Startups

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  • Raising Money: What Not to Say and What Not to Believe #OfficeandGuyK

    How to Change the World
    GuyKawasaki
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm
    Over the past two weeks via my partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve provided templates of models for you to create enchanting PowerPoint pitches, Word business plans, and Excel financial models. They are all available for you to download from my SkyDrive account. I hope these documents and blog posts help you save a boatload of time and increase the quality of your efforts.I leave you with two sets of top ten lies: one of entrepreneurs and one of investors so that you know what not to say and what not to believe. Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs “Our projections are…

  • Inside the Entrepreneur's Brain With the Start-up Doctor

    Inc.com
    Tim Donnelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pm
    What do hyper-creatives, emergency room nurses, and CEOs have in common? Dr. Aaron Blackledge has identified a particular neuro-chemical pattern. Do you have "entrepreneur brain?"Aaron Blackledge doesn't like to stand still. He possesses kind of mindset that is often too fidgety to stand tedious processes, such as attending lectures or writing papers to attain advanced degrees. So when he wanted to become a doctor, instead of settling into higher education, Blackledge doubled down and completed his pre-med in nine months. He decided to open Care Practice in the Mission District of San…

  • Harvard Gets Its First VC Firm: The Experiment Fund

    TechCrunch
    Greg Kumparak
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:05 pm
    As just about everyone should know by now, the seeds of what grew into Facebook were planted at Harvard. Might there be a bunch of mini-Zucks lurking in the dorms of Cambridge? If so, a new venture capital firm — the first housed right on the Harvard campus — wants to find them. Dubbed The Experiment Fund, the firm describes itself as “a bridge between America’s oldest universities and storied venture capital firms.” Backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the firm is made up of Hugo Van Vurren, NEA co-head Patrick Chung, and NEA General Partner Harry Weller — all…

  • Looking To Raise Capital?

    Inc.com
    Tim Rice
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Pravina Raghavan, New York District Director of the Small Business Administration, recommends you take advantage of free resources.

  • Kryptonite Angel Round Terms

    Startup Lawyer
    Ryan Roberts
    22 Aug 2011 | 4:08 pm
    Here’s a list of the top 5 deal terms that cause harm to startups at the seed financing stage and therefore should be avoided: 5. Control “Control” of a startup can manifest itself in various forms such as equal (or investor-favorable) representation on the board of directors or a requirement of obtaining seed investor approval for new hires and/or budget matters. Whatever the form of control, seed investment is way too early to be even thinking about losing any amount of control of your startup. You need to figure out why your potential angel investor wants to control your…
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    Fast Company

  • Artists: SoundExchange Has Free Money For You, No Nigerian Princes Involved

    Austin Carr
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:05 pm
    Since its inception, SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalty payments from digital music services like Pandora, has brought in more than $900 million--$292 million of which it collected last year alone. But how much of a cut does SoundExchange take for itself? Nothing, other than for operating and administrative costs. SoundExchange is a non-profit that's rapidly growing to become one of the most important organizations in the music industry. For many labels, it's the No. 2 source of digital revenue only behind iTunes. And for president Michael Huppe, it's now more important…

  • This Week In Bots: Roboplayers, Robodancers, Robowarriors, And The Delicate Ethics Of Robosex

    Kit Eaton
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    Would you love your Roomba more if it had rat-like whiskers? How about if it saved people's lives in post-disaster situations? Yeah, us too.RobohockeyTeaching robots to play sports is a clever way to advance the science of robotic movements, environment sensing, and artificial intellgence all in one swoop. That's because a game or sport has a predetermined set of rules so it's simpler than the "real" world. Enter UPenn's Design of Mechatronics Students with their robotic hockey players. [youtube 7njq2hFbw14]See how instructive programming those little beasts must've been? They're not…

  • Jon Rubinstein, Force Behind TouchPad, WebOS, Leaves HP: "We Ran Out Of Runway"

    Austin Carr
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:23 pm
    Jon Rubinstein, the former CEO of Palm and the man behind WebOS, has left HP.It's hard to imagine that only about 19 months ago, HP acquired Palm for $1.2 billion. In that short span, HP embarked on an aggressive plan to produce smartphones and tablets running WebOS--before deciding to kill that original strategy due to poor sales, spin off its PC business, change CEOs, and radically pivot toward acquiring enterprise services company Autonomy for $10 billion. Now Rubinstein joining a slew of recently departed executives--including Phil McKinney and Richard…

  • Spotify Growing By 8,000 Subscribers Per Day, More Than Netflix, Sirius XM

    Austin Carr
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:19 pm
    Spotify just hit 3 million paying subscribers, the Financial Times reports. That may sound like an impressive milestone for the popular on-demand music service, but how impressive is it really? Only about 64 days have elapsed since Spotify announced it reached 2.5 million subscribers in November. That means 500,000 users have signed up to pay for the service in that time--or, from another perspective, a back-of-the-envelope calculation reveals that 7,000 to 8,000 users are subscribing to Spotify each day, on average. And remember: These are global statistics from a service that has been…

  • Rubinstein Leaves HP, Twitter Can Block Tweets By Country, Cook Defends Apple On Worker Standards

    Nidhi Subbaraman
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:41 pm
    Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day.Jon Rubinstein Leaves HP. Rubinstein, formerly of Apple and then lead at Palm during its efforts to rival the iPhone, is leaving HP. It's being spun as simple fulfillment of contractual agreements, signed when HP bought Palm. But with the killing-off of HP's Pre smartphone and tablet efforts, a disorganized decision process about webOS and news that Jon has no current plans a different conclusion can easily be drawn. --HP--Updated 1:30 p.m. ESTApple TV Buzz: OLEDs And Remote Controls. The freshest leaks about Apple's…
 
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    VentureBeat

  • Symantec may have identified a botnet string of Android apps

    Meghan Kelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:12 pm
    Symantec claims to have found a string of “malicious” applications in the Android app store that resemble botnets. According to a blog post by the company, these applications are pushing out a type of malware called Android.Counterclank, which is said to be related to a botnet-like virus called Android.Tonclank. Botnets generally extend from a commanding device, which then takes control of other devices via spam messages. On mobile, this control can be achieved through malicious applications. Symantec says that Android.Counterclank has already affected 1000′s and considers…

  • Amazon’s Kindle Fire driving accelerated growth of Android tablet category

    Jennifer Van Grove
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:40 pm
    Good sales of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet led to significant gains for Google’s Android operating system in tablet market share during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to new data from mobile analytics firm Flurry. Flurry, which purports to measure application sessions on more than 90 percent of all Android devices, found that Android tablets gained 10 percent share from Q4 2010 to Q4 2011 and now represent 39 percent of the overall tablet market. The Kindle Fire, which only just debuted this past November, has managed to best Samsung’s Galaxy Tab in terms of…

  • Macworld finds its footing as a “hardcore consumer lifestyle event”

    Heather Kelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:25 pm
    Macworld Expo, a once powerful Mac tradeshow, is getting new life as smaller event for Apple consumers and fans. The revamped three-day event, now called Macworld | iWorld, is taking place this week in San Francisco. “We took a little Comic Con, we took a little South by Southwest, and then added our own kind of special flavors,” said general manager Paul Kent. “It’s product discovery on the show floor, learning in our tech talks, and then there’s this concept of inspiration. People come here to see what cool stuff people are doing with this technology.”…

  • Why we need to put the “run” back into Java

    Scott Sellers
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:58 pm
    Let’s say you’re an NFL running back. When the quarterback hands you the ball, what do you do? You run. You run hard, and you run fast. If you hesitate for just a second, you immediately get demolished by a bunch of defenders. In football or business, the last thing you want to do is freeze up in a critical situation. Yet every holiday season, the e-commerce systems of retailers across America are failing companies and end-users alike, leading to mass frustration and millions of dollars of lost revenue. What’s the problem? Well, as user loads increase, their Java-based…

  • Nintendo Network will replace Nintendo’s current online infrastructure

    Jacob Siegal
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:34 pm
    Nintendo has officially unveiled its new Nintendo Network, a collection of services that will include personal user accounts on the Wii U, downloadable content on both the Wii U and the 3DS, and digital distribution of retail products. Although we have known about Nintendo Network ever since the logo appeared on Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’s box art, there was no clear indication of exactly what the service would offer. During Nintendo’s third quarter financial results briefing, it was specifically outlined how Nintendo Network is going to be integrated into the two big Nintendo…
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    Inc.com

  • Looking To Raise Capital?

    Tim Rice
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Pravina Raghavan, New York District Director of the Small Business Administration, recommends you take advantage of free resources.

  • 10 Candidates for the Feds' Best Job

    Jon BurgstoneBill Murphy, Jr. and
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pm
    Aneesh Chopra, the first-ever CTO for the United States, is stepping down. Here are a few good people who could replace him.It sounds like perhaps the coolest title any American entrepreneur could have: Chief Technology Officer of the United States of America. And it turns out, the job is open.The White House announced today that Aneesh Chopra, the first person to hold the post, is stepping down. While it hasn't been the most high-profile position in the past, it might make great sense for the administration to pick a replacement who would bring a history of entrepreneurial success---and…

  • True Crime: Founders Gone Astray

    Nicole Carter
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pm
    News flash: Entrepreneurs are people too. And as with any group of people, it includes a few bad eggs--and some downright rotten ones.News flash: Entrepreneurs are people too. And as with any group of people, it includes a few bad—and downright rotten—eggs. Insider trading? Check. Forming a gambling ring? Check. Beating on innocent women? Check. Take note from these founders' cautionary tales of bad behavior.Pinkberry founder Young Lee In early January, the frozen-yogurt chain founder was arrested in Los Angeles for felony aggravated assault stemming from an incident in June 2011,…

  • Inside the Entrepreneur's Brain With the Start-up Doctor

    Tim Donnelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pm
    What do hyper-creatives, emergency room nurses, and CEOs have in common? Dr. Aaron Blackledge has identified a particular neuro-chemical pattern. Do you have "entrepreneur brain?"Aaron Blackledge doesn't like to stand still. He possesses kind of mindset that is often too fidgety to stand tedious processes, such as attending lectures or writing papers to attain advanced degrees. So when he wanted to become a doctor, instead of settling into higher education, Blackledge doubled down and completed his pre-med in nine months. He decided to open Care Practice in the Mission District of San…

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    27 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
 
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    OPEN Forum Articles

  • Top 5 Weirdest Companies on the Market

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    From Katie Morell: Call them weird, edgy or just plain tasteless, these companies caught our eye as being not your average small business on the market. Here are five companies that are keeping things interesting. Soccer Collies Who knew dogs could play soccer? Mark Lukas found this out after his border collie started tossing a ball around the house. The idea hit him and he founded Soccer Collies, a company that pits humans against dogs in a game of soccer. That was five years ago and now Lukas and his two collies, Ms. Z and Bek (after David Beckham, of course), travel around the country…

  • Is an Ad on Facebook Worth the Money?

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pm
    From Courtney Rubin: If you can have a Facebook page for free, why pay money for an ad? That appears to be the feeling among small-business owners. While 70 percent use Facebook for marketing, just 23 percent have forked over any cash for an ad on the world's largest social network, according to a new survey. That 23 percent is up five percent from just six months prior, says MerchantCircle, the online marketing firm for local businesses who conducted the study. But business owners are not overwhelmingly convinced the ads are worth the money: Over half (62 percent) said they'd advertise…

  • How to Reward Your Employees

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    From Elizabeth Sile: When you're rewarding employees, what's important is not how expensive or showy the award is. It should be a little personal. Employee-rewards programs tend to be considered a softer part of business, says Dr. Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. Typical small businesses don’t have much money to motivate people, so they don’t do anything, Nelson says. “By doing that, they’re making the assumption that it’s only money that speaks to employees, and they brush it off.” But having a strong employee-rewards program is…

  • 5 Ways Supplemental Coverage Can Help Reduce Healthcare Costs

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    From Mark Henricks: As the percentage of workers covered by employer health plans with deductibles of $1,000 or more has more than tripled in five years, the question of how to shield even the insured workers from unexpected medical bills has become pressing. One solution that’s gaining in popularity is the use of supplemental health indemnity plans. Unlike conventional health insurance, these plans pay policyholders directly in cash, rather than reimbursing medical care providers. Although payments may be $1,000 per day or more in the event of hospitalization, supplemental plans…

  • Celebrity Kyle Maclachlan On Why He Went into the Wine Business

    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    From Shira Levine: Chances are you know Kyle Maclachlan more for his acting roles in such cult classics as “Twin Peaks,” “Blue Velvet,” “Sex and the City,” and now, “Portlandia.” But for oenophiles who look for niche boutique wines from emerging regions, Maclachlan’s small yet growing wine business called Pursued by Bear is attracting garnering some legitimate respect and attention. Based in Walla Walla, Washington, within the Yakima Valley where Maclachlan grew up, the last few years of his great grape endeavor has allowed him…
 
 
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    TechCrunch

  • Ron Paul, Mitt Romney Leading On Facebook Ahead Of Florida Primary

    Eric Eldon
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:49 pm
    The Republican presidential candidacy is still far from decided, based on the split primaries and mixed polls so far. So here’s another source for trying to figure who’s really pulling ahead — the number of new Facebook fans that each candidate is getting, according to the Inside Facebook Election Tracker. Mitt Romney is finally making some strong gains this month, in contrast to his Facebook performance over December. By “strong gains” I mean he’s been attracting a roughly similar number of fans to Ron Paul, the candidate who normally dominates on the web…

  • Harvard Gets Its First VC Firm: The Experiment Fund

    Greg Kumparak
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:05 pm
    As just about everyone should know by now, the seeds of what grew into Facebook were planted at Harvard. Might there be a bunch of mini-Zucks lurking in the dorms of Cambridge? If so, a new venture capital firm — the first housed right on the Harvard campus — wants to find them. Dubbed The Experiment Fund, the firm describes itself as “a bridge between America’s oldest universities and storied venture capital firms.” Backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the firm is made up of Hugo Van Vurren, NEA co-head Patrick Chung, and NEA General Partner Harry Weller — all…

  • Secret Windows 8 Weapon: Kinect Built Into Your Laptop

    Devin Coldewey
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:39 pm
    The Windows release of Kinect is coming up in a couple days, but for most people that won’t be a major event: the Kinect they have is sitting on their TV or in a drawer, waiting to be taken out for an impromptu Dance Central 2 party. Of the 10 million Kinects out there, the only ones connected to computers are the ones being fiddled with by the various hackers and students making science projects out the things. But according to the Daily, Microsoft is hoping to remedy this particular situation by building Kinect sensors right into your laptops. TechCrunch alum Matt Hickey got to handle…

  • Twitter Puts Its DMCA Takedown Requests Up For All To See

    Devin Coldewey
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm
    Yesterday’s announcement that Twitter would be selectively censoring tweets based on country was not well-received. But part of that announcement was the assurance that the process would at least be transparent. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. They also mentioned that they were working with Chilling Effects to make notices and orders sent to Twitter publicly available. At the time of the post yesterday, the site wasn’t up yet, but you can now browse it at chillingeffects.org/twitter. It’s a good thing, certainly, though not quite a successful saving throw…

  • Y Combinator Names Seasoned Entrepreneur Geoff Ralston As Its Newest Partner

    Jason Kincaid
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:15 pm
    Y Combinator has just announced the newest partner to join the prestigious firm: Geoff Ralston. Ralston’s previous credentials include founding Four11, which was acquired by Yahoo back in 1997 for $96 million and served as the foundation for Yahoo Mail. Ralston spent eight years at Yahoo, eventually becoming Yahoo’s Chief Product Officer. Several years after leaving Yahoo he was named CEO of Lala, before it was acquired by Apple in 2009. Most recently he cofounded Imagine K12, a tech incubator for education-related startups, which presented at TechCrunch Disrupt SF (you can find…
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    Knowledge@Wharton

  • One, Two Three Free Trade Agreements: Finally, a New Era for Global Trade?

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:29 am
    Nearly five years after the Bush administration first negotiated free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, revised versions of those pacts were finally approved by the U.S. Congress last fall and will be implemented during 2012. Although global companies reacted with an anti-climactic sense of relief, many trade analysts welcomed the new opportunities that the pacts will open for U.S. exporters, and predicted more such agreements to come.

  • Under New Leadership, Will Yahoo Find Its Way?

    18 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    When Scott Thompson was named Yahoo's new CEO effective January 9, he became the fourth person in five years to take charge of the ailing Internet giant. Experts at Wharton say that Thompson, who was previously president of eBay's PayPal unit, might be Yahoo's last hope for becoming relevant again as a player in online display advertising, a market which the media company once dominated. But his main challenge, they say, is the same as his predecessors': Define what Yahoo wants to be.

  • IBM's Sam Palmisano: 'Always Put the Enterprise Ahead of the Individual'

    18 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    As far as a legacy goes, says IBM chairman Sam Palmisano, "I just want to leave the company better than I found it." Judging by IBM's successes over the past decade, Palmisano, who was CEO of IBM until he stepped down earlier this month, did just that. During an interview with Wharton management professor Michael Useem, Palmisano discussed the sale of the company's personal computer business, the PricewaterhouseCoopers acquisition, how a big company can encourage innovation, and what he learned from his mentors, among other observations drawn from almost 40 years at IBM.

  • Revisiting the American Dream: Is the U.S. Providing Fewer Opportunities to Get Ahead?

    18 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    The United States is widely seen as a place where a person can rise from extreme poverty to lavish wealth on the basis of hard work, ingenuity and a little luck. But has that vision of the American dream become less attainable in recent times? As economic inequality rises, and much of the population grapples with high unemployment and a stagnant housing market, observers say it is becoming harder and harder to go from rags to riches. Fewer opportunities to do so, they note, has real implications for the country's overall future.

  • Customers, Competition and Cost: Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell on the Essential 'Cs' of Leadership

    18 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    For Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell, good leadership is about getting inside the heads of the warehouse chain's 47 million shoppers and figuring out the product mix and shopping experience that will keep them coming back for more. At a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture, he talked about the "Cs" that govern his leadership style and the opportunities and challenges created by today's more value-conscious breed of consumer.
 
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    How to Change the World

  • Raising Money: What Not to Say and What Not to Believe #OfficeandGuyK

    GuyKawasaki
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm
    Over the past two weeks via my partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve provided templates of models for you to create enchanting PowerPoint pitches, Word business plans, and Excel financial models. They are all available for you to download from my SkyDrive account. I hope these documents and blog posts help you save a boatload of time and increase the quality of your efforts.I leave you with two sets of top ten lies: one of entrepreneurs and one of investors so that you know what not to say and what not to believe. Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs “Our projections are…

  • Design a Sam Adams beer

    GuyKawasaki
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:24 am
    Now this is a fun project. I’m helping Sam Adams “tap” the knowledge of beer drinkers and crowd source its next brew. Join the party by getting the app and designing your beer: The final brew will be released in Austin in the first week of March. #sponsored

  • How to Create an Enchanting Financial Forecast #OfficeandGuyK

    GuyKawasaki
    17 Jan 2012 | 3:52 pm
    This is the third post in my Microsoft partnership, and it’s all about numbers. The topic is crafting your financial forecast to include in your pitch. Bill Reichert, my partner at Garage Technology Ventures, created an Excel model and wrote this blog post. There’s a lesson in this too: Get the best person for the job. His grasp of financial models and how to present them exceeds mine by two orders of magnitude. The Purpose of Financial Projections When it comes to financial projections, there are two types of entrepreneurs: first, the “visionary entrepreneur” who…

  • How to Create an Enchanting Business Plan #OfficeandGuyK

    GuyKawasaki
    12 Jan 2012 | 10:16 am
    Here is the second post in my series about planning, pitching, and launching a new business venture. In partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve created a Word document that outlines a good business plan. It’s saved to my SkyDrive folder here. Feel free to download it and use it as inspiration. And if you’re working with a partner, you can use the free Word Web App to stay in sync. I provided the PowerPoint document before the Word document because a good business plan is an elaboration of a good pitch as opposed to a good pitch being a distillation of good business plan.

  • How to Create an Enchanting Pitch #OfficeandGuyK

    GuyKawasaki
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:01 am
    Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts I’ll be doing as part of a partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps. Over the next two weeks, I’ll cover everything a budding entrepreneur needs to turn an idea into an enchanting investment opportunity—from the perfect pitch to a killer business plan to financial forecasts. I’m going to start with a little dissertation on creating effective PowerPoint pitches for your company. I embedded the sample deck for you to click through by using the PowerPoint Web App. When you’re ready to get started, you can download the…
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    VatorNews.tv

  • Twitter announces 'culturally defined' restrictions

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:47 pm
    Twitter will now comply with international governments to remove Tweets, some cry censorshipThe good people at Twitter made a significant announcement on their blog recently, which figures for the alteration of two aspects of their widely popular micro-blogging service. First, they announced a new policy of compliance with countries wishing to censor content on Twitter, "for historical or cultural reasons." The culturally defined reasons cited by Twitter were how the federal governments in France and Germany, understandably, prohibit pro-Nazi rhetoric in public forums. However, people in the…

  • Facebook 'Likes,' what are they good for?

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:03 pm
    Study shows only 1% of Facebook fans of a given brand engage with that brand in the real worldYou often hear companies bragging over how many "likes" on Facebook they've managed to rack up, as if operating under the assumption that social network popularity translates to brand monetization. However, an AdWeek report citing new research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute calls foul on this thinking, claiming that only 1% of Facebook fans of a given brand actually engage with that brand in the real world. Researchers collected data by watching one of Facebook's own metrics called "People Talking…

  • Facebook IPO anticipated next week

    27 Jan 2012 | 2:25 pm
    After halting secondary trading, Facebook IPO paperwork expected WednesdayThe world may soon get a peek at all the nitty gritty financials of Facebook -- perhaps even by Friday. Facebook may be filing for IPO as soon as Wednesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sources close to Facebook are looking at a valuation between $75 billion and $100 billion as it raises up to $10 billion for a market debut. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs look to be involved in the significant undertaking in what would be the biggest Internet tech IPO since Google. This talk comes shortly after…

  • Google spent $1.9B acquiring 79 companies in 2011

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:19 pm
    Google spent double the amount in acquisitions in 2011 as in 2010, and that's not counting MotorolaWith 79 company acquisitions during 2011, Google could be considered the most acquisitive company last year. And that pace isn't expected to let up.   The company filed its annual10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday, showing that the company spent $1.9 billion in cash and stock acquiring 79 different companies during the course of 2011.  While this amount is almost double that spent in 2010, when the company spent over $1 billion for 48 acquisitions, this isn't…

  • Twitter Brand pages to be upgraded for major spenders

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm
    As soon as Feb. 1, we could see more brand pages, gaming, shopping on Twitter siteNo one can claim that Twitter is resting on its laurels when it comes to getting brands to work with them. Reports are coming out that next week Twitter will expand who, what and how brands advertise on the popular microblogging platform. While Twitter introduced a limited selection of brand pages in December, which 20+ companies got invitations to start, Feb.1 could mark the day that more companies roll out brand pages and new functions as long as they've already commited $25,000, according to AdAge. Currently,…
 
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    Small Business Labs

  • The Rise of Co-ops

    Steve
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    In case you missed the announcement, 2012 is the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives. The UN defines cooperatives as: "Cooperatives are business enterprises owned and controlled by the very members that they serve. Their member-driven nature is one of the most clearly differentiating factors of cooperative enterprises. This fact means that decisions made in cooperatives are balanced by the pursuit of profit, and the needs and interests of members and their communities." According to The International Co-operative Alliance (a co-op trade association) there are over 1…

  • Living With Mom and Dad

    Steve
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    Salon has a good interview with the author of The Accordion Family - Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents and the Private Toll of Global Competition.  The book covers the trend towards young adults living with their parents.   This is not a new trend.  The share of Americans living in multi-generational households has been trending up since 1980.   But due to the Great Recession there's been an acceleration in the numbers of young adults living with their parents. Key quote from the Salon article: "According to the Census Bureau, the number of 25- to…

  • Income Inequality Not Caused by Independent Work

    Steve
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    GigaOm's Independent Work: Another Cause of Income Inequality and Maclean's The End of the Job look at the issues around independent work and income inequality. The key quote comes from Maclean's: "The rise of the contract worker may also be having a more wide-scale impact than previously realized. A growing gap between rich and poor in countries like Canada has been blamed, in part, on a growing number of poor quality jobs. There’s also mounting evidence to suggest that the rise of the throwaway worker has made recent recessions more painful and longer-lasting. Temp…

  • Shell Opening Business Centers in Gas Stations

    Steve
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    A few years ago we worked on a "future of gas stations" project for a major oil company.  One of our forecasts was that gas stations would offer business center services (Internet access, printers, office space, etc.) to motorists.   The client didn't agree.   So as you can imagine, I was pleased to see that Shell Oil (not the oil company we worked with) is starting a business center pilot project in Europe.  They are working with business center leader Regus to open business centers at several of their gas stations.  The first is open outside…

  • Is it Morning in America Again?

    Steve
    20 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    New Geography's This is America's Moment, If Washington Doesn't Blow It covers the trends driving a potential resurgence in America's economic power.   The trends listed in the article are: growing U.S. energy production demographic shifts favoring the U.S. the agricultural boom manufacturing returning the U.S U.S companies dominating the IT industry Increasing levels of foreign investment in the U.S. We've covered all these trends and agree they heavily favor the U.S.  We also agree that the biggest issue facing the country is a dysfunctional government.
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    Ben Parr's Entrepreneurial Musings

  • Likes, Retweets, Comments & the Rise of the Validation Society

    Ben Parr
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:41 pm
    Tweet Not too long ago, my co-founder and I were deep in investor prep and product design (announcements coming soon) when we started talking about the emotional appeal and “stickiness” of our product. When you’re building a consumer-oriented product, creating an emotional connection with the user is central to success. We were fascinated by the fantastic Plancast post-mortem by founder Mark Hendrickson. While the entire thing is worth a read, this is the paragraph that stuck out to me: “Most social networks feed primarily on vanity, in that they allow people to share…

  • Surprise! RIM’s Stock Price Plummets

    Ben Parr
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pm
    Tweet Ouch. This is what happens when you delude yourself into thinking things are fine. RIM needs an outsider, not an insider, to fix things.

  • Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time + Minecraft = Awesome [Video]

    Ben Parr
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am
    Tweet A group of people decided that they wanted to recreate Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Minecraft. It’s called Hyrulecraft, and the results are simply spectacular. They redid everything: Hyrule, dungeons, all the little towns… everything but Gannon himself. They’re working on adding NPCs, quests and game mechanics, though. Excuse me, I’m going to fire up Minecraft now. If you want to try it out, it’s sever 64.79.106.218. Image courtesy of Hyrulecraft

  • RIM Is Still Delusional About Its Bleak Future

    Ben Parr
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:19 pm
    Tweet RIM announced on Sunday that its longtime co-CEOs are stepping down. It decided to make the announcement during the Giants-49ers game, which I’m sure they knew would dominate Twitter and the news media. While the move was absolutely necessary if the company was to turn things around, its announcement gives me absolutely no confidence that its new CEO, former co-COO Thorsten Heins, can right the ship. Here are a few quotes from the company’s press release that give me pause. All of the quotes are from Heins: “Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased…

  • Y Combinator’s Short-sighted and Irresponsible Declaration of War Against Hollywood

    Ben Parr
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm
    Tweet Y Combinator, one of the most influential investment funds in Silicon Valley, declared war on Hollywood on Friday. I wish they had really thought through the unintended consequences of their call to arms, because lots of innocent people are about to get hurt. Y Combinator is essentially asking for entrepreneurs to take on the Hollywood establishment. In return, Y Combinator will fund them. Hollywood tried to mortally wound the web through SOPA and PIPA, but we repelled them, but YC believes (rightly so) that Hollywood will try again to harm the web, so it has decided to take the fight…
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    Mixergy - For ambitious upstarts and startups

  • The Insanely Powerful Way To Get PAYING Customers From Facebook (Without Spending A Dime)

    Joe Mixergy Editor
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Premium Members: get the FULL course here The Insanely Powerful Way To Get PAYING Customers From Facebook (Without Spending A Dime)     Get the FULL course Or give feedback   Frequently asked questions Who’s leading this course? The course will be taught by Nathan Latka. He is the founder of this website,Lujure, which helps businesses create custom fan pages in under 30 seconds. Is this just a SAMPLE? What you’re watching above is the first few sections of the course. It’s meant to be useful on its own, but I hope you’ll get the full course too.

  • Visual Website Optimizer: Solo Bootstrapper Lands 1,000 Paying Customers – with Paras Chopra

    Andrew Warner
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    This is the conversion course we mentioned in the interview. How does a solo entrepreneur in India bootstrap a profitable company with about 1,000 paying customers? I’ve been waiting to do this interview for a long time, but when first talked to this guest I urged him not to do the interview and we both agreed. Now I think it’s time to do it. Today’s guest is Paras Chopra, the founder of Wingify, which makes Visual Website Optimizer, a dead-simple A/B testing and split testing software for marketers. Watch the FULL program Prefer audio? Great! “Right click” here for the…

  • Why The Loooooong Sales Letter Works And Other Surprising Sales Hacks – with Ramit Sethi

    Andrew Warner
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Ramit put all the material he refers to in this interview on this page. A few months ago, I noticed that a well-known tech entrepreneur was quickly removing a doc off his computer screen. I guess I have sharp eyes because I saw what it was and quickly asked him, “Why do you have Ramit Sethi’s sales letter on your computer?” He flashed me a smile and said, “That guy knows how to sell!” Seems he was doing what a lot of other entrepreneurs have done, deconstructing Ramit’s sales letters to figure out how to use Ramit’s tactics in his business. But you…

  • Notifo’s Founder: “My Startup Is Dead.” See What He Learned – with Chad Etzel

    Andrew Warner
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    What does a founder learn from launching and shutting down an unsuccessful startup? One of Mixergy’s missions is to talk to successful entrepreneurs and really deconstruct what they did. But, more importantly, I want to show something that you don’t really see much in books, in the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. And that is, a reverence for, and an understanding of, why an entrepreneur failed, why a business didn’t work. Chad Etzel is the founder of Notifo, a simple and affordable way to add notifications to a web app or project. I invited him here to talk…

  • [NSFW] This Is How “Hate Marketing” Makes $3.5 Million/Year – with Timothy Sykes

    Andrew Warner
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:20 am
    You know all those impolite things you’re dying to say but hold back because they might hurt someone’s feelings or prevent you from making some business deal? Timothy Sykes says them…loudly…with a sly grin. Grab this interview and see how Tim turned that attitude into a $3.5 million a year business that includes a collection of financial sites which spun off of the following he built at TimothySykes.com, his blog and stock-picking site. (After you watch this interview, go catch Tim’s history on Mixergy: Tim Sykes builds his brand, Tim Sykes insults his customers…
 
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    DEMO Conference Blog

  • DEMO Spring 2012: Call for Launch Applications

    DEMO Conference Team
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    The nationwide DEMO Innovation tour is back! DEMO Executive Producer Matt Marshall and the DEMO team will travel around the country to hold meetings in key VC offices with entrepreneurs considering a product for the DEMO Spring 2012 event. Tour stops in February include Palo Alto, Boston, Austin and Boulder. Learn more and apply for a meeting spot today!         Read more

  • DEMO Enterprise Disruption is coming Jan 5

    DEMO Conference Team
    19 Dec 2011 | 2:55 pm
    DEMO Enterprise Disruption Event- 1/5/2012 | Final Weeks to Apply to Demonstrate or Register to Attend Read more

  • College students (and other tech startup addicts): We want you!

    Matt Marshall
    12 Dec 2011 | 1:50 pm
    VentureBeat, as mentioned, is kicking off 2012 by co-hosting a special event in San Francisco on January 5, focused on disruption in the enterprise. Read more

  • NYC companies: Get feedback from VentureBeat and RRE Ventures

    Matt Marshall
    23 Nov 2011 | 10:26 am
    If you’re based in New York and looking to launch your next big tech product, join us for a private feedback session on December 13 with one of the city’s most respected venture capital groups, RRE Ventures. Read more

  • Celebrate DEMO Enterprise: a blowout evening with Woz and more

    Matt Marshall
    22 Nov 2011 | 4:23 pm
    We are thrilled to announce that VentureBeat will be kicking off 2012 by co-hosting a special event in San Francisco on January 5, focused ostensibly on disruption in the enterprise. But one of the real reasons we’re doing this is to throw a massive holiday party. Read more
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    Sophia Perl of Wisdom

  • 10 ideas to make meetings more efficient

    Sophia Perl
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:13 am
    Do you need ideas to make your meetings more efficient?  Here are some ideas that I’ve collected along the way.  I do not claim that they are my ideas and I have not tried all of them.  Have fun! Conduct meeting without tables and chairs aka standing up – studies show meeting times will be cut in half! Money jar for late comers or no-shows – make it hurt (financially) to be late or miss a meeting, use that money to buy the team beer or donate to charity Take a moment of silence after a major decision – reflect on decision, give time for last minute objections, let…

  • Realtime Hadoop usage at Facebook

    Sophia Perl
    15 Nov 2011 | 12:14 am
    Last week, Dhruba Borthakur, Hadoop Engineer at Facebook, gave a talk about realtime Hadoop usage at Facebook, mainly for Facebook messages. Hadoop is open source software for distributed computing. It consists of two main parts – Hadoop distributed file system, a distributed file system with high throughput, and Hadoop MapReduce, a software framework for processing large data sets. And then there’s HBase which is a columnar key value store on top of Hadoop. To handle large amounts of data (e.g., BigData), many companies are using a front end cache (e.g., memcached) or having…

  • LivingSocial’s UI beats Groupon’s on iPhone

    Sophia Perl
    9 Nov 2011 | 12:19 am
    I am always intrigued by great iPhone app designs. There’s a website that has a bunch of examples of great app designs. So it got me thinking, I should do an analysis of the two most popular local daily deal sites, Groupon and Living Social, on the iPhone. Why not? Let the UI battle begin! First up is LivingSocial. Overall, I like LivingSocial’s app more than Groupon’s app. I really like the way LivingSocial presents the deal details page (third screen). It is very clean with a lot of white space around the text. The price is big with the text color orange. I’ve always…

  • Quick tips to increase your website conversions

    Sophia Perl
    6 Nov 2011 | 12:16 am
    For Sophia Perl of Wisdom, I use Google Analytics to track traffic and conversions.  I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.  Google Analytics (GA) is a great tool to track your web goals.  You should know what you expect from your users and then use GA to see if that indeed happens (e.g., test that your assumption is right or wrong). Let’s take an example of an e-commerce website wanting to increase shopping cart conversions (e.g., completed purchases). One of the first things to look at is where customers are entering and leaving the website.  This will give you a general…

  • Social media for the newbies

    Sophia Perl
    2 Nov 2011 | 12:04 am
    Last weekend, I ventured out to southern California for a weekend trip.  I met up with some old friends who aren’t in the biz (aka tech world).  One friend said that she was still figuring out the whole social media thing.  The first things that came to mind were Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  I thought to myself, what’s there to know?  So this posting is to help my friend and others who are completely clueless.  If you are familiar with GTL (Jersey Shore reference), I’m going to call these three FTL. Facebook What is it?  An online social network where you can add…
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    The Businessmakers Radio Show

  • Henry Richardson - Define Body

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Esther Freedman
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    With so many exercise options available, how does a fitness enthusiast differentiate his company to result in THIS level of success? It might be an issue of passion, but he’s also very focused on his vision. And he’s talking to US! Esther Steinfeld Freedman visits with the founder of DEFINE Body & Mind, former competitive diver Hank Richardson.

  • School of Business 01/21/2012

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Russ Capper|John Beddow
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    Russ and John present the show that champions our meritocracy system (we use the big words in this show). Capitalism encourages entrepreneurism. Includes: the BusinessMakers Quote of the Week—folksy wisdom from American humorist Mark Twain; This Week in Business History includes the launch of the Lincoln Motor Co., creation of the wonderful Eskimo Pie (in 1922!), the first LEGO blocks and Play-Doh; the Jargon Challenge Round—trendy technospeak that YOU should know; and Dumb Moments in Business—Don’t let your cruise ship captain show off.

  • Mark Floreani - Flocasts

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Russ Capper
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    Russ visits with repeat guest Mark Floreani, founder of online sports media company Flocasts. This is a follow-up to our interview with Mark in August 2011 during which he introduced the concept for his company. (As a former track star and absolute sports freak, Mark is the perfect person to establish a media company to broadcast and cover underserved sports.) This interview was recorded on site at Team USA’s Olympic trials for marathon runners in the 2012 London Games.

  • Women Mean Business - Gina Luna

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Leisa Holland-Nelson
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    WMB host Leisa Holland-Nelson, president of ContentActive, interviews Gina Luna, CEO of commercial banking for JP Morgan Chase.

  • PKF Texas: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook® - International Taxes

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Greg Price
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    Are you expanding overseas? Greg Price visits with Rafael Carsalade to discuss international tax.
 
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    Up and Running

  • How to Negotiate with Prospective Investors

    Alan Gleeson
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm
    Image via CrunchBase Raising finance is a time consuming process and can also be quite stressful (particularly as time progresses). There may be some date in the future where your current trading position is no longer sustainable (which has brought you to the table in the first place). It is worth remembering that you need to recognise that the more desperate your situation, the more vulnerable you will be, which will typically result in poor decisions. Hence the sooner you can commence the process the better. Similarly, if the investment is for growth capital, as opposed to capital to keep…

  • 5 Quick and Easy Info Sources About Angel Investment

    Tim Berry
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    If you’re looking for angel investors, then I have a resource list for you. This is a tiny fraction of good resources, more a “start-here” list than a good list. Start with gust.com’s knowledge section. Gust.com (pronounced like a gust of wind) is a platform for angel investment, grouping together several hundred angel investor groups and thousands of angel investors. The knowledge section there includes a great collection of useful short videos from experts, and a blog (on which I’m proud to say I post often). And gust.com is free, by the way, at least free for…

  • 21 Reasons You’ll Fail at Marketing

    Carolyn Higgins
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pm
    I don’t know what it is about Marketing, but everyone on earth seems to think they can do it. And yet I see so many people NOT doing it or wasting thousands of dollars and not getting results.  I see business owners try the same things over and over,  wasting more money, more time, and more energy. If I had 1/10th of what business owners waste on stuff that doesn’t work, I’d be the most successful marketing consultant on the planet.  And yet, so many business owners would rather go it alone and try and fail and try again and fail again rather than reach out and get professional…

  • The Benefit of Market Research

    monique
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:52 pm
    Market research is a very important step for all startups as, amongst other things, it helps you understand whether your offering is likely to generate demand. Once you have a clear sense of who your customers are, the following represent some additional things to think about: Where are these customers? How many customers are there? What do they require from your product or service? How you intend to reach them? In looking to answer these questions focus on these overall understanding you are trying to develop with relation to your clientele and market: Understand where your customers are. If…

  • Friday Infographic: McMetrics

    monique
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:50 pm
       
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    Startup Lawyer

  • Avoid Offensive Liquidation Preferences

    Ryan Roberts
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:18 pm
    In most equity financing rounds, an investor will ask for (and get) a term called a liquidation preference. A liquidation preference is the amount that must be paid to a preferred stock holder before any sale proceeds may be paid to the holders of common stock (i.e., founders, option holders, etc.). The amount of the liquidation preference is usually expressed as a multiple, with the most common liquidation preference being “1X non-participating.” This means that in the event the investor elects to use the 1x non-participating preference, the investor will receive up to 1 times…

  • Delaware Franchise Taxes

    Ryan Roberts
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pm
    If you haven’t already received your Delaware franchise tax statement in the mail, then it’s probably on the way. You have to give credit to Delaware — they make paying your corporation’s franchise taxes “thrilling.” For example, if you authorized 10,000,000 shares of common stock in your certificate of incorporation, you will receive a franchise tax bill stating “$75,075″ as the amount owed. This total is computed based on your startup’s number of authorized shares. But it’s a good thing for your startup that Delaware offers an…

  • Hello World!

    Ryan Roberts
    5 Jan 2012 | 9:17 am
    Wow, 2011 was a busy year. My clients put together a nice amount of seed and venture financings in 2011. On the home front, my wife and I experienced the arrival of our 3rd new addition to the family. In fact, she even let me revise a term sheet in maternity triage about 45 minutes before delivery. (startup/lawyer pro tip: Don’t try that with your 1st or 2nd baby.) Thus, I didn’t have much time to write in 2011 and this blog was essentially in maintenance mode. However, the stats for this blog were up (259k visits in 2011 compared to 163k visits in 2010). Look for more posts in…

  • Startup Weekend Dallas November 18th – 20th

    Ryan Roberts
    9 Nov 2011 | 8:55 am
    The 5th edition of Startup Weekend Dallas will be held at the Gravity Centre in Plano, Texas next weekend (November 18-20, 2011). Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable. On average, half of Startup Weekend’s attendees have technical backgrounds, the other half have business backgrounds. Beginning with open mic pitches on Friday, attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday teams focus on customer development, validating their ideas,…

  • Kryptonite Angel Round Terms

    Ryan Roberts
    22 Aug 2011 | 4:08 pm
    Here’s a list of the top 5 deal terms that cause harm to startups at the seed financing stage and therefore should be avoided: 5. Control “Control” of a startup can manifest itself in various forms such as equal (or investor-favorable) representation on the board of directors or a requirement of obtaining seed investor approval for new hires and/or budget matters. Whatever the form of control, seed investment is way too early to be even thinking about losing any amount of control of your startup. You need to figure out why your potential angel investor wants to control your…
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    Tech Cocktail

  • Plink Rewards Facebook Credits For Your Offline Purchases

    Zach Davis
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:54 pm
    Plink, a Facebook Credits-based loyalty program that rewards Facebook users for their offline purchases, officially launched yesterday. The concept isn’t new: Sign your credit or debit card up on their website, make a purchase from one of the participating restaurants or retailers, and start earning rewards.  What makes Plink different is the blending between offline and online currency.  When a user shops at one of the more than 25,000 participating franchises across the country (including Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, 7-11, Outback Steakhouse, among others), users receive…

  • Startup American Competition: It’s Like the David & Goliath Battle of Startups

    Glen Hellman
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm
    …if there were like 5 Goliaths, and David was a very cranky old man, whose primary weapon was whining instead of a slingshot and the battle took place over a binary digital battlefield instead of the valley of Ellah.  Otherwise, it’s just like David & Goliath 2000 years later. The Startup America Partnership is harnessing the clout of the big Goliath tech rock stars and pitting them in a competition of egos to see who can gather the most startups to register for their Startup Goody Bag. Right now Brad Feld, Managing Director of the Foundry Group in Boulder and the Techstars team…

  • 3 Spectacular Ways to Mess Up Your Brand From an IP Perspective

    Antigone Peyton
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    If you are just starting a business or creating a new product line or service offering, I bet you’re struggling to come up with a name for it. That’s not surprising—good branding is hard work. It takes dedicated time, thoughtfulness, and research. Here are three sure-fire ways from an intellectual property perspective that can really mess up your brand. Pick a name or theme that’s not special Novices tend to pick words and phrases that don’t help their business stand out among their competitors. You need to pick words that don’t automatically evoke a mental association to the type…

  • Twitter to Censor Tweets in Some Countries

    Kira M. Newman
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:11 am
    Well, Twitter didn’t exactly use the word “censor.” But “withholding” particular tweets after they’re posted sounds like censorship to me: “Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country – while keeping it available in the rest of the world. We have also built in a way to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why,” Twitter said in a blog post. Twitter will send emails to users when their tweets are blocked, including who requested the block, and mark the censored content on Twitter…

  • Springboard: Apply by January 29 to Accelerate in London

    Julissa Arce
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, the number of accelerators and incubators is rapidly growing all around the globe.  TechStars not only runs amazing programs themselves, but they also have a network of other independent accelerators in the US and abroad to whom they provide consulting and ongoing assistance. Springboard, which is a TechStars Network member, is helping to accelerate about 10 companies in London this spring.  The deadline to apply is January 29th and grab a chance to cross the Atlantic for an opportunity of a lifetime.  The best part is that Springboard provides…
 
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    Forbes - Entrepreneurs

  • Most New Businesses are Small Businesses

    Scott Shane
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:05 am
    If you hear about someone founding a company, odds are pretty high they are also starting a small business.  That's because almost all companies are started small.

  • Does Apple Really Care?

