORD TRANSLATIONS
    “value propositions” – “We're not sure of our value, otherwise I would have just stated them”
    “retooled our value proposition” – “We couldn't figure it out 1st time...let’s try it again”
    “tentpole events” – “Well the other guy business class said something about legs on a stool”
    “low hanging fruit” – “We think our friends will buy it”
    “differentiated business model and competitive advantage” = “we're not sure what that is…otherwise we would have just said it”
    “Brand Equity” – “We have a brand [that nobody has heard of] so we must have equity too!”
    “will change X forever” – “just like the 10 teams before me doing the same thing”
  • GoingLikeSixty · 3 months ago
    Similar to the amazing awesome Apple?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx7v815bYUw
  • timbryan · 3 months ago
    I couldn't agree more. I have started and sold several businesses and in the process, have lost patience for the hollow meaningless pitches that these phrases represent. The entrepreneur has no tolerance for anything but real talk about real solutions. Overselling an idea is OVER.
  • Shannon Clark · 3 months ago
    Thanks for all the great comments (love the translations btw) - now we should start making a range of Buzzword Bingo cards.... any graphics designers out there want to help?
  • Don · 3 months ago
    I expected to see on the list, "take it to the next level". But I realized that *some* new venture actually do represent something like that. I'm just very tired of hearing that from too many. If every one who said that really had done so, all software would now be perfect.
  • Oliver · 3 months ago
    Shannon,

    Glad you like the Buzzword translations :-P We're working on a "crowd-sourced" platform at TapSmack that exploits the "true long tail product" opportuniy thusly "changing the rules of the game". We "fix fundamental problems" of finding graphic designers through our uniquely "differentiated business model and competitive advantage(s)" over traditional means. TapSmack is the "holy grail" that will "change [the challenge of finding designers] forever".

    OR

    You can simply check out TapSmack. We have social site where idea creators work with a community of artists and peers to co-create art. Try posting the "buzzword bingo" idea and see what the community comes up with.
  • Carla Bobka · 2 months ago
    Shannon-winners always do "How" better than "What." Buzzwords are "What," results are specific examples of "How" in action.
    "What" oriented presenters talk alot in an effort to have the audience get it. "How" oriented presenters layout the facts and when they are real results, the audience grasps it, and reacts to the value brought out.
    I love Buzzword Bingo-it gets me through all the "What" meetings.
  • Bingo · 2 months ago
    Some of these terms are new to me - I guess we have "tentpole events" to make its way over to us in the UK!