It’s not about the idea; it’s about making the idea valuable. That’s what the Valuepreneur’s mission is all about,” says Steve Waddell, author of the new book “VALUEPRENEURS: The New Rules for Launching Products, Building Your Business, and Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Dream.” The book has garnered rave reviews from the likes of Nancy Grden, president and chief executive officer, Reinvent Hampton Roads, Forbes columnist Stephen Key, Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur magazine’s editor in chief, and Chris Heivly, co-founder of MapQuest.
“VALUPRENEURS is the book I wish I’d had when I began my own entrepreneurial journey,” says Waddell. “There are so many things you need to know: business formation, patent and intellectual property law, how to hire and manage freelancers, how to fund your business and how to bring your product to market. From forming an LLC, to brand identity, to planning an exit strategy, I wanted to create a customer-centric, actionable, value-driven, step-by-step guide to entrepreneurship so that others could learn from my experiences and get up to speed faster.”
Waddell is a PMP-certified, process improvement-driven innovator who began his career on the waterfront at Newport News Shipbuilding where he was instrumental in the construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. While there, he pioneered the shipyard’s risk management process for their aircraft carrier program.
After his tenure at the shipyard, he deployed his talents as vice president of a successful government consulting business before establishing his company Nasoni. There, he leads a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, researchers and academics to develop and refine a range of fountain faucets designed to save water and improve the lives of individuals living with physical challenges. With an additional background in mechanical engineering technology and business administration, Waddell is a kind of high-energy entrepreneurial polymath. We wonder when he sleeps.
But it’s his generosity when it comes to helping other startup entrepreneurs reach their business goals that has made him a popular speaker and mentor.
One of the ways in which Waddell is paying it forward is via the VALUPRENEURS Idea-to-Product Summit he organized to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to fruition. It’s a free, virtual conference featuring some of the heaviest hitters in the business and startup sphere, including keynote speaker Jason Feifer, Timothy Bush, a renowned big-box retail expert, Daniel Goldstein, a seasoned patent attorney, Noah McNeely, CEO of Product QuickStart and product development specialist, Sam Wong, an authority on idea validation.
Set for February 21-23, the summit is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs overcome the significant 95% failure rate of new products. The summit will present the kinds of industry knowledge and practical strategies that will equip attendees with the tools and insights needed to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into profitable realities. Paul Nolde of 757 Collab will be on the closing panel.
Learn more: valuepreneurs.com, and 2024.ideatoproductsummit.com