    Steve Denning
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:54 pm
    Does Apple Really Care? NYT article documents depth and breadth of social problems in Apple's supply chain

  • Good and Better IRS News For Abuse Victims

    Peter J Reilly
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:35 pm
    It is a real tragedy that someone can escape an abusive marriage, only to find themselves being pursued by the IRS for the abuser's tax debts.  How does it happen ? Filing a joint return will usually result in a married couple having a lower federal tax than the total of two married filing separate returns (The total of the two returns as single might be even lower, but that is not an option if you are married).  It is rare for couples or their tax advisers to seriously consider filing separately even for the last year of a marriage.  I believe that this is a…

  • Forbes Update: Our New Model For Journalism And How It Benefits Our Audience

    Lewis DVorkin
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:20 pm
    see photosThomas BroeningClick for full photo gallery: Forbes Covers 2010-2011 (This is the In Brief column I wrote for the current issue of FORBES, dated Feb. 13, 2012.) What I always find so refreshing about FORBES is our clear and consistent mission. We're about entrepreneurial capitalism. I've felt for quite some time

  • Hooking Up With Gen Y - Challenge for Business

    Peter J Reilly
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:20 pm
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    Startup Professionals Musings

  • Keep Term Sheets Simple for Quicker Cash to Spend

    27 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Remember a term sheet agreement is not a deal until the check clears. Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an Angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. But due diligence and paperwork take time, and can change everything. It’s true that Angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. However, there is no set pattern of terms an entrepreneur might be able to anticipate from either. Your best strategy is to bring your own term sheet to the…

  • Great Startups Can Hook an Investor in 60 Seconds

    26 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    An "elevator pitch" is a concise, well-practiced description of your startup and your plan, delivered with conviction and enthusiasm, that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. Everybody knows about these, but few people seem to deliver a good one. A good elevator pitch is not just for an elevator discussion. Use it in every networking situation and business conference introduction. The elevator pitch should be the first few paragraphs of your business plan, your executive summary, your investor presentation, and the first page of…

  • 10 Ways Top Business Leaders Avoid The Loneliness

    25 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    One of the toughest things about running a business is the feeling of loneliness and isolation. You are on your own and nobody supports you because it’s hard for them to see what you see and feel the excitement that you feel at the critical stages. This is especially true if you run your small business from home. The leadership position alone can cause loneliness and disconnectedness, and that sometimes results in self-defeating behaviors. If your personality already leans toward narcissism, being the boss will likely bring out the worst in you, leading to intimidation, deception, and the…

  • A Smart Business Knows 8 Ways to Pivot Their Vision

    22 Jan 2012 | 8:24 am
    One of the hottest buzzword for startups these days is “pivot.” The term, introduced by entrepreneur and venture advisor Eric Ries in an article on Lessons Learned a couple of years ago, is properly used to describe smart startups that change direction quickly, but stay grounded in what they've learned. They keep one foot in the past and place one foot in a new possible future. Over time, this pivoting may lead them a bit away from their original vision, but not away from the common principles that link each step. The pivot has to leverage previous learning about customers, technology,…

  • 10 Hiring Shortcuts No Young Company Can Afford

    19 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Every startup with any traction quickly reaches a point where they need to hire employees to grow the business. Unfortunately, this always happens when pressures are the highest, and business processes are ill-defined. At this point you need superstars and versatile future executives, yet your in-house hiring processes and focus are at their weakest. The result is a host of hiring mistakes that sink many young companies, or take years to fix. The solution is to never forget that hiring is a top priority task for the CEO, which should never be delegated, and which often has to supersede the…
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    Presentation Zen

  • Hans Rosling: The Jedi Master of data visualization

    Garr
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:31 am
    Dr. Hans Rosling is one of my presentation heroes; he's been featured or mentioned in all my books and several times on presentationzen.com over the years. If there is a Jedi Master of presenting data clearly, visually, and simply, then it is Hans. He proves time and time again, that data are not dull—and when you are trying to change the world, there is no excuse for boring presentations. Most people are aware of Dr. Rosling through his popular TED Talks, but just in case you've never seen him present, below is a nice 5-minute piece he did on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. At TED.com you'll…

  • New: Presentation Zen (2nd Edition)

    Garr
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:36 am
    Four years ago my first book Presentation Zen was published by Peachpit Press. Since then I wrote two other presentation books and a sketchbook/storyboard book and a DVD (plus an additional DVD/Book just for Japan). Although a lot of time had passed, I was still happy with the original Presentation Zen. And yet, the original Presentation Zen book could benefit from a little freshening up in the form of a 2nd edition for 2012. This 2nd edition of Presentation Zen has the same look and feel as the original book and I still did all the design and layout myself. The biggest difference is the book…

  • 10 great books to help you think, create, & communicate better in 2012

    Garr
    10 Jan 2012 | 6:54 am
    In the spirit of personal kaizen, I have listed below a few books that I read (or reread) over the past year that you may want to read as part of your own continuous improvement journey. (Clicking on the book's icon takes you to Amazon.com.) (1) Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long. Over the last 10-20 years scientists have made many remarkable discoveries concerning the brain and how it works. David Rock is not a neuroscientist but he is a good "neurotranslator" of the scientific evidence and does a good job of…

  • Progress and the intentional selection of less

    Garr
    30 Dec 2011 | 7:26 pm
    Many people today talk about presentation technology as if it were a panacea for boring lectures and ineffective presentations. Technologies such as our laptops, iPads, and cool software packages are wonderful tools that can, when used well, increase the quality of communication and engagement. This is especially true when we need to engage with people live on the other side of the planet via tools like video conferencing, webinars, Skype, and so on. However, while technology has evolved in dramatic ways over the last generation, our deep human need for visceral connections, and personal…

  • Steve Jobs: "People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint"

    Garr
    20 Dec 2011 | 7:12 am
    One thing we need to constantly remind ourselves is that slides and other forms of projected visualization—no matter how "cool" they may be—are not appropriate for every context. Multimedia is great for presentations before large groups such as keynote addresses or conference presentations, but in meetings where you want to actively discuss issues or go over details in depth, slides—especially the snooze-inducing bulletpoint variety, which are never a good idea—are almost always counter productive. I stressed early on in the first version of Presentation Zen four years ago—and ad…
 
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    Great Demo!

  • “Before I demo to you, why don’t you demo to me…?”

    Peter E. Cohan
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:34 am
    “Before I demo to you, why don’t you demo to me what you arecurrently using?”  If a customer has anexisting software system, this can be a wonderful way to understand the strengths,weaknesses and gaps in their current system – particularly from the customer’s point of view.  They’ll tell you what they like, what theyhate, what’s missing and a range of other delightful Discovery information.Additionally, this also inverts the traditional process of thevendor presenting to the customer, to one of the customer presenting to the vendor – an experience often rememberedby…

  • Practice Your Mouse Movements… All The Time!

    Peter E. Cohan
    16 Jan 2012 | 2:03 pm
    For some people presenting demonstrations, moving the mouse smoothlyand deliberately occurs naturally.  Forothers, it can be a real challenge!  Here’sa quick tip:  practice moving your mouseas if you are delivering a demo allof the time.  The “muscle memory”associated with constant practice will reward you when you are in the heat of atough demo – and can’t invest time to think about how best to move yourmouse.   When we are mousing for ourselves, our mouse movements tendto follow the motion of our eyes.  So, ifwe are hunting for a specific…

  • A Novel Thought About Screening Candidates For Presales Positions

    Peter E. Cohan
    4 Jan 2012 | 9:50 am
    How do we assess theskills and competence of candidates for presales positions?  I look carefully at resumes, but there is awonderful expression that “you are perfect twice in your life:  once when you are born and the second time onyour resume…”  References are important,of course, as are typical interview questions.  However, I like to ask candidates for three additional opportunities toevaluate them:1.      Ask them to do apresentation on a subject near and dear to their hearts to evaluate theirability to “tell” (many hiring…

  • Early January Is Demo Skills Assessment Time!

    Peter E. Cohan
    2 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm
    The start of the New Year… what a terrific time to perform anassessment of your own or your team’s demo skills!  Doing an assessment now establishes abaseline for measuring change and improvement during the course of the year –and it only takes about 10 minutes per assessment.For Yourself:  Do anassessment of yourself.  Have yourmanager do an assessment of you.  Haveyour peers do assessments of their perceptions of your skills.  Then compare…For Your Team:  Do thesame process, essentially – have each team member do an assessment of their ownskills; do…

  • ‘Twas the Night Before The Big Demo

    Peter E. Cohan
    21 Dec 2011 | 6:03 pm
    ‘Twas the Night Before The Big Demo(with apologies toClement Clarke Moore) ‘Twas the night ‘fore the demo and all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, ‘cept my SC and his mouse;I’d proposed a big licensing deal with great careIn hopes a big order soon would be there;Management was restless and not in their bedsAs visions of bonuses danced in their heads;And my VP with his forecast and me with my own,Had just started a long EOQ roam,When out from my mobile there came a great ring-tone,I sprang from my chair to answer my phone,What could it be?  Wasit good news or…
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    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

  • TEEN FICTION: 'Talent In New York'

    The Huffington Post News Editors
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:26 am
    This is a regular column featuring original fiction by and for high school students, provided by Figment.com, an online community writing site for young people.Lindsey Grant.I barely recognized her, but she wasn't washed up; not quite, not completely. The scuffs on her shoes were telling, but she wasn't nearly as far gone as the rest of the girls that came to see Roger.Read More... More on Video

  • High School Graduation: Four Students Discuss Obstacles To Success

    The Huffington Post News Editors
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:17 am
    This is a teen-written article from our friends at Youth Communication, a nonprofit organization that helps marginalized youth develop their full potential through reading and writing.Rafiat, 19, says that five years from now, she hopes to be “heading into my first year of getting my master’s degree.” She hasn’t always been as committed to education. After several years of cutting school, she moved to Texas, caught up, and is now finishing her final semester in Brooklyn, New York. She will graduate in June.Matthew, 21, fell behind in school, but caught up just in time. The…

  • Mary-Pat Hector: Teen Impact: Finalist #6

    Mary-Pat Hector
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:53 pm
    I created a national campaign, Shake Off Violence, beginning with a 90-day ceasefire. The purpose of the campaign is to raise public awareness about youth violence and to promote peace.Read More... More on Video

  • Imran Cronk: Teen Impact: Finalist #7

    Imran Cronk
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:40 pm
    If more people my age are empowered to impact the world for the better by being given positions of leadership and responsibility, we will form a tidal wave of change and social good.Read More... More on Teen Impact

  • Antara Afrin: Music Makes Us Who We Are

    Antara Afrin
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 pm
    Everyone should be allowed to seek their story through their music, be it rap or country -- it is still a way of expressing ourselves.Read More... More on Music
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    youngentrepreneurfoundation.wordpress.com

  • Mentoring and Reverse Mentoring: The Key to Entrepreneurial Self-Confidence. 10 steps for Parents, Teens, and Gen Y at Work and at Home

    kathykormanfrey
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:44 pm
    Jordan grew up in the generation in which – stop me if you’ve heard this, “Everyone got a trophy.”  What does this mean, exactly? A recent article in the Washington Post citing learning mastermind Dr. Carol Dweck helps us understand that “self-esteem on a platter” is not cutting it, and how important the feedback and correction cycle is to building true effectiveness for the next generation. Feedback? Correction? This is the kind of thing entrepreneurs focus on every day. These exact lessons – the ones entrepreneurs are forced to experience daily – are the exact model…

  • Top 5 Resources for Young Social Entrepreneurs

    kathykormanfrey
    22 Dec 2011 | 3:29 pm
    The buzz of social entrepreneurship is on. It inhabits dormitory halls and high schoolers’ texts. It’s well beyond a trend. Social entrepreneurship is a movement. Well-known leader of the pack Ashoka has the following thought-provoking statement on its website: Over the past two decades, the citizen sector has discovered what the business sector learned long ago: There is nothing as powerful as a new idea in the hands of a first-class entrepreneur. Here are some go-to places, in key must-know categories, to keep yourself apprised of developments in the social entrepreneurship…

  • Update: Deadline for Young Entrepreneur Awards Scholarship Now January 4

    kathykormanfrey
    1 Dec 2011 | 3:12 pm
    Young Entrepreneur Awards The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards program was established to raise awareness among the nation’s youth of the critical role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play in the building of America. Since 2003, the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation has awarded 2,095 scholarships to graduating high school seniors totaling $2,382,000. Students are encouraged to apply for our awards beginning October 1, 2011. The original application deadline was December 15, 2011. This has been extended until January 4, 2012. Apply Now NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards are open…

  • MTV and the White House Support Young Entrepreneurs for National Entrepreneurship Month

    kathykormanfrey
    1 Dec 2011 | 2:57 pm
    Scott Gerber Welcomes Young Entrepreneurs The entertainment industry and Washington love each other, but, now it’s starting earlier.  MTV’s Sway Calloway – who started his own record label among other entrepreneurial ventures – moderated a panel of rockstars this past Monday at the White House. But these were young rockstar entrepreneurs Tina Wells, Alexis Ohanian and Nick Friedman sharing their business-building experiences. In addition social entrepreneur Scott Gerber, founder of  the Young Entrepreneur Council, made welcoming remarks and Also in attendance were…

  • Scary Entrepreneur Stories for Halloween: Jared T. Schlosnagle Overcomes a Challenge

    kathykormanfrey
    31 Oct 2011 | 11:41 am
    All entrepreneurs have business challenges. But try being a teenager and taking it on! That takes grit. This “Scary Halloween Story” and fantastic lesson presented to you by the owner of Chelsea’s Eggs. Name:  Jared T. Schlosnagle Business:  Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs About: Jared Schlosnagle of Pleasureville, KY,  has been involved in the egg farming business since age 10, and today owns Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs, which distributes to retailers and grocery stores such as Whole Foods. Bragging rights: Jared was selected as a top five finalist for 2011 Young…
 
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    Young Entrepreneur - Small Business & Entrepreneur Community » Blog

  • Amp up Your Revenue Now – with Video

    Tim Gray
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Think you need to be a big time player to deploy e-commerce video on your business’ website? Think again. Adding e-commerce video online is no longer the domain of top retailers. Shrinking costs and increasing benefits of using video is moving many smaller businesses to give the flexible and entertaining platform a shot. In fact, 73 percent of online retailers in 2011used video on product pages, a 55 percent increase from 2010, according to research firm eMarketer. However, uploading a hackneyed, homemade project onto your website isn’t likely to improve your ROI, and might even scare…

  • 10 Do-or-Die Tactics for Facebook Success

    Matthew Toren
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    A couple years ago, having a Facebook page devoted to your business would have been enough. Simply existing on the site had the ability to set one business apart from the rest. Times have changed, though. Boasting over 900 million accounts – both personal and business, Facebook has now gotten to the point where it feels cluttered at times. How can you break through the clutter and make your target audience aware of what you have to offer? Below are 10 tactics that will help your business achieve success on Facebook. 1. Create a Profile That Works Make sure your profile is completely filled…

  • 6 Tips to Get People to Look Past Your Age and See an Expert

    Guest Author
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    You want to make the big deals and the big bucks. However, your hurdle is the fact that your looks and voice haven’t matured as much as your ambition has. You have the disadvantage that your potential clients and business partners think you’re a young cub, rather than a king of industry. Here are some tips to make you the known expert in your industry and not the “kid” in the conference room. Become a virtual real estate tycoon Become the Donald Trump of your market by owning the entire first page of Google. How?  When you publish expert articles in multiple outlets with authority,…

  • Time Management – No, But Really This Time

    Michael Costigan
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    We all want to do more things in less time. It’s a common theme throughout all of corporate America, and it even extends into professions like healthcare, education, and civil service. We can’t rely on the institution we’ve placed ourselves in to help us accomplish this goal. Rather, I believe we must rely on multiple paradigm shifts in our own life. No longer can we say, ‘Oh, I’ll do that tomorrow’, or ‘Staying up an extra hour won’t mean much tonight’. 2012 is a new year, a new opportunity to do new things with our lives, and more importantly, our personal lives. If…

  • Holding Strong: How Working with a Holding Company Benefits You

    Guest Author
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Most start-ups know they can’t go it alone.  They hire consultants, bring in interns, and look into developing relationships with other companies who can increase their chances of success. Because of their desire to prove they can make it on their own merits, many entrepreneurs opt to work with agencies.  Although it’s appealing, developing this kind of relationship would be a mistake. Agency vs. Holding Company Agencies allow entrepreneurs to maintain complete ownership over their companies.  This is a plus, but it’s a catch-22: while agencies don’t take ownership over their…
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    Grade A Entrepreneurs

  • The Macintosh Way by Guy Kawasaki: Ageless Insights into Entrepreneurial Audacity

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:16 pm
    The huge success of Walter Isaacson’s book, Steve Jobs, shows the scope of our fascination for one of the top industry visionaries ever. While most people have come to realize the meaning of Steve Jobs almost in retrospect, for entrepreneurs starting in the eighties, he was already a thought-leader, and the Macintosh was already a metaphor for entrepreneurial audacity. One of the very first books to acknowledge this fact was Guy Kawasaki’s The Macintosh Way in 1990. This was Guy’s first book. His French publisher, Diateino, just published abstracts, Le Style Macintosh,…

  • The End of Business as Usual by Brian Solis

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:33 am
    “What are words for if not to inspire the hearts, minds, and actions of our employees and customers?” Brian Solis asks this before listing a series of buzzwords that operate as “crutches for characterless engagement,” and are “indicative of how businesses see (or don’t see) employees and customers.” His advice is simple: Take a moment to revise the way you speak, before it’s too late. We are getting awfully close to “The end of business as usual,” to use the title of the book. The book is not about doomsday by a futurist, but rather…

  • Digital Leader, 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence by Erik Qualman

    admin
    2 Jan 2012 | 7:14 pm
    Notoriety used to give you a chance to be immortalized with a postage stamp, but “now every single one of us has a digital stamp.” This is the opening statement of Erik Qualman’s new book: Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence. While Qualman’s previous book, Socialnomics*, analyzed the new challenges and opportunities that the social media re-segmentation and restructuring of the market are to present to businesses, Digital Leader focuses on what it means for each of us to be part of the “Glass House Generation,” and what it takes for each…

  • Social Technology in HR and Recruiting by John Sumser: Get a Move On!

    admin
    22 Dec 2011 | 3:49 pm
    By Marylene Delbourg-Delphis I just finished reading The 2012 Index of Social Technology in HR and Recruiting, put together by John Sumser and the HR Examiner team. The report covers initial attempts in leveraging social media in the sourcing and recruiting industry. Although quite a large variety of products are surveyed, the report primarily focuses on the multiple angles through which vendors try to incorporate some form of social element within the HR field. It’s only the beginning, and as the report indicates from the start, we “are entering an era of flux.” The word…

  • Ken Fischer, President of the UMS: Leading by touching people’s lives

    admin
    30 Nov 2011 | 12:59 am
    Twice a year, I look forward to the meeting of the UMS National Council Members, and each time I am struck by the leadership of Kenneth Fischer, the President of the University Musical Society (UMS) in Ann Arbor, MI. Leadership: you know it when you see it… However hard it may be to define, you know it when you see good leadership, especially in a domain like the performing arts, where success cannot be taken for granted. How often do you see packed venuesfor Amahd Jamal, the State Symphony Capella of Russia, John Malkovich, the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre 
of Taiwan, to name some of the…
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    silicontap.com - Silicon Valley High Tech News

  • Stretch Reaches $5.0M In Series C

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pm
    Sunnyvale-based Stretch, a developer of reconfigurable processors for the high speed video and imaging processing market, has raised $5.0M, the first part of an ongoing Series C funding round. The details of the funding were disclosed via a regulatory filing this week. The filing indicates the round is targeted at $7.4M. No details on the funding have been announced by the company. Stretch is venture backed by Menlo Ventures, Oak Investment Partners, and Worldview Technology Partners.... (more) READ MORE>>

  • UrbanSitter Finds $1.75M

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:18 pm
    San Francisco-based UrbanSitter, an online service which uses Facebook to connect parents with babysitters, has raised $1.75M in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm this week. The filing indicates thirteen investors participated in the funding. The funding included First Round Capital, Rustic Canyon Partners, Menlo Ventures and angels, according to reports from AllThingsD. UrbanSitter's service allows parents to search for, book, and review babysitters via Facebook. READ MORE>>

  • Facebook IPO Filing Due Next Week, Says Report

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:12 pm
    Mountain View-based Facebook is getting set to file for its IPO, according to reports, in what could be one of the biggest IPOs this year. No details of the IPO have been filed yet, but the WSJ reports Morgan Stanley is the lead underwriter on the deal READ MORE>>

  • HydroNovation Gets Series B

    26 Jan 2012 | 5:33 pm
    San Francisco-based HydroNovation, which develops water purification and conditioning systems aimed at both the residential and food service markets, has scored an investment from 3M New ventures. 3M New Ventures announced the deal on Thursday, but did not disclose any financing terms. Clean Pacific Ventures also participated in the funding. HydroNovation said it uses electro-deionization to treat water, eliminating the need for chemical additives and salt which are typically used in water softeners. A recent regulatory filing indicates that the round was worth $3.25M. READ MORE>>

  • Signature Labs Launches Mobile Shopping App

    26 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pm
    San Francisco-based signature Labs, a developer of mobile shopping applications, said Thursday that it has launched its services, after raising $1.1M in a seed funding round. The round came from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Amicus Capital, Triangle Peak Partners, Don Hutchison, and Dave Pell. Signature develops a personal shopping assistant application for mobile devices, focused around connecting people with their favorite brands, sales associates, and retailers. The firm was founded by David Hegarty. The company said the funding actually closed in May of 2011.... (more) READ MORE>>
 
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    Austin Startup

  • MapMyFITNESS Launches New Social Fitness Apps for Facebook Timeline

    Bryan Menell
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:37 am
    MapMyFITNESS, one of the fastest-growing online health and fitness communities, launched a fitness app for Facebook Timeline. The integration enables people to personalize their Facebook Timeline by sharing their fitness activities with friends. “We’re always seeking innovative ways to enable our six million members to express themselves through fitness” The new Timeline integration provides users with an easy means to post their personal fitness accomplishments, favorite routes, workouts and nutrition log to their Facebook Timeline, [...]

  • TechTurn Acquired by Arrow Electronics

    Bryan Menell
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:34 am
    Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced today that it has agreed to acquire TechTurn, Ltd. (“TechTurn”), a leading provider of electronics asset disposition (EAD) services that specializes in the processing and sale of technology devices that are returned or recycled from businesses and consumers. “We are very excited to have the TechTurn team join the Arrow family. This acquisition will strengthen our existing portfolio of services and is a continuation of our global strategy to expand [...]

  • Startup Olympics This Saturday

    Bryan Menell
    19 Jan 2012 | 4:38 pm
    The Olympic Games have borne many legends – Jesse Owens, Mary Lou Retton, Michael Phelps, Eddie the Eagle, and the Jamaican Bobsled team, to name a few – all world-class athletic innovators in their respective sports. On Saturday, Jan. 21, a new league of innovative legends will emerge during the inaugural Austin Startup Olympics, a grueling 10-event competition featuring eight of Austin’s elite startups – Adlucent, Boundless Network, Build-a-Sign, Mass Relevance, SpareFoot, Spredfast, uShip, and [...]

  • Convio to be Acquired by Blackbaud

    Bryan Menell
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:17 pm
    Blackbaud, the leading provider of software and related services designed for nonprofit organizations, announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Austin-based Convio, a leading provider of on-demand constituent engagement solutions that enable nonprofit organizations to more effectively raise funds, advocate for change and cultivate relationships. There is a story in the Statesman about the deal, but it doesn’t mention the large number of law firms that have filed suit against [...]

  • Protest SOPA: Blackout Tomorrow

    Bryan Menell
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:46 pm
    To  help raise awareness of the SOPA act, websites like Wikipedia and Google are going to either be blacked out, or take some other drastic action. A prototype of the Wikipedia blackout page is below. What Austin-based websites will join in the protest?
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    Escape From Cubicle Nation

  • A concrete example of how to get yourself to “do the work”

    Pamela
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:56 pm
    Golden Gloves contender Amanda Wang and Pamela Slim. Photo by proud cousin Abe Cajudo. They say the best way to learn something and reinforce positive behavior is to teach it. So here, 5 minutes after gaining insight while on a walk to Starbucks, is my advice to help you “do the work” (said channeling Steven Pressfield). To watch directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVWDH2QflA What I neglected to say in the video is that exercising even a little bit makes everything feel better! <Enjoy getting back to your regularly scheduled programming. I have a…

  • How to build a powerful and profitable mailing list

    Pamela
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:27 pm
    If you have studied small business marketing, you may have heard the frequent cheer “The money is in The List!” And indeed, creating a strong email marketing list is a powerful foundation for any business, online or offline. In this video, I give you a few things to think about as you are establishing your mailing list, as well as a cardinal sin to avoid. To view this directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xEkc0qEbg More marketing tips coming! At the end of this month, I am going to be opening a new section of Power Boost Marketing for enrollment. Power…

  • Bigger goals mean more resistance – don’t back down!

    Pamela
    12 Jan 2012 | 2:19 pm
    Happy 2012! If you followed my planning videos in December, you may have defined some nice juicy goals for yourself this year. And as you have started to execute those plans, you may have already faced some challenges and resistance from your market. My best advice? Don’t back down. Here’s why:  (Direct link to YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-BbkxIkGQ) Bigger Fish! Pescadotes!

  • What it looks like to walk in the direction of your goals – or not

    Pamela
    11 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    I came across a funny and realistic video yesterday on Facebook by Sonja Alarr, a wildly creative life coach who captures what happens when you want to move towards your goals, but find yourself running in the other direction. (Watch on Vimeo at this direct link: http://vimeo.com/20876606 This was her first video, and I think you will agree with me that she knocked it out of the park. See what happens when you feel the fear and do it anyway? Her tips for getting unstuck and moving toward your goals: Give yourself a hard deadline Get a great teacher Find time to practice Get friends to help…

  • How to step clearly and powerfully into the new year

    Pamela
    3 Jan 2012 | 5:24 pm
    All this new year talk can get overwhelming, can’t it? Between plans, resolutions and goals, it is easy to get frustrated before the first week of January is over. Let’s step back from the pressure of big goals and talk about some practices that will anchor productive behaviors, the key to consistent progress throughout the year. Take a few minutes to jot down responses to these four questions: Question 1: What thought am I going lead with as I take my first step out of bed? My husband often shares a teaching from his grandfather, who was a very wise person and a medicine man. His…
 
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    Rajesh Setty » Blog

  • The Relentless Manifesto

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    21 Jan 2012 | 11:04 pm
    To be relentless is to keep going. The dictionary definition for relentless is “unyieldingly severe.” When you are relentless, you know that stop signs are temporary. The Relentless Manifesto is an invitation to get something done this year. Here is the manifesto for your consideration: The Relentless Manifesto 1. Pick themes that you will be passionate about even after ten years If your themes belong to the “fashion-de-jour” category, there is a good possibility that you may not be able to sustain your interest when the marketplace perceptions for those themes change…

  • Seeing is Believing (Most of the Time)

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pm
    Seeing is believing. Yes, but NOT always. Here is an example. Take a look at this static image. Does not look static, does it? How about this one? And, what about this one? My analysis of the last image is that it was deliberately created to mislead you. How? By simply making the guy sitting on the couch to wear a girl’s pants. Now, let me get to the point. We can convert this disadvantage into an advantage The limits that you think you have are generally illusions. They are that way because you just see and acknowledge them. What if you stop seeing those limits? What would life look…

  • Dave Gardner on Using Social Media to Connect With Big Companies

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:57 am
    Recently, my friend Dave Gardner (president of Gardner & Associates Consulting) shared his story of how he used social media to reach (and start a working relationship with) a big company (Dell.) The story was fascinating and it was very different from the stories that are common out there. The common stories have a general theme of increasing your presence and getting more followers. I am confident that you will enjoy reading what Dave has to say. So, here we go: Rajesh Setty: I understand that you are a member of Dell’s Customer Advisory Panel. How did this come to be? Dave Gardner:…

  • The 30% Factor

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    15 Jan 2012 | 9:17 pm
    Every worthwhile project comes with varying levels of resistance throughout the lifecycle of that project. If you are one of those that can overcome this resistance, not just once, but throughout the lifecycle of the project, you will see the project through completion. On the other hand, if you are one of those people that can’t seem to overcome the resistance at a particular point in the project lifecycle, you will abandon the project. If you are very smart, you will not only abandon the project, you will also come up with one or more brilliant excuses that will absolve your hand in…

  • How much higher education do you need?

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    13 Jan 2012 | 11:34 pm
    This is a dilemma for many professionals and entrepreneurs – a feeling that a bit of higher education may just give them that “edge.” So, here is the question again – “How much higher education do you need?” Short answer: Whatever you need to start making a meaningful contribution to the world. Not less. Not more. Just right. Let us focus on one of the most common higher education options – an MBA. Over these years, I have met thousands of professionals who dream of getting an MBA sooner than later. Upon talking to them a bit more, I realize that for a large majority…
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    Get Elastic Ecommerce Blog

  • Social Networking Stats and Trends From Around the World

    Linda Bustos
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    Kicking off our new weekly feature Infographic Friday are our friends at Invesp Consulting, who have compiled some interesting stats and trends on social networking from around the globe.Why does this matter to ecommerce?We have become a social networking culture, and this behavior is permeating every area of our lives. Even solo activities like using search engines is becoming socialized, as is shopping, travel, education and even work. Ecommerce organizations should be paying attention to the conversation about them, and starting their own conversations in the social-sphere. Innovative…

  • 4 Reasons Why Entitlements Are The Future of Digital Content

    David Chiu
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    Not long ago, owning content meant holding a physical item – either you had a disc in hand, or you didn’t. Distribution and storage may have changed dramatically with digital formats, but ownership was still mostly defined by the files you had on your local device. Remember how iTunes reminded you to back up often or risk losing everything? The entitlement or right to consume content has always been rooted in possession of the content itself.But this model of ownership is becoming problematic as technology and customer sophistication advance. Better connectivity, cloud services, and…

  • Are Your CPCs Out Of Control? 5 Ways To Rein Them In

    Linda Bustos
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    It’s easy to spend too much money on pay-per-click.The infographic below (source) breaks down Google’s top spenders in Google Adwords, but also highlights how CPCs (cost per click) vary across industries.While some of these click prices are not surprising, like for health insurance or wireless Internet deals (high ticket value and/or recurring revenue), others like ‘zumba dance dvd’ are considerably high relative to retail prices. According to Google Shopping, these vids sell between $18 and $90. An average CPC of $5.18, even at the high end of margin, is an alarming…

  • How Bounce Rate Optimization Can Improve Your Search Rankings

    Linda Bustos
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    Straight from Google’s Quality Guidelines comes the mantra for the white-hat SEO community: “Build your site for users, not search engines.” And Google means it.The search giant disclosed its latest algorithm update includes page layout as a ranking factor, with a focus on how much above-the-fold real estate is dedicated to visible content vs. advertising or other distracting, useless shiny things (like splash pages).Google states that customer feedback influenced this change, as it’s no surprise that sites with buried content make for a crummy user experience, as do…

  • How Facebook’s New Open Graph Features Impact fCommerce

    Linda Bustos
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:48 pm
    Facebook announced yesterday regarding its developer platform — namely, new features in its Open Graph are now available to all application developers.The new features were no secret, but we can now see them in action from 60 partner applications involved in the Open Graph Beta including Netflix, Hulu, Zynga, Spotify, Washington Post and Kobo.So what’s the big deal?2 New Features for Facebook Open GraphOpen Graph applications use elements of the development platform to provide ‘frictionless sharing’ to Facebookers’ Timelines and Tickers, which will also appear in friends’…
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    Planning Startup Stories

  • Was it Social Media That Defeated that Bad SOPA/PIPA Bill?

    Tim Berry
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:53 am
    I was delighted to read Vivek Wadhwa’s take on Social media’s role in politics on the Washington Post: To frame this battle properly, a loosely organized group of Internet leaders outwitted a well-funded lobbying organization. And they did so in grand style, convincing dozens of lawmakers to reverse their votes virtually overnight. he goes on to liken this phenomenon to the voice of the people in Egypt and then the rest of the Middle East last Spring. But also something else altogether, this: A sleeping giant — the technology world — finally rose. Google, Mozilla, Reddit,…

  • Do You Like Working Alone, in Teams, or Both?

    Tim Berry
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    Did you perhaps catch The Rise of the New Groupthink on the NYtimes.com last week? Here’s author Susan Cain’s interesting lead … SOLITUDE is out of fashion. Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call the New Groupthink, which holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place. Most of us now work in teams, in offices without walls, for managers who prize people skills above all. Lone geniuses are out. Collaboration is in. But there’s a problem with this view. Research strongly suggests that people are more creative…

  • Asking Your Opinion on Storefront Social Media and Loyalty Programs

    Tim Berry
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    Are you a store owner in the U.S.? Do you know one? I want your opinion on a few things. I’m working up some data on small stores and payment plans and local loyalty programs for some friends of mine. As part of that, I’ve worked up a quick and easy survey — only 10 questions, no names, no email addresses, no sensitive data, just your opinion — that I’d like you to take. Please click here to take that survey I promise: It will take you only a minute or two. Thanks, Tim

  • Good Business Decisions Aren’t Made by Vote

    Tim Berry
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm
    Have you heard this? It’s not mine, I think it’s sort of common knowledge: If the decisions were made by consensus, every wall would be painted beige. As my business grew up from entrepreneurial to stable, we had to redo our decision process. Early on, we sat around, a few of us, discussed and decided. That was when there were 10 or 12 of us. I guess I made a lot of the final decisions, because it was my work, my product, and my company. But it often felt like consensus. And it seemed to work. But it didn’t work forever. After a while — a few years, really, but it…

  • Paul Graham: A Company is Defined by the Schleps It Undertakes

    Tim Berry
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:11 pm
    Paul Graham has posted a(nother) brilliant essay, this one called Schlep Blindness, which is about hackers and startups and “tedious unpleasant tasks” (which he calls schleps, from the Yiddish, and of course popular culture).  Here’s what he says: No one likes schleps, but hackers especially dislike them. Most hackers who start startups wish they could do it by just writing some clever software, putting it on a server somewhere, and watching the money roll in—without ever having to talk to users, or negotiate with other companies, or deal with other people’s broken…
 
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    KK Lifestream

  • Material Libraries

    26 Jan 2012 | 8:39 pm
    Originally posted in Cool Tools There are thousands of types of materials to make things from. The first impulse for most of us is to use known materials like wood, steel, concrete, and glass. But each of those have hundreds of varieties, each with their own properties. How about metallic ceramics? And every year brand new materials are invented. How can one find out what materials are available? One way to become familiar with the vast possibilities of materials is to visit a materials library. That's what professional designers and architectures do when embarking on a project. Maybe what…

  • Flexible LED Strip Lights

    26 Jan 2012 | 4:32 pm
    Originally posted in Cool Tools We installed flexible LED light strips in our kitchen for under cabinet and within cabinet lighting. These are very low energy consumption, cool to the touch, and rated to last for 50,000 hours. The strips are about 1 cm wide and 2 mm thick. The strips come on a spool with a sticky tape side. You press the sticky side to the bottom of the cabinet (or the sides inside) and the strip gives a very diffuse effective and efficient light. They are so thin, you can't really see the light strip itself, only the glow. The strip is a circuit of LEDs in a row. They have…

  • Smart Light Switch

    26 Jan 2012 | 12:35 am
    Originally posted in Cool Tools We just had a new light switch installed in our bathroom, the Lutron Maestro Occupancy Sensor. It is smart and cool, but it needs a user manual! Yes, a manual for a light switch! Because of new building codes, bathroom gear needs to conserve energy by keeping electricity use to a minimum. One way of low use is via LED lights; the other is via a smart switch that has a motion detector built in, which will fade the lights after X minutes if no one moving inside. And it will turn them on when you enter. It also remembers what level the light was last when you turn…

  • Long before Beethoven sat before a piano...

    25 Jan 2012 | 10:49 am
    Originally posted in New Rules ...someone with twice his musical talents was born into a world that lacked keyboards or orchestras. We'll never hear his music because technology and knowledge had not yet uncovered those opportunities. Centuries later the fulfilled opportunity of musical technology gave Beethoven the opportunity to be great. How fortunate we are that oil paints had been invented by the time Van Gogh was ready, or that George Lucas could use film and computers. Somewhere on Earth today are young geniuses waiting for a technology that will perfectly match their gifts. If we are…

  • Changes Ahead

    20 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pm
    Originally posted in Cool Tools Dear Readers, I am making a new book of the Best of Cool Tools. (The last one I did was a small one in 2003.) This will be a large, real paper book and might be available in the fall. In the next few months I will be going through the 10-year archives of this site selecting the the outstanding evergreen tools, the best of the best, and then presenting them in one large book. To date there are more than 3,000 Cool Tool reviews posted here, so there is a lot to choose from. Despite that abundance, in surveying the reviews I've noticed that there are large…
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    Preneur Marketing Blog - Pete Williams | Author Entrepreneur

  • iBook Author: A Warning

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm
    Absolutely; it’s very cool. Absolutely; it makes publishing easy. Absolutely; it’s takes reading to a new level. … but all it is, is a new ‘conTEXT creation tool’ Don’t get distracted by the multi-touch, drag and drop, widget embedding features, and confuse it with a ‘conTENT creation tool’ You’re content still needs to be great and engaging in it’s very own back & white written word right. … oh and don’t get me started on the need to actually market your book if you want it to go anywhere. If that eBook you paid a…

  • A Marketing Framework: Preneur Hierarchy

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:21 am
    A Marketing Framework: Preneur Hierarchy is a post from: Preneur Marketing - The Blog of Entrepreneur Pete Williams Don't miss out on the comments people like you have left, view this post online here: A Marketing Framework: Preneur Hierarchy

  • Hacking The Amazon kindle For Crowdsourced Reading, Speed Reading & Stealing Ideas Every Day

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    3 Jan 2012 | 4:38 pm
    If you want play along at home, check out my Amazon Kindle Profile over at https://kindle.amazon.com/profile/Peter-Williams/1154035 Hacking The Amazon kindle For Crowdsourced Reading, Speed Reading & Stealing Ideas Every Day is a post from: Preneur Marketing - The Blog of Entrepreneur Pete Williams Don't miss out on the comments people like you have left, view this post online here: Hacking The Amazon kindle For Crowdsourced Reading, Speed Reading & Stealing Ideas Every Day

  • What Is Your Word Worth?

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    2 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    If your word was an investment, publicly traded on the share market…. how would the market value your word? Would it be a blue chip? … steady, always reliable but conservative? A volatile share? … some great results, then disappointing everyone… then maybe up again… then down? A seasonal share? … doing well when things are easy, but when things get a little tough dropping off a cliff? How about a dot com? … talking up a good story but not producing any results. ultimately losing everyones trust? What about a penny worthless? … promising better…

  • Going Analogue – Three Reasons Why You Should Be Advertising Offline

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    23 Nov 2011 | 9:07 pm
    In years gone by, it was a struggle to get businesses to start advertising on the Internet.  Most of the time, even large corporations would settle for a couple of online pages of what amounted to little more than a virtual brochure.  Talk about digital marketing methods such as pay-per-click, search engine optimization, and email campaigns, and it was like you were talking a foreign language.  But these days, the problem is quite the opposite . . . . We’re now witnessing an age where an entire generation of flourishing businesses came into existence online, built a customer base…
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    Signal vs. Noise

  • Basecamp Next's caching hardware

    David
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    From the very start, we wanted Basecamp Next to be fast. Really, really fast. To do so we built a russian-doll architecture of nested caching that I’ll write up in detail soon. But for now I just wanted to share where all this caching is going to live as we just installed it at the hosting center. It kinda reminds me of what pictures of a drug raid look like when they lay out all the coke and cash on the table, but this is what 864GB of RAM looks like: Cost of the loot was $12,000.

  • Three years later, Mr. Moore is still letting us punt on database sharding

    David
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:23 am
    Three years ago, I wrote about how improvements in technology keep allowing us to punt on sharding the Basecamp database. This is still true, only more so now. We’ve grown enormously over the last three years but RAM keeps getting cheaper and FusionIO SSD’s keep getting faster. If anything, it seems like recent advances in SSD technology are accelerating and it’s ever more unlikely that we’ll need to shard Basecamp. Basecamp remains a perfect candidate for sharding. Isolated accounts, no sharing between them. Yet the cost in increased complexity is constant while the…

  • REWORK passes 200,000 copies sold!

    David
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pm
    We just got our royalty statement from Crown and are pretty excited about the fact that we’ve sold over 200,000 copies of REWORK now. About three quarters of the sales have been hardcover books with audio and ebook splitting the remainder. Thanks to everyone who helped us get here by buying and recommending the book. We are very grateful for your support in getting the word out.

  • Basecamp Next: A peek at early iterations of the Projects screen

    Jason F.
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:06 pm
    We’ve been working on Basecamp Next since March 2011 and we’re getting close to the public release. The private beta is now in full swing. Early iterations on the Projects screen We thought it might be fun to share some of the early design explorations for one particular screen, the Projects screen. Basically, the projects screen is a list of your projects. You can create new projects there as well. We explored hundreds iterations of the screen – from small tweaks to fundamental shifts in the feature itself. Only a fraction of the explorations are shown in the video below.

  • Give me spark

    David
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:14 am
    Some of the best decisions and designs at 37signals have emerged from intensely contested debates. Not just between Jason and me, but from anyone in the company. When sparks fly, some truly great ideas come to light. The catch is that the heat must arise around the decision itself. Debates go off track when personal biases or old grudges come into play. So long as each party sticks to the merits, adding some fire will only unearth new angles and concerns. This energy is so important to how 37signals operates that I consider it every time we make a hire. Is this person willing to fight for…
 
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    OnStartups

  • Startup Tribes: Tips on Roles and Recruiting

    Dharmesh Shah
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:22 am
    The following is a guest post from John Greathouse. John is an entrepreneur and investor.  He currently blogs at Infochachkie where he provides practical startup advice. You may not realize it, but your adVenture's Core Team, the senior executives who make the key decisions which drive the company's strategic direction, is akin to a primitive tribe. Primitive tribes and your startup both entail a small number of people banded together to battle an uncaring, hostile world. Like the tribe, your company's survival is always in question and never guaranteed. Success depends upon everyone…

  • Startup Branding: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs

    Dharmesh Shah
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:40 am
    The following is a guest post by Mike Troiano. Mike is a former New York ad man turned venture-funded entrepreneur, now a Principal at Boston-based Holland-Mark. You can follow him on Twitter at @miketrap, and connect with him elsewhere through About Me 1. What does startup branding really mean for an early-stage company? Is it just picking a name and a logo? "Brand" is one of those words everybody uses and nobody really understands, so I'll start with a definition. It's important for entrepreneurs to understand that their "Brand" is the collective emotional response to their product or…

  • 7 Lessons On Startup Funding From a Research Scientist

    Dharmesh Shah
    16 Jan 2012 | 11:43 am
    The following is a guest post by Ty Danco. Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com My wife isn't in business, but she is wise in the way of funding. Just as I have experience on both sides of the funding table (as an entrepreneur and as an angel), so does she. As a research scientist, she gets her own grants and also reviews grants from others. While she doesn't talk in startup lingo (pivots, minimum viable product, etc.), she has taught me that many of the issues we face as entrepreneurs have a corollary in science. Here's what I've learned from…

  • The Big List: The Best and Worst Startup Stuff In 2011

    Dharmesh Shah
    2 Jan 2012 | 10:17 am
    The following is a guest post by Ty Danco.  Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com.  Or, check out his recent article "What To Do If You Don't Have An Idea" It's time to review the past year, so without apology for personal taste, here's my list of the best (and a few of the worst) of 2011. Best Startup Book of 2011: Mastering the VC Game by Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital I keep a loaded Kindle copy of this book on my iPad, and I'm constantly showing it to startups raising money. The money chapter: When the Dog Catches the Bus:…

  • 13 Ways To Think About And Crush Your Competition

    Jason L. Baptiste
    27 Dec 2011 | 10:55 am
    A few weeks ago, there was an article that came out called "Google Currents, Onswipe's Nightmare?". I'm also preparing for our first board meeting with newly elected independents and one of the points we are talking about happens to be competition. As you start to grow competition becomes a healthy thing to think about. Here's how I think about competition as a cofounder and CEO of a growing venture backed startup: Don't Worry About Google Almost every growing startup comes to a point where they have to worry about "what if Google does it." If it is a market worth getting into, then Google or…
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    Growthology

  • Job Growth at the "Best Companies"

    Dane Stangler
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:05 pm
    This is a terrific and interesting visualization by Nicolas Rapp, done for Fortune's article on the 100 Best Companies to Work For: For those of us who try to figure out what new and young companies contribute to the economy in terms of job creation, this is another useful reminder that large companies matter, too. These 100 companies, representing one-ten-thousandth of all companies in the US, employ 1.1 percent of the American workforce. I cannot tell if this really only counts US employees, because we know Microsoft, among others, has many employees overseas.  In any case, it is…

  • Today's Readings Relevant to Entrepreneurship

    Dane Stangler
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:38 pm
    The intersection between tight labor markets, housing costs, and the opportunity cost of entrepreneurship: Free Exchange. The work by Fairlie and Chatterji that Ryan cites here is terrifically important and has not gotten nearly enough attention. Why is carried interest taxed as it is? Observational Epidemiology.  What the studies say about private equity. Dealbook (via Marginal Revolution). Tyler sums it up: "'Some positives, lots of uncertainty' would be a good description of the available evidence." Brad Feld on the intra-metropolitan geography of entrepreneurship. We…

  • President Obama Promotes Entrepreneurship

    Dane Stangler
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:13 pm
    In case you missed it, here is President Obama in the State of the Union speech last night, underscoring the important role of entrepreneurs: It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work, and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs. After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. This may have been a reference to the Startup…

  • 'Twas the Night Before (Eurocrash) Christmas!

    Tim Kane
    19 Dec 2011 | 5:08 am
    I'll be sharing this on my PBS commentary on Nightly Business Report, scheduled for December 19th.  It's more than a little cheeky, but I just can't get the image of Anglea Merkel dressed in a Santa suit out of my head.  How big is Santa's bag anyway? - Tim  ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the zone Not a banker was liquid, not even your own. Promises were made by the Piigs with all sincerity In hopes Saint Germanicus would delay the austerity. State unions weren’t protesting, but snug in their beds. Infinite pensions flowed full in their heads.

