Maribel Lopez is the founder and principal analyst at Lopez Research, a market research and strategy consulting firm specializing in technology. Before founding Lopez Research, Maribel began her career working in finance at Motorola and eventually moving into marketing. She joins ConnectThe2 to discuss the intricacies of marketing, the pros and pitfalls of startups, and the wonders of technology. If you like what you’re reading, be sure to listen to the entire episode linked at the bottom of this page.

Starting an analyst firm…Maribel did not intend to start her own analyst firm. At first she looked into joining pre-existing startups. However, she did not feel like was a good fit for them. Her clients requested that she go into strategy and research work and Lopez Research was born. Thanks to Maribel’s career with Motorola, she had access to technology education and developed a passion for technology and the growing world of artificial intelligence. Lopez Research provides analysis on a wide range of technology topics for both startups and global firms.

Marketing is a lot harder than people realize…People often assume marketing is simple. They mistakenly believe that if they write a press release, they will gain tons of business overnight. Marketing is a lot more nuanced than that, because it requires precision to target the right audience through the noise.

Success is gained by using marketing to stand out in your specific category, not by trying to create a whole new category. Startups often have a lot of enthusiasm and great ideas, but don’t have the experience and technical expertise required to really take that idea all the way. There is a difference between being enamored with technology and actually analyzing it and understanding the necessary steps to reach success.

More than analysis…In addition to researching the latest innovations in technology and artificial intelligence, Maribel hosts three podcasts. Since moving to Charleston during the pandemic, Maribel has found many opportunities to network with people in technology and similar industries. After the interview, we played two games with Maribel to get to know her better. We played the techie edition This or That, where we learned that Maribel cannot choose between Samsung and Apple, and then we played Never Have I Ever.

Hear more...If you've enjoyed these takeaways be sure to listen to our full interview linked below. Also, be sure to listen to, rate and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio or Soundcloud.

Quotes• “Once I learned more about the power of technology, so to speak, I was really intrigued and hooked.” (3:07-3:13)• “When I think of running a business, it's a combination of anxiety and power to choose what you would like to do. And both of those are wonderful, but they're both difficult.” (5:38-5:51) • “I think every individual, regardless if they are business owners or not, should have a personal board of advisors that they can go to and ask questions of and somebody that will help them walk through some of the challenges they might have. And it's important to have that be somebody that is outside of your home, outside of your workplace that can provide perspective.” (7:37-7:58)

Links

https://www.lopezresearch.com/

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