When You Need a Technology Advisor

Whether you’re an established business looking to raise the bar, or a startup delivering new technology to market, you need expert knowledge and experience to advise you. In this article, I’m going to discuss what a technology advisor does, and how you’ll be far better off working with one.

Who works with a technology advisor?

Business owners and technology executives need to make quick but informed decisions. Top line revenue growth, and bottom line profit are key drivers. A technology advisor can bring their considerable expertise to bear in supplementing understanding, finding value, and accelerating learning. These business leaders can take advantage of proven approaches to common challenges, and discover value in new ways.

Investors often call upon a technology advisor when evaluating a new opportunity. These engagements are called technical due diligence. If an investor is going to spend millions to acquire a startup, or take one public, it must be certain of the content it’s buying, and how quickly it can monetize the investment.

Startup founders, unlike traditional business owners and investors, have a vision, but often lack the expertise to realize it. A technology advisor can help guide and launch a new venture through both strategic and tactical expertise.

When you need a technology advisor

A technology advisor can help accelerate business growth by applying the following expertise:

Develop business plans, focusing on cost and time estimates for delivering a solution

Create prototypes to help communicate ideas to investors and business partners

Help select the appropriate technologies and vendors to realize business goals

Guide the software development process, ensuring repeatable delivery of high-quality products and features

Evaluate staffing needs and help source, interview, and select candidates at all levels of the organization

Improve individual and team performance through training and coaching

How you’re better off when I’m gone

One of the best reasons why startups call me for advice is the tremendous value I provide without diluting the firm’s equity. Many early stage startup founders don’t want a full time CIO or CTO, and will call upon me tactically while preserving the value of their shares.

I also work with established firms to help select technology delivery partners, both onshore and offshore. I provide an objective assessment of the capabilities and quality of vendors. Entrusting a third party to help grow a business is daunting. Imagine the cost of making a mistake!

For individuals, I help accelerate learning and and improve life balance. New ways of thinking, tools, techniques, and processes produce dramatic results.

 

© 2015 Mark Richman. All Rights Reserved.