  • The antithesis of entrepreneurship

    Tim Kane
    12 Dec 2011 | 1:56 pm
    Consider government run health care in Canada.  And thanks to my friend, Medcan CEO (and USNA graduate) Shaun Francis for the pointer:  In Quebec for instance, nearly 1.7 million people, or 25% of the population, still have no family doctor. Patients wait an average of 17.6 hours in the emergency room, nearly two hours more than a decade ago. Throughout Canada, the median wait time between seeing a general practitioner and treatment by a specialist has almost doubled from 1993 to 2010, going from 9.3 to 18.2 weeks. In most sectors of the economy, the many problems facing the health-care…
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    BWebCentral Social Newspaper !

  • 5 Tips for Dealing with Feeling Unappreciated

    22 Jan 2012 | 5:08 am
    Oh how I crave gold stars One of my worst qualities is my insatiable need for credit I always want the recognition the praise the gold star stuck on my homework I struggle to master my need for gold stars because it makes me a resentful scorekeeperRead More...

  • Awesome LMFO Parody Featuring Elmo

    15 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am
    Rating ExcellentRead More...

  • Im Elmo and I know it

    14 Jan 2012 | 3:33 pm
    Rating ExcellentRead More...

  • How do you create happiness

    2 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Here are some simple yet important ways for finding happiness in your lifeIt can be easier than you thinkWatch your character for it becomes your destinyWatch your thoughts for they become wordsWatch your words for they become actionsWatch your actions for they become habitsWatch your habits for they become characterUNKNOWNRead More...

  • Rasing your level of happiness

    1 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Im told that in the world of energy nothing is ever destroyed That energy cant be destroyed it simply changes form So that means everything that we WANT already exists right now It is simply in an energetic form that we may not be aware of yetRead More...
 
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    Silicon Moon

  • A Chrome Superhero

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:07 pm

  • Shit Silicon Valley Says

    25 Jan 2012 | 7:01 pm

  • Obama Gave 1% to Charity, Romney Gave 15%

    25 Jan 2012 | 2:05 am
    After reading this news, I have less respect for President Obama.Obama gives $10,000 over 4 years based on $1.2M? Seriously?? Well, it's better than what I believe Biden gave, which was about $5,000. I hate to say it, but a liberal heart sure isn't a giving heart, which has been statistically true anyway. Maybe before all this talk about income distribution and earning caps on other people, Obama should learn to give more than 1% to the hungry and needy.His rhetoric is simply assine when you can't live by your words. What's all this talk about fairness and bridging the gap between rich and…

  • Fotoshop by Adobé

    21 Jan 2012 | 1:57 am
    Simply a brilliant and amusing commercial by Jesse Rosten.This commercial isn't real, neither are society's standards of beauty. Follow on twitter.com/JesseRosten

  • 2012 Digital Predictions by Soap Creative

    19 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pm
    2012 Digital Predictions View more presentations from Soap Creative
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    The Startup Pitch

  • Pitch for MeetingKing

    public
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:44 pm
    Company / App Name: MeetingKing http://meetingking.com/ Twitter – MeetingKing What does it do? MeetingKing is a new web-based meeting workflow and documentation tool to help keep meetings short and effective. MeetingKing turns short notes into up-to-date actionable information – agenda, meeting minutes, task list, archive. Why do we need it? Many meetings are unproductive. Main cause is poor preparation and no follow-up, because current methods of using different tools (e.g. Asana, Evernote,Dropbox) to combine meeting information is not practical. MeetingKing offers all in one.

  • Pitch for GroupDocs

    public
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:36 am
    Company / App Name: GroupDocs http://groupdocs.com/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/groupdocs What does it do? GroupDocs is a web-based service for document sharing, collaboration and management. You can easily and securely upload, convert, view, sign and compare any document format with your colleagues and business partners in the realtime. Why do we need it? GroupDocs is a web-based service for online document sharing, collaboration and management. You can easily and securely upload, convert, view, sign and compare any document format with anyone. Who is it for? GroupDocs is used mainly…

  • Pitch for ScreenLight

    public
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:04 am
    Company / App Name: ScreenLight http://www.screenlight.tv Twitter – http://twitter.com/screenlight What does it do? Screenlight is an extremely easy to use private video sharing tool for producers to review videos with their teams and clients. Why do we need it? Securely review videos with clients Get client feedback on videos Get video projects approved Keep production projects organized Who is it for? Production companies, advertising agencies, video editors, internal media departments, universities, television networks. What makes it stand out from the crowd? ScreenLight is a…

  • Pitch for Snapterms

    public
    21 Jan 2012 | 8:27 pm
    Company / App Name: Snapterms http://Snapterms.com Twitter – Snapterms What does it do? Snapterms makes legally protecting your website/startup simple and affordable. Why do we need it? Many of websites lack proper terms and privacy policies leaving them exposed to litigation. Who is it for? Everyone with a website. What makes it stand out from the crowd? Your options for terms/privacy polices right now is copy another site or hire an expensive attorney. Snapterms has streamlines the process and passed the savings to you. What’s next? Fancy top secret apps and plugins Pitch Video…

  • Pitch for edintity

    public
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:18 pm
    Company / App Name: edintity https://edintity.com Twitter – edintity What does it do? edintity helps users and brands manage their social content by managing (content flow, privacy, search/filter and display). What is edintity? [video] http://bit.ly/edintity-intro-E Why do we need it? - One place to post and stream social content - Find what content you want because all of your social content in one place. - You can control the privacy all of your social content. Who is it for? For users and brands who care about controlling and managing their social content. What makes it stand out…
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    KillerStartups.com - all

  • Droover.com - Live Search Engine

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:07 am
    Droover is a search engine for live posts on the Internet. Authors can submit their own posts just by categorizing them, and from that point onwards people will be able to rate them. They can give them a score ranging from 1 to 5, and if someone notices that a post is actually plagiarized then he can give it a -1 score.Read moreLearn more about Droover.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much Droover.com is worth with Stimator.comHave a business question? Ask Startups.com

  • SiteNailer.com - Create Thumbnails And Screenshots

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:05 am
    There are many low-cost thumbnail creation services on the Internet. In most cases, the low prices they charge is explained very easily: the services that are provided are substandard. But a company that provides really good value for money is Site Nailer.Read moreLearn more about SiteNailer.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much SiteNailer.com is worth with Stimator.comHave a business question? Ask Startups.com

  • Wallpoper.com - Free Quality Wallpapers

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    If you're looking for wallpapers to give your desktop a touch of class (and you really should if you're somewhere other people can see your screen) then I've got the perfect site for you. Wallpoper has a huge database of wallpapers that you can download and use completely for free. This database can be quickly browsed by keyword, and a simple search term will produce many pages of results for you to pick the one that best reflects your interests.Read moreLearn more about Wallpoper.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much Wallpoper.com is worth with Stimator.comHave a business question? Ask…

  • TalkdeskApp.com - Turn Your Browser Into A Call Center

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:23 pm
    Providing customers with satisfactory 24/7 support is difficult when you're starting out, mainly because of the costs and expenses that go with hiring call centers and support staff. And the ones that are cheap very often provide substandard services. But Talkdesk is here to change all that for good.Read moreLearn more about TalkdeskApp.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much TalkdeskApp.com is worth with Stimator.comHave a business question? Ask Startups.com

  • Appatista.com - Create Mobile Apps

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:25 pm
    You might think you need to hire a designer just to have a mobile app to go with your newly-launched site, but you're wrong. There are services that let you create a mobile app yourself, and with results that are more than acceptable. Appatista is one of these, and you can use it absolutely for free.Read moreLearn more about Appatista.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much Appatista.com is worth with Stimator.comHave a business question? Ask Startups.com
 
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    Campus Entrepreneurship

  • Harvard Gets VC Firm on Campus: The Experiment Fund | TechCrunch

    David J. Miller
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm
    This train just keeps on rolling! Yes, the campus is the frontier for high impact entrepreneurship! That is why there is now a venture capital fund on Harvard’s campus and it is in the engineering school! From Greg Kumparak at TechCrunch: Dubbed The Experiment Fund, the firm describes itself as “a bridge between America’s oldest universities and storied venture capital firms.” Backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the firm is made up of Hugo Van Vurren, NEA co-head Patrick Chung, and NEA General Partner Harry Weller — all of whom have a degree of some form from the school.

  • Summer@Highland 2012 Entrepreneurship Program for Student Entrepreneurs

    David J. Miller
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:47 pm
    I am no expert, but i think Highland Capital is a well known firm. Well, the partners there seem to agree with me that something is happening on campus with student entrepreneurs.  Check out their Summer@Highland program, Summer@HIGHLAND is a 5-year old entrepreneurship program designed to provide university-affiliated startups with the environment and resources for taking their initiative/company to the next level. The program is “founder friendly”: Highland receives no equity stake in exchange for a team’s participation, and teams are under no obligation to Highland after…

  • Rosetta Stone Partners with Higher Ed in Uncollege Movement

    David J. Miller
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:50 am
    6 years ago, I cold called my way into a meeting with Lee Abrams, head of programming for XM Radio (Abrams in no longer there). I was trying to get an on air job, but in an effort to provide value to Lee, I provided him a list of 20 ideas for XM (this was pre merger); many of them were premium channels and one of the premium channels was a language channel based on a partnership with Rosetta Stone or Berlitz. For example, Spanish 101 would be on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 am – 9 am, 12 pm -1 pm, etc…Well, Rosetta Stone is now playing a role in the reconstruction of…

  • Higher Ed Canary in the Coal Mine? Stanford Prof Bails to Teach 500,000 Online

    David J. Miller
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am
    With all the news of MITx Certificates and according to a tweet I saw, 67,000 people registered for Steven G Blank’s online Lean Launchpad class, its pretty clear that on campus degree programs are going to lose education market share. From Thiel and DIY Edu to online badges, things are changing. Incredible news out of Palo Alto that a leading artificial intelligence academic is leaving campus. From Nick DeSantis at Wired Campus: The Stanford University professor who taught an online artificial intelligence course to more than 160,000 students has abandoned his position to aim for an…

  • MLA Considers Radical Changes to Dissertation | Inside Higher Ed | Disrupt Higher Ed

    David J. Miller
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:40 am
    I am currently in the process of publishing my first two papers and preparing my dissertation — I have been against this academic publication model since entering my PhD program (why I chose a PhD program is another discussion). Faculty and administrators  always ask why I blog, tweet, participate in online chats, and video record my interviews and ethnographic observations. Its all because I believe other media output and methods of distribution (beyond academic publications and books) are the present and future of knowledge and content. Higher ed is woefully behind in the production…
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    TheFunded Founder Institute News

  • LA and NYC Founder Institute Application Deadlines Approaching

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm
    Since 2009, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 50 startups across Los Angeles and New York City. Now we're getting ready to launch many more, as we gear up for new Spring 2012 Semesters in both cities. If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in Los Angeles or New York City, then apply today.  The Final Application Deadline for the New York City Founder Institute is Saturday, February 4th. Sessions take place on Wednesday evenings from February through May.  The Early Application Deadline for Los…

  • Inside FI: 'The Devil is in the Details of Your Term Sheet' by @BarrySilbert

    27 Jan 2012 | 7:34 am
    Inside FI gives you exclusive access inside the training sessions of the Founder Institute. To get updates when we release new videos, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.  It's important to understand the details and negotiate favorable terms that align the interests of the entrepreneurs with the investors during the fundraising process. However, as Barry explains in the video below, “it’s worth taking a less attractive term sheet to work with investors you like.” Barry Silbert is an angel investor and the Founder and CEO of…

  • And the Founder Institute's 22nd Location is? St. Louis

    26 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    We are very excited to announce the 22nd Founder Institute location: St. Louis, U.S.  If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in the greater St. Louis area, click here to apply. St. Louis is on the ups for early stage entrepreneurship. In the past 6 months alone, a new seed fund making 10 investments of $50,000 per year, and a new business grant program making 10 grants of $50,000 per year, have been launched. The Founder Institute in St. Louis is ideally positioned to prepare entrepreneurs to take advantage of these…

  • TheFunded.com's Top Startup Investors of 2011

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:40 pm
    At last week's 9th Founder Showcase, we celebrated the best investors of 2011 with TheFunded.com's Entrepreneur Investor Awards. Anthony Ha of TechCrunch covered the awards here (including a video of the ceremony). Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz, George Zachary of Charles River Ventures, Philippe Herbert of Banexi Venture Partners, Yuri Milner of Mail.ru Group, and Dave McClure of 500 Startups all received awards.  Click here to see the story on TechCrunch, or here on TheFunded.com.   Congratulations to the winners, and thanks…

  • Video of FI Grad Spinnakr's Winning Founder Showcase Pitch

    25 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm
    Last Thursday, over 300 people gathered in Silicon Valley for the 9th Founder Showcase, hosted by TheFunded.com and the Founder Institute. At the event, 8 companies competed on stage in a free pitch competition, and taking the Grand Prize was Michael Mayernick and Spinnakr - a service for displaying targeted messaging on your website based on the specific audience segments. Spinnakr graduated from the Washington D.C. Founder Institute, and is also in the current 500 Startups class. Here is the video of their winning pitch;     Coming in an extremely close second…
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    OnlyOnce

  • Scaling the Team

    Matt Blumberg
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    Scaling the Team (This post was requested by my long-time Board member Fred Wilson and is also running concurrently on his blog today.  I’ll be back with the third and fourth installments of “The Best Laid Plans” next Thursday and the following Thursday) When Return Path reached 100 employees a few years back, I had a dinner with my Board one night at which they basically told me, “Management teams never scale intact as you grow the business.  Someone always breaks.”  I’m sure they were right based on their own experience; I, of course, took this as a challenge. …

  • The Best Laid Plans, Part II

    Matt Blumberg
    19 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    The Best Laid Plans, Part II Once you’ve finished the Input Phase (see last week’s post) of producing your strategic plan, you’re ready for the Analysis Phase, which goes something like this: Assemble the facts.  Keep notes along the way on the input phase items, assemble them into a coherent document with key thoughts and common themes highlighted. Select/apply framework.  Go back to the reading and come up with one or more strategic frameworks.  Adapted them from the academic stuff to fit our situation.  Academic frameworks don’t solve problems on their own, but they…

  • Help Us, Help You

    Matt Blumberg
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
    Before becoming Chairman of the Direct Marketing Association, one of the things I’d noticed over the years was that the association didn’t have a ton of primary market research on itself, sort of a classic case of the cobbler’s children having shoddy shoes. Today we are launching a new survey to help us establish a baseline for awareness and perceptions of all aspects of the DMA on behalf of all members of the marketing community.   Whether or not you are a DMA or EEC member – in some ways, it’s even more important for non-members to take this – I’d greatly…

  • The Best Laid Plans, Part I

    Matt Blumberg
    12 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    The Best Laid Plans, Part I One of my readers asked me if I have a formula that I use to develop strategic plans.  While every year and every situation is different, I do have a general outline that I’ve followed that has been pretty successful over the years at Return Path.  There are three phases — input, analysis, and output.  I’ll break this up into three postings over the next three weeks. The Input Phase goes something like this: Conduct stakeholder interviews with a few top clients, resellers, suppliers; Board of directors; and junior staff roundtables.  Formal…

  • Book Short: Fixing America

    Matt Blumberg
    5 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    Book Short:  Fixing America I usually only blog about business books, but since I occasionally comment on politics, I thought I would also post on That Used to be Us:  How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back, by Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum (book, Kindle), which I just finished. There is much that is good about America.  And yet, there is much that is broken and in need of serious repair.  I wrote about some thought on fixing our political system last year in The Beginnings of a Roadmap to Fix America’s Badly Broken Political System?, but fixing…
 
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    Learn to Duck

  • There is Something Beautiful About a Book

    Micah
    20 Jan 2012 | 1:02 am
    This week there was a ton of rumblings, leaks and rumors about Apple’s big “eBook” event that took place earlier this am. Apple is going to change education! Apple is going to destroy publishing! (Interesting that no one really said “Apple is going to sell more iPads!” but we live in a world that hopes that everyone leans towards doing good for goods sake.) Did it happen? Did the world turn upside down causing the worlds publishers to weep? No. Apple’s move into the education market is an important one. This year, for the first time ever, Amazon sold more…

  • The Day The Comic Book Died

    Micah
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:38 am
    When I first was out raising money for Graphicly, I got to meet comic book publishers. At each meeting, I asked the same question, “What do you think of digital?” And each one answered the same. “There are more people pirating my comic books than there are buying them. Perhaps as high as 5 to 10 times.” The comic book industry, which saw its heyday in the 1990s, when highly successful books would sell in the hundreds of thousands, is now ecstatic if a book sells even fifty thousand. Online piracy has absolutely decimated the industry. How bad is it? Comic books come…

  • Embracing the Doomsday Clock

    Micah
    10 Jan 2012 | 12:51 am
    Today I heard that a friend got a term sheet. “Whew.” he sighed. “Excited to turn the Doomsday Clock back a minute?” The Doomsday Clock was invented in 1947 during the Cold War. Set at seven minutes to midnight, it represented how close the world was to global thermonuclear war. Seven minutes in 1943. A high of 5 minutes in 1984. A low of 17 minutes in 1991. Currently, as of 2010, we are at 6 minutes. A cold, numeric, non-emotional reminder that as a world we are always that close to complete and total destruction. (whew. thats pretty emo.) So many of the founders…

  • Capturing Dreams

    Micah
    3 Jan 2012 | 2:08 am
    My grandmother was a storyteller. She wrote 10 or 11 books, mostly of children’s stories, and always had a story to tell. (As she got older, the stories got more fantastical. She worked as a simultaneous translator in the 1950s, and was a spy. Well, not really a spy, but she had to take documents to some shady people.) Storytelling resonates with me more strongly than any other single sociological/community building concept. Think about it. The first written communication was a story. Pictures of deers and hunters with oversized spears (even then, we men exaggerated), running through…

  • I Hate Employees

    Micah
    2 Jan 2012 | 11:36 am
    Lets state for the record, not my employees.  Well, not after we hired them. When I was a kid living in Mountain View (532 Thompson Avenue!) a rather large, but old tree fell down in our backyard during a storm. “Geez, Dad, how are you going to get rid of that tree?” “Remember that bike you wanted, Micah?” “Of course” Ive been wanting a multiple gear bike for months, constantly annoying my parents with pictures, magazine articles, strategic walks through the mall, basically anything I could do to get them to take a gawd damn hint. “Then you’ll…
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    Startup Weekend

  • Sign Up For Startup America and Help Us Dominate Tech Cocktail

    Joey Pomerenke
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:44 pm
    Everybody loves a friendly competition and all of us here at Startup Weekend are no different! We have taken on the challenge of competing against Tech Cocktail to see who can recruit the most companies for Startup America. Before you read the rest of this post do yourself a favor and SIGN UP NOW to reap the benefits of all that registered startup firms can enjoy…and add a point to Startup Weekend’s total. Startup America Partnership offers over $1.2 billion in unique offerings and services to young, high growth potential startups. It takes about 3 minutes to register and it is FREE to…

  • Join us for a Panel Examining Emerging Tech in the Arab World

    Maris
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:30 pm
    Join Startup Weekend at “Arab Tech Emerging: Connecting the Next Generation of Innovators” Panelists include Startup Weekend COO Adam Stelle. In 18 months, Startup Weekend has grown by leaps and bounds in the MENA region. In 2010 there was only one event in the Arab world; in 2011, Startup Weekend organized 13.  This high-growth isn’t showing sign of slowing either – we estimate that we’ll hold over 25 events in the MENA region in 2012. The rising popularity of Startup Weekend in the Arab World is neither surprising nor isolated.  Following the 2011 “Arab Spring”, young…

  • Startup Weekend Announces Global Education Partnership with Pearson

    Maris
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:28 pm
    Collaboration will aid and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in the education industry. Seattle, WA – January 25, 2012– Startup WeekendTM today announced a one-year global partnership with Pearson, the world’s leading learning company. The partnership will strengthen Startup Weekend Education, a global initiative that aims to transform teaching and learning through entrepreneurship. Pearson’s expertise in education will be made available to entrepreneurs who want to create innovative tools and services to improve education globally. Pearson is a keen supporter of young…

  • Soonzy (SW Columbus) Accepted to10xelerator

    Maris
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am
    Soonzy.com (@ComingSoonzy) was founded at Startup Weekend Columbus, OH, and is now based there. In early January 2012, they were accepted into the 10xelerator venture accelerator program in Columbus, OH, backed by The Ohio State University and The State of Ohio. Their core purpose is to aggregate the latest news and rumors about products with upcoming release dates. All other details of their company will remain in stealth mode until their public launch, which is estimated to be in early to late April 2012. Sign up on their landing page at Soonzy.com to receive periodic updates (it’s a…

  • Babelverse to Provide Live Voice Translation Service for President Obama’s State of the Union Address

    Maris
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm
    …in 6,976 languages! The team behind Babelverse, the world’s first real-time on-demand interpretation service, announced today that they will translate President Obama’s address in real-time to viewers around the world in 6,976 languages. The start-up, founded by Mayel de Borniol (France) and Josef Dunne (UK), were awarded top honours at LeWeb’11, the internationally renowned technology conference based in Paris, France. “Barack Obama’s address this evening touches more than just folks from the United States,” says Dunne, who co-founded Babelverse in Athens, Greece.
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    Startup Houston

  • Ignite Houston Looking for Submissions for Feb. 23 Event

    Marc Nathan
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:19 pm
    Get Your 5-Minutes of Fame! Submit Your Talk to Ignite Houston Howdy Future Igniters! Interested in sharing the stage with other amazingly awesome & talented Houstonians? Here’s the deets: Talk about what you love for 5-minutes, 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. It’s challenging – but we promise it’s worth it! Want more info on Ignite – visit http://igniteshow.com/ Important Dates: Submission Deadline – January 29th, 2012 Talks Announced – February 8th, 2012 Ignite Houston – February 23rd, 2012 6:30 – 8:30 PM at C2Creative…

  • Hatch Pitch at SXSW

    Marc Nathan
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:26 am
    HATCH is a pitch competition at the SXSW 2012 Startup Village for startups with revolutionary ideas. Fifteen finalists will be selected to present their business plans to a panel of corporate, angel, and venture investor judges in front of a well-connected SXSW audience on March 11th, 2012 in Austin, TX. The event, presented by Houston Technology Center, is geared toward tech startups with an interesting or disruptive product and strong growth potential. HATCH is looking for companies in the following categories: •           Cloud tech and services •           Mobile…

  • SpaceUP Houston Unconference – Feb 25-26

    Marc Nathan
    16 Jan 2012 | 7:21 am

  • Tonight: Live Stream – Steve Blank

    Javid Jamae
    8 Dec 2011 | 10:47 am
    The Houston Lean Startup Circle has invited Steve Blank, to video conference in to its December meetup hosted at the Houston Technology Center, tonight (December 8, 2011) at 6:30PM CT. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the event will be live streamed and recorded for future viewing. The live-stream link is not available yet, but will be posted on the event page for the December meetup as soon as it’s available. The live-stream link can be found here: www.businesscubenetwork.com/view.html If you’re not familiar with Steve Blank, here is a short profile: Steve Blank is a Silicon…

  • December Startup Events

    Marc Nathan
    3 Dec 2011 | 1:18 pm
    Who ever says that things slow down for the holiday season hasn’t looked at the Houston tech calendar lately (probably because there isn’t One, single calendar – but that’s a rant for another day. There are a few big events happening over the next couple of weeks that you should know about and make every effort to attend. Houston Experience Design Group – Kelsey Ruger presents, “How to INSPIRE, communicating through stories” Tuesday 7pm Caroline Collective 4820 Caroline St. Android Meetup – Critiques of Your Android App Idea Tuesday Dec. 6…
 
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    TechStars

  • Job Openings at TechStars companies this week

    David Cohen
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pm
    Job openings at @TechStars companies this week: http://t.co/y9POgsjt # Change the future of e-mail with @baydin as their office manager! http://t.co/CepQxWPw #MountainView # Help build the next amazing batch of internet startups, as they grow from early stage to venture-backed companies. http://t.co/QoVVsYBo #

  • On February 9th, find that special someone…your co-founder.

    Nicole Glaros
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:39 pm
    You’ve heard it a million times, team is everything. But how you do you find that special someone? You get out there and network. On February 9th, 2012, TechStars will be hosting a Founder Dating event in Boulder, Colorado. Whether you have an idea and are looking for a technical co-founder to help execute the madness or you’re the tech talent and need the biz brains, it’s an opportunity for you to meet other like-minded individuals that want to start a company. And maybe, just maybe, you can get it together quickly enough for the March 16th application deadline for Boulder.

  • Founder Stories: Next Big Sound

    Clare Tischer
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:12 pm
    If Northwestern University ever needs a case study for success, their board should look no further than Boulder’s Next Big Sound. Co-founders Alex White, Samir Rayani, and David Hoffman found themselves together in an entrepreneurship class in 2008. White was a senior and Rayani and Hoffman were juniors. Hoffman and White had met slightly earlier than that when White was running the concert booking group on campus. Rayani was in charge of signing off on White’s spending, an annual $330K to bring in big acts like Flight of the Conchords, Kanye West, and OK Go. Hoffman and White had met…

  • TechStars picks 13 companies for Winter 2012 session in Boston

    Katie Rae
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Today is the start of the TechStars Winter 2012 program in Boston. It’s the fourth year we have been in Boston. Once again, we had so many great companies apply that it was unbelievably hard to pick just ten. So we decided to invest in thirteen. Boston has deep bench strength and mentors from a broad set of disciplines so we chose a diverse set of companies: from e-commerce to education, financial markets to transportation, consumer mobile to B2B enterprise SaaS. These companies will help you crunch big data, raise a venture capital fund, track your documents, publish a book, and buy music.

  • This Week in TechStars #23: 10 Companies Raise $42M in the First 3 Weeks of 2012

    Clare Tischer
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:44 am
    An interview with Joshua Baer, founder of OtherInbox and a ton of big news about money raising in our episode below. For all the details and stories, see the links below: Contently • @contently / Facebook Empowering and Connecting Quality Writers and Brands. TechStars program: NYC TechStars Contently Raises $2 M. From Groupon Investor Lightbank EveryMove • @everymove / Facebook Make your friends healthier, be healthier and reap the benefits! TechStars program: Seattle TechStars Grad EveryMove Raises $375K GoChime • @go_chime / Facebook The newest way to inform people about deals and…
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    Business Owners

  • Tony Clement - Canada's best years are ahead of us

    27 Jan 2012 | 8:10 am
    The best years are ahead of Canada. These positive words were part of Tony Clement's speech yesterday at The Empire Club, Toronto, just yesterday.Clement has applied government resources towards helping business in a consistent and positive manner; this is noted and appreciated. Here is an excerpt from his speech well worth the read.:Speech by Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, to the Empire Club of CanadaThursday, January 26, 2012Toronto, OntarioA leading American historian and senior advisor to former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has finally admitted the…

  • Angry Birds Attack the Leadership of RIM

    25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    RIM is getting whacked for its leadership reshuffle. The market remains unimpressed.Running even a profitable business is no guarantee that last year's performance will be repeated. Customers need to be convinced again. Retailers need to be encouraged. employees need to be motivated. Alliances need to be maintained.Margaret Wente writes harshly about the RIM leadership and gives a scathing indictment to the two billionaires. She probably has a point and someone should have been telling these two to focus on their business and check out apps.Back in 2007, Mike Lazaridis and Jim…

  • Where was RIM's Board of Directors?

    24 Jan 2012 | 3:39 pm
    RIM leadership may have got arrogant but they also gave a great deal to the Canadian entrepreneur scene. Jim Balsillie was generous enough to give me an interview in 1999 for my book, e-Volution: How to use the Internet to grow your business. He has done his strategy very well - something I see rarely done by Canadian owner/founders.All this talk we are hearing from the USA about how "private equity destroys jobs" and "capitalism is evil" completely by passes the fact that humans create businesses and destroy businesses. The best businesses rarely go beyond a founder's life cycle and both…

  • Lessons from the recession for business owners

    23 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    When I worked at a strategist for a bank and wrote thespeeches for the CEO, who was also the founder, he would confuse me with his insistenceon always bringing up complacency. As a young MBA with my career before me, I could not see wasting time on such a mundane topic which seemed more of a downer and something your mother would say. As I look back, I realize he was wise with his observation that success brings complacency and complacency brings failure.Lessonfrom the recession: Run your company during boom times as if times were lean.We have heard many leaders bemoaning that their…

  • Barry McKenna on how Canada can be competitive

    19 Jan 2012 | 12:22 pm
    How to get the Canadian economy to grow is on everyone's priority list. There were 65 recommendations made by Red Wilson's panel set up to make recommendations.My time in private equity has shown me that "Growth and innovation" is an attitude.Canadian business owners have managed to tuck in behind the American economy and grab a good enough market share, but not build its own global winning companies.Here is an excellent article by Barry McKenna in the Globe and Mail discussing the problem on business innovation further:Putting Canada on a more competitive footing will likely mean…
 
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    Posts from the Econsultancy blog

  • Techmeme: this is what happens when aggregators aggregate aggregators

    Patricio Robles
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pm
    For many in the tech community, Techmeme is one of the top places to turn when you want to discover the latest news. Launched in 2005, Techmeme was at first automated, but since 2008, it has employed human editors to curate the best tech news on the web. The idea: human involvement is necessary to filter the wheat from the chaff. Which seems like a good idea given just how much chaff there is on the web. But is it working for Techmeme?Recently, former TechCrunch writer Sarah Lacy launched a new blog, PandoDaily. She raised money from a cadre of some of Silicon Valley's most influential…

  • US job moves: Blackberry, Nokia, Comcast, Virgin America

    Heather Taylor
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am
    As this week's news is dominated with the news of another founder splitting ways with his company, we're reporting moves in the US by RIM, Virgin America, Nokia, Comcast and Zynga amongst others.Did you hear of any big moves that will affect our industry that we didn't catch? Let us know.Research in Motion co-chief executives, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, have stepped down to make way for COO Thorsten Heins to become president and chief executive.Nokia's chief designer Marko Ahtisaari has been promoted from Senior VP to Executive Vice President, Design. This move comes after the success…

  • Kermit takes over Disney's Twitter feed for film promotion

    David Moth
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am
    Kermit the Frog took over Disney UK’s Twitter feed yesterday to promote the new Muppet movie. As part of Disney's marketing around the film’s London premiere fans could post questions using the hashtag #AskKermit. Hundreds of people took part, including actor Stephen Fry, and the hashtag was in the top ten trends on Thursday.Kermit tweeted responses back to fans and also posted personalised videos on YouTube as he toured London for various promotional events. Using Twitter as a marketing tool is nothing new, but allowing fans to interact with an iconic character like Kermit in…

  • G20 economy predicted to hit $4.2tn by 2016

    David Moth
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:25 am
    The G20’s digital economy is set to double to $4.2tn by 2016, according to the Boston Consulting Group. The Google-commissioned study found that key drivers behind the increase will be the growth of mobile internet, the popularity of social media and the continued strength of emerging markets.However the main factor will be the dramatic increase in the number of web users, which it predicts will increase from 1.9bn in 2010 to 3bn in 2016 – this accounts for around 45% of the world’s population. Within the report, IBM predicts that by 2015 1tn devices will be connected to the…

  • What we've been reading this week: UK edition

    Vikki Chowney
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:05 am
    Here are the stories and links we’ve tweeted, posted, passed around the UK office and shaken our heads at. Check back later to get the skinny on what our US team has been reading too.   Men Not Allowed: The First Ever Female Social Network Belinda Parmar’s delicate dissection of ‘women only’ social network Luluvise. Originally posted 26-Jan-12   Europe proposes a ‘right to be forgotten’ Arstechnica discusses the EU’s reform of the EU's data protection rules. Originally posted 26-Jan-12   Observations on #savetheintern Tom Watson…
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    The Freestyle Entrepreneur

  • THE FEMININE TOUCH IN BUSINESS

    John Ingrisano
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:40 am
    by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Fifty years ago, it was a man’s world.  The majority of women who were in business were secretaries and personal assistants.  Women rarely ran the show.  That has since changed … a lot.  In fact, the very nature of business has been overhauled and re-invented since women began to move up the management/entrepreneurial ladder. The male approach to business:  Men tend to manage with a big stick.  We see business in terms of warfare and sports rivalries.  We go head to head with our competitors in a winner-take-all-loser-get-nothing race…

  • SIZE DOES NOT MATTER!

    John Ingrisano
    28 Dec 2011 | 9:53 am
    A Lesson in Customer Service: SMALL STONES TO THE REAR by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Can one foolish statement make or break your business?  Well, this is a story I heard at least 45 years ago from a man, a friend and mentor, who experienced it at least 20 years before that.  It was one snapshot moment that made him a lifelong enemy of one of the world’s most famous jewelry store. Joe was a young man about to pop “The Question” to his girlfriend, Marlene.  He had been given a smallish diamond ring, a family heirloom, for the occasion.  However, it needed to be refit…

  • YOUR ATTITUDE WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR BUSINESS

    John Ingrisano
    6 Dec 2011 | 8:52 am
    by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur As a hands-on manager-owner, your most important business-building tool is your attitude.  I saw a great example of how this works a few months ago when meeting with two fast-food restaurant managers, both affiliated with the same chain.  The stores were almost identical in terms of demographics, and both relied heavily on part-time teenagers as their primary source of labor. One manager complained that she could not get good help, that teenagers today did not know how to work or want to learn.  When speaking about her team, she seethed with…

  • TEN TIPS FOR SETTING YOUR 2012 GOALS

    John Ingrisano
    19 Oct 2011 | 9:43 am
    by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur It’s that time … time to set goals.  Start thinking about where you want to be by the end of 2012.   Are goals important?  In business, they’re everything.  If you don’t know where you want to go, you’ll never get there … or, well, you get the picture.  More to the point, you’ll just wander around, stumbling along, drifting from one day’s pressing moment to another, putting out fires and getting nowhere.   As a friend once said: “I’m not sure where we’re going, but we’re making darn good time.”  Without goals, if…

  • DEFINITION OF A SALES PROFESSIONAL

    John Ingrisano
    6 Oct 2011 | 2:29 pm
    Biz Humor DEFINITION OF A SALES PROFESSIONAL by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur The sales professional makes the difference when it comes to both making the sale and maximizing the sale. This is perhaps best illustrated in an anecdote told by an associate years ago.  When asked, “What’s a salesperson?” he replied:  “Let me tell you what a salesperson is. A fellow walked into a department store and asked for a sales job. Since the applicant had no previous sales experience, the man­ager was naturally leery. But having a soft heart, he said, ‘I’ll give you one day to…
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    StartupMuse

  • Dawn of a new day at Yahoo?

    Alexander Muse
    4 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    I had the pleasure of working with Scott Thompson and his team at PayPal back in 2009 and 2010. I was impressed by his energy and drive – if I wasn’t building my own startup I would have jumped at the chance to work with him. Today Yahoo announced that they have appointed him their CEO. Bravo Yahoo! Scott is just the sort of leader Yahoo needs. Scott has a great understanding of payments, shopping and mobile – everything I think Yahoo will need to help turn around public perception of the iconic internet brand. Additionally, Scott will be able to attract the right people to…

  • Hardest Decision An Entrepreneur Must Make?

    Alexander Muse
    3 Jan 2012 | 11:16 am
    I would argue that the most difficult decision an entrepreneur must make is which idea to turn into a business. If you hang out with entrepreneurs you will quickly realize that ideas are infinite while time is finite. Picking the ‘right’ idea is key to success. If you start with an idea that could easily turn into a ‘single’ but doesn’t have any chance of becoming a homerun I would argue you are wasting your time. Most of your HUGE ideas will fizzle, some will turn into singles and doubles – and once in a bluemoon one will be a homerun. This morning a…

  • Obama, Kill This Startup Now!

    Alexander Muse
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am
    Normally I am railing against government intrusion into the private sector, but today I am making a personal appeal to President Obama to DESTROY a startup called Blueseed. Peter Thiel has backed Blueseed and according to BI and the AP, “The company aims to sidestep the U.S. current regulations by building vessels that would float in international waters near Silicon Valley and serve as technology incubators for entrepreneurs who can’t get visas to do business in the U.S.” There are scores of highly educated people who are ready and willing to bring their talents to the US…

  • Junior Achievement: My First Real Startup

    Alexander Muse
    22 Dec 2011 | 8:11 pm
    I got my start in business at a fairly young age delivering papers, mowing lawns, shoveling driveways and walking dogs, but my first real startup experience happened in high school in a program sponsored by Junior Achievement. We began the year by splitting up in companies and over the next several weeks we learned how to form a board of directors, issue stock, form a management team, make payroll, pay dividends, turn an idea into a product, manufacture a product and finally sell that product to consumers. We didn’t just learn HOW to do this by reading a book or listening to a teacher…

  • Why is capitalism maligned by the Left?

    Alexander Muse
    29 Nov 2011 | 9:25 am
    Have you followed the latest meme started by Mike Arrington? It began with a post titled, “Startups are hard. So work more, cry less and quit all the whining.” The title seemed innocuous and content to of the post basically explained that startups have always been hard, highlighting a 1994 quote from early Netscape engineer Jamie Zawinski. Mike argues that more and more of the people have been showing up in Silicon Valley are shocked by how hard they have to work and how rare successful startup exits actually are. He predicts that in the near future our fearless leaders on the…
 
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    I Will Teach You To Be Rich

  • What I think of information addicts

    Ramit Sethi
    22 Jan 2012 | 9:04 pm
    I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about giving away free material vs. charging for it. Here’s a recent 1-hour interview where I talk about free vs. paid material, including how I went from charging $4.95 for my first ebook to $12,000 for my most recent course. I also did another interview on the psychology of monetization, too, where I cover more academic psychological and marketing theory. This is for the true psychology/marketing nerds, so I reveal some gems that only they would appreciate. Based on the kinds of emails I get, I assume about 80% of you are huge huge nerds. So, let’s…

  • What The Pros Know About Networking That You Don’t

    Ramit Sethi
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:57 am
    When I was on the Today Show a couple years ago, I sat down to prep a few minutes before air time. About 45 seconds before we went live, Meredith Viera came onto set. She took one look at the topic sheet, then reached out to shake all of our hands. In the next 30 seconds, she asked a couple questions to get to know us, and then we started the segment. What was fascinating was that, within those 30 seconds, she was so personable that we instantly felt a connection to her (“Wow, she’s so friendly!”). And I realized that the masters — like the world’s top TV anchors, politicians,…

  • How to use Natural Networking to connect with anyone — including the exact email scripts

    Ramit Sethi
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:36 am
    How many of us have heard career experts telling us to “go out there and network”? What does that actually mean? They never seem to specify. So we end up going to 1 or 2 pointless networking events, which actually turn out to be a bunch of unemployed people looking for jobs, until we realize the pointlessness of random networking. We stop going. But we keep hearing about the importance of our network, and we hear about how most jobs are found through personal contacts. Pretty soon, it becomes clear to us that it’s WHO you know, not WHAT you know. But we have no idea how to actually turn…

  • How to write a resume that wins

    Ramit Sethi
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:31 pm
    Last night, 3,000+ IWT readers from all over the world tuned in, live, to learn the inside techniques to craft a winning resume. These are the same techniques I used to get jobs at Google, Intuit, and many other companies. Attention jackasses: These are not my curtains. I’m not 78 years old. I was at a hotel. I had nothing to sell. I just wanted to show people that — instead of blaming the economy, or believing that “I don’t have enough experience” is a valid excuse — they could take their Dream Job search into their own hands. Here’s what attendees had to say:…

  • Tonight: Live Resume Boot Camp

    Ramit Sethi
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:18 am
    Welcome to Week 2 of the 3-week Dream Job Boot Camp. As you know, I got tired of seeing the same old career advice from 68-year-old people who have never been through serious recruiting. As a result, even when they tried to offer advice — even when they genuinely believed it would help! — it really didn’t. There’s only so many times we can listen to someone tell us to shorten our resume to 1 page before we start to contemplate suicide via a butter knife. Instead, I want to pull back the veil on how top performers find their Dream Jobs. These are people who use their immense…
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    startup hustle

  • Google’s Search plus Your World (SPYW) is getting messy

    tyler
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:22 am
    When a new feature is launched, especially in the search world, I hold off on writing about till I get some time to play with it. Google launches the Search plus Your World (SPYW) feature which allows you to see sites in the organic search results that are more aligned with Google+ and your friends recommendations. Pages that have been +1′ed will show higher and when searching individuals or brands their Google+ profile will display first (in most cases). The “Don’t be Evil” Google did have the common sense to give searches an option to toggle (see image above)…

  • Amazon site redesign rolling out?

    tyler
    21 Jan 2012 | 7:45 am
    Amazon announced a site redesign at the beginning of September but there has not been much since then. I recently started seeing the new Amazon site design (do you?)  on my work computer, but co-workers were not seeing the same. It has been back and forth at home, some days I see it, and others I don’t. The Amazon site has not seen a full redesign in years. Over that time, as Amazon sells more and more goods, the site has become rather cluttered and there is a ton of content to absorb. The first time I read about Amazon’s site design was in Steve Krug’s popular…

  • Finally, a marketplace to sell mobile apps, Apptopia

    tyler
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:59 am
    Selling a mobile app (iphone or android) can be a real pain. Over the years I have entertained the idea of selling the first app I came up with in 2008, a soccer app called iSoccer. Apple purposely makes it difficult to transfer ownership of an app from one entity (whether it be an individual or a company) to another. One common solution is for the seller to remove the app from the app store and the buyer resubmits the app under their account. The issue here is certain tracking and relationships are severed when the app jumps accounts. It is the equivalent of buying a house (the app) in…

  • Paper book or e-reader?

    tyler
    9 Jan 2012 | 6:18 am
    When reading there are few things better than holding a physical book. I read the occasional magazine and was never a huge fan of newspapers but a (hardback) book is by far my favorite. Up to this point I have held off the urge to try an e-reader, or specifically a Nook or Kindle. When I travel I default to reading magazines because I don’t want to lug a book in my bag. For example, I am currently reading the Steve Jobs biography and it is over 600 pages. The weight isn’t as much as an issues as is the thickness with all the other crap I have to bring. I also like the idea…

  • Does Google really need to buy links?

    tyler
    5 Jan 2012 | 8:39 am
    The SEO community got all worked up this week when SEO Book and Search Engine Land reported that an advertising campaign by Google for their Chrome browser included links without no follow tags. The assumption was Google is buying links, which is a big no-no, per Google’s webmaster guidelines. The image above shows a link with the anchor text of “Google Chrome” from one of the paid posts. Google responded to the accusations by claiming that they were buying video advertisements (there is a video lower on the page reference above), and the article that was created had the…
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    Start Up Blog

  • Worth knowing – Code Year

    Steve Sammartino
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:13 am
    The good people at Codeacademy have dropped an educational truth bomb on us all with Code Year. Code Years a very cool thing. It is basically a a week by week on line lesson to learn how to code computers. It also priced at most peoples favourite price – Free! Now, I’m not saying that everyone or anyone should become a programmer. I am a strong believer in doing what you do well – expertise. Especially in the entrepreneurial field where I think we create more value organising the factors of production, than we do being them. But the point is it pays to know about the world…

  • Property Investing 101

    Steve Sammartino
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:10 pm
    A startup blog regular – Josh Moore has been asking for as post on Property Investing. Which like anything can be treated like a startup. It’s a big topic with a million books on it. But I have had a side interest in it for some time. So here are some tips on stuff that I think is worth knowing when investing in property. A bit of a 101 guide: Property returns on average about 10%. Which is quite similar to the share market on. Banks will lend much more money for property investments due to lower volatility than shares. You should buy investment properties that you, yourself would…

  • Will you?

    Steve Sammartino
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm
    It’s a matter of will. Everyone can, but not everyone will – Jim Rohn. Will you?

  • I don’t know

    Steve Sammartino
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pm
    Most of the most important projects I have ever done, I didn’t really know how to do them before I started. Some I didn’t even really know how I did it after I completed it. I feel one of the most important insights to this new era of entrepreneurialism, is that knowing the answer is not really that important – if at all important. We instead just need to make it up as we go along. Ask a lot of questions and be honest with the people in the process that there is quite a lot that we just don’t know, at least until we build it.

