{"id":10615,"date":"2020-08-24T16:03:31","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T16:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/?p=10615"},"modified":"2020-11-05T11:24:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T11:24:12","slug":"startup-lingo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/startup-lingo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Master Startup Lingo Like a Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We know startup and entrepreneurship <a href=\"http:\/\/itnig.net\/podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">conversations<\/a> can get a bit overwhelming with all the business and tech terms in between sentences. It&#8217;s happened to all of us as we start to enter this crazy startup world. More importantly, if you&#8217;re an entrepreneur talking to&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/itnig.net\/fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investors<\/a><\/strong>, for example, they&#8217;ll expect you to use and understand the industry&#8217;s acronyms or lingo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CDwZpuPBrZN\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>At <a href=\"http:\/\/itnig.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Itnig<\/a>, we&#8217;re constantly learning and we thought it might help if we share a basic glossary collecting all the terms to master all startup conversations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>Startups Glossary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Accelerator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An organization or program that offers advice and resources to help an early-stage startup grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Acqui-hire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process of buying out a startup based on the skills of its staff rather than the service or product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Angel investment \/investors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside funding with shared ownership equity typically made possible by an affluent individual who provides a startup with starting capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>API (Application programming interface)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An interface or communication protocol between a client and a server that simplifies the building of client-side software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ARR (Accounting or average rate of return \/ Annual Recurring Revenue)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The calculation generated from net income of the proposed capital investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>B2B (Business-to-Business)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exchange of services, information and\/or products from a business to a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>B2C (Business-to-Consumer)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exchange of services, information and\/or products from business to consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>B Corporation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A certification issued to for-profit companies by the nonprofit B Lab, which certifies that businesses meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Blockchain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A digital, public collection of financial accounts in which transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BOM (Bill of Materials)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A list of the parts or components required to build a product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bootstrapping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To self-fund, without outside investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bridge Loan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a loan is taken out for a short-term period, typically between two weeks and three years, until long-term financing can be organized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Burn Rate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of money a startup spends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Business Angel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An experienced entrepreneur or professional who provides starting or growth capital for a promising startup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Business Model Canvas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A template that offers a coherent overview of the key drivers of a business in order to bring innovation into current or new business models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>C-level<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A corporate title given to high-ranking executives responsible for making company-wide decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount needed to pay in marketing and sales in order to acquire one user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cap Table<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An analysis of ownership stakes in a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chatbot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A piece of sophisticated software that can have conversations with humans through text messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Circular economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An economic system aimed at eliminating waste by sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cold-Calling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The solicitation of potential customers who had no prior interaction with the solicitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Convertible Note\/Bond<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A type of short-term debt often used by seed investors to delay establishing a valuation for the startup until a later round of funding or milestone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Coworking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A shared working environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CPA (Cost Per Action\/Acquisition)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The average cost for a conversion from an advertising campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CPC (Cost per Click)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites in which an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dark data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Information about user behavior that&#8217;s been collected and stored but not used, usually because it&#8217;s not structured or categorized in a way that allows it to be interpreted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dealflow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A term for investors that refers to the rate at which they receive potential business deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Deeptech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies founded on the discoveries or innovations of technologists and scientists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Diluting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reduction in the ownership percentage of a share of stock due to new equity shares being issued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Early-Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>the stage in which financing is provided by a venture capital firm to a company after the seed round; a company stage in which a product or service is still in development but not on the market yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elevator Pitch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A short description of an idea, product or company that explains the concept. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ethereum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A blockchain-based software platform and programming language that helps developers build and publish distributed applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Exit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A way to transition the ownership of a company to another company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fintech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Financial technology. A technology or innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Flex Desk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A shared desk available for temporary use in a coworking space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Incubator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A facility established to nurture young startups during their first few months or years of development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Installed Base<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The number of units of a product that have been sold and are actually being used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IP (Intellectual Property)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Property which is not tangible, the result of creativity, such as ideas that can be patented and protected by copyright. