Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kent McDonald, Founder of KBPMedia, located in Prole, IA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a freelance product manager and freelance writer. I work with larger enterprises (financial services, retail) to provide product management services for their internal products. I work with medium-sized SaaS businesses that make tools for software product development teams and communities that serve people who work on product teams.
Tell us about yourself
As someone who’s worked in software product development for more years than I care to admit, I’ve developed a deep understanding of the industry. My knowledge extends through developing products for a variety of industries, including retail, fintech, agriculture, financial services, health insurance, nonprofit, and automotive, but I’ve yet to find one I couldn’t grok.
I’ve both worked inside organizations and founded my own consulting firm, which led to my broader interest in helping teams and organizations get more done by doing less. Too many enterprises fall prey to the churn and burn style of content, but I believe that the more quality and targeted content you deliver, the more engaged your audience is.
Because I’m not busy enough, I’ve also written three books on agility within product development: [How To Be An Agile Business Analyst] and [Beyond Requirements: Analysis with an Agile Mindset], and [Stand Back and Deliver: Accelerating Business Agility].
However, when I’m not facedown on a keyboard writing or product managing, I’m #ubersherpa for my family, listening to jazz and podcasts (but not necessarily podcasts about jazz), and am currently trying to visit every National Park (we’re at 46 out of 63).
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of the main reasons I got into writing is because it’s one way that I can definitely create things that will live beyond me. As a result, my biggest accomplishments are my three books and my extensive portfolio of articles.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Marketing and sales. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve always been able to find freelance product management gigs to provide enough income to support my family. I’m still trying to crack the nut on finding a sufficient amount of writing gigs to move to that as my main income source.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don’t try to make your hobby into an income source.
- When you look for something that you do to make money, make sure you’d enjoy doing it even if you don’t get paid. (This is not in conflict with point #1).
- Don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth. If you quote a price and a customer immediately says “OK,” your price is too low.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://insideproduct.co/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KentJMcDonald
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentmcdonald/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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