  • Windows = Screens

    Steve Sammartino
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:14 pm
    If you think my raving on about screen culture is just a little too much. Then, get ready for more. In fact, look around at all the places in your life where you see glass and windows. Now imagine all of those panes as actual interactive screens which are web enabled as well as, well simple normal see through glass. Because this is coming, and it is coming much quicker than we thought it would. The only job left to do now, is dream up the best data mashups based on the context of where the window is, because the technology evidenced below needs entrepreneurs underneath it to create real…
 
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    Springwise

  • Slovenian library creates surprise book packs based on genre

    Springwise
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am
    Last year we saw both people and dogs loaned out by libraries, but it would seem there’s still plenty that can still be done with books as well. Aiming to introduce more fun into library loaning, The National and University Library of Slovenia recently ran a program offering mystery packs of books to their customers. Those visiting the library, based in the centre of Ljubljana, had the option to check out one of an assortment of mystery packages containing three books wrapped in brown paper. A sticker on the front of each package signified which literary genre the books inside belonged to,…

  • Augmented reality poetry book can only be read via webcam

    Springwise
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:59 am
    We’ve already seen augmented reality used to superimpose text on top of chocolate-bar wrappers and newspaper ads, but now we’ve come across an example of the technology being used in the publishing industry. Between Page And Screen is a printed book of poems that relies entirely on augmented reality to convey its words. The Between Page and Screen poetry book has no text printed on its physical pages. Rather, each page is covered with a stark black and white geometric shape and a web address leading to the book’s website. To read the book, readers must visit that site and…

  • At Bahrain auto shop, customers can exercise while they wait

    Springwise
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:52 am
    The UK’s Autofarm Porsche dealership may drive customers to the mall so that they can pass the time shopping while their car is being worked on, but Bahrain’s National Motor Company takes this concept a step further. Not only does the company’s brand-new Sehla-based service center offer free wifi and shuttles to local destinations, but it also houses a state-of-the-art gymnasium. Founded in 1988, National Motor Company (NMC) is one of the leading automotive distributors in Bahrain, representing Honda, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Hummer. Early this year the company opened a…

  • Mobile app adds an element of gaming to home energy metering

    Springwise
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:22 am
    There are few aspects of life that can’t be enlivened by a little friendly competition, and home energy metering is no exception. Enter German GreenPocket’s namesake smartphone app, which “helps consumers share their carbon footprint in a competitive and entertaining way on Facebook”. Based in Cologne, GreenPocket is a software provider focusing on the visualization and interpretation of smart metering energy consumption data. As a complement to its smart metering and smart home solutions, the company recently launched a social metering app to sustain consumers’ interest…

  • With every half-sized restaurant meal, a donation to fight hunger

    Springwise
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:04 am
    Pay-what-you-can pricing is one way for a restaurant to help fight hunger during tough economic times, but recently we came across a different approach that aims to combat obesity and waste as well. It’s called Halfsies, and it’s essentially a program that’s designed to help consumers eat less at restaurants while helping to feed the hungry and minimize the amount of food that gets thrown out. Halfsies is “a social initiative offering restaurant-goers a choice that provides a healthier meal portion, reduces food waste, and supports the fight against hunger,” in the…
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    entrepreMusings

  • Leadership, Management and Unicorns

    Aruni
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:58 am
    The older I get more experience I gain working for different organizations, the more I realize that good leadership is rare and good management is even rarer.  I think we all see this played out on TV with the incompetence demonstrated by our business and political leaders.  I don’t really know why this happens and it’s sometimes a miracle that companies get built and keep going.  It’s somewhat of an enigma to me….might be a bunch of great workers covering up for the incompetence of their leaders & managers. The reason I think good management is rarer than good…

  • Thanks For Dreaming Mr. King

    Aruni
    16 Jan 2012 | 7:08 am
      Martin Luther King Martin Luther King, Jr. had a big dream.  He had more courage and vision in his pinky than most of us have in our whole bodies.  Here is an except from his speech “I Have A Dream.” (Go listen to the recording of his speech at this link). Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:…

  • Motherhood Is The Necessity of Re-Invention

    Aruni
    15 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm
    Other ways to say this that might make more sense to a brain that doesn’t have little kids around the house: Necessity is the Mothership of Re-invention Necessity is the mother of invention – most popular Motherhood/Parenthood/Fatherhood necessitates constant reinvention Working Motherhood/Parenthood/Fatherhood requires you to try touching your elbow to your ear (yes, I tried it to make sure it was near impossible to do so) on more occasions than you’d like to admit I hope in all this living around parents with an accidental (prone to earthquakes) entrepreneurial foundation,…

  • Three Chords And The Truth

    Aruni
    8 Jan 2012 | 10:15 pm
    The Austin Songwriters Symposium that I wrote about in my previous post was amazing!  It wrapped up this morning after a Sunday morning gospel jam session with the attendees and a lunchtime jam session with the pros.  I don’t attend church often, but I love gospel music and hymns…they really pull at the heart strings of us sinners non perfect people.  I learned a lot about a whole different industry.  It’s even harder to make it in that industry than being a high tech entrepreneur.  Songwriters are entrepreneurs.  The main difference is that most songwriters make it on…

  • Austin Songwriting Symposium – 2011

    Aruni
    6 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am
    I haven’t blogged too much about music or songwriting recently, but I signed up to attend the Austin Songwriters Group 8th Annual Songwriting Symposium this weekend and tonight was the first night…well it’s now past midnight as I’m writing this post.  My voice teacher, Gene Raymond at Octave Higher, forwarded me a notice about it only a week ago and I figured ‘what the heck, I should go.’ So far so good.  They had songwriters from Texas and Nashville singing their original music tonight.  It was like having a semi-private concert given by very talented…
 
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    The Next Web

  • Brands may be paying celebrities for tweets, but who’s paying Twitter?

    Paul Sawers
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:41 am
    It seems you can’t even post a photo of yourself eating a chocolate bar on Twitter these days without kicking up a stink. On Tuesday, Manchester United and (former?) England defender Rio Ferdinand – with almost two million Twitter followers – posted this message, accompanied by a photo of himself just about to get stuck in to a Snickers chocolate bar: You’re not you when you’re hungry @snickersUk#hungry#spon lockerz.com/s/177408824 — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) January 24, 2012 So what, right? Well, yes. Except, with the status that Rio has – both in real life and…

  • Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to request that Google reduces Android’s data usage

    Matt Brian
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:17 am
    In what appears to be one of the first public cases of a mobile operator approaching a smartphone operating system provider to amend how its software operates, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo is reportedly to ask Google to reduce the amount of data its mobile OS consumes, Reuters reports. According to the report, DoCoMo has already taken issue with an Android VOIP application that allows free voice communication, which assisted in bring down its service on Wednesday, but will also campaign for Google to increase the periods between when the Android operating system requests new data for its…

  • Copyright enforcement gone wrong: Universal takes down a song it doesn’t own

    Surat Lozowick
    28 Jan 2012 | 2:52 am
    Proactive copyright protection systems like YouTube’s ContentID are double-edged swords. On the one hand, they help large companies efficiently ensure that their copyrights are not infringed, which can be difficult with sites where anyone can upload content. On the other hand, they can give those with the right deals and connections unfair influence, are open to abuse, and can lead to some unfortunate and frustrating situations for fans and independent artists. With Universal Music Group’s recent YouTube takedown of a song by After The Smoke, it seems to be all of the above. The Florida…

  • Sean Parker says Facebook IPO could be ‘the largest offering in history’ [video]

    Drew Olanoff
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:36 pm
    Former President of Facebook, Sean Parker, did an interview with CNBC today in which he discussed Facebook’s “inevitable” IPO and applauded Mark Zuckerberg for keeping the company private for as long as he has. While Parker didn’t provide any insight as to when the public offering would be made or at what valuation, he did admit that the public push for Facebook shares can’t be ignored: To the extent that there is any bubble in technology at all, it is really a bubble around Facebook in the sense that there is a huge amount of pent-up demand among retail…

  • CBS fires sports blogger following Twitter-based misstep on Paterno’s death

    Anna Heim
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:06 pm
    CBS finally let go its sports blogger Adam Jacobi following the Paterno debacle, Jacobi himself announced today on his Twitter account: As you may remember, CBS Sports wrongly announced the death of the ex-Penn State American football coach Joe Paterno – who had recently been accused of covering child sex abuse. As Paterno’s sons soon pointed out, the information was incorrect – although terminally ill, their father only passed away hours later. Following the misstep, it emerged that Jacobi’s report was based on a sole source he initially didn’t bother to name:…
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    Startup Africa

  • Angel Hub Launches Founders Dinner

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:26 am
    In addition to periodic ‘deal pitching’ sessions, AngelHub is launching a monthly high-touch networking platform by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs in 2012. The events are targeted at getting founders (and prospective founders) of interesting high-growth ventures together for meaningful conversations on shared experiences. Rather than a traditional networking event where one needs to delicately balance a drink and cocktail snacks in one hand while exchanging awkward handshakes and business cards with the other, Founders Dinners will take the form of, well… a casual dinner. One…

  • Silicon Cape – VC Office Hours

    admin
    20 Jan 2012 | 1:38 am
    Silicon Cape has just launched VC office hours, where you as a start-up entrepreneurs can sit for 30 minutes with a VC and bounce ideas off them, discuss your project etc.  I suspect #Johannesburg is going to loose the battle to be the technology hub of South Africa, unless similar projects are done soon here. As part of Silicon Cape Initiatives’s goal of creating more and better start-ups we would like to announce a new monthly initiative: VC Office Hours. This is great opportunity for you to ask an investor specific questions about the funding process, how to apply for funding, or…

  • Gauteng Innovation Competition

    Ismail Dhorat
    11 Jan 2012 | 2:20 am
    The Gauteng Innovation Competition is an initiative of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, through its agency BlueIQ and implemented under The Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub has partnered with mLab Southern Africa for the inaugural competition. Entries are invited that include innovative technologies and solutions, or novel business and implementation models in the two themes of mobile and green technologies. Rather than simply rewarding innovation that contributes to government service delivery with a focus on Gauteng Province, the competition is aimed at growing enterprises…

  • African News Innovation Challenge – $ 1 Million

    Ismail Dhorat
    5 Jan 2012 | 3:15 am
    The African Media Initiative (AMI), the continent’s largest association of media owners and operators, has announced a $1 million fund to spur innovation in the news industry. The new African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) is designed to encourage experimentation in digital technologies and support the best innovations that strengthen African news organizations. AMI chief executive Amadou Mahtar Ba first announced the fund at the 4th African Media Leaders Forum in Tunisia on November 10. This week, Ba confirmed that Omidyar Network, Google, the John S. and James L. Knight…

  • Festival of Mobile – Mobile Web in Africa 2011

    Khalil Aleker
    1 Nov 2011 | 4:43 am
    All Amber Ltd, the organiser of premier mobile-related events in Africa, today announced plans for its third annual Mobile Web in Africa conference.  The series of events, which will take place in the week of 21st November 2011, will cater to the entire range of individuals involved in the African mobile sector. The events include the end of year Mobile Monday Jo’burg celebration, a day dedicated entirely to Mobile Marketing and the flagship two-day Mobile Web in Africa conference and culminate in a workshop day led by international experts Tomi Ahonen and Marc Smith.  The ambitious plans…
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    Pop17

  • Oscar Buzzzz: Eddie Murphy Out

    Sarah Austin
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:57 pm
    The nominations for the 2012 oscars have been announced. Some of the recognized films are “The Artist”, “Moneyball”, and “Bridesmaids”. After Eddie Murphy had been slated to host, the actor pulled out with relatively short notice, to be replaced by academy favorite Billy Crystal. Who do you think is going to take home the oscars? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to follow us on Twitter! And check us out on Facebook

  • Trailer Talk “The Avengers”

    Sarah Austin
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:38 pm
    Watch Trailer Talk on Next Movie.com! This is Trailer Talk! Check it out as some of Sarah’s slightly ridiculous friends watch the trailer for “The Avengers”. With so many superheros, there’s plenty to talk about. Stay tuned for more Trailer Talk coming soon.

  • Lana Del Rey Is Everywhere

    Sarah Austin
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:18 pm
    Indie music sensation Lana Del Rey is literally everywhere at the moment. Since the video for her song “Video Games” went viral last year, the singer/songwriter has jumped into the mainstream media spotlight. Her recent performance on SNL drew some harsh criticism, most notably from actress Juliette Lewis on Twitter. But with the release of her new album “Born To Die” and her upcoming performance at SXSW 2012, Lana Del Rey probably isn’t leaving the spotlight anytime soon. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Be sure to follow us on Twitter! And…

  • Global Startup Competition To Discover The Next Steve Jobs

    hermione
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:27 pm
    It’s inevitable there will be the next Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Google or Facebook, the question is; where in the world will they come from? As the cost of innovation decreases and governments all over the world invest in startups to try and create the next Silicon Valley, entrepreneurship and startup culture is now a global story where more people than ever are plugged in and switched on. In association with our sponsors i/o Ventures, Tropo and Endeavor we are launching Startup World – a global competition to find the world’s most innovative startups. We will be holding…

  • YouTube Singer Lana Del Rey at SXSW

    Sarah Austin
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:08 am
    After being slammed for her performance on SNL by the twitterverse, Gawker, and Juliette Lewis, Lana Del Rey hits up SXSW. We support Lana Del Rey for having the guts to debut her unreleased album on SNL. This is a girl who has worked for everything on her own through the powers of YouTube and social media. She isn’t a trained performer yet, but bet she could be one of the best performers of 2012. Via HollywoodReporter: Daniel Radcliffe has come to the defense of Lana Del Rey for her widely panned Saturday Night Live performance. The Harry Potter star, who hosted the episode and…
 
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    The Product Guy

  • TBPP2011: Chris Sarette on “Getting to Here”

    Jeremy Horn
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:34 pm
    What is quickly becoming tradition, we are kicking off the first series of the year looking at our most recent winner of The Best Product Person. Chris Sarette, The Best Product Person of 2011, is the estimable subject of this series. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing a segments of a Q&A session I had with Chris — and lending some insight into why Chris truly is The Best Product Person of 2011. Getting to here… > What key people helped shape you into the product manager you are today? I wouldn’t be on the path I’m on now with product development without the mentorship…

  • Roadmapping, Liquid Fare and a Fantastic February!

    Jeremy Horn
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:13 pm
    Thank you to everyone who made it to our latest record breaking roundtable meet-up of The Product Group at MTV Networks / Viacom, as well as to our sponsors, Balsamiq Studios, Sunshine Suites, and Ryma Technology Solutions. Over the course of the night a few of the highlights were… Featured Product: Liquid Fare exploring the product, its challenges and successes, from pivoting the bar scene to success in execution (thanks to Jon Zanoff and the Liquid Fare Product Team) Managing & Maintaining the Roadmap from "what" to "how" to "when" The Product…

  • The Best Product Person of 2011 Announced!

    Jeremy Horn
    11 Jan 2012 | 9:33 pm
    On Wednesday, January 11th, the 2nd annual winner of The Best Product Person (TBPP) was announced at The Product Group! Throughout the year, as nominations poured in, I was continually excited and amazed by the highly innovative and inspiring Product People spanning the realms from startup to Fortune 500, and from non-profit to consulting to physical goods producers. In the end, there were several truly outstanding finalists! The Product Guy & The Product Group are very pleased to announce The Best Product Person of 2011 is Chris Sarette of Invisible Children! From "number guy"…

  • Happy New Year! Product Management in 2012

    Jeremy Horn
    1 Jan 2012 | 4:28 pm
    Happy New Year! The last year has seen many changes in the world of product management. Yet, with all these changes, we can all expect ever more exciting trends, processes, and, especially, products in 2012! A Look Back In 2011, many of the prevailing trends we experienced were… Increased focus on process for innovation and ideation API’s, relationships, modular innovation, integration. You are not a true product unless you have an API. Decreasing use of the free service / product business model. Growing on free is no longer the best policy. You can actually create a viable,…

  • Timely Harvest, Supporting Product & A Decadent December!

    Jeremy Horn
    9 Nov 2011 | 9:41 pm
    Thank you to everyone who made it to our latest roundtable meet-up of The Product Group at MTV Networks / Viacom, as well as to our sponsors, Balsamiq Studios, Sunshine Suites, and Ryma Technology Solutions. Don’t forget to send in your nominations for THE BEST PRODUCT PERSON OF 2011! http://tbpp.wufoo.com/forms/the-best-product-person-of-2011/ Over the course of the night a few of the highlights were… Featured Product: Harvest exploring the product, its challenges and successes, from challenging support to open APIs  (thanks to Harvest Product People: Sri Vemuri and…
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    Ben Casnocha

  • Fortune Excerpt on Networks and Relationships

    Ben Casnocha
    28 Jan 2012 | 2:19 am
    This week’s Fortune magazine contains two articles of note! The first is a lengthy excerpt from The Start-Up of You. The second is a brief profile/introduction of Reid. The brief profile ends by mentioning the book: In 2009, Hoffman joined venture firm Greylock, where he runs a seed fund and helps manage a portfolio of nearly 100 companies, including Groupon (GRPN), Tumblr, and AirBnb. With LinkedIn’s IPO and other investments, Hoffman is worth some $1.5 billion. Now comes his book, The Start-Up of You, in which he shares tips on building a great career. Paramount among…

  • The Jammed Career Escalator: Old Premises, New Realities

    Ben Casnocha
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:42 pm
    Centuries of immigrants risked everything to come to America with the belief that if they worked hard, they would enjoy a better life than their parents had. Since the country’s birth, each generation of Americans has generally made more money, been better educated, and enjoyed a higher standard of living than the generation that came before it. This expectation of lockstep increases in prosperity had become part of the American Dream. For the last sixty or so years, the job market for educated workers worked like an escalator. After graduating from college, you landed an entry-level…

  • When Talent Can Easily Find New Opportunity, How Do You Retain Talent?

    Ben Casnocha
    21 Jan 2012 | 1:51 am
    Talent in Companies There used to be a long-term economic and psychological pact between employee and employer that guaranteed lifetime employment in exchange for lifelong loyalty; this pact has been replaced by a performance-based, short-term contract that’s perpetually up for renewal by both sides. As an individual professional, you aren’t wild about pledging lifelong loyalty to a single company because, thanks to LinkedIn and other services, you can more easily locate new opportunities and you can more easily be found by recruiters and companies. The grass is always greener on the…

  • Pre-Order The Start-Up of You

    Ben Casnocha
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pm
    Today, I’m finally ready to talk about a project I’ve been working on for a very long time! I’m coauthor, with Reid Hoffman, of a new book titled The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career, which comes out February 14, 2012. What’s the book about? New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in his column last summer previewing the book, captured some of the key themes: Its subtitle could easily be: “Hey, recent graduates! Hey, 35-year-old midcareer professional! Here’s how you build your career today.” Hoffman argues…

  • NCAA Student-Athlete Commits to Alabama

    Ben Casnocha
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:19 am
    Two nights ago, a top high school football recruit announced live on ESPN–during the "Under Armour All American Game"–that he will go to Alabama for college. The video of him being interviewed is pretty amazing. His mother, sitting right next to him, follows up her son's announcement by declaring immediately afterwards (still on national television) that she disapproves, and that LSU is still #1. Probably because I'm watching Friday Night Lights (I'm in Season 3 – it's awesome), the thing I thought of when watching the interview was, "What…
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    infoChachkie

  • How Tal Siach Found The World’s Ugliest Facebook Profile

    John Greathouse
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:12 am
    Tal Siach is a life-long serial entrepreneur who has mastered social media as a guerrilla marketing tool. In my recent interview with Tal, he describes how his actions encouraged Intuit to play nice with Mint. He also describes how he used Digg to discover the ugliest person on Facebook. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! Tal is currently CMO at Visual.ly, a data visualization startup. He is also the Founder of Walyou, an online geek’s guide to cool gadgets. You can watch my interview with Tal below or on YouTube here:…

  • Eight Startup Tips From Mark Zuckerberg

    John Greathouse
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Note: This is an installment in the Iconic Advice series. Other installments include: Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Richard BransonWalt Disney and Michael Dell.    1) Get A Mentor "I started the site when I was 19. I didn't know much about business back then." [Tweet this quote] If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! Ignorance is not bliss in business, but it does allow entrepreneurs to face the unknown with a measure of confidence. No 19-year old understands business at the level of a seasoned, serial entrepreneur.

  • Mark Suster’s Advice To Emerging Entrepreneurs – “Do Not Do, As I Have Done”

    John Greathouse
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    As part of UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Lecture Series, serial entrepreneur and noted venture capitalist Mark Suster recently shared his advice with a large crowd of emerging entrepreneurs. Mark is a Partner at GRP Partners and authors one of the most widely read startup blogs, BothSidesOfTheTable. Mark framed his comments around the major mistakes he made during his early ventures. By focusing on what he would do differently now, he was able to humbly convey a number of impactful lessons to a captivated audience of budding entrepreneurs. If you haven't already subscribed yet,…

  • Your Startup Should Emulate The Beatles, Not A Flock Of Seagulls

    John Greathouse
    16 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Note: This is Part VI in the Startup Team Building series. Read Part I HERE, Part II HERE, Part III HERE, Part IV HERE and Part V HERE Two bands, both heralding from Liverpool. Each with a unique look, hip contemporary sound and significant initial success. Why did A Flock of Seagulls crash soon after their initial hit while the Beatles’ career has spanned nearly 40-years, including a number one CD (“Love”) as recently as 2007? This dichotomy is not merely reflective of the groups’ respective musical talents. The Beatles longevity and success was largely the result of their…

  • Steve Blank Discusses: The Ideal Venture Capitalist

    John Greathouse
    12 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Blank, author of Four Steps To The Epiphany, Stanford Professor and noted entrepreneur. Steve was very generous with his time, allowing us to cover a variety of topics during our Skype conversation. The subject discussed in the video below is Steve’s belief that Venture Capitalists should begin their careers as operational entrepreneurs. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! You can watch my interview with Steve below or on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/VV84vFfN85U   During the…
 
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    Start-up

  • Inside the Entrepreneur's Brain With the Start-up Doctor

    Tim Donnelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pm
    What do hyper-creatives, emergency room nurses, and CEOs have in common? Dr. Aaron Blackledge has identified a particular neuro-chemical pattern. Do you have "entrepreneur brain?"Aaron Blackledge doesn't like to stand still. He possesses kind of mindset that is often too fidgety to stand tedious processes, such as attending lectures or writing papers to attain advanced degrees. So when he wanted to become a doctor, instead of settling into higher education, Blackledge doubled down and completed his pre-med in nine months. He decided to open Care Practice in the Mission District of San…

  • Corporate America Is Killing Your Dreams

    Selena Cuffe
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    Chained to your desk? I've been there. If you're still stuck working for a giant company, you need to know these two things right now.I owe a lot to Corporate America. My mom single-handedly supported our family by working a corporate job for almost 30 years. It paid her a salary that afforded my upbringing and provided invaluable benefits that are sometimes taken for granted like health insurance, a 401K plan, and a pension. I have also worked in Corporate America. During my tenure, I acquired tangible skills that I leverage everyday as an entrepreneur. Yet when I think about the times I…

  • Ta-da! Timing the Perfect Product Release

    Howard Greenstein
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am
    We're living in a world of beta tests and products that are released and then improved. How do you know when you're done and it's time to ship? Three entrepreneurs give their advice.One of the hardest things for a start-up to decide is "When is my product done?" I've worked in many start-ups, and I am advising several start-ups now. Last week after my article about the Minimum Viable Concept, this issue came to a head at one company. The challenge of when to open the website or let the world through the door is a monster that many teams wrestle with. Paralysis by analysis can lead to missing…

  • 7 Chinese Tech Start-ups to Watch

    Eric Markowitz
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:59 am
    Chinese tech outfits are gaining steam against their Silicon Valley counterparts. Here's a look at a few rising start-ups you should know about.Could Beijing become the next Silicon Valley? Despite red tape that makes doing business in China a real hassle for some entrepreneurs, it would be almost impossible to argue that China isn't becoming one of the next hot markets for start-ups. Last year, 138 venture-backed companies in China went public, raising about $21 billion, according to VentureSource. Impressive, no? Here's a look at seven start-ups every investor, entrepreneur, and small…

  • Business Essential You Might Be Missing

    Jessica Stillman
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:49 am
    A Silicon Valley CEO tells how he learned that company values aren't a nice add-on. They're mandatory to holding your business together.You've got the idea for a company and posess the necessary skills. Maybe you even have money, co-founders and a solid business plan, but one Silicon Valley CEO says there’s one additional, essential ingredient your new company might be missing: values.You may think of things like mission, values and culture as nebulous but nice additions to the real nitty gritty of entrepreneurship, a distant priority when compared to sound planning and a good grasp of…
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    Street Smarts | Inc.com

  • No Vacancy at the Hotel Brodsky

    Norm Brodsky
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pm
    By the time Norm's new hotel opens, it will have been booked for the next three years, and therein lies an important lesson for any entrepreneur.The news from Tioga, North Dakota, is that Black Gold Suites—the new hotel I'm building there (see "Black Gold for You and Me," September 2011)—will open on March 1. But don't bother trying to get a reservation: By then, we'll have been booked up for the next three years. How that's happening is a story in itself and contains a couple of useful lessons about negotiating.You may recall that, shortly after we worked out a deal with the city…

  • Norm Brodsky on Keeping Peace in the Family

    Norm Brodsky
    7 Dec 2011 | 11:00 pm
    The best way to avoid bickering over family ownership of a company is to put everything in writing early on.Dear Norm,My sister had a great idea for a product and started a business. I joined her and put in long hours, without compensation, for two years. My sister promised me 10 percent of the business in return. However, nothing was ever put in writing.She kept at it, and in 2009, orders for the product took off. Our brother stepped in, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the company is finally turning a profit. The question is, How much of it do I actually own? My sister says I…

  • Norm Brodsky on Wining Over the Employees of an Acquisition

    Norm Brodsky
    7 Dec 2011 | 11:00 pm
    How can you retain a great company culture when forcing an ownership transition?Dear Norm,In 2002, my wife and I sold the automotive-repair business that we had owned for 15 years. We were fine for a while, but things have gotten very tough. I never thought that, at the age of 48, I would be unemployable. My wife has started a housecleaning business to make ends meet.Meanwhile, a new opportunity has come up. We're thinking about buying a car-repair shop in Florida. It's very successful and well managed, with 19 employees and 11 repair bays. My wife and I have the experience to make this work,…

  • Entrepreneurs: Leash Your Optimism

    Norm Brodsky
    7 Dec 2011 | 11:00 pm
    Even in tough times, entrepreneurs are incurable optimists. But too much optimism can blind you to the obstacles ahead.Consider a recent survey of Inc. 5000 CEOs that appeared in the magazine's October issue. Eighty-five percent of respondents described their companies as "strong" or "very strong"; only 25 percent felt the same way about the economy as a whole. Even the worst economy in 80 years can't get a business owner down.That said, if you happen to be an entrepreneur—especially a first-time entrepreneur—you would be wise to keep a leash on your optimism. I'm not saying you…

  • Norm: Know Thy Customer

    Norm Brodsky
    31 Oct 2011 | 11:00 pm
    Good salespeople focus on the particular feature the customer cares about.A friend asked me recently, "What separates really good salespeople from merely average ones?"I told him it comes down to one factor: knowledge of the customer. Prospective customers can sense very quickly whether you know enough about their needs to be able to offer what they want. Average salespeople use their limited time with prospects to sell them on everything a product or service can do, with predictably hit-or-miss results. Good salespeople focus on the particular feature that the customer cares most about. How…
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    Young Upstarts

  • That Celebrity Fitness Video? Watch It Now Entertainment’s Probably Behind It.

    Daniel Goh
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pm
    In a 15,000 square foot studio complex in the heart of West Hollywood stands a facility filled with multiple set stages and film production equipment that is, by any stretch of the imagination, the envy of most Hollywood producers. Yet the space does not produce movies or films of the traditional sort – it is, however, probably responsible for making most of the celebrity fitness videos you see today. The facility is owned by full-service production company Watch It Now Entertainment (WIN), and its forte is giving its clientele the ability to direct, produce and promote any kind of…

  • Social Media – A Marketing Tool To Be Taken Seriously

    Contributor
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    By Marsha Friedman, CEO of EMSI Public Relations and author of Celebritize Yourself I remember when the Internet first gained prominence and it became apparent that having a website was essential for any commercial enterprise. Back then, web designers were not plentiful and few people thought to hire a professional to create a site. They felt that ANY web presence was better than none at all and they found people they knew who were “into the whole Internet thing”to help them. As a PR professional, when I saw a website that didn’t represent people well or looked amateurish, I’d ask who…

  • The Essential MBA Library

    Contributor
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pm
    While you’re undoubtedly learning a lot from your MBA courses at college, it never hurts to supplement your education with a little outside reading material. There are numerous great books out there on business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and other topics of interest to MBA students that can be immensely valuable to anyone looking to build their knowledge and prepare for a career in business. In fact, you may learn a few tips and tricks you won’t cover in any of your MBA courses. Whether you’re looking to learn more before graduation, or build your business skills afterwards, these…

  • What Leaders Can Learn From Tim Tebow

    Contributor
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    By Mark Miller, co-author of “Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life“ Some of you are Tim Tebow fans and some of you are not – got it. Regardless of your feelings, let’s not miss the chance to learn something here about leadership. Here are a few things I’ve observed watching Tebow this season that may help you on your leadership journey. Leadership Matters. Team sports require leadership. In the NFL, there is an expectation that the quarterback will provide that leadership. Business, ministry, government and academia are all TEAM SPORTS. If you are going…

  • ExhibitMatch.com – Matching Trade Exhibitors With Vendors

    Daniel Goh
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:30 am
    If you’ve ever been a trade marketing manager in charge of setting up an exhibition booth for your company in a trade conference or expo, you know the acute pain of trying to source for the right vendors who can build and run your booth at the right price. Founded in 2010, Las Vegas-based startup ExhibitMatch (www.exhibitmatch.com) hopes to solve that particular problem – it is a global online interactive bidding platform that matches trade show exhibitors with stand builders from around the world. It’s a simple enough concept – finding trade stand builders can be an…
 
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    ArabCrunch

  • ArabCrunch Team Member Received Death and Rape Threats

    news
    5 Jan 2012 | 4:35 pm
    One of ArabCrunch team members received verbal death and rape threats against him and other team members. The threats came in light of ArabCrunch posting parts of CIA, Zionists and their Arab secret police allies conspiracy against ArabCrunch and free press. The people who delivered the threats are members of certain Arab intelligence agency. One of the conversations was recorded but then wiped out. Some suspicious people would accuse us of being mentally ill, delusional and crazy. But there is an evidence of such threats against ArabCrunch and its founder “Gaith Saqer” via a…

  • Saudi Hacker Post Personal Information of 400,000 Israelis

    news
    3 Jan 2012 | 11:55 am
    Saudi Hacker claiming to be a member of hacking group named GroupXP claimed to post personal information of 400,000 Israelis after hacking into an “Israeli” sports site One.co.il. The hacker said the information including credit card details, personal addresses, names, phone numbers and ID numbers of individuals listed on the website. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretsz, Israeli credit card companies said Monday that the list is repetitive and only includes 14,000 Israelis. The website on Monday were redirected to a page on pastebay.com, where a message by a hacker who…

  • ArabCrunch Announces Weal Ghonim, Anonymous Hacker Group and Bradley Manning As Person of the Year 2011

    news
    25 Dec 2011 | 3:47 pm
    ArabCrunch World’s only independent and most popular English tech news site focused on Arab tech, startups and social media has announced its selection of the person of the year 2011. Starting 2010, each December, ArabCrunch selects Person of the Year featuring and profiling a person, group, idea, place, or machine that has done the most to influence the events of the year in technology, internet, entrepreneurship or in using technology. Last year we selected Julian Assang founder of Wikileaks, to celebrate the distinguished efforts by the Wikileaks in pushing transparency worldwide and…

  • Facebook and Yahoo Using Google’s Adwords to Advertise in the Arab world

    Guest
    25 Dec 2011 | 2:48 pm
    Facebook is going away from its traditional zero cost marketing efforts to boost membership to its social network and counter its upcoming rival Google+. Historically Facebook relayed on viral marketing to push current members to invite their friends. But recently several Facebook ads has been popping in the Arab world at Google’s AdWords on its partnership program with third party websites “Adsense.” for example one facebook ad, titled: “chat with friends Facebook: lookup for your friends on Facebook and chat with them signup for Facebook today. The text ad link leads…

  • Details of Obama’s Programs To Support Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Muslim World – 2010

    Gaith Saqer
    19 Dec 2011 | 10:02 am
    In his “famous” Cairo speech in 2010, US president Obama made a promise for a new beginning with Muslims. While many observers call it a new conspiracy or decoy under the banner of “help,” others call it a genuine one for a new beginning. Among the pillars of his promise is to help foster entrepreneurship and tech innovation in the Muslim world. We had contacted the US embassy in Amman, to get some details of the plans programs and partnerships and today we are publishing them unedited the way they were sent. Though this plan and programs date back to mid of 2010, they…
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    Startup Meme

  • Mobile Payment Models An Overview–Infographic

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:25 am
    Thought after several questions being asked by many a friends on what are the different mobile payment methods that something simple should be shared. While an explanation is not a problem, nothing beats a good infographic at getting the point through. So here we are sharing this. The infographic very briefly explains the different mobile payment methods that exist. Some of those are: Mobile at the Point of Sale: the best example would be the Google Wallet. Mobile as the Point of Sale The Mobile Payment Platform Direct Carrier Billing: where a purchase amount is adjusted in your carrier…

  • Project Management Made Easy With Teamwork Live!

    Zahid
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:48 am
    We have been taking a break with posting at Engine021. Guess it’s time we put our act together and begun sharing interesting stories and more importantly talk about Web Startups. It is interesting how I had a discussion on business model generation, pitching your startup idea and more importantly about how teams need to be better collaborate. The collaboration factor is absolutely important as it impacts efficiency and the overall outcome of the progress. This brings me to Teamwork Live, a web startup that helps team collaborate better. Teamwork Live provides you and your team an easy to…

  • Collabor8Online Is About Taking Project Management Online

    Zahid
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pm
    Who needs to continue with traditional methods of communication within organizations when the cloud has made things more efficient and effective? Well no one other than those who don’t value productivity. There are a lot of tools on the web that help make project management and collaboration easy, for example Nutshell that I personally use at work, but we thought its always good to add more variety. Collabor8online, is another Web Startup in the same category to help your team be more productive. What Makes Project Management Better With Collabor8Online? As already mentioned, I am a big fan…

  • Massive Online Collaboration: ReCaptcha The Captcha

    Zahid
    15 Jan 2012 | 3:31 am
    We thought about sharing an interesting story on Captcha and ReCaptcha. Thought we should share this on our blog too along with the video. Captcha has been used for a long time now. So much that it has become the users Web Responsibility. However, Luis saw the bigger picture and he knew this time spent had to be utilized more intelligently (more human like), they came up with Re-Captcha, a startup that was later acquired by Google (obviously!). The wealth, like always lay in the time spent in deciphering those captchas and typing them in. Seeing the opportunity, the idea came about at using…

  • Startup: Grouperly Lets You Socialize With People Sharing Similar Interests

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    11 Jan 2012 | 1:08 am
    We at Startup Meme are always up with promoting new startups. Given the bulk of submissions we get it makes our job interestingly difficult. Anyway today we are showcasing Grouperly, a web startup that helps you connect with real people sharing common passions. The connections aren’t all virtual one and while traditional social media usually goes about connecting with real friends in real life online, Grouperly, lets you find people in your locality and connect with them. You can create your own online social resume, create groups, add events, upload photos, post news and comments, manage…
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    StartupCFO : Mark MacLeod

  • Do Less but do it all the way!

    mark
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:39 am
    I have long lamented my lack of coding ability and have stated that for this reason alone I will never be a founder. So, I was pretty excited when I heard about Code Academy last year. I was even more excited when they launched their Code Year program promising to teach you how to code in 2012. Last night, I spent several hours plugging away on the 1st few lessons. It was fun. I enjoyed learning the basics of javascript. Variables, functions, strings, all good.  But when I stopped last night it struck me that maybe I’m deluding and defocusing myself by spending time on this. Some smart…

  • 2011 in VC

    mark
    18 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    The smart folks at CB Insights recently published their review of US VC activity in 2011 (republished below). 2011 was definitely a good year, especially for really early stage funding. Accelerators continue to launch. Seed rounds continue to happen daily. And with Facebook set to IPO in Q2 maybe the good times are here for a while still. Who knows? In any event, here are some of the nuggets I took out from the report as I looked back on 2011 in VC: The big headline: 2011’s US VC deal volume: $30.6B invested in 3,051 deals which marked a 10-year high for the VC asset class on both deals and…

  • The Model Board Package

    mark
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:56 pm
    One of the least favourite things about raising money from VCs is having to deal with board meetings once you’re funded. Most board meetings suck. I’ve sat through my fair share on the company side. To date, as an investor, I’ve tried to avoid them favouring regular informal interactions. But since board meetings are inevitable companies and investors need to work better to get the most out of them. Done right, they can be of huge value. I’ve included some readings on how to do boards right below. In addition, I have prepared a model board package. This draws VERY…

  • Choosing the Right Accelerator

    mark
    5 Jan 2012 | 8:31 am
    It seems everyone is getting into the incubation/ acceleration game now. According to this list, there are hundreds  (and the list is a year old). So, with so many incubators all offering something that appears to be similar, how do you choose which one is right for you? GigaOm posted this week about history repeating itself with most incubator programs doomed to fail. I’m sure they’re right. To me, there are three main reasons to become part of an incubator or accelerator: Mentorship: from peers and from actual mentors Network Capital That’s it! When you apply those…

  • 2011: looking back!

    mark
    3 Jan 2012 | 9:09 am
    Happy new year everyone! As I do every year, I begin the new year with a recap of the most popular posts of 2011. This was my first full year on the VC side and I was so busy meeting people that I had a lot less time to write. Not sure how Fred Wilson does it, but in 2011 I only had 81 posts. I’m sure the World is a better place with less noise anyway. Without further ado, here’s my completely subjective list of the top posts of 2011: Raising VC Checklist for a Perfect VC Pitch The VC Presentation Grader Get Funded Faster There’s so much content out there on raising capital…
 
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    WordPress.com News

  • Chrome Users: Try the WordPress.com Extension

    Christopher Finke
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Want to receive WordPress.com notifications instantly, even when you’re not on WordPress.com? Add the new WordPress.com extension for Chrome and as soon as you get a new follower or a new like on one of your posts, a notification will appear in your browser: Simply click the icon to view your latest WordPress.com notifications: Start following new blogs without visiting WordPress.com The Chrome extension also makes it easy to follow sites from your WordPress.com account by displaying a Follow button whenever you’re browsing a site that has an RSS feed. Clicking the Follow button…

  • Your Stats Have a New Home

    Andy Skelton
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
    Are you addicted to checking your site stats? You are not alone. The stats dashboard has always been one of the most popular admin screens. It’s gratifying to know that people are visiting your place online. With the WordPress.com front page evolving into a one-stop shop for posting, exploring, following and reading blogs, it seemed natural to put your blog stats there, too.  Stats are becoming more and more about interacting with your readers and other bloggers. You’ll still see your summary stats and chart on your main dashboard, and the full stats page in your dashboard will…

  • Reblogging is Back!

    Erica Johnson
    22 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pm
    As we mentioned last week, you can like and reblog posts directly from your reader, which displays a stream of all the updates published on all the blogs you follow from your WordPress.com account. We’ve also brought the reblog button back to the toolbar that appears at the top of the screen when you’re logged into WordPress.com. Note that you’ll only see the like and reblog options while you’re looking at individual posts. For example, you’ll see this on the left side of your toolbar while viewing http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/read-blogs: And your…

  • New Theme: Newsy

    Philip Arthur Moore
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    It’s been an extra big week in the news ’round these parts, so much so that the launch announcement of our latest premium theme seems like an extra extra good way to headline our Friday. Newsy is a versatile business and news-friendly theme that offers up to ten different layouts, four footer columns, custom link and accent colors, and a custom site header. Brand and content-focused editorial teams will love publishing with this theme. Newsy: Home Page Designed by Themify, Newsy comes with an impressive set of Theme Options that afford you a great deal of flexibility with how you…

  • Read All Your Favorite Blogs in One Place

    Erica Johnson
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pm
    If you feel like it’s a chore to keep up with all your favorite blogs, you can now read posts from all the blogs you follow (even the ones that aren’t on WordPress.com!) in one convenient place on the WordPress.com home page: Your reader displays all the posts across all the blogs you follow in the order they were published, with the most recent content appearing at the top. You’ll see an excerpt of the introduction to each post, the first image in the post, and thumbnails of any other images that the post contains. You can even like and reblog WordPress.com content directly…
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    47 Hats

  • Why branding a startup begins with a question, and not the one you’d expect.

    Bob Walsh
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pm
    Andrea Shillington By Andrea Shillington Founder & Owner  Brands for the people The first question every leader should start with is this: why does your business exists other than to make money? It may come as a surprise to you that the first questions in a branding process is not about what the product or service is, or even how it’s delivered differently. Those questions will come, but the one that matters most to customers – and thus should to leaders as well – is why. It’s a matter of creating a partnership with your customers, one in which you both contribute to…

  • Seven Secrets of Startup Success

    Bob Walsh
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:04 am
    Why Startups Fail: And How Yours can Succeed By David Feinleib VC, Entrepreneur, and Author of Why Startups Fail: And How Yours Can Succeed Startups fail for many different reasons. Turn failure into success by avoiding some of the most common causes of startup failure: Failing to drive demand Building a product people don’t want A lack of passion Running out of money Scaling too fast Small markets Failing to focus Drive Demand! As I wrote in Seven Ways To Market Your Startup, getting the word out about your product is key. All too often, entrepreneurs focus on what they’re going to build…

  • It’s not getting them to try, it’s getting them to buy…

    Bob Walsh
    18 Jan 2012 | 7:56 pm
    It used to be all you had to do is create a new startup, polish your Web 2.0 buttons and people would sign up for your service, and pay you. That was about 500,000 apps ago. Today with services like oAuth through Twitter and Facebook, getting visitors to join isn’t the issue – getting them to actually use your service and therefore value it and therefore pay for it is the nut you have to crack. And emails (paraphrased to protect the guilty) like this one don’t cut it: Dear Bob Walsh, We’ve noticed that you haven’t logged in to your ACME account and we want to…

  • London calling…

    Bob Walsh
    13 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pm
    Let's talk UK/EU Startups! I’ve been conducting an experiment this week in going global helping self-funded startups. Normally, I keep what I call online office hours here at 47hats.com between 4pm and 6pm PST weekdays. (Stop by and I’ll be happy to chat via IM with your about ways to improve your site, conversion ratios, whatever you need to improve you startup, no charge.) The problem is, that time slot is the middle of the night in Europe – hence the experiment. Results are in – for example: Bob have clearly helped me figure out what I was missing to succeed in…

  • New Twitter tools for Startups in 2012

    Bob Walsh
    11 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pm
    With something north of 10,000 Twitter related tools, services, and apps, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and undermotivated looking for tools to help your startup. Here’s 5 new Twitter tools I’d recommend, and why. Buffer What: Repeat your tweets so more people see them. Pros: Slick interface, good analytics, free account gets you real results. Cons: Plan on going Pro for $10/month. I did. Want: Built-in analysis of best times to autotweet to reach a) current followers, b) follower of a given Thought Leader/brand. Comments: They just added autoposting to Facebook,…
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    Gregg Fraley's Blog

  • Why Creativity? Why Breathe?

    GREGG FRALEY
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:28 am
    I was invited by Tanner Christensen, author of the blog Creative Something to contribute a short piece to a free e-book on creativity. The assignment was to write a short response to the question “Why Creativity?” This is the first piece in ages that I wrote long hand first; maybe I should try that technique [...]

  • It Takes Two in the Innovation Tango

    GREGG FRALEY
    21 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    Thank God for Susan Robertson. Susan is a friend and colleague, and a principal at the innovation firm Ideas To Go. I’m happy Susan took the time to respond to yet another article in a respected publication that downplays the value of collaboration in idea generation. I’ve written several pieces in this blogspace defending the [...]

  • Moneyball is Innovationball

    GREGG FRALEY
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pm
    As in-flight entertainment luck would have it, I’ve now seen the film Moneyball twice within a week. On the surface Moneyball is a true-story film about baseball — but it’s really an innovation story. I enjoyed the film but nothing about it struck me as profoundly good in terms of story, or character development. I [...]

  • Do Innovation Consultants Kill Innovation? Oh please…

    GREGG FRALEY
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:34 am
    I get letters. A colleague of mine, Lisa Baxter, alerted me to an article recently published in Fast Company’s online Design section. The article, titled “Do Innovation Consultants Kill Innovation?” suggests that in fact, innovation consultants do indeed kill innovation. Authors Jens Martin Skibsted and Rasmus Bech Hansen argue that innovation is too messy to [...]

  • How To Avoid Innovation Infarction

    GREGG FRALEY
    4 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    As the son of a coach, and full-on sports participant in years past, I am not a stranger to exercise. I was doing push-ups daily before I entered kindergarten. I was an average athlete at best, but Dad was proud of how fit I was. The modest success I had was entirely due to good [...]
 
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    Teen Entrepreneur Blog

  • When is it too Late to Decide Your Future?

    Dale Bell
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:45 am
    What actions are you taking to get your career path figured out, if any? Have you more or less given up all hope? When is it too late to decide what you are going to do with yourself?

  • An interview with Claire Young

    Dale Bell
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:45 am
    Claire Young, 32, is the straight talking, no-nonsense business woman who is well known for reaching the final of series 4 of BBC1’s The Apprentice (2008) watched by over 11 million viewers.

  • Help ‘Pota-Toss’ reach it’s goal of $25,000

    Dale Bell
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:45 am
    Pota-Toss is a new and innovative iOS game, that allows players to game in either single or multiplayer mode, with an intuitive gameplay and gorgeous GPS-based levels.

  • Top 10 Online Business Models for 2012!

    Guest Blogger
    16 Jan 2012 | 2:45 am
    Want to start a business in 2012? Take a look at these 10 Top business models and make your dream a reality.