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IPO (Initial Public Offering)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first time a company&#8217;s stock is offered for sale to the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KPI (Key Performance Indicator)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a startup is achieving its key business objectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Later-Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stage in which startups have typically demonstrated viability as a going concern and have a product with a strong market presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lean<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lean startup methodology. A method proposed by Eric Ries in his book on developing businesses and startups through product-development cycles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lean LaunchPad<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A methodology for entrepreneurs to test and develop business models based on inquiring with and learning from customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>M&amp;A (Mergers and Acquisitions)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A merger is a process by which two startups join to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one startup by another, but no new company is formed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MAU (Monthly Active Users)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A performance metric for the success of an internet product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MVP (Minimum Viable Product) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A product with just enough features to satisfy early customers who can provide feedback for future product development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Open Banking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A system that allows third-party providers to access the financial information of bank clients through open API&#8217;s and build services around it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Opportunity Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An investment vehicle in companies or sectors in areas where growth opportunities are anticipated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>P2P (Peer-toPeer)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A network created when two or more PCs are connected and share resources without going through a separate server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pitch Deck<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A shorter version of a business plan that presents key figures generally to investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pivot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process when startups quickly change direction after previously targeting a different market segment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Product-Market Fit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A product that has created significant customer value and its best target industries have been identified. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro-market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A market or capitalist economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SaaS (Software as a Service)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scaleup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A company that has already validated its product in a market and is economically sustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A United Nations agenda that covers seventeen global goals that can be achieved by reaching 169 defined targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SDG indicators<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An indication used to measure the progress in reaching the SDGs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Seed Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first round of venture capital funding (typically called the seed round); a small, early-stage investment from family members, friends, banks, or an investor, also known as seed investor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Series A\/B\/C\/D<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The subsequent funding rounds that come after the seed stage and aim to raise further capital (up to $1million) when startups demonstrate various increase factors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social Entrepreneur<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A person who establishes a startup with the aim of solving social problems and\/or effecting social change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social Impact Investing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investment that brings together capital and expertise from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to achieve a social objective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Solopreneurs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A person who seats up and runs a startup on their own and typically doesn&#8217;t hire employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Startup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies under 3 years old that are in the growth stage and starting to become profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Startup Ecosystem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A shared pool of resources. Resources typically include policymakers, accelerators, incubators, coworking spaces, educational institutions, and funding groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sustainable Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defined by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development as an organizing principle that &#8220;meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SVP (Senior Vice President)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An officer of an organization who reports to the president or CEO and functions as the seconf in command rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Term Sheet \/ Letter of Intent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A document between an investor and a startup including the conditions for financing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Unicorn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A company, often in the tech or software sector, worth over US$1 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>USP (Unique Selling Point)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A factor that differentiates a product from its competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>UX (User experience design)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process of designing and improving user satisfaction with products so that they are useful, easy to use, and pleasurable to interact with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Valuation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of money a company \/ startup is worth; typically happens at every stage of funding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>VC (Venture Capital)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A form of financing that comes from a pool of investors in a venture capital firm in return for equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A process that involves giving or earning a right to a present or future payment, benefit, or asset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zebra<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A company that aims for sustainable prosperity and is powered by people who work together to create change beyond a positive financial return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If this guide was helpful, you might like to explore our <a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/barcelona-startup-ecosystem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barcelona Startup Ecosystem<\/a> article to expand your vision on startup activity and its exciting ecosystem! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore our articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/business-angels-who-they-are-how-to-find-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Angels<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/startup-incubators-and-accelerators-in-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Venture Builders, Incubators and Accelerators<\/a> in Barcelona<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/investment-funds-for-startups-in-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Funding for Startups <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How to Craft a <a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/how-to-craft-a-winning-startup-pitch-to-attract-investors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Winning Startup Pitch<\/a> to Attract Investors<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>If you are an entrepreneur and you are looking for financing,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">apply to the Itnig Fund,<\/a>&nbsp;or come to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pitch to Investors every Thursday<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCCbCxpkzNKxWXYf0AtZDsZw?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">channel<\/a>&nbsp;+ the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itnig.net\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">newsletter<\/a>&nbsp;to keep up to date with everything going on at itnig!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We know startup and entrepreneurship conversations can get a bit overwhelming with all the business and tech terms in between sentences. It&#8217;s happened to all of us as we start to enter this crazy startup world. More importantly, if you&#8217;re an entrepreneur talking to&nbsp;investors, for example, they&#8217;ll expect you to use and understand the industry&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-startups"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10615"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10884,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10615\/revisions\/10884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itnig.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}