  • 7 Deadly Sins Of Small Business Ownership

    Dale Bell
    11 Jan 2012 | 2:45 am
    In order to succeed in business, many people are quick to tell you the things you need to do but no so keen in explaining what not to do. As it happens, knowing what to avoid and the common mistakes made by so many people who’ve failed at fulfilling their vision and living their dreams, [...]
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    The Entrepreneurial Mind

  • Some Trends for 2012

    25 Jan 2012 | 9:43 am
    So what can small businesses expect for 2012? My general advise continues to be cautious!  While we are seeing some of the small business surveys showing optimism increasing and more importantly employment improving slightly, I worry that we have been lulled into a mode of thinking that the worst is over.I believe that we are simply in the eye of the storm.  I hope that the storm is dissipating, but I fear that the back wall of the eye will hit us sometime later this year.  It may come as a result of the European debt crisis or it may come as a result of the looming Chinese…

  • Luck and Serendipity

    16 Jan 2012 | 5:36 am
    While entrepreneurial success is tied to careful feasibility assessment, business modeling and planning, never underestimate the role that luck plays in an entrepreneurial journey.I am not suggesting that aspiring entrepreneurs just sit and wait for an opportunity to come to them like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. As the Roman philosopher Seneca pointed out long ago, luck is the crossroad of preparation and opportunity.Preparation comes from the development of what I call the process skills.Entrepreneurs have a better chance of success if they learn fundamental business skills, such as…

  • More Money is not Always a Good Thing

    2 Jan 2012 | 9:09 am
    One of the biggest mistakes I made during my days as an entrepreneur was raising too much money.Because our business was successful, we had investors eager to offer us money. But by taking money when we really did not need it, we found that it created more problems than benefits.When taking money from outside investors, you give up part of the control over your business."One of the reasons most people start a company is so they don't have a boss," says Jake Jorgovan, co-founder of Rabbit Hole Creative, a high-tech graphics and marketing firm. "If you take out funding, then you have an…

  • Some Lessons from 2011

    29 Dec 2011 | 5:49 am
    Jeff Wuorio shares a collection of 2011 lessons learned from various entrepreneurs that he posted at Business on Main.Here are two of my favorites:"The biggest lesson I learned in 2011 was for our business to question our beliefs. We all have preconceptions about what our customers want, how best to market to them, how best to support them and so on. But if we set aside those preconceptions and brainstorm new solutions, we can come up with unexpectedly good new ideas."-- Michael Kaiser-Nyman, Impact Dialing"I've learned this year not to take on too much work. I have an 18-month-old little boy…

  • Taking on the Big Boxes

    27 Dec 2011 | 10:02 am
    Don't think you can win taking on the big box retailers?  See how the Toy House in Jackson, Michigan has found a way to compete and hold off the category killer at this video clip from Business on Main.  Note that the key is finding a different value proposition than the big box retailers that customers find to be one that trumps simply slashing prices.
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    Entrepreneur Bootcamp

  • Virgin Mobile to Start Throttling Data After 2.5GB

    Del Williams
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:29 pm
    Customers using their mobile devices to watch movies and listen to music on line might be in for a rude awakening starting in March, according to an email from Virgin Mobile. With more and more things being done on smart phones and tablets, it seems the industry is going backwards. It does not even allow them to pay for more data, since all contracts are for unlimited data. Here at Virgin Mobile, our mission is to deliver an outstanding customer experience. Sometimes thatmeans making difficult choices in order to provide the best possible service to the greatest number of customers.To make…

  • Bon Bons Delivered Fresh Daily, Naked Fan Boys and Other Lies

    Del Williams
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:42 am
    White House Photo-Public Domain I was reading a post by Carrie Wilkerson on what it has taken to get to this moment in her business career. It's a story not filled with all flowers and rainbows, but real honesty of what it takes to build a business. For many of us who are really active on social media networks sometimes we can get the idea that all a certain segment do are fly around the world giving lectures to thousands of adoring fans and money just flows down from the heavens above. News flash. The reason they can fly now is because they laid the groundwork. They did the tedious work,…

  • HERE'S AN EFFECTIVE "ONE-PERSON BUSINESS" TIME SAVER

    Del Williams
    13 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    But just because it was originated for a one-person business is no reason why any person, no matter how large their concern, can't adapt at least some of it to save time. "I keep a complete set of books—but I never spend much time at them," said one business man. He drew from one of the upper drawers of his desk an ordinary page-a-day diary and a small file box containing a number of 3 by 5 cards. "Here are my 'books'," he continued, displaying these two items. "This diary is what I call my day book. The box contains my time sheets and ledger. When I started out several years ago I found…

  • Preserve Your Integrity

    Del Williams
    22 Dec 2011 | 10:13 am
    It is more precious than diamonds or rubies. The old miser said to his sons: "Get money; get it honestly if you can, but get money:" This advice was not only atrociously wicked, but it was the very essence of stupidity: It was as much as to say, "if you find it difficult to obtain money honestly, you can easily get it dishonestly. Get it in that way." Poor fool! Not to know that the most difficult thing in life is to make money dishonestly! Not to know that our prisons are full of men who attempted to follow this advice; not to understand that no man can be dishonest, without soon being found…

  • Facebook and Text Replace the Dreaded ‘SICK CALL’

    Del Williams
    15 Dec 2011 | 8:38 am
    Calling in sick could be a thing of the past as Brits favour the easy way out when taking a day off work. Twenty-five per cent admit to texting in sick, 16 per cent email and one in 25 even use Facebook messages rather than facing up to calling their boss, according to research amongst 10,000 people. The results from a new survey commissioned by Covonia, the range of cough and cold treatments with clout, revealed that 72 per cent of bosses think that texting or emailing in sick is a cop-out. In addition, 15 per cent of people said calling in sick for a cold would arouse suspicion that…
 
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    Growthink blogs

  • Successful Entrepreneurs Think This Way

    Dave Lavinsky
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:40 pm
    "Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."This quote from Amelia Earhart is one of my favorites.And I think it is especially applicable to entrepreneurs. Since most entrepreneurial achievements are ones that seemingly couldn't be done.Take Google. Would you have thought that this startup, which initially faced heavy competition from other search engines like Yahoo!, Alta Vista, Lycos, and others would eventually dominate the industry?Or take Apple. Would you have bet in 2004 that Apple would develop sensational products and become the world's largest company based on…

  • Angel Investors, Venture Capital, Which Should You Chose?

    Dave Lavinsky
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pm
    As some of you may know, I started my career with The NPD Group, which is one of the world's largest market research firms.One of the things I learned there was that statistics can be easily manipulated. That's not to say market researchers purposefully falsify their research. Rather, what I'm talking about is how statistics can easily be manipulated during interpretation.For example, I can say that 93% of pet owners prefer brand X. But, if I didn't mention that my sample only included pet owners in the highest income zip codes, my results clearly wouldn't be telling.But sometimes market…

  • Monday Morning Entrepreneurship

    Jay Turo
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am
    Last week, I wrote about the personal transformation I experienced at a very intense strategic advisory board session earlier this month. And about how when the heat got turned up and all the pleasantries were stripped away, what was distilled were the real strategic, tactical, leadership, and management challenges that I and my company face.It was one of those intensely memorable “crowded hours” of life and business that when in the midst of it, feels as if life and one’s perspective on it will never be the same again. And then Monday morning comes.And half your team is late for the…

  • Entrepreneurs & Leadership: The Key is Not to Improve Weaknesses

    Dave Lavinsky
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:41 pm
    When I was a kid I played ping pong quite a bit. We had a ping pong table in my basement and I would play a lot with my dad, my brother and my friends.I was always a good athlete, and have pretty good hand-eye coordination. So that, combined with a lot of practice, made me pretty good. In fact, I actually won a bunch of local ping pong tournaments at my school and the town recreation center.And then one day when I was watching TV, I saw the professionals playing ping pong. Most notably, the Chinese national team was playing.And quickly, any thoughts I ever had of being a great ping pong…

  • The Process of Entrepreneurial Improvement

    Jay Turo
    16 Jan 2012 | 1:44 pm
    The so famous and always timely Gandhian creed of “be the change you seek in the world” is never more relevant than when it comes to what entrepreneurs must do to get better in order to lead profitable enterprises and to fulfill on the mission and promise of their organizations. I experienced this first hand at my company’s quarterly advisory board meeting this past week.While we are proud that Growthink’s revenues grew 30% in 2011, the complexity of our business model - with a mostly Internet marketing-based publishing “front-end” meshed with a strategic advisory and venture…
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    crowdSPRING Blog

  • Twitter Link Roundup #117 – Small Business, Social Media, Design, Copywriting, Marketing And More

    Ross
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am
    Every day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account, I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about logo design, web design, startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week! The image above is a fun look at bottled water from Apple – if Apple made bottled water. That post, and other interesting posts are in the “Other” section below. Crowdsourcing: a 7+7 Primer (tips for businesses on…

  • 12 Questions: Meet Vinay and Asha (India)

    Audree
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:13 am
    In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice. We’re very proud to feature Vinay and Asha (crowdSPRING username: Knifeonbutter) today. Vinay and Asha live and work in Goa, India. 1. Please tell us about yourselves. We have traveled around the world,…

  • Small Business Spotlight of the Week: Studyers

    Amanda
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:05 pm
    Current education (I speak as a U.S. citizen) is a little–  how to say this delicately– well, stale. Kids come from playing highly interactive video games or browsing on the collaborative internet to sit in uncomfortable desks, read from textbooks published in 1969 that are falling apart, and take notes on paper in cursive.  How students are learning in the classroom isn’t super relevant to how they are learning vasts amount of information outside the classroom.  But how do you start to connect this disparity? It can start with a service like Studyers. Studyers is an…

  • Crowdsourcing: a 7+7 Primer (Pt. 2)

    Mike
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:04 pm
    Last week I posted the first part of this article on crowdsourcing strategies. In the post, I discussed some of the big-picture issues that I believe should be considered carefully when planning a crowdsourced project. Best practices for crowdsourcing require managers to first determine the best venue for their project, effective management of the process, careful quality control, executing a well-planned recruiting strategy, active engagement of the intended audience, express ’training’ of the participants, and the anticipation that pushback may be encountered. Today I’ll…

  • Small Business Spotlight of the Week: Twittapolls

    Amanda
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:05 pm
    So, we all know that social media is this thing that we’re supposed to use to promote our businesses. There are a billion articles telling small business owners that this is REALLY IMPORTANT and NECESSARY and VITAL,  or else we should go crawl into an analog, Web 1.0 hole and end it. This is mostly for good reason. After all, it makes it relatively easy for your company to interact directly with customers and for said customers to submit feedback and suggestions. However, organizing this feedback can prove to be quite the challenge. Twittapolls is a service does just that: organizes the…
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    Journey of a Serial Entrepreneur

  • Lessons Learned in 2011

    Usman Sheikh
    1 Jan 2012 | 12:59 am
    As the clock turned to midnight, I paused for a moment and thought to myself, I wouldn’t trade places with anyone else at this moment in time….. I am pretty certain that in time when I look back at my journey as an entrepreneur, 2011 will be a defining year. It will be an year about which I will recount hundreds of stories and incidents that shaped and lay the foundation of things to come. This year has had its share of extreme highs and scary lows. It was a year in which I definitely felt alive every single day. A year I pushed myself to go outside established comfort zones and…

  • How Badly Do You Want to Succeed

    Usman Sheikh
    2 Sep 2011 | 7:39 am
    I came across this video recently and found it truly inspirational. It is one of those videos that makes you stop and think for a minute. About where you are, what you are doing and whether you are still on the path you want to be on. Life has this infinite capacity to consume you with the details, that we begin to lose sight of the bigger picture. You need to be constantly reminded about your end goal and make sure what you are doing today, is leading up to where you want to be.

  • Updates from IDENTIFII

    Usman Sheikh
    29 Aug 2011 | 10:18 am
    The last couple of months have been a blur. The small team behind the scene at IDENTIFII has been working ridiculously hard on creating a very high quality psychometric instrument for our members. We dove head first into the task, not totally aware of the huge complexities behind what we had endeavored to do. A commonplace occurrence in the world of startups! Not withstanding the difficulties and challenges that we faced during these last few months, the team has prevailed. With the help of industry experts, psychologists and researchers we have found all the answers we were looking for! It…

  • Truth about Entrepreneurship

    Usman Sheikh
    12 Aug 2011 | 6:06 pm
    “Starting a company is hard, risky, painful and usually seems unfair. Starting a company that will leave a lasting mark on the world is reserved for the borderline insane or very lucky — not for those who need to be propped up with pep talks. In short, entrepreneurship is not a short cut. If you need someone to convince you that starting your own business is right for you, then it’s probably not. Going to conferences, hanging out with entrepreneurs or telling people that you’re a “start-up guy” does not put you in the category of those who put all their chips on the table to…

  • Giving Back

    Usman Sheikh
    9 Aug 2011 | 7:40 pm
    Last week I had the opportunity to have three conversations with individuals looking to apply to the Founder Institute and who have solid ideas going into the program. The best part about having been through the cycle of taking an idea and building it into something is that you can help others save a lot of time and anguish by helping them correct fundamental errors in the beginning. I literally lose track of time when talking about startups, entrepreneurship and new product development methodologies, particularly when it involves another fellow entrepreneur who is just starting his/her…
 
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    The Mogul Mom

  • Pull Back the Curtain On Your Home Business

    Heather Allard
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:52 am
    “Where’s Mommy?” my son asked. “Where do you think she is, Brendan? She’s at the computer,” my husband replied in an annoyed tone. I overheard this exchange between my son and husband two years ago (when my son was three) and had a huge realization. While I was working on the computer—writing new posts, planning my editorial calendar, invoicing advertisers, responding to email and social media—my family had no idea what I was doing. To them, it looked like I was just farting around on Facebook, or worse; neglecting them. But I wasn’t. I was working. Hard, too.

  • A New Housekeeping Strategy: Cocktails + Cleaning

    MogulMomTeam
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:39 pm
    Could you and your spouse use a little quality time together? Could your house be a bit more spic and span? Then we’ve got a winning housekeeping strategy for you. It’s called cocktails and cleaning. Here’s what you do. Put the kids to bed. Turn on some funky music (keep it low—don’t want to wake the kids) and get a duster, some Pledge and a cocktail. You get your housework done, connect with your partner and have a few giggles. The best part? You’ll have a freshly cleaned living room the next morning instead of a hangover! Here are some terrific cleaning tips to get…

  • Save Money with Not So Extreme Couponing

    MogulMomTeam
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:07 pm
    If your kids eat four times their own body weight each day, you know how tight your weekly grocery budget can get. Why not save a little money with coupons? No need for extremes here, just some simple savings. You can find grocery and food product coupons in: Inserts in your local Sunday paper Online coupon sites like DailyGroceryCoupon.com that offer free, printable coupons for grocery items Coupon books from your favorite grocer, like Whole Foods. Other savings sites offer coupons and discount codes for general merchandise like clothing, electronics, toys and more: RetailMeNot.com –…

  • Take Ideas from Concept to Consumer with Quirky

    MogulMomTeam
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:08 pm
    Bringing a product from idea, to production, to market is costly, time consuming and just a little stressful. I mean, how do you know people will actually buy it? How do you price it and deliver it to the right consumers? What if you only have a teeny-tiny (or non-existent) budget? How do you conduct market research, start production and price it right? Enter Quirky.com. Quirky is a platform that makes invention accessible by eliminating the barriers and challenges of bringing one single product idea to life. Here’s how it works: Creative people submit an idea for a new product…

  • The Tax Form You Probably Don’t Know About

    MogulMomTeam
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:08 pm
    This post is brought to you by our friends at Outright.com, the easiest way to manage your business finances online. Hey mogul moms, there’s a new tax form in town and it’ll be hitting your mailbox soon. It’s the 1099-K, also known as the PayPal 1099 or Amazon 1099. So, what is this form and how does it affect you? Well, back in 2008, Congress supected that the rise of ecommerce selling was causing quite a sizeable tax gap (income earned vs. income reported), as people made money through sources like eBay and Amazon but – perhaps – didn’t report that income. So, Congress…
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    The Entrepreneurial MD

  • The ideal physician job - does it exist?

    Philippa Kennealy
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:46 pm
    How do you find your ideal physician job?

  • Healthcare reform and the physician business owner

    Philippa Kennealy
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:08 pm
    What do you really know about healthcare reform?  And do you even care? The past few years have thrust healthcare into the limelight, with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (PPACA) in March 2010. And confusion has reigned ever since. Once in a while, I come across good explanations that attempt to demystify the PPACA. As much as I'd like to be an ostrich with my head in the sand, mainly to escape the rancor and fury of those decrying the Act and the cries of those begging for meaningful change, I can't escape its impact on my clientele and readers.

  • Physician business owners' secrets to greeting the New Year

    Philippa Kennealy
    3 Jan 2012 | 8:03 pm
    What, if instead of focusing on these "ideal" outcomes, we paid more attention to the process... the journey? How would it feel at the end of the week, or the end of 2012, to celebrate your efforts even if you haven't achieved the results yet?

  • The Entrepreneurial MD wishes you a rewarding New Year

    Philippa Kennealy
    3 Jan 2012 | 11:32 am
    Although you didn't hear from me, I hope you have all had a wonderful festive season as the old year slid away, to be replaced by a shiny new one. Happy New Year to you all, my readers! I was bombarded with blog posts, e-cards and emails from businesses wishing me a happy holidays and even suggesting ways to enjoy them. In the spirit of confession, while I appreciated the sentiments in these messages and had a few twinges of guilt that I hadn't blogged for over two weeks and hadn't crafted my clever or beautiful ode to the season, I wallowed in the sheer enjoyment of doing nothing, knowing…

  • In-the-trenches physician creates educated patient consumers

    Philippa Kennealy
    19 Dec 2011 | 7:18 am
    Ask any doctor who has been taking care of patients for 25 years or more what it's like to be working in the trenches, and you're likely to encounter someone with a deep experience of the US healthcare system. Dr. Angel Garcia is one such a physician - an internist who is not only still in practice but who is also the entrepreneurial physician creator of an electronic medical record, and an author. His book, Do No Harm: Saving Our Healthcare System, was written with the idea in mind of improving the doctor-patient relationship. He embraces the idea of an educated "patient consumer" and…
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    Alain Raynaud's Blog

  • The Startup Pitch Competition is On at the Seattle Startup Conference

    Alain Raynaud
    9 Jan 2012 | 5:41 pm
    Do you live in Seattle and want to raise money for your startup? Enter the pitch competition at the Startup Conference, taking place on Feb 16th, 2012 in downtown Seattle. 10 startups will be selected to give a 1-minute elevator pitch in front of the whole audience. The best 3 pitches will then qualify to give a longer pitch to a panel of investors at the end of the day. Even if you don’t win the competition, you will receive instant, valuable feedback from an expert entrepreneur. Join us! The pitch competition is consistenytly the most enjoyable and memorable part of the Startup…

  • Apple vs. Samsung: The Trolls Win

    Alain Raynaud
    2 Jan 2012 | 4:11 pm
    One of the hottest stories of the year is the legal battle between Apple and Android. But you can’t have an intelligent discussion on that oh-so-hot topic, because the Internet troll police will smash you no matter what. Let’s be honest for a second and look objectively at the facts: 1) Yes, Samsung did copy Apple’s iPad design. From the power adaptor to the shape and the looks. 2) But no, Apple does not deserve patent protection for the iPad design. The patent system is broken. This is your typical catch-22: if I argue the first point, then everyone online comes after me…

  • How To Win a Pitch Competition: Not with the Best Idea

    Alain Raynaud
    4 Nov 2011 | 10:54 am
    Being knee-deep in reviewing pitches for the pitch competition of the upcoming Startup Conference Los Angeles, it forced me to address the key question: how do you actually win a pitch competition? Hint: it’s not about having the best idea. Case in point. What if Facebook pitched itself as a “social network where friends could see activity from other friends and share pictures. Oh, and users could also post pages they like.” Would you be interested? What if they shortened the pitch to: “we are the #1 web destination in the world with 800 million monthly unique active…

  • How To Compute The Valuation of Your Startup

    Alain Raynaud
    27 Oct 2011 | 11:48 am
    Startup valuation is a misunderstood and complex topic. You can spend a lot of hours trying to understand the mathematical models that attempt to give you an answer. But that’s not the right approach to understand how valuation works for your startup. It’s really not that complicated. Does this drawing makes more sense? Before you get all ballistic and mathematical on me, allow me to explain in layman terms. As you launch your startup, you are really shooting for a certain trajectory. How fast has your revenue been growing so far? Will the growth slow down, and when? You…

  • The Startup Pitch Competition is On at the Los Angeles Startup Conference 2011

    Alain Raynaud
    5 Oct 2011 | 2:32 pm
    Do you live in Los Angeles and want to raise money for your startup? Enter the pitch competition at the Startup Conference, taking place on Nov 15th, 2011 in Marina del Rey. 10 startups will be selected to give a 1-minute elevator pitch in front of the whole audience. The best 3 pitches will then qualify to give a longer pitch to a panel of investors at the end of the day. Even if you don’t win the competition, you will receive instant, valuable feedback from an expert entrepreneur. Join us! The pitch competition is consistenytly the most enjoyable and memorable part of the Startup…
 
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    SoftwareCEO - Latest Forum Threads

  • optimizing payment model for online educational software

    24 Jan 2012 | 7:35 pm
    Hello, My company produces an educational software program, which till now has been sold in desktop version only (typical retail $39.99 to 58.99). The desktop version has sold about 100K copies over the last 10 years - it is quite popular with students, homeshcooling parents and schools. With desktop sales slowly (but unfortunately consistently) declining, we have created an online /mobile version of the sofware, and we are trying to find an optimal way to charge for it. I would appreciate very much your comments on the following 3 possible setups. Visitors are funneled to all setups via free…

  • Independent Consultant selling services on the side

    20 Jan 2012 | 3:55 pm
    Hello all, What should we do about a consultant that is going around us to sell his services to our clients? We are a software company that provides on-site training for our customers via salaried support staff from within our office, plus outside (independent, non-salaried) consultants who were prior customers of ours. This setup has been working very well for years and years. We now have a wrinkle, however. One of our consultants has been offering his consulting services to our customers, and billing them directly, for a lower cost than we would have billed them. Of course he puts more $ in…

  • IP licensing

    19 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm
    Licensing gurus: Appreciate if any one can give me some insights into the following situation: We are "cash-strapped" startup (which startup isn't?, initially). We recently got a patent issued from USPTO. We have been engaging a major online services company which provides services to a mutual customer (for us the customer is still a beta-customer) for over a year. Finally, they offered to license our technology but not our code or integration into our platform for some security reasons. It is very clear that they are interested in IP but not our s/w and probably for this reason they have…

  • Strategy for Software Dummies - Part 15

    17 Jan 2012 | 2:27 pm
    The title for this series of posts is inspired by the extensive series of instructional/reference books, which serve as non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered, or for readers who need a solid brush up. The title doesn’t imply that software CEO’s are Dummies ; only that there is a need for a new type of “strategy framework” that produces more than fluff and which can be completed in a very short time . This post is the first of the last five posts in this series where we will elaborate on the price of management misalignment . You can find…

  • CEO Survey: Where do the majority of your initial customer inquiries come from?

    17 Jan 2012 | 12:21 pm
    [Read more]
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    The Operations Guy - Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius

  • Stars vs. Constellations – 3 steps to building solid high performing teams

    Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:41 pm
    Anyone who has spent considerable time in early stage startups and fast growing scalable businesses will tell you that sustainable growth companies are built by teams of shining constellations rather than just several bright stars. A team of people that is able to feed off each other and grow together will beat any company comprised of individual stars (otherwise known as A players, rockstars, ninjas, etc). All the stars in your constellation should have an unquestionable drive to serve their team first and have the confidence that others are doing the same for them. It all starts with…

  • Beware of “Normal” People in Startups and High-growth Companies

    Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
    3 Jan 2012 | 6:27 pm
    I needed a little hiatus from my blog, but lately too many people have been asking when the heck I am going to get back to it. Point taken – time to reorganize my priority list. Since I usually recruit talent for my teams, I often hear from acquaintances how they know someone “just so perfect, so well-rounded, so capable, so lacking of faults” that would be perfect for our startup world. These fantasy referrals often come from 1.) those who either worked for many big companies and are now “expats” from that world or 2.) from startuper/SMBers in denial about what it takes to survive…

  • How to Avoid Turning Your Startup into a Dysfunctional Family

    Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
    8 Dec 2010 | 11:51 am
    A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a journalist from Wall Street Journal. We had a great conversation about the current labor market, hiring challenges, and how to build the right company culture. He ended up taking the article in another direction, but now I’m happy to be able to finally share what I discussed with him here. As some of you may recall, I am Director of Operations at a company in Cambridge, MA called Pixability. There are nine of us now and we are planning to hire three more before the year ends. We are growing rapidly and it is important to us not to turn into a…

  • How To Use Video To Attract New Talent To Your Company

    Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
    10 Sep 2010 | 3:32 pm
    I’ve been working in startups and very rapidly growing companies my entire career and the most successful companies I’ve seen were the ones that were always recruiting. Here are several ways to spread the word about your company and help candidates get a taste of what your team is all about: If you open GlassDoor.com or any other employer review site, you will notice a common theme in the positive reviews – people like to have fun with their co-workers outside of the office. What would I suggest? If your budget is tight, get a Flip cam (the latest generation Android, Blackberry, or…

  • 3 Problems With the Way Startups Manage Talent

    Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
    25 Jul 2010 | 9:44 pm
    I am sure you folks have realized that I’ve been “off air” for awhile. The combination of helping out Daily Grommet and joining Pixability has shriveled my capacity for writing to zero. But, I am getting back on the horse and definitely have a lot of material from the “startup trenches” to share. So that all said, today I want to focus on some of the missteps many of us take in managing our most precious resource – people. I want to point out three major ones I have seen lately in the entrepreneurial community: Fishing problem. Almost daily I hear the question “do you know…
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    Xconomy

  • Tableau’s 10th Year: CEO Christian Chabot Remembers the Lean Years

    Curt Woodward
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    Curt Woodward Earlier this week, Seattle’s Tableau Software announced a big jump in annual sales and major hiring plans—something that’s becoming almost routine for those watching the Stanford-bred data-analysis software company’s growth. Now entering its tenth year, Tableau recently opened a London office and has started to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. By the end of the year, Tableau’s data-visualization software should be available in nearly a half-dozen more languages, from Portuguese to Korean. And, after years of offering its products as downloadable software, Tableau…

  • Amylin, Alkermes Win FDA Approval of Once-Weekly Diabetes Drug

    Luke Timmerman
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:57 pm
    Luke Timmerman [Updated: 3:47 pm] Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Alkermes have gone to the FDA twice before to seek approval of their new diabetes drug, and been turned back, but now the persistence has paid off. The FDA has cleared their once-weekly injectable diabetes drug for sale in the U.S. San Diego-based Amylin (NASDAQ: AMLN) and Dublin- and Waltham, MA-based Alkermes (NASDAQ: ALKS) today won clearance to start selling exenatide once-weekly (Bydureon) in the U.S., according to a letter posted on the FDA website. The approval came after the agency held up the application twice…

  • Apple Textbook Controversy Isn’t About Books—It’s About Teaching

    Wade Roush
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:23 pm
    Wade Roush I don’t think there’s ever been a textbook that made it this easy to be a good student. —Roger Rosner, vice president of productivity applications, Apple Whenever a company as powerful as Apple, Facebook, or Google announces a big new product push, it evokes wonder and acclaim from some observers, head-scratching and horror from others, and the usual FUD from competitors. So I wasn’t surprised when Apple’s press event last week at the Guggenheim Museum—where it said it will sell low-priced iPad textbooks to high-schoolers through its iBooks store and give away the…

  • Infinity Drug Fails in Pancreatic Cancer Trial, Shares Fall

    Luke Timmerman
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:58 am
    Luke Timmerman Bad news out today from Infinity Pharmaceuticals. The Cambridge, MA-based biotech company said it is halting a mid-stage clinical trial of its drug for pancreatic cancer early after learning that patients were living longer in the placebo comparison group. Infinity (NASDAQ: INFI) shares fell more than 30 percent after the news. The trial of 122 patients showed that when patients got Infinity’s saridegib (IPI-926) in addition to gemcitabine chemotherapy, they were living less than the six months they were expected to based on historical studies with the chemo drug alone. No…

  • The Other 99 Percent: Entrepreneurs

    Sramana Mitra
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    Sramana Mitra In my recent piece Reengineering Capitalism I highlighted a phenomenon that the global entrepreneurship ecosystem is paying very little attention to: Over 99 percent of entrepreneurs who seek funding get rejected. Yet, the entire world is focused on the 1 percent that is “fundable.” The media, when pitched a startup story, is interested in who funded the venture. They seldom ask how much revenue the company has or if it  is profitable. Incubators take pride in how exclusive they are and how many “deals” they “reject.” Angels and VCs, of course, discard most of their…
 
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    Internet Marketing for Business - Jim Kukral - Small Business Web Consultant

  • Free Blog Setup & Design

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:33 am
    At the beginning of every year I have a few ideas in my head that I want to work on. This year, one of those was giving. I mean true giving. I have built a 16-year career on the Web by helping other people find success, and I’ve learned that the more you give, the more you get back. So naturally, it’s time to give EVEN MORE! So one of my first initiatives was to create my free blog setup and design service. You can read about it here. I’ve partnered with a top-notch hosting company to provide a start-up hosting package for people who want to either get started, or need a…

  • Crowdfunding Tips: My Interview With Matthew Lesko

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:19 pm
    I did a fun interview with Matthew Lesko a few weeks ago about the power of crowdfunding. You can watch it here. The article also has a ton of crowdfunding resources on it that you can check out. If you haven’t picked up a copy of my book on how I crowdfunded over $35k to pre-fund my new books, then you should get a copy here and learn how I did it and how you can do it too!

  • 10 Tips for 2012

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    30 Dec 2011 | 10:59 am
    I never have enough time to write out a super-long, super inspiring end of year post. Hey, I’m writing books, not blogs these days. (Yes, I know I’m writing a blog now, you know what I meant.) But… I do have a short list of things to tell you before 2011 ends. If you want to be successful in 2012… you must: 1. Trust your gut 2. Stay on course 3. Get past the hard part 4. Stop pitying yourself 5. Stop envying other’s success 6. Ship a ton of products/services/content 7. Do your own thing 8. Work on things that are fun 9. Read a lot of books 10. Decide on your…

  • Too Much Influence Is A Bad Thing

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    15 Dec 2011 | 10:56 am
    There’s a severe disadvantage when you have too much influence. Sure, having smart and successful people around you is VERY important. However, when you begin to let their influence overwhelm your gut ideas and thoughts and shape your direction, you’re in trouble. That’s where I was in 2010. I had a massive circle of smart, influential people guiding me. Believe me, they helped, a lot! But after a while I realized that I was letting them guide me too much. I saw their success and tried to emulate it, instead of sticking with my gut and moving forward on what I really wanted…

  • Fox Business News with Neil Cavuto

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    6 Dec 2011 | 7:44 am
    I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Neil Cavuto show on Fox Business News yesterday. You can watch the clip below. I talk about how I got on the show below. So how did I get on this show? Step 1: Have a good website (your platform). No-brainer, right? You have to have a professional looking site, assuming you’re in a professional business. My website features videos of me speaking and testimonials from clients and media I’ve been mentioned in. Step 2: Create content in other places. I got this invite because a show producer found my guest post article on Self-Growth.com…
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    Thisisgoingtobebig.com

  • Why being an early stage VC is like being a college football coach

    Charlie O'Donnell
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:54 am
    I was listening to a sports call-in show the other morning and the host made an interesting point. In the NFL, the coaches pick the players.  In college, the players pick the coaches.  He tried to generalize and say that's why all the college coaches are the fresh-faced energetic types and why the NFL coaches look like they've been doing nothing but pouring over video at a desk for 90 hours a week with coffee and a donut. I don't have the stats to prove or disprove that particular point, and I try to avoid generalizations, but what is certainly clear to me that the most important…

  • Ten Tips for Pitching Your Company

    Charlie O'Donnell
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    1) An investor is taking a meeting with you to confirm or deny a hypothesis they undoubtedly already have about your business.  Find out what those are right off the bat by saying something like, "Based on what you know, what interests you about what we're doing so far and what are some of the concerns I can address?"  No sense going on and on about the market if being excited about your market is why I asked you to meet me in the first place. 2) Investors will jump around no matter what order your deck is in--be comfortable about it and be able to answer any question at any…

  • SOPA's Jane Jacobs Moment

    Charlie O'Donnell
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am
    Fifty years ago this year, the New York City Board of Estimate voted down Robert Moses' plan to build a ten-lane elevated highway across lower Manhattan--leveling fourteen blocks along Broome Street in Little Italy and what is now SoHo, as well as the West Village.  Jane Jacobs, a community activist, led the community resistance to the highway. When it was turned down, Assemblyman Louis DeSalvio said in a speech: "Except for one old man [reference to Robert Moses], I’ve been unable to find anyone of technical competence who is for this so-called expressway. And this old man is a…

  • A Seed Fund Grows in Brooklyn: Announcing Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

    Charlie O'Donnell
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am
    Tweet I am ecstatic to announce the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures--my new seed investment fund.It is the first venture capital fund based in Brooklyn--the city’s most exciting and creative borough.  It is home to cool startups like Etsy, Makerbot, Pontiflex, HowAboutWe, Energyhub, and Loosecubes.  Gilt Groupe maintains a significant presence there, as does scores of creative agencies and design firms.  By some estimates, 50-60% of New York’s startup community lives in Brooklyn--and at Etsy it’s as high as 80%.  It has grown to be a dynamic place to…

  • If NYC is going to be a real innovation hub, we can't have our own senators supporting SOPA/PIPA

    Charlie O'Donnell
    9 Jan 2012 | 7:11 am
    Tweet I haven’t spent much time talking about SOPA and PIPA, the two twin bills trying to make their way through Congress right now.  When I saw folks like Fred Wilson, who has a much bigger reach than I do, and all the major internet companies lining up against it, it’s easy to think, “Well, what more can I do to add to the volume… they’ve got it covered.” That was until I found out that New York’s own senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, appear to support these bills.  Let’s take a step back from a moment.  I…
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    Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

  • How To Finally Make A Profitable Website In 2012 – Webinar Recording Now Available

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    New Update! As requested, the recording of the webinar is now available. You can stream it from this page – How to Finally Make A Profitable Website In 2012 – Webinar Live Recording On that page you will also find the link for the special $1 trial for two weeks + huge bonus pack offer that expires January 31st… Read the rest of this entry »

  • Can Social Media Hurt The Success Of Young Entrepreneurs?

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    I’m always amazed that interns at my company can do so much with the web. I’m even more amazed at the limitations social media has put on young aspiring entrepreneurs and how it hinders the necessary fundamentals to start a business. If you want to open a B2C (Business to Consumer) company, than yes, social media helps. In B2C,… Read the rest of this entry »

  • How To Fire Yourself: Chris Ducker Reveals How He Removed Himself From His 300 Employee Company

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Press play to begin streaming the audio or right click the text link and choose save as or save link. Download the MP3 [ 63 Minutes - 30 MB ] After ending his marriage, Chris Ducker packed his bags and moved to the Philippines for a fresh start. A few short years later he was married again with a new… Read the rest of this entry »

  • 7 Insights Every Blogger Should Know

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    What is more important: quality or quantity? The easy answer to this long and heated debate is both are very important – and I’ll give you that, they both are, but for free content I am in the quantity camp. Go ahead and paste me and leave 1,000 comments telling me I’m wrong – I don’t care, I will read… Read the rest of this entry »

  • 4 Inspiring Ideas And The Entrepreneurs Behind Them

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    In my last article I wrote a few of my realizations and how I plan to adapt myself in 2012. In this sequel article I will share some of my personal inspirations, which have shaped me to become who I am, and how I think. I will also share with you one of my latest projects and my… Read the rest of this entry »
 
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    Men with Pens

  • Damn Fine Words Writing Contest: The Winners!

    James
    22 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    Today we’re announcing the winners of the Damn Fine Words writing contest… but boy, was it EVER tough to choose just two submissions. 25 people fought hard to win a chance to get into the Damn Fine Words writing course and learn effective techniques that would change their life. Some posts were straightforward. Some were thoughtful. Some touched our hearts. It wasn’t an easy choice. But after great deliberation and many discussions, the judges and I narrowed the many submissions down to two lucky winners. Lynn Hess and Rena Tucker, you’ve each won a free membership to…

  • How Achieving Your Goals Kills Your Motivation

    Agent X
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Heard you need constant improvement to become a master? Heard you need those 10,000 hours of practice? It’s hogwash. A goal of ‘constant improvement’ won’t lead to success. I learned this when I signed up for Damn Fine Words, James Chartrand’s writing course. Signing up excited me. I was excited because I was taking action towards my goal of ‘constant skill improvement’ so I could further build my business. The first half of the course taught me a lot. This was the most valuable part – a complete writing system, an approach that could be used to take any…

  • How to Find Time to Write: A Casual Conversation with Laura Vanderkam

    James
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    You’re invited to a very exclusive event. How to find the time to write. That’s one of the biggest complaints I hear from busy businesspeople, freelancers and entrepreneurs. (Even writers complain they can’t find the time to write!) There aren’t enough hours in a day. There’s so much going on. You’re barely keeping up. You’re just trying to stay afloat and get through the day. It’s overwhelming. You have too much work. Too many obligations. Too much to do. Time to write? Forget it! But you need to find the time to write. Writing is integral to…

  • Do You Have Useless Website Content?

    James
    16 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Your website content may be utterly useless. Sure, it’s interesting. It’s often funny. It’s accurate and informative. But it’s probably repetitive. Your website content most likely repeats several sentences throughout your site. Worse, it might even repeat sentences on the same page. Your customer only needs to be told once that you’re a green company, or a hot copywriter, or that you specialize in lawyer-oriented websites. Every word should contribute to convincing your client and telling him something new. Otherwise, you risk frustrating your reader. You don’t want to bore him…

  • How to Stop Writing Boring Blog Posts

    Agent X
    13 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    It’s been done tens of millions of time: a blog post is written. Someone has an idea to share with the world. Someone has a beef and they want to rant. Someone writes an inspiring poem. Because of the glut of so many posts, blog posts have become boring. When I scroll through my reader, my eyes glaze over. I long for something exciting. Something different. Something that makes me reach to comment, that makes me laugh out loud. I’m looking for those killer blog posts. I know they exist. Start with Better Titles Only 20% of people ever click on your title, and competition for readers’…
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    OnStartups

  • Startup Tribes: Tips on Roles and Recruiting

    Dharmesh Shah
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:22 am
    The following is a guest post from John Greathouse. John is an entrepreneur and investor.  He currently blogs at Infochachkie where he provides practical startup advice. You may not realize it, but your adVenture's Core Team, the senior executives who make the key decisions which drive the company's strategic direction, is akin to a primitive tribe. Primitive tribes and your startup both entail a small number of people banded together to battle an uncaring, hostile world. Like the tribe, your company's survival is always in question and never guaranteed. Success depends upon everyone…

  • Startup Branding: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs

    Dharmesh Shah
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:40 am
    The following is a guest post by Mike Troiano. Mike is a former New York ad man turned venture-funded entrepreneur, now a Principal at Boston-based Holland-Mark. You can follow him on Twitter at @miketrap, and connect with him elsewhere through About Me 1. What does startup branding really mean for an early-stage company? Is it just picking a name and a logo? "Brand" is one of those words everybody uses and nobody really understands, so I'll start with a definition. It's important for entrepreneurs to understand that their "Brand" is the collective emotional response to their product or…

  • 7 Lessons On Startup Funding From a Research Scientist

    Dharmesh Shah
    16 Jan 2012 | 11:43 am
    The following is a guest post by Ty Danco. Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com My wife isn't in business, but she is wise in the way of funding. Just as I have experience on both sides of the funding table (as an entrepreneur and as an angel), so does she. As a research scientist, she gets her own grants and also reviews grants from others. While she doesn't talk in startup lingo (pivots, minimum viable product, etc.), she has taught me that many of the issues we face as entrepreneurs have a corollary in science. Here's what I've learned from…

  • The Big List: The Best and Worst Startup Stuff In 2011

    Dharmesh Shah
    2 Jan 2012 | 10:17 am
    The following is a guest post by Ty Danco.  Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com.  Or, check out his recent article "What To Do If You Don't Have An Idea" It's time to review the past year, so without apology for personal taste, here's my list of the best (and a few of the worst) of 2011. Best Startup Book of 2011: Mastering the VC Game by Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital I keep a loaded Kindle copy of this book on my iPad, and I'm constantly showing it to startups raising money. The money chapter: When the Dog Catches the Bus:…

  • 13 Ways To Think About And Crush Your Competition

    Jason L. Baptiste
    27 Dec 2011 | 10:55 am
    A few weeks ago, there was an article that came out called "Google Currents, Onswipe's Nightmare?". I'm also preparing for our first board meeting with newly elected independents and one of the points we are talking about happens to be competition. As you start to grow competition becomes a healthy thing to think about. Here's how I think about competition as a cofounder and CEO of a growing venture backed startup: Don't Worry About Google Almost every growing startup comes to a point where they have to worry about "what if Google does it." If it is a market worth getting into, then Google or…
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    Startup Meme

  • Mobile Payment Models An Overview–Infographic

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:25 am
    Thought after several questions being asked by many a friends on what are the different mobile payment methods that something simple should be shared. While an explanation is not a problem, nothing beats a good infographic at getting the point through. So here we are sharing this. The infographic very briefly explains the different mobile payment methods that exist. Some of those are: Mobile at the Point of Sale: the best example would be the Google Wallet. Mobile as the Point of Sale The Mobile Payment Platform Direct Carrier Billing: where a purchase amount is adjusted in your carrier…

  • Project Management Made Easy With Teamwork Live!

    Zahid
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:48 am
    We have been taking a break with posting at Engine021. Guess it’s time we put our act together and begun sharing interesting stories and more importantly talk about Web Startups. It is interesting how I had a discussion on business model generation, pitching your startup idea and more importantly about how teams need to be better collaborate. The collaboration factor is absolutely important as it impacts efficiency and the overall outcome of the progress. This brings me to Teamwork Live, a web startup that helps team collaborate better. Teamwork Live provides you and your team an easy to…

  • Collabor8Online Is About Taking Project Management Online

    Zahid
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pm
    Who needs to continue with traditional methods of communication within organizations when the cloud has made things more efficient and effective? Well no one other than those who don’t value productivity. There are a lot of tools on the web that help make project management and collaboration easy, for example Nutshell that I personally use at work, but we thought its always good to add more variety. Collabor8online, is another Web Startup in the same category to help your team be more productive. What Makes Project Management Better With Collabor8Online? As already mentioned, I am a big fan…

  • Massive Online Collaboration: ReCaptcha The Captcha

    Zahid
    15 Jan 2012 | 3:31 am
    We thought about sharing an interesting story on Captcha and ReCaptcha. Thought we should share this on our blog too along with the video. Captcha has been used for a long time now. So much that it has become the users Web Responsibility. However, Luis saw the bigger picture and he knew this time spent had to be utilized more intelligently (more human like), they came up with Re-Captcha, a startup that was later acquired by Google (obviously!). The wealth, like always lay in the time spent in deciphering those captchas and typing them in. Seeing the opportunity, the idea came about at using…

  • Startup: Grouperly Lets You Socialize With People Sharing Similar Interests

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    11 Jan 2012 | 1:08 am
    We at Startup Meme are always up with promoting new startups. Given the bulk of submissions we get it makes our job interestingly difficult. Anyway today we are showcasing Grouperly, a web startup that helps you connect with real people sharing common passions. The connections aren’t all virtual one and while traditional social media usually goes about connecting with real friends in real life online, Grouperly, lets you find people in your locality and connect with them. You can create your own online social resume, create groups, add events, upload photos, post news and comments, manage…
 
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    The Marketing Zen Group

  • How Do I Get People to Watch My YouTube Video?

    Amy Rose Brown
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:47 pm
    Let me guess: your company uploaded a YouTube video a few months ago, and you’re still stuck around 100 views or so. You’re not alone – more than half of all YouTube videos will be viewed less than 500 times. Ever. Considering people upload 48 hours of video to YouTube every minute, you’re going to need a better strategy than just recording stuff and putting it out there. “Like what?” you say. Glad you asked! Put your company’s best face forward. We’re talking about human faces, but “best” doesn’t necessarily mean…

  • Ask Shama: Pondering the Podcast

    Shama
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:12 am
    Image: caliber_3D/Shutterstock Audio and video podcasts aren’t ideal when it comes to SEO. But marketing pro Shama Kabani says they’re still great tools to add to your communications arsenal. Editor’s note: The marriage of technology and communication has been a boon to savvy entrepreneurs, but it’s also a huge challenge for those who aren’t sure how to navigate social networks. To help, Dallas-based entrepreneur and tech expert Shama Kabani is answering your questions. Email her at shama@marketingzen.com, or check out more of her advice at her online marketing…

  • Ask Shama: Kindle, Nook, or iPad?

    Shama
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:23 am
    Image: yaskii/Shutterstock Forget about work for a moment. What device should you get if you just want to read a book? Marketing pro Shama Kabani offers her take. Editor’s note: The marriage of technology and communication has been a boon to savvy entrepreneurs, but it’s also a huge challenge for those who aren’t sure how to navigate social networks. To help, Dallas-based entrepreneur and tech expert Shama Kabani is answering your questions. Email her at shama@marketingzen.com, or check out more of her advice at her online marketing company or on video. Dear Shama, I am a…

  • Don’t Call People Names on Yelp and Other Tips

    Amy Rose Brown
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:17 pm
    “Marketing Zen!” you say, “Someone said something rude and awful about my business on the Internet! What do I do about this?” From Yelp to Google Places and many sites in between, consumers now have a variety of outlets to express their opinions about your establishment. This can be great for your online marketing – if you do everything perfect all the time. What if you messed up? Well, here are some tips for dealing with that unpleasant predicament. Keep your emotions out of it. Yeah, we get it. It sucks to put all your effort into something, only to see people…

  • How to Continue Your Online Marketing Education

    Amy Rose Brown
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:37 am
    It seems like there’s a new development in online marketing just about every day, right? Things evolve so rapidly that you might be having a hard time keeping up. For example, what exactly is a Pinterest and do you need one? You added people to your Circles on Google+ but now what do you do with them? The following tips should help you on your journey to continuing online marketing education. Read relevant blogs. Since you’re reading this blog post right now, you’re already on the right track to keeping up with marketing trends. For those who are serious about continuing their marketing…
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    Niall Kennedy

  • LinkedIn engineering’s client-side template evaluation

    Niall Kennedy
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    LinkedIn shares their evaluation process for choosing a client-side templating solution from 18 different options across 15 formal metrics. They ultimately chose dust.js to replace their Java Servlets and JSP. [W]e found that for any non-trivial view, none of the templating options worked well across client and server unless the server could also execute JavaScript. A useful read when evaluating dynamic HTML templates.

  • Map input autocomplete types in Chrome 15+

    Niall Kennedy
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    Chrome 15 and above supports mapping input fields to specific types of data to improve the accuracy of autofill tools. Typically an autofill tool, either bundled with the browser or a third-party add-on, scans the page’s <input>s and attempts to derive some meaning from the field’s name attribute and new HTML5 input type attribute values such as email or tel. The new WHATWG autocompletetype attribute proposal from Ilya Sherman of Google proposes 36 mapped tokens and two sections for autofill agents entering name, address, contact, credit card, business, or birthday data in a…

  • Open Graph protocol 1.1

    Niall Kennedy
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm
    Facebook completed its rollout of Timeline profiles and Open Graph activity aggregation last week, completing a set of changes announced at their f8 developer conference in September. Facebook also switched over to a new version of Open Graph protocol, the metadata language used to connect web pages in the public Internet with the sharing activity happening inside Facebook’s walls. In this post I will highlight some of the major features of Open Graph protocol 1.1 affecting how your web pages display and rank inside Facebook news feeds, Google+ streams, Mixi social streams, and LinkedIn…

  • Google searches smartphone web as an iPhone

    Niall Kennedy
    15 Dec 2011 | 3:41 pm
    Google’s mobile search engine crawler now uses an updated User-Agent string designed to trigger iPhone-specific renderings of web pages. The Googlebot-Mobile crawler is building a smartphone web index based on iOS 4.1 responses including redirects. Webmasters with smartphone-specific content may finally have a reason to generate mobile sitemaps. Googlebot will skew your iOS usage numbers if not properly treated as a robot. Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7 (compatible;…

  • Windows 8, plugin-free browsing, and UA spoofing

    Niall Kennedy
    15 Sep 2011 | 2:39 pm
    Microsoft released a developer preview of Windows 8 at this week’s BUILD conference including a preview release of the next version of Internet Explorer. Windows 8 will include a “Metro style browser,” a simplified appliance-like view based on Windows Phone tiles. The Metro interface is powered by Internet Explorer (Trident, Chakra) behind-the-scenes in a special “immersive” full-screen runtime without support for browser plugins such as Adobe Flash Player. Microsoft is bundling a special compatibility view list with a uaStringImmersive attribute to spoof an…
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    The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

  • How to Become an Effective CEO: Chief Emotions Officer

    Tim Ferriss
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:39 am
    Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels Chip Conley is the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, which he began at age 26 and built to more than 30 properties in California alone. In 2010, Joie de Vivre was awarded the #1 customer service award in the U.S. by Market Metrix (Upper Upscale hotel category). Conley has also been named the “Most Innovative CEO” in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, and I’m proud to call him a friend. We’ve shared many glasses of wine together. He doesn’t know what I’m about to tell you, but it’s true (Hi,…

  • Tim Ferriss Getting His Ass Kicked + How to Survive a Physical Attack (Video Series)

    Tim Ferriss
    8 Jan 2012 | 6:11 pm
    This post might seem odd, as it starts with a random sequence from a random skill. There are three reasons for this: 1) I like to expose readers to things they’ve never explored. 2) The best long-term policy for keeping a blog fun to read (and write) is to cover things that subsets of your readers love, not things that everyone merely likes. 3) I think all of you should know how to respond to a real physical attack. Keeping these in mind, I hope you enjoy a lil’ taste of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, often nicknamed “human chess.” If it’s not your thing, I still suggest…

  • No Brown M&M’s! David Lee Roth and the Power of Checklists

    Tim Ferriss
    1 Jan 2012 | 11:17 pm
    Article 126: No brown M&M’s! (Photo: Mr. T in DC) Happy New Year, all! I’ll be putting up a “Lessons learned in 2011″ post soon. In the meantime, here is a taste of things to come. I can come across as anal retentive, even severely Monk-ish. One reason for the madness: with rare exceptions, I’ve come to believe that how we do anything is how we do everything. I’m not alone. The following is a short excerpt from The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, also reprinted by Tehelka magazine in India. In it, we learn the logic of David Lee Roth’s…

  • Christmas Deals from Start-ups

    Tim Ferriss
    22 Dec 2011 | 12:24 am
    (Photo: Kevin Dooley) Just for fun, I asked my start-ups (and a few friends) if they’d like to offer y’all a little something special from the holidays. Here’s an incomplete list. Many are working on top-secret stuff and couldn’t jump in, but a few were game on last-minute notice, so here you go! They are listed in alphabetical order by company/name: Stop being a Wantrepreneur; start taking action. Free vids! Get here: http://appsumo.com/wantrepreneurs-videos/ via @AppSumo Everything you need to transform. Free trainers, complete nutrition plans, & top-selling…

  • Foundation: Kevin Rose and Tim Ferriss

    Tim Ferriss
    19 Dec 2011 | 10:55 pm
    Kevin Rose and I go deep on a few subjects in this longer-format episode of “Foundation,” on which he’s interviewed many of my favorite entrepreneurs and investors, including Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square) and Chris Sacca (Lowercase Capital), among others. I had a great time, as should be clear from the wine and laughter. It’s quite different from The Random Show and more of a Larry King-like format… but with more cursing. Hope you enjoy! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone!
 
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    IMAutomator blog

  • Lots of New Directory Sites Added

    admin
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:26 am
    Directories tend to be a one-off submission type unlike bookmarking as for each website you can only submit the home page. However, the great benefit they offer is that many of the are quite high PR compares to bookmarking sites and they also tend to hang around for a long time. We’ve been busy adding some new directory sites and have also added some search engines too (the submission process is exactly the same so it makes no sense to separate into two tools) and we’re now up to 26. As this tool is just for Pro members, this is the time to make use of the Secondary Submissions…

  • Fix to the Fix, Oops!

    admin
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:29 am
    In our delight at fixing the mysterious bug that occasionally caused a bookmark submitted by Free / Light members to have less than 15 submissions we erroneously introduced a new bug which gave a rather blunt, “Error Submitting Bookmark”. This again, only occurred on fast submissions. That has now been fixed also and we have also changed the way our trial sites are tested. We now simply add one randomly to a selection of submissions. That means sometimes you’ll have 15 and sometimes 16. For Pro members, this applies to you too so whatever the current total sites are,…

  • Reduced Submissions Bug Fixed

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 1:08 pm
    The bug we reported yesterday where some jobs occasionally have less than 15 submissions has been fixed. It was an obscure issue which only affected jobs that were submitted using the fastest submit option and only happened on a handful of jobs. Unfortunately we cannot rectroactively fix the jobs that were affected in the past but all new submissions should work correctly now. Apologies for the inconvenience.

  • Jobs with Less Than 15 Submissions?

    admin
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:13 am
    All bookmark jobs submitted by Free or Light members should have at least 15 submissions for each bookmark. Sometimes they will have more if they are used to test out the sites that we have on trial but it should always be 15 minimum. There seems to be a bug where some jobs are showing less than 15 but we’re having trouble tracking down exactly when this is occuring. It appears that the jobs are correctly being scheduled with 15 submissions when first entered and then ‘losing’ them some time later. I suspect this is to do with removing dead sites from the system but it is…

  • Two New Training Articles Added Today

    admin
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:37 am
    It’s been a busy day today! We’ve just uploaded two new articles to the training page in the SEO section. This is good reading if you’ve just started using IMAutomator but you’re not sure how it affects your actual SEO efforts.
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    TylerCruz.com: An Internet Entrepreneur's Journey

  • Screencast Review of Proxy Superstar GeoSurf

    Tyler Cruz
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:23 am
    Богородица As I have been getting back into affiliate marketing lately, there have been many times when I’ve tried to view the landing page of an offer that is targeted to a particular country, only to see the dreaded "Sorry, but this offer is not available in your country" message. Viewing the exact landing page of an offer is extremely important, vital really, and so I went searching for a proxy service that would allow me to visit sites as if I was coming from a particular country. After trying many free ones (let…

  • Affiliate Marketing Update: $1,500 in 1 Day

    Tyler Cruz
    2 Jan 2012 | 7:04 pm
    It’s been exactly 2 weeks since my last affiliate marketing update, so here’s an overview on what has happened over the past 14 days. I had mentioned in that post how the next day was "Judgement Day". Unfortunately, Judgement Day turned out really bad for me. Basically, about half of my traffic, made up from one particular traffic source, turned out to be of not high enough quality for me to be able to continue pushing it, at least not at the bumped payout I was receiving. In addition, since that traffic was ‘mixed in’ with my main traffic sources, I would…

  • Merry Christmas from PeerFly

    Tyler Cruz
    30 Dec 2011 | 4:08 pm
    In my post from a few days ago, I wrote about the gift and cards I received from several ad and affiliate networks. One of the affiliate networks missing in that post was PeerFly. I hadn’t received anything from them, nor did I really expect to, as they had already given me some pretty crazy stuff when I met up with them in Orlando, Florida a couple of months ago. But after I published my previous post, Corey from PeerFly sent me a message on AIM asking "Hmm… you didn’t receive the gift we sent?". Apparently, they did send me something, but it was just a little…

  • Merry Christmas from the Affiliate Networks

    Tyler Cruz
    26 Dec 2011 | 6:18 pm
    I hope everyone had a good Christmas, and there’s still the New Year celebrations to look forward to! Every year at Christmas, I receive gifts and cards from some of the various advertising and affiliate networks that I do business with. It’s always nice to receive something, and it’s well worth any cost and/or effort on their end as it does remind the receiver that the company acknowledges you. I’ve said this many times before, but receiving something physical, no matter how small, is a hundred times more meaningful and effective in this era of electronic mail and…

  • Payday Loan Affiliate Program by LeadsMarket.com Review

    Michael Kwan
    22 Dec 2011 | 1:12 am
    The following is a paid review for TylerCruz.com written and reviewed by Michael Kwan. It is completely of Michael Kwan’s opinion and is not influenced by being paid. If you’re interested in having your site or product reviewed, please view my advertising page The world of affiliate marketing is increasingly competitive, especially when it comes to some of the most popular and lucrative niches. Payday loans are one such example, because there is so much money at stake. And if you want to make money in this niche, there is a new player in the game that could put a lot of cash in your…
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    Inventor Spot - Inventions, Innovations, and Interesting Ideas for the Inventor in All of Us

  • World's Largest Oranges Successfully Bred in Taiwan

    China.new
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pm
    It's good to be the king... the King Orange, that is. A new, supersized hybrid orange developed at Taiwan's Agricultural Research Institute is not only the world's largest, it also offers majestic overtones of sweet and sour citrus flavor.

  • Tame the Wild with MoroccanOil Hydrating Styling Cream

    LeFleur
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:08 pm
    For anyone who knows how difficult it is to keep treated or coarse hair hydrated, the MoroccanOil Hydrating Styling Cream is a product worth trying. The pure argan oil conditions and hydrates your hair and is ideal for adding prior to a blow out.  The cream adds soft definition while creating the perfect hair style leaving your hair shiny and sexy.

  • TripAdvisor Japan's 'World Stinky Foods' Infographic Reeks Your World

    Steve Levenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm
    Travelers and tourists used to soaking up the world's most exotic sights and sounds can now satisfy their sense of smell as well, thanks to the new, nasally-oriented, "World Stinky Foods" infographic from TripAdvisor Japan.

  • Stem Cell Technology Used To Create Neuronal Model For Alzheimer's Disease

    T Goodman
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a "true human neuronal model" that replicates the early stages of Alzheimer's disease in actual human brain cells.  They have accomplished this model by using adult stem cells to more accurately demonstrate the pathology of the disease.

  • Creative Heart Ideas for Any Day

    LeFleur
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:58 pm
    Valentine’s Day gets a lot of flak for being a made-up holiday that puts pressure on people to express their undying love for one another.  But I tell you as I sip green tea from my Tall Multi Heart Latte Mug from Target that sometimes it’s nice to have a heart in your view no matter what day it is, so here’s some ways to be innovative and add a little love into your life.
 
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    Force of Good: a blog by Lance Weatherby

  • Don't Rely On Bad Vendors

    Lance Weatherby
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:21 pm
    So a long time ago at a place about a mile away I worked at this little startup called MindSpring. MindSpring was kinda like Zappo's before Zappo's was just a gleam in Tony Hsieh's eye. The company was completely core values based. To cite one of them, we were customer driven. We also had something we called the 14 deadly sins. Number 2, rely on outside vendors who let us down. What held true then holds true now.  At Half Off Depot we had a vendor named Digital Doorstep, or DDS as they are known in the industry. DDS was good for revenue but bad for business. Since October…

  • Talk To The Devs

    Lance Weatherby
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:27 am
    So one of the things that I am doing these days is having at least one breakfast/lunch/drink a week with an advisor/business partner/friend/mentor to catch up and talk about what is going on in our day to day worlds. It's just so easy to get too heads down and overly involved in a startup. I am sure that I am not alone in my tendency to do that. Startups can be all consuming. So it's good to get out and hear some fresh perspective. I was recently having such a lunch. Part of the conversation went like this. Me: "So I went and talked to the devs..." She (interrupting):…

  • Flashpoint: Winning

    Lance Weatherby
    12 Jan 2012 | 5:24 am
    Earlier this week Flashpoint, Georgia Tech's new startup accelerator, held it first ever demo day. While really a bit more of a pitch day, I only saw one demo, the teams did a great job. Locally David Cummings has a nice summary of the companies that pitched and TechCrunch even covered the event. While in many respects it is to soon to tell, the capstone of the program begs the question "is Flashpoint a success?" The early answer is yes. This answer is based on my involvement in the formative stages of Flashpoint back in the second quarter of 2011. Call me a bit player but I…

  • Hire Closers

    Lance Weatherby
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:29 am
    Interesting article over on the 37signals blog on why they don't hire programmers based on puzzles or math riddles got me to thinking about how I hire sales people. I have been a little hesitant to write about this as it could potentially change the entire game for anyone bright enough to do a little research and read this blog. But the gist of it is that I hire sales people that can close me on their ability to close. People that can take me down the sales process. Ask probing questions to determine needs, take control of the meeting, talk about how their skills and experience will…

  • 2012 Is Different

    Lance Weatherby
    3 Jan 2012 | 9:13 pm
    A long time ago I stated that I don't do new year's resolutions. 2012 is different. Maybe it's the leap year thing. Here are four resolutions. I will be more decisive. I will be more patient. I will take more pictures. I want to take and share a picture every day. Become a little less technical of a photog lugging around big equipment. Just look for the shot all the time. Open my eyes a bit. With open eyes comes an open mind. Looking for a rockin high end point and shoot. I will be more technical. I have signed up for Code Year.
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    The Next Women - Business Magazine

  • She Takes on the World Founder Natalie MacNeil's TEDx Talk: Women are the Largest Block of Untapped Catalysts for Tomorrow

    She Takes On The World
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    She Takes on the World Founder Natalie MacNeil’s TEDx Talk about women as the largest block of untapped catalysts for tomorrow and how we can empower women to change the world.

  • Your First Step Into The World Of Social Media Marketing: Listen to Your Customer

    Paul Writer
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Are you hesitating with your social media strategy, unsure of where to start? You are not alone! In this interview David Alston, CMO of Radian6, explains how listening to what your customers are saying to, and about, your company is the best first step to take. PW: ln our recent survey, social media was seen as the next big thing for marketers with 41% stating that they would be looking at it in 2012.  Yet, many organizations hesitate.  What is the mindset change required within an organization to succeed with this medium? DA: If companies are feeling overwhelmed and don’t want to…

  • Lean Startup Creator Eric Ries Packs The House at London Event

    Sabrina Kiefer
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Some 500 people packed the theatre on a recent Monday evening at the Business Leaders Network (BLN) event showcasing Eric Ries, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author of The Lean Startup. (Well done BLN, and especially Mark Littlewood, who hosted the proceedings and ran the Q&A with aplomb and humour.) This and numerous other packed TLS events in the preceding week in Ireland and the UK showed that Ries’s fame preceded him, even drawing attendees from continential Europe. Much has already been written and said online about the Lean Startup method, and the book is so widely available…

  • How Do I Enter A Room Confidently?

    Heather Townsend
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    I’ve spent a large portion of 2011 helping professionals and business owners become more confident to both stay in to network as well as going out to network. Every time I run a training workshop focusing more on the working the room part of networking, there is normally someone who wants to know how to enter a room confidently. It sounds like a trivial matter to enter a room confidently. Or at least that’s what we try and tell ourselves, when we are beating ourselves up because we still haven’t cracked the secret of confidently entering a room. Let’s be honest, it can be very…

  • Heidi Messer, Co-Founder, Collective[i]: Dream Big, Recruit the Right People, Stay Focused & Execute

    The NextWomen DWEN Interview Series
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Heidi Messer is Co-founder and Chairman of Collective[i]™, a cloud-based business intelligence platform that enables business leaders to answer their toughest questions through big data analysis. Heidi is also Co-Founder and CEO of World Evolved, a global investment and expansion platform. Prior to Collective[i]™and World Evolved, Hiedi and her brother, Stephen Messer, co-founded LinkShare Corporation, which is host to one of the world’s largest online affiliate networks. Heidi and her brother built and managed LinkShare until its sale to Rakuten for $425 million in 2005. Recognized as…
 
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    Active Garage

  • The Soul of a Project #1: The Paradox of Communications

    Gary Monti
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:46 am
    A new series “The Soul of a Project” begins with this blog – “The Paradox of Communications”. This is something near and dear to me since it is one of the cornerstones of my consulting practice. The common ground with previous blogs is getting the job done.  There is another component as well, one about which I have strong feelings. It centers on the phrase, “soft side of management” and similar statements. Frankly, I rankle at that phrase, since it has at times been associated with “easy,” or “superfluous,” and, for those of us with testosterone…

  • Dilemmas of Being in Business #8: Success – Where does it lead?

    Rosie Kuhn
    20 Jan 2012 | 3:14 am
    Harvey, a client of mine for over four years, lives and works in LA in the television industry. Brilliant, creative and kind, he makes everyone feel appreciated by his character and presence. Harvey has finally arrived at his dream. Not only does he have the dream job for himself, he’s also getting paid what he’s worth. He is in the groove! Harvey grew up in the bible belt of Texas. Allowing himself to be worthy of a salary that reflects all of what he brings to his career was a huge undertaking since it went against the primary tenets that money is evil, and that we shouldn’t want…

  • Resilience Engineering #30: Balance and Perspective

    Gary Monti
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:09 am
    Maintaining balance and perspective is key to leading complex, constrained projects. In the last blog regarding keeping one’s wits, the need for discipline was the first step mentioned. Below is a simple method I’ve used to help establish discipline and maintain balance and perspective. Risk Analysis: A Traditional Approach Normally risk is viewed negatively, i.e., problems in the present and threats out in the future. A common communication and discussion tool is the chart below. Probabilities range from low, medium, and high, as do impacts. This is a good chart. The question is, though,…

  • Dilemmas of Being in Business #7: 5 Steps to Presencing (Being Present)

    Rosie Kuhn
    11 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    Presence: It seems like a no brainer; aren’t we always present wherever we go? Actually, it’s rare that we are present, in the moment, with our full attention on the individual, the group or task in front of us. Opportunities to have distractions pop up and take our attention away from what we are intending to be attending to. Cell phones, emails, texts, phones, people passing by our office or cubicle – these are the some of the external distractions; what about the thoughts, emotions and body sensations that also pull us off course; the emotions, stress, anger and fatigue; or worries…

  • Resilience Engineering #29: Keep Your Wits About You

    Gary Monti
    10 Jan 2012 | 7:25 am
    Keep your wits in chaotic situations. Success depends upon it. The irony is, keeping one’s wits is grounded in simplicity. It is challenging and can take all you have. It is a daily, constant activity. Avoid confusing simplicity with a naive belief everything will work out somehow. Rather, it is about letting go of the urge to react when forces are demanding that you do. It is about keeping eyes and ears open and just seeing what is. This simplicity is a reflection of an on-going process rather than a goal. It has to be a process because of the fluidity of the situation. There is a constant…
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    The Wright Place TV

  • Everyone Should Have a TV Show!!!…

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:43 pm
    Everyone should have a TV Show, even Chris Brogan said it at the Long Beach Entrepreneur Magazine event this week. Why? Because it’s a great way to tell your story and to give your clients an outlet. It’s a wonderful way to brand yourself. Even if you just decide on Webisodes, it can be very [...]

  • Malaysian Food and Traditional Coffee

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:42 pm

  • Cappi Pidwell and Teaching Your Kids About Money With Money Scholar ( new show)

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pm
    Check out how a wonderful bank can help you teach your kids about money! Then, Cappi Pidwell talks about our mind set and money Please click the like button and share this video! Thanks!

  • Arvee Robinson’s Speaker Training

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    10 Jan 2012 | 11:14 am
    Jan 26-29, 2012 Please call Arvee Robinson to Register (909) 949-8527 This is a private event

  • TCE West Coast Meetup- Jan 28!

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    10 Jan 2012 | 7:56 am
    Jan 28, 2012  6 PM-8PM Meet Francina Harrison MSW, The Career Engineer RSVP to get your gift bag (You know how we do it) Network, Have little food and refreshments, grow your network and your business Register here: TCE California Career & Biz Meetup (East Coast & West Coast Connections!) January 28, 2012 at 6:00 [...]
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    Steve Blank

  • Why The Movie Industry Can’t Innovate and the Result is SOPA

    steveblank
    4 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    This year the movie industry made $30 billion (1/3 in the U.S.) from box-office revenue. But the total movie industry revenue was $87 billion. Where did the other $57 billion come from? From sources that the studios at one time claimed would put them out of business: Pay-per view TV, cable and satellite channels, video rentals, DVD sales, online subscriptions and digital downloads. The Movie Industry and Technology Progress The music and movie business has been consistently wrong in its claims that new platforms and channels would be the end of its businesses. In each case, the new…

  • American Entrepreneur Radio Interview

    steveblank
    27 Dec 2011 | 8:00 am
    I was lucky enough to get interviewed by Rob Morris of American Entrepreneur Radio. Ron Morris has a great “radio voice,” and actually seemed to understand what the heck I was talking about.  It made for a fun interview. Click here to listen to the interview: Steve Blank American Entrepreneur Radio interview The following week Ron Morris interviewed Regis McKenna, who for decades was the “gold standard” for high tech Public Relations in Silicon Valley. Click here to listen to the Regis interview. Filed under: Big Companies versus Startups: Durant versus Sloan,…

  • The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps – Class 2: The Business Model Canvas

    steveblank
    22 Dec 2011 | 7:30 am
    The Lean LaunchPad class for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps is a new model of teaching startup entrepreneurship. This post is part two. Part one is here. Syllabus here. The 21 NSF teams had been out of the classroom for just 15 hours as they filed back in with their business model canvas presentations.  Their assignment appeared (to them) to be deceptively simple: Write down their initial hypotheses for the 9 components of their company’s business model (who are the customers? what’s the product? what distribution channel? etc.) Come up with ways to test each of the…

  • The Government Starts an Incubator: The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps

    steveblank
    20 Dec 2011 | 8:00 am
    Over the last two months the U.S. government has been running one of the most audacious experiments in entrepreneurship since World War II. They launched an incubator for the top scientists and engineers in the U.S. This week we saw the results. 63 scientists and engineers in 21 teams made 2,000 customer calls in 8 weeks, turning laboratory ideas into formidable startups. 19 of the 21 teams are moving forward in commercializing their technology. It was an extraordinary effort. Your Country Needs You In July I got a call from Errol Arkilic, a program manager at the National Science Foundation…

  • The Startup Team

    steveblank
    13 Dec 2011 | 7:30 am
    Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds SEAL Team saying Over the last 40 years Technology investors have learned that the success of startups are not just about the technology but “it’s about the team.” We spent a year screwing it up in our Lean LaunchPad classes until we figured out it was about having the right team. Startup Team Lessons Learned During the last 12 months we’ve taught 42 entrepreneurial teams with 147 students at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia and the National Science Foundation. (As many teams as most startup incubators.) Get into the Class When I first…
 
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    First Class Fashionista

  • Demi Moore Hospitalized After Doing Whip-its!?

    First Class Fashionista
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:29 pm
    Demi Moore Drug Overdose demi moore Demi Moore was hospitalized after reportedly smoking an unknown substance, being referred to as whip-its. The 49-year-old actress was the cause of concern surrounding a 911 call placed Thursday evening. The friend of Moore who placed the call has more than a few people curious to know exactly what happened that night. The conversation with the 911 dispatcher has since been released, and can confirm that Demi Moore was in fact dealing with the effects of smoking and inhaling a foreign substance. The caller tells the dispatcher that Moore is dealing with…

  • Heidi Klum Says, “You’re Out” to Marriage

    First Class Fashionista
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:01 pm
    Just like every other high profile couple to come out of Hollywood, we never thought Heidi Klum and Seal would call it quits and yet, here we are. Seven years and four kids later (three biologically Seal’s), the Samuel family decided to split. Where were the warning signs? Was it, maybe, that they felt the need to renew their vows every year on their anniversary? Looking back on their relationship, they seemed like the perfect pair. Maybe it was because their both European? Or because they just look so good together? They seemed to treat each other as equals. However, with…

  • Khloe Kardashian Denies Fertility Treatment and is Offered $250,000 to Take Paternity Test

    First Class Fashionista
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm
    Reality star Khloe Kardashian and husband Lamar Odom have been at the center of many reports recently. The couple who has been reportedly been trying for a baby is denying all news that they are considering fertility treatments. To set the record straight, Khloe took to twitter. “Because there seems to be much speculation, here is my statement,” she continued. “I am not at this time in my life considering any type of fertility treatments. If and when I do, I will shout it from the rooftops but for now it’s in Gods hands.” In other Kloe Kardashian news, just this…

  • Hill’s Star Kristin Cavallari Announces Pregnancy!

    First Class Fashionista
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:28 pm
    Baby makes three! Reality T.V. star Kristin Cavallari and fiance, football player Jay Cutler, confirm pregnancy. The new parents-to-be told People.com, “We are thrilled to announce we are expecting our first child together. It’s an amazing time in our life and we can’t wait to meet the new addition to our family.” The couple has endured their fair share of ups and downs last year. During the process of wedding planning Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler decided to call it quits. However, that didn’t keep pair apart for long, come November the two were back on again…

  • Taylor Swift Singing Her Way to Fashionista Status

    First Class Fashionista
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:47 pm
    With a fourth album in the making, a new outlook on the the present and bangs, Taylor Swift is ushering in an enthusiastic start to 2012. It seems that Taylor Swift has finally grown into her inner Fashionista, and it’s taking full advantage of her style opportunities. In an interview with Jonathan van Meter at Vogue, Swift’s style is described similarly to the inspiration of Rodarte’s Spring 2012 collection; drawing the ”line between sincerity and irony, between too-literal costume and clever fashion reference.” She is really having fun with fashion and it…
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    Begin the Begin

  • This Google+ search controversy just keeps getting worse

    jeffhilimire
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:40 pm
    More now on the Google+ search controversy. You know, the one where Google is giving their social network higher billing than others (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in their search results. Yes, its a big problem. Here we have a former Googler pointing out just how much Google has changed to even consider a move like this (link): When the former Googler worked at Google (through a couple of years ago), doing something like this would have been “unthinkable,” the former Googler says. Realizing that Google is now willing to do it, the former Googler says, was a “sad day.” And…

  • Here’s the problem with the state of marketing today

    jeffhilimire
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:46 am
    Here’s the problem with the state of marketing today How do you successfully market your company? You meet your customers where they are, at the right time with the right message. In a consistent, relevant way. How do you do that? You test, learn, try new things, fail because that’s what’s required. You experiment. You innovate. And you always do this, not just today and then its back to the status quo. Who makes the decision to do this? The CMO. Who has the shortest tenure of any executive in a company today? The CMO. Why is that? Because if they don’t show results…

  • Man I love working with enthusiastic people

    jeffhilimire
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:55 am
    It’s so energizing to work with people that are excited about what they’re doing. People who start their day psyched to see what’s in store for them. People who are wide-eyed and eager for new challenges. I feel bad for people that aren’t wired that way or aren’t in the right situation to expose that part of themselves. Everyone should figure out their passion and then find a job that allows them to do it. Yesterday I was able to spend my day with a new Engauger who couldn’t seem more thrilled to be starting this chapter of her career with us. And at the…

  • So Twitter isn’t “social”…why does that sound familiar?

    jeffhilimire
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:31 am
    According to Jack Dorsey (you know, one of the guys that invented Twitter), Twitter isn’t actually social. What about “social”? Not so much, Dorsey said. Twitter is a way to learn about what your friends are doing, but more than that it’s a way to learn about what other people who are relevant to you, from all over the world, are doing. “We definitely see social as just one part of what people do on Twitter,” Dorsey said. “We think of it as an information utility and a communications network.” Why does that sound familiar? Oh yeah, I said that in March of 2010 and people…

  • The Engauge perspective on Google+

    jeffhilimire
    21 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am
    Google+ has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. They’re growing fairly fast and in the middle of an interesting new controversy. Engauge put together a fantastic point of view on Google+, if I do say so myself. Download the pdf and let me know what you think!
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    More Caffeine Please.

  • At what point are we involved in too many conversations? — More

    tmoadmin
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    As mentioned on their internet site, “52 Teas is dedicated to bringing you a new little batch customized blended hand-crafted tea Each and every WEEK. The cost of uncooked supplies will minimize as the web-site gains traction. This business is designed close to the merchandise. All of that will get thrown out the window with the fifty two Teas home business type. The logistics of managing an operation these as this improves exponentially. The prospect to decrease the value of raw substances doesn’t are present. And the corporation is forced to shell out a lot of time interacting with their…

  • The 3 Worst Website Marketing Mistakes a Business Owner can

    tmoadmin
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    I am choosing that the very best organizations are worrying not as much about intellectual property and are concerning by themselves far more close to the customer experience. From an operations perspective, this is a pretty effortless small business to run. Forecasting is pretty linear ditto shipping prices. The expense of raw elements will reduce as the internet site gains traction. All of that gets thrown out the window with the fifty two Teas small business model. No more time is forecasting as very simple as adding six percent to previous year’s profits. 52 Teas took a fairly mundane…

  • A Feel Good Sunday Story — More Caffeine, Please

    tmoadmin
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    A special buyer encounter can collection anyplace from ease of use to excellent client service. I found a business known as 52 Teas. As said on their web site, “52 Teas is dedicated to bringing you a new smaller batch custom made blended hand-crafted tea Just about every WEEK. From an procedures perspective, this is a relatively simple home business to run. The value of raw components will lower as the webpage gains traction. This organization is developed all around the item. The logistics of managing an operation such as this will increase exponentially. And the business is compelled to…

  • Are you busy taking action? — More Caffeine, Please

    tmoadmin
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    I am obtaining that the very best suppliers are worrying much less about intellectual property and are about on their own additional approximately the purchaser knowledge. A completely unique customer practical experience can selection everywhere from ease of use to fantastic buyer services. As stated on their web site, “52 Teas is dedicated to bringing you a new small batch custom blended hand-crafted tea Each individual WEEK. Additional than that, we are inquiring our users to assistance us decide what to blend.” Believe about that, each individual week fifty two Teas develops a new…

  • How I plan to grow from a consultant to a firm — More Caffeine, Please

    tmoadmin
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am
    I am finding that the most effective companies are worrying significantly less about intellectual property and are regarding on their own more all around the consumer working experience. The typical tea brewing business will stock a hundred or so flavors, set up a web page with a searching cart and have rather small speak to with their clients. From an operations viewpoint, this is a somewhat easy business to operate. This home business is built all-around the item. The prospect to greatly reduce the cost of raw substances doesn’t exist. And the provider is forced to spend a whole lot of…
 
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    TheFunded Founder Institute News

  • LA and NYC Founder Institute Application Deadlines Approaching

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm
    Since 2009, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 50 startups across Los Angeles and New York City. Now we're getting ready to launch many more, as we gear up for new Spring 2012 Semesters in both cities. If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in Los Angeles or New York City, then apply today.  The Final Application Deadline for the New York City Founder Institute is Saturday, February 4th. Sessions take place on Wednesday evenings from February through May.  The Early Application Deadline for Los…

  • Inside FI: 'The Devil is in the Details of Your Term Sheet' by @BarrySilbert

    27 Jan 2012 | 7:34 am
    Inside FI gives you exclusive access inside the training sessions of the Founder Institute. To get updates when we release new videos, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.  It's important to understand the details and negotiate favorable terms that align the interests of the entrepreneurs with the investors during the fundraising process. However, as Barry explains in the video below, “it’s worth taking a less attractive term sheet to work with investors you like.” Barry Silbert is an angel investor and the Founder and CEO of…

  • And the Founder Institute's 22nd Location is? St. Louis

    26 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    We are very excited to announce the 22nd Founder Institute location: St. Louis, U.S.  If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in the greater St. Louis area, click here to apply. St. Louis is on the ups for early stage entrepreneurship. In the past 6 months alone, a new seed fund making 10 investments of $50,000 per year, and a new business grant program making 10 grants of $50,000 per year, have been launched. The Founder Institute in St. Louis is ideally positioned to prepare entrepreneurs to take advantage of these…

  • TheFunded.com's Top Startup Investors of 2011

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:40 pm
    At last week's 9th Founder Showcase, we celebrated the best investors of 2011 with TheFunded.com's Entrepreneur Investor Awards. Anthony Ha of TechCrunch covered the awards here (including a video of the ceremony). Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz, George Zachary of Charles River Ventures, Philippe Herbert of Banexi Venture Partners, Yuri Milner of Mail.ru Group, and Dave McClure of 500 Startups all received awards.  Click here to see the story on TechCrunch, or here on TheFunded.com.   Congratulations to the winners, and thanks…

  • Video of FI Grad Spinnakr's Winning Founder Showcase Pitch

    25 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm
    Last Thursday, over 300 people gathered in Silicon Valley for the 9th Founder Showcase, hosted by TheFunded.com and the Founder Institute. At the event, 8 companies competed on stage in a free pitch competition, and taking the Grand Prize was Michael Mayernick and Spinnakr - a service for displaying targeted messaging on your website based on the specific audience segments. Spinnakr graduated from the Washington D.C. Founder Institute, and is also in the current 500 Startups class. Here is the video of their winning pitch;     Coming in an extremely close second…
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    A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

  • It’s a torturous chaos until it isn’t

    Jason
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    When you talk about explosive, profitable startup growth, a few darlings come to mind. DropBox is one.Hubspot is another. I mean, just look at their growth (published on SEOMoz):Was it always so powerful a growth engine? Was it always so clear that this was a company with a bright future?Looking back on stats they published in 2010, the curve is identical, just a different scale on the y-axis:Or in 2009, when they published this to boast about how their revenue juggernaut is recession-proof:Even going back in time, they seem unstoppable, their future inevitable.But it was not always so.

  • How should a startup founder value her time?

    Jason
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    Almost no startup founder values her time properly.Consultants know exactly what their time is worth: their hourly rate. As they say, it’s how much “the market will bear.” When a consultant intentionally doesn’t work for an hour — whether to be with family or to work on a new startup — they’re clearly giving up an hour of potential earnings.If being a consultant is your goal, this is indeed how you should value your time. But when you’re in a startup, the math is completely different. Your time is $1000/hour, and you need to act…

  • Painful, Surreal, and Surprisingly Effective: The Personal Checklist

    Jason
    3 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    Tired of productivity articles instructing you to break down large projects into smaller, more annoying, and less interesting tasks?Or about how if even the teeniest little thing remains in your inbox at 5:00 on Friday afternoon, then not only will your entire weekend be shot, but also you are a terrible human being?Well I figured with the New Year ringing in Resolutions about how It’s Really Going To Be Different This Time, No Really I Mean It Why Are You Looking At Me Like That, it would be a good time to share with you a favorite technique of mine which doesn’t require that you…

  • Uncommon Interview: Finding Fulfillment with Good Company

    Jason
    28 Dec 2011 | 8:45 am
    Everyone likes New Year’s Inspiration this time of year; this interview is perfect to scratch that itch.This is the fourth installment in my “Uncommon Interview” series — interviews where we get right into the meat and dispense with pleasantries or “how did you get into this business” sorts of fluff.On the other side of this radio interview are Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams, both founders of their own startups, both coaches and mentors to dozens of other startups over the years, and who together created and still run the In Good Company…

  • When being “first” is not a competitive advantage

    Jason
    19 Dec 2011 | 8:45 am
    “WE STARTED THE TREND”“Wherever you hear companies talking about Managed WordPress Hosting, they are following our lead.”This is how one of our competitors attempts to differentiate and compete with us at WP Engine. Is it effective?Most startups insist they’re “first” at something. As they should — what’s the point of a new company that adds nothing new to the world? But is it a good thing? Does it make you better than your competition?On the surface being “first” sounds impressive, implying innovation and leadership. But…
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    CurrentMom

  • All In a Day's Work

    Karen Paul-Stern
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    Truth Thursday One of the things I like the most about parenting teens and tweens is that I remember being their age. As such, I feel like I have a better sense of the needs, desires and anguish of their...

  • Finding the Dragon Within on Chinese New Year

    Katherine Lewis
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:47 am
    Truth Tuesday Growing up a mixed-race child in lily-white upstate New York, I wanted nothing more than to blend in with my peers. If people asked, "what are you?" I would claim, "I'm just like you!" This despite the Chinese...

  • Gadgets Galore -- Easy Panini

    Emily
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Meal Monday I am what is known in business school case studies as a late adapter (see Luddite). I cannot be convinced (no matter how hard my husband tries) to give up my traditional date book that I mark in...

  • A Little Perspective

    TNH Guy
    20 Jan 2012 | 4:38 am
    Fatherhood Friday Having a newborn to go along with our almost-three year old and eight year old has been quite an adjustment. New routines, lots of sleep-deprived people in the house, tough to make plans beyond tomorrow, etc. We have...

  • Modern Family

    Karen Paul-Stern
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    Truth Thursday Being a product of the 1970s, I can sing the theme songs to any number of mind-numbing, puerile television shows, as can most Americans who are around my age. Gilligan’s Island. Green Acres. Petticoat Junction. Family Affair. F...
 
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    thriveal.com

  • What’s So Great about THRIVE Tribes? Tribe Members Weigh In!

    Jennifer Blumer
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:50 pm
    After an exciting first year in THRIVEal, several members recently decided to go a little deeper by joining a THRIVE Tribe. While we had all enjoyed some pretty lively discussions in the THRIVEal LinkedIn group, it became clear that we needed a better platform to be able to share files, photos, recordings of meetings, etc. [...]

  • THRIVEcast 6

    thriveal
    13 Jan 2012 | 7:02 pm
    So the latest THRIVEcast came out just before Christmas. Did you hear it? Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte discussed the upside of customer complaints and what is means to work in a ROWE. Jason and Greg also had a fun conversation with Jay Shepherd, author of Firing at Will. Be sure to listen before the [...]

  • What Will You Disrupt in 2012?

    thriveal
    7 Jan 2012 | 6:54 pm
    I was talking with a banker friend the other day about how his bank manages people using analytics.  They produce lists of lenders periodically ranking everyone in the bank… from top to bottom. I remember being judged by a number.  Realization rates mean everything in CPA firms.  I knew it was time to disrupt our [...]

  • Wanna Know More About Family Meeting, Vision 2.0?

    thriveal
    8 Dec 2011 | 7:22 pm
    Hey THRIVEal members! You’ve been hearing about the Family Meeting for a while. Wanna know what to expect? Just watch the video of Jason and then register at the link below. See you at the Family Meeting! Register here! Tweet This (and such) Hide Sites $$('div.d4482').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:1.5}) });

  • The New THRIVEcast is Out! Woot!

    thriveal
    22 Nov 2011 | 3:39 pm
    We had a blast recording the THRIVEcast with an audience in Greenville, SC! Ron Baker and Ed Kless were fantastic guests, and the energy of the THRIVEal members was incredible! Listen in to the newest episode to hear about the demoralizing effects of timesheets and the billable hour. Also hear how THRIVEal has been impacting members [...]
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    Carol Roth » Business Unplugged

  • Branding: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly for Small Business

    Catherine Morgan
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    “I don’t need a brand. I’m a small business.” Have you ever said this to yourself? As a brand strategist, I’ve heard this one pretty often and it always amazes me. It makes me want to poke my eye out with a sharp stick. There are tons of myths out there: branding is expensive, branding [...]

  • Entrepreneurs and Love at First Sight

    George and Mary-Lynn
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    “But, he’s so hot.” We were out to dinner recently with a group of our friends. One of the younger members of the group had wandered to a nearby table. She was talking to a guy- a guy we could all see. Finally, she returned to the table. She had a huge smile on her [...]

  • How to Speak: 5 Ways to Become a Better Speaker

    Carol Roth
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:06 am
    Speaking at events is a great way to spread your important messages and cement your status as an expert.  However, being a great speaker is an art, not a science.  Here are five ways you can quickly become a better speaker. Don’t memorize your speech: You may think that the best way to give a [...]

  • Entrepreneurship: 5 Challenges Facing Women Entrepreneurs

    Carol Roth
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Entrepreneurship isn’t a walk in the park for anyone and it can be even more challenging if you are of the “female persuasion”. Even with all of the advancements that women have made in the business world, there is still a long way to go before the success rate is level between male and female [...]

  • The Customer Relationship: Is Your Business a ‘Nice’, a Need or an Addiction?

    Carol Roth
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:05 am
    Businesses are constantly morphing; sometimes because of industry shifts and sometimes because of competitive factors.  So, as you think about your strategy and consider the next tweak to your own business, think about whether your business is a ‘nice’, a need or an addiction. Nice isn’t nice If your product or service is nice to [...]
 
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    Lessons Learned

  • London Calling

    Unknown
    7 Jan 2012 | 1:02 am
    Happy New Year! Four months ago, The Lean Startup debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. Since then, I have been immersed in a non-stop whirlwind book tour of North America, filled with as many events, interviews, and talks as I could physically manage. On Monday, I’m taking The Lean Startup across the pond to the UK to launch the first international edition. A complete list of book tour stops for my journey is below. I hope you'll join me, either in person or virtually. You can also stay up-to-date by following me on Twitter or on Plancast. And for those that have been…

  • STARTUP IS VISION

    Eric
    28 Nov 2011 | 9:47 am
    The following is a rather unusual guest post. One of the more surreal parts of speaking publicly and putting ideas out into the ether is to watch other people run with them. I can't seem to help tuning into comment threads on blogs, news aggregators, etc. Internet people being what they are, a lot of these comments are nasty, brutish, and short.  However, every once in a while, I come across someone who consistently corrects other people's mistakes. Someone who seems to get it. And who am I to complain if that someone happens to be a giant robot dinosaur named FAKEGRIMLOCK? As it turns…

  • That old-time startup religion

    Eric
    15 Nov 2011 | 7:25 am
    Warning: the video below may be offensive to some readers. It contains irreverent use of religious language. Viewer discretion is advised.  So there I was, on stage in front of a large crowd, when Jason says "Has anyone seen the movie Apostle?" That's when I knew things were about to get interesting. I was in Los Angeles on book tour a few weeks ago. The Los Angeles Lean Startup Circle arranged a spectacular event. I was interviewed - live on stage - by Jason Calacanis for This Week in Startups. The video became Episode #199, and you'll get to watch it below. Jason's a controversial -…

  • Case Study: The Nordstrom Innovation Lab

    Eric
    25 Oct 2011 | 8:57 am
    Today's case study answers a bunch of questions all at once about Lean Startup principles: can they be used inside a Fortune 500 company? can they be used to sell physical low-tech products? can they be used in a retail store? I have been confidently answering questions like these non-stop for the past few months. I do believe the answer is yes. But, as the saying goes, seeing is believing. And now you won't have to take my word for it. Nordstrom is currently ranked #254 on the Fortune 500 (yes, I looked it up) with over $9 billion in revenues. Scrappy startup they are not. And yet they face…

  • Best. Birthday. Ever.

    Eric
    29 Sep 2011 | 9:45 am
    Last week I turned 33, while on the road. I received an incredible amount of good news all at once. First off, I received the big news that you'll get to read if you open up the paper this coming Sunday: The Lean Startup has debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The Lean Startup debuts at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller List Look closely, and you'll see The Lean Startup right below televangelist Joel Osteen and right above The Guinness Book of World Records. The Wall Street Journal also maintains a bestseller list specifically for business books. The Lean Startup…
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    Big Red Tomato Company

  • How to read business books in less than 15 minutes

    Matthew Needham
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Business books are a cheap way of improving your business education without a large time commitment or financial outlay. For many years I’ve been a big fan of buying business books. In fact I’ve got shelves stacked high with them in my office and even some boxes of them in my parents garage. Some of them I’ve actually read. Books are cheap, easily portable and potentially full of profitable ideas. But there lies several problems: 1. Overbuying because they are cheap 2. Books take time to read and discover the profitable ideas 3. You never have them to hand when you need them…

  • Weekend Round Up January 21

    Matthew Needham
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Welcome to Weekend Roundup. This is a collection of some great posts that I’ve come across over the previous week. I don’t go into major depth on each one, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting: Mark Cuban’s 12 Rules For Start Ups Article from Entrepreneur.com lists Mark Cuban’s 12 rules for starting a business together with some other links to some sage advice from the billionaire sports owner. 10 Books Every Entrepreneur should read from 2011 - pretty much what it says on the tin. 10 Books from 2011 you should make sure you read. Having read…

  • Weekend roundup January 14

    Matthew Needham
    13 Jan 2012 | 11:30 pm
    Welcome to Weekend Roundup. This is a collection of some great posts that I’ve come across over the previous week. I don’t go into major depth on each one, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting How to get 1 million visitors in ONE year - Steve Scott shares his one year goal to get one million visitors to his website in 2012 and explains how you can do it too. How to conduct (and master) a webinar interview (Video/podcast) with Lewis Howes who shares his secrets in launching FB Influence mainly on the back of holding Webinars. Marketing Grader by…

  • 52 Business Books to Read in 2012

    Matthew Needham
    5 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    I could take the time to read a fiction book, but I don’t. I would rather read websites, newspapers, magazines, looking for ideas and concepts that I can use. I spend time in bookstores because one idea from a book or magazine can make me money. Mark Cuban How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It Personally speaking, the best investment I have ever made has been in improving my own education. Consistently I’ve found this to be one of the best ways of making more money.  The more I invest in myself the more money I make. Over the years the best way I’ve…

  • One lesson you should learn from annual reviews

    Matthew Needham
    27 Dec 2011 | 11:00 pm
    Over the next few weeks you will read blogs, newspaper articles and endure hours of TV coverage talking about the year that’s just about to end/gone and what the writer or presenter has learned over the previous 12 months. Welcome to the season of the annual review. If you want to save yourself a lot of time, I can  reveal  to you exactly what these annual reviews will  have  discovered – some things will have gone well and other things have not gone so well.  There will be analysis of why things worked out the way they did and maybe the odd photograph from some far flung…
 
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    The Entreprenette Gazette

  • DIY Beginner SEO (Part 2 of 2)

    Sarah Shaw
    10 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Dear Sarah, How do I implement simple SEO? Where do I put all the keywords?  I am not really sure what the title tags and heading tags are exactly……ugh! Thanks in advance, Lisa Lehmann Studio Jewel       Dear Lisa, Again, I am reaching out to my friend Lauren about this…..I find this super fascinating and complicated but she makes it sound so easy!   I especially love the tip about naming your images with keywords to help with SEO. This is what Lauren suggests doing yourself to get better SEO ranking in general. Figuring out where to put…

  • DIY Beginner SEO (Part 1 of 2)

    Sarah Shaw
    5 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Dear Sarah,   We currently sell mostly through Amazon and SkyMall, but have recently launched our own website. How do we increase our own website visibility?  I have heard various tips on search engine optimization, but I am unclear as to what SEO really means and what I can do to have more of a presence on the web.   Thanks so much, Jennifer  The GLO Bag     Dear Jennifer,   I reached out to my friend Lauren to answer this as she is really the specialist!  This is her simple DIY first baby step!   SEO is easier than you think and easier than many…

  • Do magazines pay for samples?

    Sarah Shaw
    3 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Dear Sarah, I would really appreciate some advice. I received an inquiry from the editor of a magazine to have my jewelry included in an editorial. I have a couple of questions:   1. My understanding is that this is not akin to an 'advertorial', which I would have to pay for – true? 2. Should I send all the jewelry they asked for, although they indicated it would not be returned?   I would truly appreciate your feedback as I am not sure what the standard procedure is for such magazines. Thank you, Lisa    Studio Jewel   Dear Lisa,  …

  • Happy Holidays

    Sarah Shaw
    24 Dec 2011 | 5:00 am

  • I Love Saving Money

    Sarah Shaw
    21 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
    "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes"  – Benjamin Franklin I LOVE SAVING MONEY don't you??  I am always looking for new tax tips and any new loop hole I can poke my head into.  Ok, so as I see it, we are divided into two main groups.  Those who are super organized and sort their receipts and kinda do "tax-prep" all year long, and those who show up with a shoe box and shopping bag at their CPA every year.  Well which ever one you are…..no matter.  It all gets done in the end!   I sort of assume (eek)…
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    Entrepreneur Solo

  • The Battle For Spanish Society

    Entrepreneur Solo
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:13 pm
    Spain is at a crossroads, a place where the next moves forward could determine a lot of future outcomes for better or worse. Spain is in a fully blown crisis both of the economy and also of confidence. Spain needs change and that change cannot come too soon. However Spain also has good raw materials. When you have good raw materials you just have to to put them together well into something that is worth it. Spain has those raw materials in my opinion but can it mix them together well, I am not too sure of that.

  • Keeping Productive in the Car: Podcasts and Preneurcast

    Entrepreneur Solo
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:02 am
    Being a small businessman (That means having a small business not being under five foot tall) means that there is often a temptation to continually work. Unfortunately I succumb to that temptation, I generally work. One of the places that I often do work is in the car. Now I am not sending e-mails. I am not texting, although I have been known to do it at traffic lights for example. What I tend to do is to listen to podcasts. Having an iPhone means that I can put the podcast on in the car and from that I can listen to whichever one I want. One of my most listened ones is by Dom Goucher and…

  • 2010? Good Riddance!

    Entrepreneur Solo
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:10 am
    The last month has been lost in the ether for me. Because of fiestas, lots of news coming from the left field, visits, idiots who have placed us in an unenviable position through irresponsibility and a host of other things I cannot wait to turn the page and get into 2011.

  • High Speed Rail In Spain and Business: An Update

    Entrepreneur Solo
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:10 am
    I wrote an article recently on Blokes on the Blog about high speed rail in Spain because in the UK, where plans have been announced to start building a new high speed rail line from London to Birmingham, there is a bit of debate going on about it. Here in Spain it is an unqualified success apparently and a beacon of light in the world for those countries wanting to emulate the success. However there are caveats. Take a look at the article below and also more information below that.

  • Preparing a Road Trip

    Entrepreneur Solo
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:09 am
    My daughter is getting older and flying the nest this week, or rather driving away from the nest and it is me doing the driving, on her way to University in the UK. So a road trip is in order just for her and me, all the way through Spain, over the Pyrenees into France, through Bordeaux an up the west side of France and Paris because it is a bit more interesting than the motorway straight from Barcelona to Paris and then over the channel or possibly under the channel by the Chunnel.
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    EntrePreneurshipAtEase.com

  • 366 days entrepreneurship

    admin
    10 Jan 2012 | 1:42 am
    Its not END. Yeah its not the end of your entrepreneurial journey. STOP.  Do not stop.  Where to stop ? When to stop ? Maintain, creation,Innovation,Passion……. Stay Hungry and foolish! AND the tremendous expectations and hope. These are the words to be think over and get liven up. So what about your 2012 entrepreneurship celebration idea ?

  • “Stay Hungry and foolish” Steve Job

    admin
    18 Nov 2011 | 6:27 am
    World war-I (1913-1918) world war -II(1939-1945) Steve Job (1955-2011) the great innovation time in the world of technology. Steve Jobs by ~CuaKs on deviantART “STAY HUNGRY AND FOOLISH” as he said and doing his whole life tirelessly. He started Apple company and stick on with it till the last breath.His passion of designing and devotion to it lead to the great revolution in the history of technology.Nobody can take his place.

  • Is it only idea ?

    admin
    28 Sep 2011 | 7:34 am
    Hello entrepreneurs , Are you obsessed with something, then it is a good sign to march forward for a dream venture as 21st century experts are sharing their views.

  • Where are the Niches?

    admin
    2 Sep 2011 | 8:27 am
    Where are you going to find out your dream niche ? Are they available in the market ? What are those profitable niche ? Is it available at Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft,Amazon……….? Niches are miracle! It can be create, innovate,developed or nurture at laboratory or at your working place. Involvement are necessary for a miracle niche. Where are you involved now ? What is your karma ? You can create yourself a solid nice with your passionate hobby like music, dance, writing, travel,crafting art,painting, cooking etc.etc…… Just get involved.You may heard the…

  • Hello Entrepreneurs !

    admin
    7 Jul 2011 | 7:49 am
    Welcome to my blog. Are you free, independent ? If not why are your still got stuck on your disliking job ? How do you want to contribute here for a entrepreneur character ? Do you have any idea to go to next level ? How can I help you ? Fired up!!!
 
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    Meylah

  • 5 Ways to Connect With Your Creative Community

    26 Jan 2012 | 9:07 pm
    Are you connected to your creative community?  It's one of the best way to grow your business.  Connecting with fellow creatives is not only fun, it can also put a little boost in your sales with increased awareness and exposure.So, here are 5 ways to connect with your creative community:1. Make your blog your community hub by blogging on a regular basis, displaying photos of your work and responding to comments when necessary.2. Be vocal and grow your community!  Get involved and take part in a discussion on your favorite blog, fan page or group forum.  You'll get to know others and they…

  • Systems Are A Creative Business' Best Friend

    19 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
    As a creative business owner you likely want to spend the majority of your time doing what you love most—being creative! And there is nothing creative about some of those pesky business details like financials, marketing, or time.Creating systems that you enjoy will help the pieces of your business that encourage growth that much easier. If you are like me the thought of excel sheets, cash legers, or press releases is such a turn off you simply don’t use them. Below I have outlined four areas to try new systems including ideas that have been fun and useful for my business.MoneyAreas of…

  • Keep Track of Your Inventory & More with Stitch

    19 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pm
    Have you heard of Stitch?  Stitch is an online tool that is built for small business owners and artisans to manage inventory, contacts, orders, expenses, and more.We met the folks who built Stitch this past year at the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs in San Francisco and in addition to an impressive online tool, they might just be the nicest people around!Here are just a few reasons why you should consider using Stitch for your business:Inventory Management:  Build and manage your entire product catalog and inventory with a few simple clicks.Order Fulfillment & Invoices: Stitch is more…

  • 3 Financial Tips for Small Business Owners

    19 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pm
    There's been a lot of talk about taxes this time of year...and, rightfully so.  It's the time to start getting organized to help your business get on track for the year ahead.Here are 3 quick and easy financial tips for all small business owners to implement this year:1. Keep Your Receipts All In One PlaceGet your business finances in order for the year ahead by creating a place to store your paperwork.  This can be a binder, a drawer, a folder or just about anything else you can think of to collect and save all of your receipts and financial paperwork for the upcoming year.2. Manage Your…

  • Setting Short & Long Term Goals For Your Business

    17 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    We all start January with a fresh canvas on which to paint our possibilities for the new year.   As creative entrepreneurs, we’re lucky in that we can spend time in January hitting our internal “refresh buttons” & building on everything we created in the past year.Setting goals can be really challenging; it’s easy to under-estimate your ability or way overshoot the mark.  It can also be unsettling to put it all down on paper—it’s one thing to decide on a goal, but a completely different animal when you have to figure out how you’re going to make it happen.So, today, we’re…
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    i-netpreneur

  • 5 Ways to Work and Exercise In Your Office

    cyrus
    21 Jan 2012 | 4:16 pm
    Running an internet business can be quite challenging. Some people spend too many hours each day trying to keep their business afloat. If you are spending most of your time behind a desk and are not moving your body to get the blood flowing, you are putting your health in danger. Here are 5 exercise equipment you can add to your office to exercise and work at the same time.LifeSpan TR1200-DT Treadmill Desk: a treadmill with a large work-surface. You get to fit your monitor, keyboard, and other gadgets on this. You can burn a lot of calories with one of these treadmills in your office.FitDesk…

  • 3 Cool Keyboard Shortcut Guides for Twitter, Facebook, and Google+

    cyrus
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pm
    Many of us spend hours on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ on a daily basis. These sites have easy to navigate user interfaces. But you could get a more convenient experience on them by using the shortcut keys available for them. These 3 guides show you how you can use keyboard shortcuts to get things done on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+:Google+ Shortcut Keys: covers the basic shortcut keys available for Google+. You can use this to navigate through Google+ posts and do all kinds of other neat things faster. Twitter Shortcuts: covers the key combinations you can use to create a new tweet,…

  • 5 Awesome App Mockup Apps for iPad

    cyrus
    6 Jan 2012 | 8:46 pm
    The iOS app development business can be quite lucrative. If you have a killer app idea and the drive to implement your plan the right way, there is no reason you can’t make it big in this business. Of course, there is more to developing apps than knowing coding. You are also going to have to focus on the design part of the process as well. These 5 mockup apps for iPad help you with that:App Cooker: a complete app that helps you develop your idea, create mockups, and price your app the right way. This is perfect for beginners and advanced users alike.Blueprint for iPad: one of the most…

  • 5 Tips To Get Started with Pinterest for Business

    cyrus
    30 Dec 2011 | 9:12 pm
    Most businesses are now serious about using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to generate leads and traffic for their websites. But those are not the only sites you should concern yourself with. Pinterest is an exciting community that is growing fast and can provide your business with that extra push it would need to get to the next level.Not everyone has had a chance to use Pinterest for business already. Here are 5 steps you should take to position your business for success on Pinterest:Build a complete profile: Pinterest is not an open community at the time of this writing. You should take…

  • 4 Cool Websites To Build Links With

    cyrus
    23 Dec 2011 | 8:41 pm
    Most webmasters understand the power of getting links from authority sites. Without a decent link building strategy, you are going to have a very difficult time climbing the rankings. There are sites webmasters can use to gain quality links for their websites. Here are 4 exciting websites you can use to build links with for your website:The ComLuv Network: many webmasters use CommentLuve to reward their commenters. That gives you the chance to gain quality links by commenting on these sites.My Blog Guest: guest blogging is a great way to build quality links for your business. This is a…
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    blog.officelinks.com

  • 2012: Year of the Dragon

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:35 am
    On Sunday, Janaury 29, Chicago is invited to celebrate the 2012 Lunar New Year with a parade in Chinatown, just 2 miles from OfficeLinks’ Chicago location in the Willis Tower. 2012 is the year of the Dragon – and it will be celebrated right here in Chicago with a parade that includes marching bands, floats, lions teams, a mystical dragon, and Miss Friendship Ambassador. Parade step-off time is 1 pm. Chinatown will also be featuring other celebratory activities as early as 11:30 am. 2012 also marks the 100th Anniversary of Chicago’s Chinatown – there’s lots to celebrate! Come and…

  • eShakti, a customized Clothing Company that Connects with its Customers to Create Beautiful Fashion

    admin
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:24 am
    By Melissa Sargeanstson In late 2011, the Wall Street Journal asked its readers “Is Facebook worth $100 Billion?”  I don’t know the answer to that question but I was intrigued.  The article explains that in a world dominated by social media, Facebook is viewed as the “exhibit A” for consumer engagement.  How can businesses capitalize on this trend?  eShakti, an ecommerce fashion site based at OfficeLinks’ 1440 Broadway location seems to know the key to connecting with its customers.  During my conversation with Carmella Heverin, a fashion executive who has been working for…

  • Reforming Your 2012 with Pilates

    admin
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:59 am
    We’re more than ½ way through the first month of 2012, so we just have to check in: how are those New Year’s Resolutions going? If you picked a “getting in shape” or “live healthier” type of resolution, we found another local place to check out: Pilates Reforming New York, just .2 miles from OfficeLinks’ Bryant Park location.  First class is free and the second class is ½ price.  You know what that means: no excuses! What’s Pilates?  Only one of the most popular forms of exercise in the US.  Jennifer Aniston credits her svelte figure to it – as does Madonna, Hugh…

  • Economic Indicators Trending Positive

    admin
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:15 am
    The latest figures from the Labor Department revealed 200,000 jobs were added to the economy in December, causing the unemployment rate to drop to 8.5 percent from 8.7 percent.  Good news for the economy.  So far, year-end data is pointing to growth – from stronger manufacturing figures to rising consumer confidence. Another indicator moving in the right direction is the national office vacancy rate.  During the last quarter of 2011 the overall office vacancy rate dropped to 17.3 percent from 17.6 percent a year earlier, according to New York-based property research firm, Reis Inc.

  • Economic Indicators Trending Positive

    admin
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:41 am
    The latest figures from the Labor Department revealed 200,000 jobs were added to the economy in December, causing the unemployment rate to drop to 8.5 percent from 8.7 percent.  Good news for the economy.  So far, year-end data is pointing to growth – from stronger manufacturing figures to rising consumer confidence. Another indicator moving in the right direction is the national office vacancy rate.  During the last quarter of 2011 the overall office vacancy rate dropped to 17.3 percent from 17.6 percent a year earlier, according to New York-based property research firm, Reis Inc.
 
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    Under30CEO

  • Should Small Businesses Move to the Cloud?

    Under30CEO
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    The move seems almost natural. As we conduct our daily activities in the “cloud,” it makes sense to take advantage of the technology and capabilities of cloud computing. For small business owners, there are benefits. Instead of buying all the computing powers and maintaining them in-house, businesses can pay for them on the as-you-go basis. This enables smaller entities to set up their shop and get moving in a very short period of time. The cost and time efficiencies can level the playing field. Mobility gives employees the freedom to work from anywhere they wish. So should business…

  • Entrepreneurs: Turn the “Hate” into Inspiration

    Michael Fear
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    In October, my posting, “The 5 Things in Business that College Can’t Teach” reviewed 5 important qualities and abilities that are essential for entrepreneurs. These qualities are of such an utmost importance, that I felt it would be beneficial to take a closer look at each. 1. The ability to Adjust (You Better Adjust…If You Want To Make Money) 2. The ability to Persevere (Don’t be Fooled: Entrepreneurship isn’t Instant Gratification) 3. The ability to have Blinders 4. The desire to keep Learning 5. The ability to stay HungryPart 3: Turn the “Hate” into InspirationThere…

  • Business Habits You Need to Break this Year

    Under30CEO
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Everyone has bad habits. But what happens when those bad habits impact your business and financial health? A recent article on MSN’s Business on Main addresses 7 bad business habits you can and should break right now. Businesses are hard enough to start, grow and maintain in the long-run. Don’t make it harder by falling into simple bad habits that will hurt your business. With just a little effort any of us can break many of our bad habits but here are 7 things you need to look at with your business.1: Putting your data at risk2: Being disorganized3: Skimping on sleep4: Ignoring…

  • Nail the Investor Pitch: Image, Presentation and Content

    Under30CEO
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    You have to be very clear about what type of business you are.One flaw that a lot of potential entrepreneurs display is that of lacking investor empathy – they do not understand what a business investor is looking for. Often, Business Angels will have specialization and experience within one or two industries, as it is rare to find a jack of all trades – why invest in something you don’t fully understand? As a result, this has two important repercussions for potential entrepreneurs and businesspeople – make sure the content and value is there, and get the business angel investor to…

  • Ranking Your Music Taste: Jason Fiedler of Splash.FM

    Matt Wilson
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    Today we had the chance to talk with Jason Fiedler who is one of the founder of Splash.FM. Splash.FM is a new music discovery tool that is based on music from people you trust. The company is aiming to grade your music taste and selection similar to how Klout grades your social influence.The founders, Jason Fiedler, UPenn ’11 and Alex Gatof, University of Michigan ’12 have raised a friends and family round of funding. Check out Jason’s answers below to learn more about how he started and what he sees for Splash.FM.Tell us the story of getting the idea for Splash.FM.I was…
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    Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Startup Blog | Sprouter

  • Bridging the Gap Between Bootstrapping and Startup Success

    Erin Bury
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:45 am
    For entrepreneurs who don’t have access to investors, bank loans or friends and family money, bootstrapping can be the only way to get an idea off the ground. Back in 1989 Bruce Poon Tip was one of those founders who had to rely on his own resources to start his company. With only an idea and his personal credit cards, Poon Tip bootstrapped his adventure travel venture G Adventures, which over 20 years later offers tours to over 100 countries. “It was difficult for us for many years at the start,” he says. “I would even go so far as to say our first ten years were…

  • Join Us January 31st for SproutUp Toronto

    Jon Spenceley
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:22 am
    Sprout Up is a monthly event for forward-thinking entrepreneurs to gather and mind-meld. A great chance for startups to get friendly, discuss current trends, and network in a casual, open, and focused setting. Sprout Up events have been held in cities around the world including Toronto, Montreal, NYC and London, and regularly have over 300 attendees. For the first SproutUp of 2012, we’ll be joined by guest speaker Charlie O’Donnell from Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. He has been an active member of the NYC venture capital and startup community for ten years in roles ranging from…

  • Upcoming Live Sessions on Sprouter

    Jon Spenceley
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am
    Over the next two weeks, we have a great lineup of live Q&A sessions scheduled to help you get the advice you need for your startup. You can submit a question anytime at sprouter.com/answers, or you can ask specific experts during the following live sessions: Monday, January 23rd at 2:30pm EST Kevin O’Conner, CEO and founder of FindTheBest.com, Former CEO and founder of DoubleClick sprouter.com/kevinoconnor Kevin is the founder of FindTheBest.com, launched in 2009, with the goal of filtering excessive junk and presenting information in a simple, comparable way. He has over 30 years…

  • A Sprout Up Story

    Jon Spenceley
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pm
    With the first Sprout Up of 2012 fast approaching on January 31st, I wanted to share a story from Stavros Rougas on how a chance meeting at the November 2010 Sprout Up in Toronto led him to the co-founder of his startup mediaspot.me. For anyone who doesn’t know, Sprout Up is a monthly event for local entrepreneurs that features networking, startup demos, and all-star guest speakers (past speakers have included Gary Vaynerchuck and Hootsuite’s Ryan Holmes). When I attended the November 2010 SproutUp I was a TV producer with idea and unexpectedly left with what became a technical…

  • Sandglaz Offers Task Management for Startups

    Nicholas Montgomery
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pm
    If there is one type of web app that is overdone, tasks lists might be it. New startup Sandglaz is taking a different approach to the task management app, giving users a better way to get things done. The web app syncs with your Google account and allows you to share a to-do list in the same way you can share a document on Google Docs. You can also share tasks with someone else by @ tagging their name. Productivity apps should make you more productive and make sure you’re not spending time in the app, but on the actual tasks. It really helps that you can navigate almost the entire app…
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    Think Traffic

  • Kicked, Beaten Down, Back Up Against the Wall, Now You Have Nothing to Lose

    Corbett Barr
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    You started a website or blog because you thought it would be an easy way to make lots of money. Or maybe you knew this would take work, but you now realize your approach was all wrong. You thought you had it all figured out from the beginning. It’s OK, go ahead and admit it. There’s no shame. Own up to how naive you were. You’re not alone. We’ve all been there. And, sadly there are plenty of greedy shysters and assholes out there who are happy to prey on you and everyone else who doesn’t know any better. They’re assholes and someone should call them out on…

  • Amazing Case Study: How Sarai Mitnick Attracts 380k Pageviews a Month and Built a Business Around a Sewing Blog

    Caleb Wojcik
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:45 am
    A common misconception is that you can only make money blogging when you write about blogging or making money online. We disagree. We’ve featured bloggers who use blogs that matter to do some incredible things: Shannon Whitehead and Kristin Glenn used their blog to raise $64,246 on Kickstarter to start a new clothing line. Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus use their blog to simplify people’s lives and share their creative writing. Jeff Goins used his blog to land a book deal. (If you know of any other amazing stories of people that have used blogs to make a living,…

  • 81 Topic Ideas for Starting a Blog that Matters

    Caleb Wojcik
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:45 am
    On Tuesday we launched a brand new course: How to Start a Blog That Matters. To coincide with the launch, we’ve compiled a huge list of the topics suggested by all of you for our Million Dollar Blog Project, but weren’t the one we chose. There are websites about nearly everything imaginable, but that doesn’t mean that they are all good. At Think Traffic, we believe that anyone that puts in the right amount of focused effort can build an audience online, even if it is about an extremely obscure topic. Don’t know what topic to start a blog that matters about? Here are…

  • How to Start a Blog that Matters

    Corbett Barr
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:15 am
    Thinking about starting a blog or reinvigorating an old one? Today we’re launching a new course called How to Start a Blog that Matters that can help. This course is meant for three groups of people. This course might be for you if: you’re thinking about starting a new blog, from scratch, or you’re unhappy with the results you’ve gotten from a blog you recently launched, or you’re doing OK with your blog, but want to re-brand and re-launch it to take things to the next level In any case, the course is a step-by-step 90-day action plan for starting a blog that…

  • How to Be a Better Writer & Get a Book Deal Without Trying (with Jeff Goins)

    Caleb Wojcik
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:45 am
    We just recently stumbled across Jeff Goins, who blogs at Goins, Writer, and were impressed by how many big name people read and share his work. Then we heard he got 1,000 subscribers to his blog during the week he launched The Writer’s Manifesto earlier this year. Then we saw that he was also just featured as one of the top 10 blogs for writers by Write to Done. We knew we wanted to hear from him about his multi-year journey towards his “overnight success”. In this video interview you’ll learn how to get a book deal without writing a proposal, why first drafts are…
 
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    War Room

  • AirTran Really Went Out On A Wing With These Wacky Livery Designs

    Travis Okulski
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:44 pm
    Many airlines celebrate significant milestones with a unique livery on one of their jets. It is not rare to see planes celebrating national events, a significant occurrence in an airline's history, or even sponsored opportunities. In the USA, one airline that has taken frequent advantage of the opportunity to rebrand their planes is AirTran. Since they sponsor a number of teams and individuals, AirTran uses their airplanes as a unique way to activate partnerships. Each special plane is renamed and unique graphics are applied to make it stand out from the rest of the fleet. Since AirTran has…

  • 'DON'T Do A Startup, You Will FAIL,' Says Top Startup Investor

    Jay Yarow
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    Find out more out the future of disruptive technology and companies like Facebook, Google, Zynga, Disney, NBC and more at IGNITION West!In doing research for another story, we stumbled into this presentation for people thinking about doing a startup from super angel Dave McClure. He lays out all the reasons doing a startup is awful. Entrepreneurs should read this, see it as a challenge, and realize they can handle these minor annoyances. It's so overwhelmingly negative that it becomes positive. It's the sort of thing people should read every few months. The right and wrong reasons to do a…

  • This Is Why Everything You've Ever Accomplished Doesn't Mean A Thing

    Vivian Giang
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pm
    You worked hard in college to get a good job, then you worked hard at your new job to climb the career ladder, then someone tells you everything you've ever accomplished doesn't mean a thing.  In his blog, Dan Waldschmidt writes that at some point in your career, you'll hit a road block so severe that everything you've worked for will go down the drain. This will be the ultimate test of whether you're worthy of success.  When you're down, this is when your gut, your attitude, your obsession is all that matters. Because if you're not obsessed with finding a solution,…

  • This Interactive Map Shows Exactly How Many Fast Food Restaurants There Are In Every State

    Melanie Hicken
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:11 pm
    It's no secret that Americans love fast food.  So when we recently discovered statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that track the number of fast food restaurants per state, we decided to create an interactive map to see where fast food retailers are hawking their fare the most.   Vermont, Washington D.C., Maine, Montana and Rhode Island have the most fast food spots per capita, while less surprisingly, California, New York, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania have the most total fast food locations.  But a recent study suggests that fast food chains are…

  • You Will Laugh Really Hard Watching This Funny Or Die Video Slamming Bank Of America

    Linette Lopez
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm
    Sorry Bank of America, but this is just so funny. Funny or Die made a video poking fun at Bank of America for flip-flopping on their $5 debit card fee. Basically, the video collects a bunch of "personal stories" from "BofA customers" about how the bank treated them. For example: "Bank of America threatened to burn my house down if I didn't switch to paperless billing. Then they didn't. No harm, no foul." It's less than two minutes long so watch it. It's totally worth it:   Thanks, Bank of America! - watch more funny videos Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook.Join the…
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    Hot Sauce!

  • Entrepreneurial Words of Wisdom From the Trenches

    Marty Zwilling
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:41 am
    When you have been on the startup firing line, you quickly learn that any insight from experts and entrepreneurs who have been there before you can make the difference between failure and success. Yet, many new entrepreneurs brazenly assume they are bulletproof, and march blindly into the fray. The result is that well over 50% of startups fail in the first two years. I don’t think anyone proclaims to have any silver bullets, but there are common failure threads that appear all too often. There are many books written about failure in startups, and I don’t recommend any of them. I prefer…

  • 10 Quotes That Tag You as a High Risk Entrepreneur

    Marty Zwilling
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:44 am
    Every entrepreneur needs to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and realistic about their reasons for choosing the startup route. For any entrepreneur, even the best business opportunities, if entered for the wrong reasons, will likely fail. Some of these reasons seem obvious, so forgive me for restating, but I still hear them too often. Statistics show that at least 50% of new startups fail within five years, and many of the survivors eventually fail. If you don’t want to be part of these statistics, consider all the alternatives to starting your own business, especially if you…

  • Valley Talk

    Akira Hirai
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:14 pm
    Have you ever wanted to start a company in Silicon Valley, but felt held back because you couldn’t talk the talk? Fear not! Here’s a handy guide that will ease you into Silicon-Valley-Speak in a few short minutes. Watch and learn! Oh, and remember to Like! and Tweet this!

  • Smart Entrepreneurs Follow the Zig Zag Principle

    Marty Zwilling
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am
    It would be no fun if starting a business was simply plotting a straight line between your idea and success, with no challenges along the way. Zigging and zagging amongst the obstacles is the fun part of being an entrepreneur, and it’s what sets you apart from the average worker who knows exactly what he or she has to do every day to get paid. Relish it, or if it scares you, don’t try it. That doesn’t mean that starting a business should be a random walk into the unknown. There are certain foundational elements that every entrepreneur must build on to succeed, as well as some critical…

  • It’s Time for Entrepreneurs to Shift and Reset

    Marty Zwilling
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:24 am
    It’s time for more entrepreneurs to reset their focus, and shift their thinking to completely different ways of doing things. Everyone talks about innovation, but the majority of business plans I see still reflect linear thinking – one more social network with improved usability, one more wind-farm energy generator with a few more blades, or one more dating site with a new dimension of compatibility. Serious changes and great successes don’t come from linear thinking. In searching for ways to get this message out, I came across a no excuse, no apology, new book by Brian Reich, called…
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    800 CEO Read

  • In The Books

    Jon
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:48 pm
    TweetIt’s that time of year again. We’ve compiled all the great books, ideas, and activities that 800-CEO-READ was involved in over the past year and published them in our annual In the Books publication. As the intro states: “At 800-CEO-READ, we don’t come to work everyday just to sell business books. We go to work to try to improve the way business is done.” This publication is the clearest example of that. Featuring the winners, shortlist, and candidates from the 2011 Business Book Awards, ChangeThis highlights, 8cr events and activities, 100 Best book…

  • ChangeThis: Issue 90

    dylan
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pm
    Tweet GROW: How to Change the Narrative of Business by Jim Stengel “The business case for brand ideals is not altruism. It’s self-interest and mutual interest. In addition to its wider positive impact, a devotion to brand ideals will do more for your own business and career than any other factor. Maximum business growth and high ideals are not incompatible. They’re inseparable.” Transcendent Leadership: How to Lead Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime by Les McKeown “What if each successive leadership role brought out more of what makes you you, rather than asking you to compromise your core…

  • Attention Business Authors!

    Jon
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    Tweet               The 800-CEO-READ AUTHOR POW WOW January 13-15, 2013 Austin, TX **REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE** NOW THROUGH APRIL 1: $1000 April 1 – October 1: $1250 October through event: $1500 REGISTER HERE! The Author Pow Wow will not only provide you with all the knowledge you need to do what works, but will also connect you to the people who can help you in the process. During an intimate and intensive two days, authors, soon-to-be authors, publishers, publicists, marketers, agents, speaking experts, social media strategists, and business people…

  • The End of Illness

    Jon
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:59 pm
    TweetOn one hand, this book is not our usual thing. On the other hand, nothing can move forward if our health isn’t in order. So, it’s completely worth pointing out Dr. David B. Agus’ new book, The End of Illness. The provocative title certainly draws our attention, and we might be expecting a “to-do list” of things we’ve heard before. Certainly, there are some universal truths in here that we’ve heard all our lives (the question is, are we adhering to them?), but also, there are more than a few discoveries in here that might surprise us, about the…

  • The Fear Index, a business thriller

    Sally
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:08 pm
    Tweet We’re thrilled (seriously!) to post an excerpt from Robert Harris (best selling author of Fatherland, Pompeii, and The Ghost Writer, which was made into a movie with Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, and many others) to showcase his new novel The Fear Index may not be our typical fare, but the novel appeals to us for many reasons: a master storyteller, the drama of hedge fund trading, a really creepy old book–Darwin in this case–, lots of money, and lots of thrills. To start the adventure, read below! The Fear Index Robert Harris Knopf | Hardcover | January, 2012 |…
 
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    Business Planning by

  • Why So Many Startups Fail by Rolfe Larson

    Rolfe Larson
    11 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pm
    US Bureau of Labor Statistics research indicates that almost 60% of businesses shut down within the first four years of operation.  Why?  Most fail for one of these reasons. 1. No viable market for their products Many businesses start with the strong conviction that customers will want their products, but without solid experience or data to back that up.  Sure, a few with good instincts and even more good luck, succeed anyway, but most fall by the wayside.  Market research is indispensable, and that usually involves  talking with real customers to find out what they really want.  The…

  • Congress Gets Crowdfunding (finally) by Rolfe Larson

    Rolfe Larson
    28 Nov 2011 | 5:14 pm
    You might find this surprising, but last week a bi-partisan US House passed a bill that actually had some substance to it.  One that could actually help entrepreneurs and small business owners.   Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act The bill, called the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, passed the House 407 to 18.  That’s the kind of vote you expect for apple pie appreciation month.  This bill would encourage small businesses to use crowd funding to raise capital, by eliminating many of the security fraud regulations designed to protect investors from unscrupulous scam artists.  If…

  • Case Study: Value Chain Improves Profitability by Rolfe Larson

    Rolfe Larson
    9 Nov 2011 | 5:51 pm
    In a previous blog, I described “value chain” analysis, which is an analytical technique designed by Michael Porter to evaluate the sequence of business activities to improve profitability. Those five areas are: inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing & sales, and service.  That leads to a review of cost advantages and areas of differentiation for your firm. Here’s an example.  Some years ago I was involved in a business that sold musical CDs through radio stations.  The stations promoted the service (“the music you just heard can be…

  • Alternative Legal Structures for Your Business by Rolfe Larson

    Rolfe Larson
    17 Oct 2011 | 5:32 pm
    There are now many choices in legal structure for a new business.  That’s both a good thing and bad thing. It’s great to have options, but sometimes the details can become overwhelming.  For a business with a social as well as financial purpose, there are different ways to set things up, depending on your motivations, your target market, your access to capital, and how much control you need. Some of the alternatives include for-profit, for-profit with a social overlay, hybrid, nonprofit with a mission-related enterprise, or nonprofit. A very thorough article on just this topic…

  • Gotta Have A Social Media Strategy by Rolfe Larson

    Rolfe Larson
    3 Oct 2011 | 12:35 pm
    Social media has not been around that long; Facebook is barely seven years old, for example.  But in today’s business and social environment, for many companies that sell directly to the public, having a social media strategy is no longer an option.  You gotta have one.   Yes, I know.  Social media is a good way to throw away good money and time into something that rarely demonstrates a clear ROI.  You still gotta have one.  Why?  Because your customers expect you to have one, and your competitors probably have one (check to be sure), and you need to play if you want to stay (in…
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    The Grain

  • On selling companies and the startup ecosystem virtuous cycle

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:12 am
    I attended a panel last night nominally on the topic of whether the local startup ecosystem was best seen as the M&A feeding grounds of big west coast technology companies. Because it was an interesting group of panelists, we wandered a bit and never really dug into the core question of whether this is true and what its implications might be for the overall technology industry in Cambridge and Boston. Having been Twitter taunted by Scott Kirsner to come prepared for a fight, I was disappointed we mostly avoided the topic. The short answer is that while we do indeed have plenty of liquidity…

  • How iOS can lose: the independent developer as a canary in the coal mine

    19 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    Try as I might to find objective data in their financials to show the slowing of the platform, I found it difficult to observe any cracks in the iOS money-making machine. Apple is continuing to spend fewer dollars as a percentage of revenue on both marketing and engineering (the easy way to tell at a macro level that an at-scale tech franchise is sucking wind), and their integrated approach continues to win the hearts and minds of the US consumer thus keeping legions of developers working first on iOS and later on Android. Still, it cannot be a healthy thing that the bulk of the economics are…

  • Android as we know it will die in the next two years and what it means for you

    9 Jan 2012 | 9:34 am
    I used to think that, as with Linux and web services in the early part of last decade, Android was going to be the mortar for the Internet of post PC devices— an essential ingredient to put stuff together. And as bonus, unlike Linux which puttered away quietly in the background doing the heavy lifting for services like Amazon and Google, Android was largely user-facing and would also therefore benefit from massive platform scale (and the resulting de-facto standard it would create) the way no piece of software since Microsoft Windows had. To to see the early onslaught of CES announcements,…

  • Quick thoughts on the Kindle Fire

    17 Nov 2011 | 9:57 pm
    The Amazon Kindle sucks plain and simple. I say this despite loving almost everything that Amazon does and thinking that Jeff Bezos is the closest contender for the post Steve Jobs "best tech CEO." And the excuse that it great for people who can't afford an iPad reminds of the wackos who argue that Linux on the desktop is good for the developing world as though being poor helps one overlook crappy product. Professional reviewers have said it better but here is the laundry list of blemishes: it's industrial design is at best uninspired and more likely flawed (no buttons on the device, an easy…

  • Bye bye Steve

    8 Oct 2011 | 5:08 pm
    We are all going to miss him a ton. A zillion pieces have been written about it. For days I've been struggling with whether I'd add to the mush by writing any of the three stories from my meetings with him— each funny and poignant in its own way. But in the end, I think I'll stick to a couple of pointers from the torrent of stuff I've been inhaling over the last few days. If you are feeling kicked in the stomach like me and don't quite get why, go watch Jon Stewart's Moment of Zen on Steve's passing— he nails why you feel out of sorts with the alien metaphor. If you want a personal view,…
 
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    Passive Panda

  • The Simple Blueprint to Getting Started (Plus, 7 Ways to Consistently Make Good Choices)

    James Clear
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm
    There is a way for you to earn more money without working too hard or getting incredibly lucky. Would you like to know what it is? It can be summed up in three simple words: be more consistent. How do you do that? Keep reading and I’ll tell you. How to be more consistent The secret to earning money is not luck or intelligence or creativity — it’s consistency. The people who are the most successful are the most consistent. This is true whether we are talking about money or sports or art or anything in between. You must show up each day, do the best work you can, and then do the…

  • This is Your Year

    James Clear
    5 Jan 2012 | 3:14 pm
    Click here to view the original version. (Feel free to download it for your own use. Free of charge.)

  • How to Make $30,000 in 30 Days (And Why You Don’t Need a Unique Idea to Make Good Money)

    Benny Hsu
    12 Dec 2011 | 6:35 am
    Here’s a quick question for you… What’s a huge obstacle that prevents most people from earning more money? The answer… Coming up with a good idea. We often never start projects that could make us money because we want a “perfect” idea. We think that our idea needs to be unique. Or we think that our idea can’t be any good because someone else has already done it. Don’t get me wrong, it can be hard to think of an idea that will make more money. But if you think that your idea needs to be new or unique, I’m going to prove that mindset completely…

  • Are You Giving Your Best Effort or Your Best Excuse?

    James Clear
    30 Nov 2011 | 9:39 am
    I know what prevents most people from achieving the success they want. But before I tell you, I want you to do one thing right now. Don’t worry. Nobody around you knows that you’re reading this. You don’t have to worry about “measuring up” to someone’s expectations. This is just between you and your mind. All I want you to do is be honest with yourself — truly honest — and answer this question: “Am I giving my best effort?” Your best. Not good. Not even great. But the absolute best that you can do. I’ll be honest with you. Most…

  • 8 Ways to Make Money With a Blog (And the Major Mistake You Should Avoid)

    Danny Iny
    22 Nov 2011 | 10:09 am
    Figuring out how to make money with a blog is hard. There are a few reasons for that. The first reason is that, if you have to figure it out, then you’ve never done it before, and there’s a lot of information that you don’t have. The second reason is that there really isn’t one right answer — even though there are a lot of wrong ones! But the third reason is the real clincher: if you pay careful attention to everything that successful, money–making blogs are doing, you will probably get the wrong idea. Here’s what I mean… So many revenue opportunities If you carefully survey…
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    Alltopstartups

  • These 15 Companies Raised Over $190 Million In Funding This Week

    Thomas Oppong
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:48 pm
    A lot of successful entrepreneurs have built businesses and great companies with little or no money. By most of them along the way secured or raised a lot more money to expand, hire more or to acquire more clients. Finding the cash to expand your business takes time and perseverance. Luckily, there are still options for funding new and existing companies, but finding and securing the cash takes careful research, good negotiating skills, and, above all the passion to launch your new business or grow that startup into a high growth company. The following startups raised over $ million this…

  • The 8 Faces of A Leader In Business

    Guest Author
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pm
    The role of a Leader in the business world encompasses every kind of position or job description. Whether you’re the boss or a simple clerk in the company, you can apply the principles of leadership in your own department or even in disciplining yourself. Undoubtedly, being a leader is essential in running your own business. It is believed that great leaders breed success. Average leaders expect nothing but mediocrity. To become a leader and entrepreneur at the same time requires a lot of things. You need to be the general of your own army not just someone passively standing and drinking…

  • Need To Sell Your Car? Mobile Inspector Takes Care of The Details

    Thomas Oppong
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    If you’re thinking of selling or trading-in your car, cDemo has created Mobile Inspector to help you make the process simple and easy. Mobile Inspector lets you quickly and easily merchandise your inventory online from one device. Mobile Inspector gives you step-by-step instructions to professionally document, photograph and video their vehicle. Using only one device without any extra data entry, cDemo allows you to quickly and easily capture data for your products and merchandise your inventory. Using an iPhone, iPad, or iTouch Mobile Inspector gives dealers a powerful hand held tool to…

  • Some of The Best Social Media Monitoring Practices For Your Business

    Thomas Oppong
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:04 pm
    Customer and internet users are now armed with all the tools they need to wreak havoc on any business or individual. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Yelp and some customer feedback and complain sites are the new ways of sharing frustrations and anger. The unfortunate part of it is that you can’t control what they will say about you or your business. But the good news is that there are equally brilliant and great tools that can help you monitor and respond accordingly to all the negative noise on the web about you and your business to protect your online reputation. There are now…

  • Facebook Edgerank – What It Is All About And How To Make The Most of It

    Guest Author
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:36 pm
    What is the first thing you do when you first step in your office cubicle? Be honest, no need to be a shy guy. Yah, we know you, like most others, are used to check the status or content shared your our friends on Facebook. Then like a sensible human being, you start liking some content, shares pictures that you might have forgot to upload at home or commenting randomly at other photos. But the tea is being served, the whole process gets interrupted and the daily grinding thus goes on. But have you ever wondered why some content appear at the top while other lags behind others? This is not a…
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    Startup Blog

  • Now You See it, Now you Do Not!

    TaffyWilliams
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:13 pm
    One of the most difficult of topics to discuss is the demise of your startup.  There is nothing to say in advance or after it happens to make you feel any better.  No words exist that will take away the sting of the failure and you will relive aspects of the process the rest of your life.  Many serial entrepreneurs have lived through at least one failure and  some, more than one.  There are a few that have not experienced it and if lucky never will. The purpose of this article is to alert you that many startups just do not make it.  The reasons are wide-ranging…

  • Answer the Question

    TaffyWilliams
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pm
    One of the first things you are likely to encounter when interacting with others is the question and answer interactions.  Typical conversations with friends, interactions with staff or supervisors, sales & marketing, business partnering discussions, raising capital and most every other kind of interaction has a Q & A component.  Listen to candidates in debates.  They get questions and have to answer.  You will find many different approaches to answering questions.  Some people provide an extensive amount of information, some brief terse answers, others are…

  • You Just Made the Sale, Now SHUT UP!

    TaffyWilliams
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:16 pm
    Pardon the language, but the title says a lot.  It sometimes takes a very long time to convince a buyer to buy.  This is the case whether the buyer is: ·        someone purchasing a retail product, ·        a possible business transaction like partnering or M&A ·        providing financing in the form of debt or equity ·        or most anything else. It is so easy to continue to press the point without paying attention to what is taking…

  • What Are You Talking About?

    TaffyWilliams
    6 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pm
    Have you ever spent 20 – 30 minutes listening to someone and really have no idea what the person was talking about? You heard them, but the presentation was not clear to you!  The problem is a trap that plagues early stage entrepreneurs.  They tend to forget that the listener may not have the history, background, interest, or other attributes to allow them to follow the discussion.  I have been in a number of pitch meetings where a scientist will talk for 30 minutes and my first question is, “What is your product?”   The scientist spent so much time describing…

  • It Is Not a Fit

    TaffyWilliams
    5 Jan 2012 | 9:21 am
    What did that investor mean “it is not a fit?”  Why did he not see how wonderful our company is?  Just a few questions you might have after hearing the famous words.  They come from investors, potential partners, friends, family, and YOU. Think about what this means in simple terms.  (By the way, all of these examples are real life ones) 1.      You give pajamas to a family member. You went to the trouble to buy the largest size made to make sure they fit.  The family member comes back and says they are too small and I do not like…
 
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    CollegeFallOut

  • Press Release Vs Coupon Marketing: How Effective Are They?

    mikecoder
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pm
    Press release distribution is a core marketing system that works. If you know how to write quality and thought provoking contents to attract the media, then you can easily leverage on the rich targeted traffic and profit. In this post, I want to draw a line between press release distribution and coupon discount marketing to help you get started in creative productivity. Everyone is marketing online these days, but is every entrepreneur reaping great success? A friend of mine had to sell his blog to pursue another offline career. According to him, blogging is waste of time and only lazy minds…

  • Is BuySellAds of Any Real Advantage to Advertisers?

    Vivek Krishnan
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:41 am
    BuySellAds.com is a great platform for advertisers to reach and improve brand recognition and sales. In simple terms, we can refer BuySellAds.com to be an online network for advertising, which tends to bring the online advertisers and publishers together, thus making it easy for the advertisers in finding blogs and websites that suit their needs and budgets. How does BSA work? It is very simple to be a part of BuySellAds.com and all you have to do is to register yourself for a free account. Once your account is created, the necessary information can be entered in the form provided. Their…

  • 5 Ways to Gain Press Attention for a Start Up

    Vivek Krishnan
    21 Jan 2012 | 9:06 am
    This post will help you in understanding on how to gain press attention for your start up. Establishing a name for oneself and one’s fresh new business has surely become a job in itself nowadays. Public exposure is the key to success, but no one gets publicity that easy anymore. However, when it comes to approaching the mass media for showcasing one’s business, some basic rules never go out of fashion. Ways to Make the Press Spread the Word of One’s Start-up The common strategies for making one’s networking click are: Fearless Showcasing Underestimating you own self is the biggest…

  • 4 Ways to Improve Your Blog Navigation

    Vivek Krishnan
    18 Jan 2012 | 10:13 am
    Effective website navigation is considered to be of great importance and is sure to excite the reader. A website’s design is one of the main things that need to be considered primarily, because it has the power to attract or distract the potential browsers. A good design not only attracts the browser to visit the blog, but also retains them on the site for a long time. The next step that needs to be looked at is the content. Content is actually the information that is provided in the blog. It is very important and needs to be genuine and fresh. The content needs to be quite instructive and…

  • Make Life Easier with Oleophobic Coated Eyeglasses

    Vivek Krishnan
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:52 pm
    This is a sponsored post by Zenni Optical.  They are the number 1 online eyeglasses store offering high-quality prescription eyeglasses. Prescription eyeglasses are a necessary health item that need to be brought from reliable brands. Apart from the regular features and safety of a presecription glasses, Zenni Optical aims at providing a lot of additional features that will make your life easier. These eyeglasses are coated with  new generation features such as oleophobic coating (which means it is fingerprint resistant), AR and hydro-phobic coating. Together the user can have a hassle…
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    Yourstory.in

  • Huge Opportunity Awaits Internet Startups : G-20 Internet Economy to Double by 2016

    Vallabh Rao
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:29 am
    The Internet economy of the G-20 is projected to reach US$4.2 trillion in 2016, nearly double the size it was in 2010 according to The Boston Consulting Group. G-20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S. The biggest driver is the dramatic increase in the number of users around the globe, from 1.9 billion users in 2010 to a projected 3 billion users in 2016, about 45% of the world’s population. The rise of the emerging markets,…

  • IIM-A’s iAccelerator bootcamp has its money on Votodo, an action network

    Jubin Mehta
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pm
    A pidgin play on the words, “What to do”, Votodo is an action network that helps people share, discover and do what they want to do. Vacations or weekends many a time induce loathing wails proclaiming that there’s nothing interesting to do or sometimes in cases, there’s an urge to do what one loves to but it remains at that; things one would want to do. Filling this very void, Votodo tries to include a new dimension to social networking, the “todo’s”. People can discover things to do and connect with like-minded people based on their location and…

  • Meet the 9 Finalist Startups of the IBM SmartCamp Global Competition for entrepreneurs

    Vallabh Rao
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:02 am
    Technologies that enable skin cancer detection on a mobile device, help commuters avoid traffic, and deliver better shopping experiences will be on display next week at the IBM SmartCamp global finals competition for entrepreneurs. Each startup participating at the SmartCamp global finals has created software that is designed to analyze large volumes of data. The finalists are: BitCarrier: BitCarrier’s traffic management solutions analyze real-time traffic information, providing current travel times, estimations on congestion rates and accident alerts (winner, SmartCamp Barcelona). C-B4…

  • Outstanding Social Entrepreneurs 2012 : Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs Brochure 2012

    Vallabh Rao
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:06 am
    Schwab Foundation social entrepreneurs brochure for 2012 is available for download on the Schwab Foundation website. It is a collection of profiles of social entrepreneurs selected to the Schwab Foundation’s community. The profiles of the social entrepreneurs are indexed by field of activity, financial Model and geography. The Foundation now represents 199 social entrepreneurs from 174 organizations. The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is a non profit whose aim is to advance social entrepreneurship and to foster social entrepreneurs as an important catalyst for societal…

  • Indian Angel Network invests in Salesforce talent transformation & BPO firm Peel-Works

    Team YS
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:14 am
    Indian Angel Network has announced an angel Investment of Rs. 3.25 crore in Peel-Works, a cloud enabled Sales Force Transformation and BPO Company based out of Mumbai. Set up by a team of management graduates with extensive experience in the FMCG sector in the Human Resources and Sales Management, Peel-Works offers customized as well as productized solutions for very large to medium size companies in FMCG, telecom and insurance sector that conduct their business using indirect sales force. The investment will be utilized in expanding product offering, creating technology differentiators and…
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    STARTeurope

  • 5 of the hottest EU startups, a short outlook

    Apostolos Papadopoulos
    18 Jan 2012 | 4:13 am
    Silicon Valley is the global hub for all things tech, where the majority of startups and innovation is located, but the startup scene in Europe is booming and producing quality startups and game-changers with vision. We thought we should share some of them with you.   6Wunderkinder 6Wunderkinder was founded in 2010 in Berlin, Germany and aims to be the leader in the GTD space. Their main product is Wunderlist, a cross-platform (web, dekstop, mobile) free app that changes the way you manage your to-do lists. Wunderlist has more than 1M users globally —it hit the 1M milestone in just 275…

  • Leweb

    moritz
    4 Jan 2012 | 4:42 pm
    This guest post was written by Apostolos Papadopoulos, a skier, a geek, a professional amateur. Apostolos is currently a freshman in TU Wien for a BSc in Computer Science. According to LiFO, he was one of “The Influentials” for 2011 in Greece. Passionate for everything, especially all things www, tech & the outdoors. Hacking the geo social-graph is his favorite thing to do. Founder of 4sqwifi. LeWeb is one of the biggest annual European tech events. It takes place every year around early December in Paris and its speakers and attendees are diverse; from European &…

  • Roundup of Startup Live Munich #1

    juliansametinger
    15 Dec 2011 | 3:47 am
    Key facts Date: Dec 9th – Dec 11th 2011 Place: Munich, Germany Participants: 51 Mentors: 11 Experts: 5 Idea pitches: 8 End presentations: 6 Introduction In Summer 2011, STARTeurope, STARTmunich and BambooVentures sat down together in Munich to kick off Start up Live Munich #1.  And this time we decided to focus on sustainable business ideas for the first time. With the great support of Bosch, Weitnauer and Autodesk and the possibility to host the event at the awesome Steel Case Creative Hall of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship, the efforts of the organization team were…

  • Startup Week2011 Review

    admin
    6 Dec 2011 | 8:05 am

  • Startup Live Porto #2 will be postponed

    moritz
    24 Nov 2011 | 8:11 am
    Startup Live Porto #2 will be postponed to 2012 due to problems with the venue. Our team of motivated volunteers won’t give up and we are working to bring Startup Live again to Porto, making this the best event ever against complaining and economizing discussions. If you registered with an idea, you will have time to improve it and accelerate it next year. The challenge continues and we will certainly make it rock! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to write to raquel.almeida@startuplive.in
 
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    StartUpLift

  • Weight Loss and Diet Center

    StartUpLift
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:03 am
    5 Awards. in 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes, 59 seconds. Customized program to help you lose weight. Target Audience: People struggling to lose weight. Website URL: http://tinyurl.com/7ej8zku Feedback sought: 1) Visit http://tinyurl.com/7ej8zku. What is your initial impression of the site? What do you think it doe? Are you immediately drawn to click anything? Why? 2) Where would you go to learn more about what the site has to offer? 3) Now visit the following page: http://tinyurl.com/7o6cgf4 . According to the information presented, what works and what does not work when it comes to losing…

  • Appatista – Make Your Own App for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad

    StartUpLift
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:27 am
    Appatista gives users the power to create their own mobile apps in less than a minute, even if they have no prior programming experience. Target Audience: Individuals, Bloggers, Small Businesses Website URL: http://appatista.com Feedback sought: 1) Visit http://appatista.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to use the Appatista app? Why or why not? 2) Download the Appatista app in the App Stroe. Did you find what you were looking for?Was the process straightforward? 3) Are you encouraged to use Appatista? Why? 4) How do you think the site compares…

  • ScourEvents – Events Made Social

    StartUpLift
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:09 pm
    Because events are better with friends. Target Audience: Urban dwellers Website URL: http://www.scourevents.com Feedback sought: 1) Visit http://www.scourevents.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not? 2) Search for a concert or an artist product / music. Did you find what you were looking for?Was the process straightforward? 3) Are you encouraged to sign with Facebook? If not, why? 4) How do you think the site compares to other similar sites/competitors like eventful.com and zvents.com? 5) Please share any…

  • Yufit – Your Gym, in the Cloud

    StartUpLift
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:34 am
    A membership based site that offers gym-quality fitness classes streamed on-demand. Target Audience: Anyone who finds that working out and feeling great can be a complete chore. Website URL: http://www.yufit.com Feedback sought: 1) Visit http://www.yufit.com a. What is your initial impression of what you see? b. Is the Yufit product easily understandable? What can make it more clear to visitors more quickly? c. Are you immediately drawn to click “Start My Free Trial!” button? Why or why not? What can be done to more quickly lead to visitors signing up for a trial? 2) Is…

  • Kroobe – Social Classifieds

    StartUpLift
    21 Jan 2012 | 7:35 am
    A global social networking based classified. Target Audience: Users of Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. Website URL: http://www.kroobe.com/ Feedback sought: 1) Visit http://kroobe.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not? 2) Search for a any keywords. Did you find what you were looking for?Was the process straightforward? 3) Are you encouraged to sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why? 4) How do you think the site compares to other similar sites/competitors like craigslist.org and oodle.com? 5)…
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    The Metropreneur Columbus

  • Columbus Chamber shares small business New Year’s resolutions

    Michael Dalby
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    As we kick off 2012, it’s important to reflect on the previous year and set achievable goals for the next 12 months. For individuals, these New Year’s resolutions often focus on lifestyle changes, like a healthier diet or increasing physical activity– all meant to produce a better “you” by the year’s end. Businesses, like individuals, [...]

  • Pitabilities plans to expand in 2012

    Evelyn Ebert
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    Jim Pashovich of Grove City had operated a small food cart in the ’80s and ’90s, but the industry became too unpredictable and he could not see any opportunities for growth. He went into real estate, but eventually found himself lured back by the excitement  and versatility of mobile food. Pashovich liked that trucks are more [...]

  • BringShare helps businesses measure, evaluate online marketing investments

    Melanie McIntyre
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    You could say BringShare came on the scene in a big way. The company −which offers an Internet-based tool that helps marketing professionals, entrepreneurs and businesses measure and evaluate their online marketing investments− launched at the prestigious DEMO conference in Silicon Valley in September 2011. “We were the first Ohio company to ever be invited to [...]

  • TechColumbus awards $350,000 to seven companies

    Melanie McIntyre
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    TechColumbus awarded TechGenesis grants totaling $350,000 to seven local pre-seed companies during the last half of 2011. Those companies are: • Acceptd LLC, which has developed a Web-based prescreening tool designed to streamline the admissions process for fine arts colleges and programs. • Cell Gull Ltd., which has developed an application that offers an advertising solution [...]

  • Square changing the way entrepreneurs, small businesses get paid

    Melanie McIntyre
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    Since Square became available to the public in October 2010, it has revolutionized the way entrepreneurs and small businesses get paid. For the uninitiated, Square allows anyone with its card reader and/or  iPhone, iPad, or Android application to accept credit card payments. The fee structure is straightforward: 2.75 percent per swipe and 3.5 percent plus [...]
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    Visionwiz » Business and Technology blog, venture funding and Start ups

  • Why You Need To Keep Your Startups Term Sheet Agreement Simple ?

    Martin
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:35 am
    Remember a term sheet agreement is not a deal until the check clears. Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an Angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. But due diligence and paperwork take time, and can change everything. It’s true that Angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. However, there is no set pattern of terms an entrepreneur might be able to anticipate from either. Your best strategy is to bring your own term sheet to the…

  • Now You Can Create Cash Tournaments Games For Your WebSite Via PayoutHub

    Vineet
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:07 am
    PayoutHub is a very good innovative website especially designed for game lovers .If you are planning for the most lucrative business models for casual games,then opt for skill based games and use this site. PayoutHub: PayoutHub is creating the world of cash tournaments, letting any producer of skill games run tournaments on their site, earning real cash for themselves and their players. How It Works: It is a cut-and-paste widget allowing online game developers to run cash tournaments on their games. It’s simple to integrate, totally secure, and they manage all payments and accounts! It can…

  • Conduct Your Business Meeting Smartly Via MeetingKing

    VisionwizTeam
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 pm
    Are you CEO and looking for executive team meetings? Or Are you Venture Capitalists and looking for board meetings? Or Are you Sales Managers and looking for internal and/or remote staff meetings? Or Are you Marketing Managers and looking for department meetings? So,what’s the problem? Need some meeting tools to held your meeting smartly? Ok. Then I would suggest you try out this new meeting tool named MeetingKing. What Is MeetingKing? With MeetingKing all participants can easily work together on the agenda, share documents, and provide updates on tasks. With MeetingKing you could find…

  • Are you An Aspiring Entrepreneur? 4 Online Tools to Jumpstart your Career

    Guest Post
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pm
    Are you An Aspiring Entrepreneur? 4 Online Tools to Jumpstart your Career 1. Use LinkedIn and other sites to build a professional network. The age old saying, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, applies perfectly for all entrepreneurs-to-be. If you dream of hitting it big with your startup idea(s), you’ll first have to make friends in high places. And it all starts with networking. If you don’t yet have a professional profile (your college Facebook page doesn’t count), be sure to get one. Update your information periodically with a…

  • Surprising! Apple’s Market Share Is Declining

    ajay
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:27 am
    Surprising: Apple’s Market Share Is Declining 51Degrees.mobi, the leading provider of device detection and web optimisation solutions, has today published an analysis of the mobile devices that its online partners detected browsing the internet last year. Users of 51Degrees.mobi’s services detected over 140 million device visits in December 2011, giving the company a unique insight into mobile internet use. The 51Degrees.mobi Mobile Web Trends 2011 white paper shows that the proportion of mobile web visitors in the USA with Android devices overtook Apple users by the end of the year.
 
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    Cynthia Kocialski

  • The Answer to the Most Common Question Entrepreneurs Ask

    Administrator
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:55 pm
    The most common entrepreneurial question, “What business should I get into that maximizes my chances of success”? We’ve all heard it over the years. If you want to succeed, you need to have a passion for what you do, but why it is so important to entrepreneurs and start-ups? I am a big fan of replacing the traditional business plan with the concept plan for fledgling start-up companies. There are many famous start-ups. While it’s unlikely, deep down every first-time entrepreneur hopes that they will be the founder of the next corporate icon. A common misconception is the founders of…

  • What Start-Ups and Professional Sports have in Common

    Administrator
    10 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm
    I watched the movie Moneyball over the weekend. The movie was about the Oakland A’s baseball team. It was a story about the business of sports. There is much that venture-backed start-ups and professional sports have in common. Draft Picks and Venture Funding Draft picks work a lot like funding a hot start-up. In the movie, the N.Y. Yankees and Boston Red Sox had a budget four times larger than the Oakland A’s, as such they could buy what they wanted. Likewise, the more prestigious venture capital firms attract the best start-ups, the smaller or new VC firms can’t get into the best…

  • Why Entrepreneurs Don’t Get Funded – True Story

    Administrator
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pm
    Most entrepreneurs don’t get funding from investors, but many do want to have investors. Here is a true story of two entrepreneurs wanting funding. What went wrong for these budding entrepreneurs? They had no interaction with customers, no development of partners, no contract manufacturer, and no proven business. They had spent all their time developing the product prototypes. Investors fund businesses, not products. Many entrepreneurs never get this point.

  • New Year’s Resolution – How to Make Yourself a Better Entrepreneur

    Administrator
    4 Jan 2012 | 7:52 am
    When the New Year arrives, everyone thinks about what they want to do in the upcoming year. Some people write a New Year’s resolutions list, others just put some thought into what their goals are to be for the year. Entreprenuers always have a list because they tend to be goal-oriented people. Here’s a useful technique for becoming what you want to be. I have to admit that it’s not original. I wrote it down some time ago and I have no idea where it is from. “Acknowledge yourself for the characteristics that reflect you to a high degree. Then choose a few…

  • Why Entering the Market at a Low Cost Doesn’t Work

    Administrator
    21 Dec 2011 | 7:59 am
    It’s a common pricing strategy for new businesses. Break into the market by offering your product or service at the lowest price. The long term intention is to build a customer base, audience, and experience, and eventually raise prices. It makes sense, but why doesn’t it work? There are famous examples of the low cost provider technique working. Often the reason it doesn’t work is because the start-up isn’t implementing it in the same manner or they are missing the nuances. Like many ideas, the general concept is sound, but the devil is in the details. Let’s take a look at my…
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    RizzoTees Blog

  • Why Twitter Is Awesome

    Chris Reimer
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:41 am
    It’s your 21st century education. Fact: You guys collectively make me smarter. You’re my crazy think tank / insights generator. So… thank you. — Olivier Blanchard (@thebrandbuilder) January 27, 2012

  • Four Great January 2012 Blog Posts to Read

    Chris Reimer
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:21 pm
    Playing the role of Internet DJ, here are four great blog posts worth reading. 1.) Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg says that social media is a bright spot in the challenged world economy. “This is about growth, jobs and empowering people.” App makers, advertisers, small businesses and civic groups are all using Facebook to promote their work and connect with people. And Facebook is the number two driver of web traffic (guess who’s #1). 2.) Author and friend John Morgan offers 10 reasons we won’t support your business. So much of it seems like common sense, but alas, it is…

  • Google Plus Has a Problem

    Chris Reimer
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:23 pm
    I like Google+. I think they’ve built a nice service, certainly eons ahead of Buzz. But Google+ has a problem. It’s called “173 > 3.” Not enough people are using it. I think competition is healthy (keep Facebook honest), so I sincerely hope G+ gains a stronger usership. Note that I did not say more “users,” which is a metric social platforms often cite. It is irrelevant how many people have signed up for the service. All of those people with Google+ accounts are currently over on Twitter and Facebook. Larry Page recently said Google+ has 90 million…

  • RFT 2012 Point+Clique Web Awards Finalists

    Chris Reimer
    19 Jan 2012 | 6:08 pm
    The Riverfront Times has released their 2012 Point+Clique Web Awards finalists. I am humbled to have been nominated in the category of “Best Use of Twitter to Promote a Personal Brand.” I am also chuffed that our Save Pratzel’s campaign was nominated for “Best Use of Social Media for a Civic Campaign.” Falk Harrison won a BMA-TAM award for this work, and we’d be thrilled to be honored again. Congratulations to all the finalists. We are up against some stiff competition. I am hoping and praying that the winners receive supercool circuit board sculptures like…

  • Two Anniversaries of Note

    Chris Reimer
    19 Jan 2012 | 2:53 pm
    Several things of note: 1. Sorry for all the background noise. It was loud in City Coffee, and since I was a little self-conscious about doing a video, I didn’t speak loud enough. 2. Sorry for the up close shot. I suppose my forehead IS that big. I am celebrating two anniversaries today – one traditional, and one less so. I started at Falk Harrison one year ago today. Thank you for keeping me on board for an entire year! I am so happy to be here and hope to get even more done in year two. And thank you to David Siteman Garland, otherwise known as The Rise To The Top. Two years ago…
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    EpicLaunch

  • Things to Ask Yourself About Your Online Business in 2012

    Karol
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    This whole resolutions craze that’s going on this time of the year starts to make me sick. And okay, I admit, I had my share in this too. As a matter of fact I’ve written at least three resolution posts already, and now I’m kind of writing a fourth one. Anyways. The New Year shouldn’t be about promising yourself all the great things you’re going to do during the next 12 months. The main problem here is the question of: how do you know what is truly worth doing and what isn’t? If you’re an online business owner then among your resolutions a thing like “develop a new product”…

  • Why You Must Make Meaning to Make Money

    Lee Downen
    19 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Why do you want to be an entrepreneur? This is not a rhetorical question, so answer it before reading further. If your main reason for wanting to be an entrepreneur is to make lots of cash, not have a boss breathing down your neck, or to become famous, then I advise you to seek another line of work. Those motivations are usually not enough to pull you through when your business goes south and you have to grind hard to survive. The statistics on entrepreneurs, according to a Harvard Business School paper entitled “Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship”, show that…

  • An Interview With Michael Seibel: Cofounder of Justin.tv & Socialcam

    Ben Lang
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Today we are presenting an interview with Michael Seibel, Co-Founder and CEO of Justin.tv and Socialcam. You can view his CrunchBase Profile here. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University, where he focused his studies on American government. While at Yale, he served on the executive committee of Focus on New Haven, Black Student Alliance, Yale Political Union and The New Journal. How and where did you get the idea for your companys? Justin.tv – my friend/co-founder justin kan’s idea – he was trying to figure out what startup to build…

  • CES Roundup: The Biggest Stories From CES 2012

    Stephen
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pm
    CES ended last week and I was lucky enough to be there and cover it all. Here are the biggest reveals and the most innovative companies that this year’s CES had to offer. TVs From Samsung and LG It goes without saying, but LED TVs are the future. And two of the biggest TV companies, Samsung and LG, revealed jaw-dropping 55-inch TVs. And the best part is that they were super thin (LG’s was just 4mm thin). But Samsung’s TV does stand out for the fact that it will feature an app store with more than 1,000 apps. These TVs are going to be up for sale very soon and will…

  • An Interview with Omer Perchik: Founder of Any.DO

    Ben Lang
    11 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    Today we’re presenting a nice and short interview with Omer Perchik, Founder of Any.DO. This productivity app has been all over the news lately and racked up over 500K downloads in its first month. How and where did you get the idea for your company(s)? One of my friends had a semester @ UPenn and I wanted to go for a visit. The whole proccess of issuing a visa was just too complex. Coming to think about it, many of the daily things we do could be easily automated. Who’s one person you’ve always looked up to? Never had just one person. People I’m currently looking up to…
 
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    Internet Entrepreneurship skills to Make Money Working Online | Its not just about Making easy Money Online

  • Google’s New Privacy Policy and its Impact

    Dilip
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am
    I received a mail from Google a couple of days back on their Privacy Policy, because I use a lot of services offered by Google. I am sure you too would have received one such email with the subject reading, “Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service” because you too would be using some or, the other service from Google. Google has become a part of every internet users daily life, given the range of services they offer. So what does this change in privacy policy and terms of service mean for me and you? The email  looked very impressive, more so the beginning which…

  • The Importance of a WordPress Backup and Security

    Dilip
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:42 pm
    My WordPress blog was hacked a few days back. There was nothing unusual about it, because this happens to thousands of WordPress blogs around the blogosphere. Wondering what this blog post is all about, if that was normal? First let me explain the entire incident. I wanted to add a code to the header section in my theme. I hence logged into the theme editor section and opened the header.php file. I observed something very strange in the file. There was some code added to every line that started with <?php. It looked like a base64 code to me, but I was puzzled as to how this code was added…

  • Why Google is Using SEO to Steal Search Results from Other Social Media Sites?

    Guest Blogger
    22 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pm
    This is a guest post by Britney on Effective SEO techniques that you can learn from Google. You can check out the guidelines for guest posting on our write for us page. Anyone who has taken a close look at their own Google Plus profile may have noticed something a little weird. The profile immediately ranks highly in the search engine for searches including their own name. In other words: while you may have several other online identities (I have at least four), which you have built up naturally through months or even years of hard work – your Google identity has pipped them all to the…

  • Eight Good Reasons to Start a Home-Based Business

    Guest Blogger
    10 Jan 2012 | 4:11 am
    This is a guest post by Stan Horst on starting a home based business. You can check out the guidelines for guest posting on our write for us page. Starting a home-based business can be an exciting and profitable option for earning a living. As a person with a thriving home business, I am always interested in why people decide to strike out on their own. Here’s what a small sampling of home-based business people told me about what motivated them. Flexible Schedule For several people I spoke to, a home-based business provides the flexible work schedule they need and want. Think about…

  • Social Bookmarking – The One Easiest Way to get Powerful Backlinks

    Dilip
    29 Dec 2011 | 3:32 am
    Social Bookmarking has always been one of the biggest source of backlinks and traffic for internet marketers. Yet it is one area that has been underutilized to a great extent by newbie internet marketers. Very few people know how to use it effectively to get traffic. It is because of this lack of knowledge that such newbies struggle in getting traffic to their blogs and websites. What is Social Bookmarking? Rather than defining social bookmarking, let me quote a few names - Digg Diigo Stumble upon Reddit Myspace Delicious Bibsonomy That should be enough. You should, by now have understood…
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    The Roach Post | Venture Capital, Angel Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Business Plans |

  • Content Marketing — The Tsunami On The Horizon

    Eric
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:47 pm
    Content Marketing is fast becoming a whole industry into itself.  Whether you are trying to communicate to your users via email, social networks, blogs or even via website messaging, content marketing is key to user engagement. One only need look in your inbox to see just how terribly business is failing in this pursuit.  My email account is stock full of complete garbage, and I’d bet yours is too.  My initial takeaway, is that the companies trying to reach me have: 1) No regard to what I may actually be interested in 2) No regard for my time 3) No level of trust 4) No interest in…

  • Introducing XYDO Brief [Invites]

    Christopher Calder
    6 Sep 2011 | 12:48 pm
    Last week Team XYDO released XYDO Brief in private beta, and so far the reviews have been very positive. In many respects, XYDO Brief is the best way to stay connected to the subjects you care about without a lot of hassle. Rip Empson at TechCrunch wrote a great article on XYDO Brief; check it out for the full details (http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/25/xydo-the-webs-social-network-for-news-brings-daily-customizable-briefs-to-your-inbox-invites/) And for Roach Post readers, here’s a link to get VIP access to the app and try it for yourself!

  • Why Starting with NO Kills

    Eric
    17 May 2011 | 11:18 am
    I was reading from one of my favorite blogs today authored by Seth Godin. Seth has an uncanny way of describing something that hits at our core, and does so with very few words. For those of you that do not know Seth, here is a link to his blog. What follows below is a copy of what he published today.  Give it a quick read and I’ll hit on the topic I wanted to cover after. “Just imagine how much you’d get done …if you stopped actively sabotaging your own work. We must be talented, powerful and resilient creatures indeed given how much we manage to produce despite the…

  • Would It Be Crazy IF?

    Eric
    15 Apr 2011 | 10:52 am
    This week I did a presentation to two sections of a prominant business school with an hour of Q&A in between. I fashioned it off a line I read in an article I discovered on XYDO. Would it be crazy if (you fill in the blank). Imagine just doing lunch with a few smart buddies in a total brainstorm session all keyed on that very line. The point is to observe those industries around you or where you share a passion, ones where the status quo is often dictating policies that exist because: A) That’s the way we just do it. B) Regulations force it that way C) It just works, why change it.

  • The Emergence of XYDO

    Eric
    14 Feb 2011 | 10:37 am
    Team XYDO has been hard at work on XYDO, our drive toward reinventing News on a truly social level. After crawling out of our bat cave of over 9 months of development, we are pleased to introduce you to XYDO. We all know there is a place on the web to buy books, shoes, do searches — but what about news? What if there was a place to get the best news content, all 100% curated by real users? And even better, what if there was a way to get that news via the web, twitter, or the many reader apps, including Flipboard? Introducing XYDO. If you have not yet signed up for the beta invite, you…
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    Start Philly - Startups in and about Philadelphia

  • Learning From Your Product Before It’s Built

    Guest Contributor
    10 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am
    (Cary Betagole wrote in to tell us about early lessons learned building a startup with partner Jonathan Kriner) My business partner Jonathan Kriner and I are newly minted startup entrepreneurs. We first embarked on our startup journey with a polished business plan in hand and fantasies of angel investments during the idea stage. Unsurprisingly, this way of thinking has been deemed unrealistic by established entrepreneurs, intellectual property lawyers, chief technology officers and accountants. So in the past few months, we’ve leaned down our approach, taken incremental steps toward making…

  • Another Philly Startup Success: 123Linkit

    John Cappiello
    6 Dec 2011 | 9:45 am
    The blogger’s best tool for affiliate marketing, 123Linkit, has just announced its acquisition by Netline, a B2B content syndication network. 123Linkit will be integrated into Netline’s suite of offerings.  Yasmine, 123Linkit’s founder, will help with the integration and join the team at Netline full-time.  123Linkit is providing additional revenue to tens of thousands of blogs and is the realization of Yasmine’s own desire to make affiliate marketing simpler and more scalable for bloggers of all types and sizes. This has definitely been a story of hard work and…

  • ResourceWebs Traffic Growth Is Impressive

    Guest Contributor
    22 Jun 2011 | 9:07 am
    (Recently Philly native Evan Britton wrote in to tell us what he’s been up to with his newest venture.) ResourceWebs is a Santa Monica based internet company. It boasts a network of 17 targeted educational resources for users to enjoy. The traffic hitting the company’s network of websites has risen to an impressive level of 3 million unique visitors per month. ResourceWebs was founded by Philly native, Evan Britton. Evan grew up in the Lafayette Hill area and he attended Plymouth Whitemarsh high school. Evan has been working within the web since the late 90′s and he founded…

  • Everyone Needs To Sell – Now!

    David Vone
    20 Dec 2010 | 9:15 am
    In a startup, everyone has to sell something or the company dies! How do you sell if you are not a sales person? The answer, for the non-sales folks is as simple as selling their expertise to drive improvements, cost savings and efficiencies. Everyone has an opinion and they share that opinion however, are they doing that constructively or are they wasting their time? Here’s how to encourage and foster an environment where everyone sells. If you are interested in shifting the norm and turning your non-sales folks into sales junkies, who look for every opportunity to tell you how to…

  • Naming Your Startup

    Guest Contributor
    24 Jun 2010 | 12:59 pm
    (This guest post was written by Jennifer A. Klear, Esq., media and technology law attorney) Great article in the WSJ today about problems start-ups face in selecting names. It discusses the potential for trademark infringement and how some companies have already lost thousands of dollars in disputes over the company name. Here’s a link http://online.wsj.com… While the article discusses potential risks in choosing a company name it does not discuss how to avoid them. One easy way to avoid possible trademark infringement is by doing a search on the Internet for the name you propose…
 
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    BestVendor Business Blog

  • Easy Voice-Operated Text Messaging for Android

    Rick Broida
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:46 am
    Texting while driving kills. And, frankly, much as I’d hate to see anything happen to you, I’m even more worried that you’re going to plow into me while thumbing a message.Voice-controlled apps to the rescue! Without so much as taking an eye off the road or a hand off the steering wheel, you can compose and send a new text.Old news, right? Android phones let you do that courtesy of Google’s built-in Voice Actions. Ah, but what about messages you receive? How are you supposed to digest them without actually reading them?Sonalight’s aptly named Text by Voice turns…

  • Why I’ll Never Buy Another Cordless Mouse

    Rick Broida
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:51 am
    Recently I’ve been shopping for a mobile mouse to go with the HP Pavilion dm1z ultraportable I reviewed last week. You might think I’m eyeballing some super-fancy option like the Microsoft Arc Mouse, which is widely regarded as one of the best.No thanks. I’m done with wireless mice, because they’re a hassle–and the last thing I need when traveling is another hassle.Hear me out. By definition, a wireless mouse requires some kind of wireless connection to your PC. Some use Bluetooth; others rely on a small USB transceiver. I have issues with both.For a while I…

  • Surf Safely at Starbucks with Newly Updated HotSpot Shield

    Rick Broida
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:20 am
    This may come as a surprise, but public Wi-Fi hotspots–like the ones at airports, hotels, and coffee shops–aren’t secure. In fact, when your laptop connects to one of these networks, it’s easy pickings for hackers–even if you have a firewall installed.What you need is a VPN, a virtual private network that effectively makes your system invisible, thus protecting it from prying hacker eyes.If you want the protection of a VPN but not the price tag, check out AnchorFree’s HotSpot Shield. This free utility, available for Windows, Mac OS, and iOS, establishes a…

  • Infographic: The Real Cost of Commuting

    Rick Broida
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:57 am
    I’m lucky. My commute to work consists of putting on slippers and walking down two flights of stairs–one if I elect to work at my “standing desk” (i.e. my kitchen counter), which I’m doing more and more these days.I’ve always known that working from home saves me a small fortune in commuting costs, but I never actually calculated the amount. Turns out it’s pretty staggering, as shown in the following infographic from Streamline Refinance: The True Cost of Commuting.The stats are based on a 19-mile commute, which is estimated at 40 minutes of drive…

  • Don’t Let a Bad Profile Picture Make a Bad Impression

    Rick Broida
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm
    This may come as a shock, but when you e-mail me, I can see your social-network profile pictures. That’s because I have the Outlook Social Connector, a plug-in that shares, among other things, your profile pic from Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Windows Live.And, boy, do you look unprofessional.I’m talking about that goofy photo you chose for your profile, the one with you in the ratty shirt, hair a total mess, sitting on the couch with a beer in your hand. Is that how you want clients, co-workers, and even prospective employers to perceive you?You may think I’m…
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    Wikindu

  • Intercom.io

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Wikindu Intercom is a customer relationship management and messaging tool for web app owners Web site owners rarely get to know their users as anything other than rows in a database. Intercom lets... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Guidehop.com

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Wikindu GuideHop is where professional guides, instructors, and locals can share their passions and find new ones. Our website makes it easy to create and find new adventures to book around the world... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Endorse.com

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Wikindu Endorse enables consumer product companies to market at the individual shopper level and shoppers to earn rewards for staying loyal to their favorite brands. Endorse closes the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Plink.com

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Wikindu Plink is the first-ever Facebook Credits-based loyalty program that rewards members with Facebook Credits for dining and shopping at their favorite restaurants and offline retailers. Plink.com [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Finitebug.com

    admin
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am
    Wikindu Finitebug is hosted bug and feature tracking tool for teams that delivers awesome software. Finitebug.com [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
 
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    SKMurphy, Inc.

  • Mentoring at Startup Weekend San Jose Jan 27-29 2012

    Sean Murphy
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:16 pm
    We have had a number of attendees at Bootstrapper Breakfasts talk about the value of a StartupWeekend as a way to see the early process of forming a startup team and exploring a market in a very compressed time frame. This allowed them to get to know other potential co-founders or partners in their community and to get a better perspective on some of the stresses and strains that every new team goes through in forming and storming on the way to performing. I was delighted when Tristan Kromer, one of the organizers of the San Jose Startup Weekend for January 27 to 29, invited me to attend as a…

  • Customer Development Is Not Just For Startups

    Sean Murphy
    4 Jan 2012 | 11:08 pm
    We have Fortune 500 clients who are launching new products and who want to take advantage of customer development methodologies (or have come to the conclusion that they need a framework to revisit assumptions that are not working). There are broadly two types of situations where a large company is launching  a new product: It’s a new product that they can sell to current customers through established channels and/or a direct sales force It’s a new product that they want to sell to new customers and are uncertain if established channels will work (or know that they won’t,…

  • Three Useful Tools: MyPermissions, SocialMention, HackerFollow

    Theresa Shafer
    2 Jan 2012 | 6:59 pm
    MyPermissions: Checks for third party application access to your Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Instagram, and Flickr accounts. SocialMention: Allows you to do keyword and phrase search across more than one hundred social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google, etc… HackerFollow: follow comments and posts by your favorite Hacker News contributors

  • Record to Remember, Pause to Reflect

    Sean Murphy
    1 Jan 2012 | 6:51 pm
    “We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects.” Alexis de Tocqueville My New Year’s resolutions for 2012: Record to Remember Return to writing Morning Pages. Keep my Done list up to date. Pause to Reflect Quarterly Crows Nest meetings with our partners and advisors Take a break from work every hour or two. Return to writing “Morning Pages.” Based on a technique outlined in Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way at Work” I mentioned in “Maintaining…

  • Quotes For Entrepreneurs–December 2011

    Sean Murphy
    31 Dec 2011 | 4:51 pm
    You can follow @skmurphy to get these hot off the mojo wire or wait until the end of the month when they are collected on the blog. Enter your E-mail if you would like Feedburner to deliver new blog posts to your inbox. “When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.” William Somerset Maugham “It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.” Edwin Land This reminds of Peter Drucker’s “organized abandonment” model for firms. He suggests that every year a business…
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    Flock Free Nation

  • Saskatoon Entrepreneurship Contest For Prospective Retailers

    Scott
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:33 am
    The Centre shopping mall in Saskatoon is running an entrepreneurship contest for Saskatoon entrepreneurs. The contest is eligible to Saskatoon area residents over the age of 18 who have a business plan and the financial backing to start their business. The winning business must be able to be operated at The Centre. Prices include 3 months of rent-free retail cart space, a Web Presence Business Starter Plan from BlackSun, and a $500 signage start up among others. The winning entrepreneur will be required to participate in the media campaign surrounding the contest. In many ways, this exposure…

  • Try Before You Buy

    Scott
    5 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am
    It turns out that we aren’t very good at predicting the future. A sober look at the predictions of economists, political pundits, and sportscasters reveals this lack of foresight. What is more surprising, is that we do a very poor job of predicting our own futures. It’s difficult to predict how much we will like a certain situation. Part of the reason for this is that we are unable to completely imagine all the details of a certain situation. If you are imagining running your own business, you might be thinking of how much fun it will be to design products or come up with clever…

  • Bank Of Canada Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged

    Scott
    6 Dec 2011 | 10:05 am
    The Bank of Canada announced today that it is leaving its overnight lending rate at 1%, which is what is has been all year. Governor Mark Carney commented that economic uncertainty had increased in the past few weeks and that the recession in Europe was more pronounced than expected. Canada’s big bank economists expect the rate to remain at this level throughout most of 2012.

  • Are You Involved Or Are You Committed?

    Scott
    30 Nov 2011 | 11:08 am
    There’s an old analogy that illustrates being involved versus being committed. A breakfast made of bacon and eggs beautifully illustrates the commitment of the pig vs. the compliance of the chicken. The chicken is involved, but it is the pig that is fully committed. In a way starting a business is a lot like this. You can be involved. You can make some initial inquires, ask people what they think and dream about starting your business. You want everyone else to do the initial work for you. You have shown an interest that has gotten you involved in the process, but you are not truly…

  • Understanding An Import Letter of Credit

    Scott
    16 Nov 2011 | 11:37 am
    An import letter of credit (import documentary credit) is issued by a bank at the request of an importer. The letter of credit states that the bank will pay a specified sum of money to a beneficiary, normally an exporter, on presentation of particular, specific documents. If you are importing goods into Canada, you can go to your bank to request an import letter of credit. The bank will evaluate your credit worthiness much like it would for a loan. This is because it is making a promise to pay the exporter of the goods on your behalf. The bank wants to make sure that in the end it can get the…
 
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    EpicLaunch

  • Things to Ask Yourself About Your Online Business in 2012

    Karol
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    This whole resolutions craze that’s going on this time of the year starts to make me sick. And okay, I admit, I had my share in this too. As a matter of fact I’ve written at least three resolution posts already, and now I’m kind of writing a fourth one. Anyways. The New Year shouldn’t be about promising yourself all the great things you’re going to do during the next 12 months. The main problem here is the question of: how do you know what is truly worth doing and what isn’t? If you’re an online business owner then among your resolutions a thing like “develop a new product”…

  • Why You Must Make Meaning to Make Money

    Lee Downen
    19 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Why do you want to be an entrepreneur? This is not a rhetorical question, so answer it before reading further. If your main reason for wanting to be an entrepreneur is to make lots of cash, not have a boss breathing down your neck, or to become famous, then I advise you to seek another line of work. Those motivations are usually not enough to pull you through when your business goes south and you have to grind hard to survive. The statistics on entrepreneurs, according to a Harvard Business School paper entitled “Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship”, show that…

  • An Interview With Michael Seibel: Cofounder of Justin.tv & Socialcam

    Ben Lang
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Today we are presenting an interview with Michael Seibel, Co-Founder and CEO of Justin.tv and Socialcam. You can view his CrunchBase Profile here. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University, where he focused his studies on American government. While at Yale, he served on the executive committee of Focus on New Haven, Black Student Alliance, Yale Political Union and The New Journal. How and where did you get the idea for your companys? Justin.tv – my friend/co-founder justin kan’s idea – he was trying to figure out what startup to build…

  • CES Roundup: The Biggest Stories From CES 2012

    Stephen
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pm
    CES ended last week and I was lucky enough to be there and cover it all. Here are the biggest reveals and the most innovative companies that this year’s CES had to offer. TVs From Samsung and LG It goes without saying, but LED TVs are the future. And two of the biggest TV companies, Samsung and LG, revealed jaw-dropping 55-inch TVs. And the best part is that they were super thin (LG’s was just 4mm thin). But Samsung’s TV does stand out for the fact that it will feature an app store with more than 1,000 apps. These TVs are going to be up for sale very soon and will…

  • An Interview with Omer Perchik: Founder of Any.DO

    Ben Lang
    11 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    Today we’re presenting a nice and short interview with Omer Perchik, Founder of Any.DO. This productivity app has been all over the news lately and racked up over 500K downloads in its first month. How and where did you get the idea for your company(s)? One of my friends had a semester @ UPenn and I wanted to go for a visit. The whole proccess of issuing a visa was just too complex. Coming to think about it, many of the daily things we do could be easily automated. Who’s one person you’ve always looked up to? Never had just one person. People I’m currently looking up to…
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    Startup Baltimore

  • Why Baltimore is Poised to be a Leader in EdTech

    Mike Brenner
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:10 am
    The picture above was taken by Jess Gartner at the Education Hack Day in November. Jess is a 7th grade teacher at New Era Academy, a college prep public school in Baltimore that she joined through the Teach for America program. The man in the blue t-shirt above is Joe Manko, a principal at Liberty Elementary. He’s received a lot of attention lately for removing the majority of his administrative staff and using the freed up funds to invest in technology for his students. Because of this investment, Liberty is now a “one-to-one” school which means in this case that they are…

  • Mobile Ad Giant Millenial Media Files for IPO

    Mike Brenner
    6 Jan 2012 | 11:34 am
    Last night Millenial Media, the leading independent mobile advertising platform, announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. SEC relating to a proposed initial public offering of shares of its common stock. Millenial’s heading down the path to go public and looking to raise $75 million. You could say the company’s journey began before they existed when their CEO and co-founder Paul Palmieri left a successful career with Baltimore-based Advertising.com and spun out Millenial as an ad company focusing its services and offerings on mobile. Millenial…

  • Five Things Governments Can Do to Encourage Civic Startups

    Mark Headd
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    2012 is shaping up to be the “Year of the Civic Startup.” With the growth of the open government movement and more and more governments embracing open data, we see an increasing number of useful civic applications being developed.  Every weekend hackathon spawns multiple projects that could potentially live on as a successful venture or company. Some hackathons are specifically geared toward producing viable companies – this is exactly the approach that was taken at last November’s “Education Hack Day” in Baltimore.  At that event, the idea was to set up winners with as much…

  • Baltimore Open Government 2011 Year in Review

    Mark Headd
    30 Dec 2011 | 10:45 am
    Following up on my previous post for the City of Philadelphia, this post describes what happened on the open government and open data fronts in the City of Baltimore in 2011. OpenBaltimore Launches The open data movement in Baltimore officially began with the unveiling of the OpenBaltimore data repository in January, 2011. Running on the Socrata platform, OpenBaltimore launched to great excitement in the Baltimore technology community, many of whom had been advocating for a civic hacking event in the city for some time. In the span of just a few weeks, Baltimore seemed to go from zero to 100…

  • Comcast is Closing the Digital Divide

    Mike Brenner
    21 Dec 2011 | 11:45 am
    This story was announced towards the end of September but I think it’s worthy of revisit, especially as we begin to celebrate the holiday season and enter the new year. Comcast is currently offering qualified Baltimore families high-speed internet for $9.95/month (with no hidden fees or hikes), a voucher for a computer for $150, and access to free digital literacy training all through their Internet Essentials program. The goal of Internet Essentials is to help close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all the Internet has to offer. The program addresses what…
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    10 Steps to Start-Up

  • Insurance-A Must Have for Business

    Howard Greenstein
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:44 am
    Did you hear the story about the wholesale Bakery that was on the 2nd floor? They didn’t have flood insurance, because they’re on the 2nd floor. Then the company above them had a pipe burst. Water flooded their space. While equipement wasn’t ruined, this violated the health code, and they not only had to sterilize all their equipment but get re-approved by a department of health notorious for getting to things in their own time. It took several weeks before the bakery could again produce food as a supplier. In the meantime, workers salary and other bills piled up.

  • Setting Up a Business Budget

    Howard Greenstein
    10 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am
    Quick quiz – would you rather set up your business budget or go to the dentist for a filling without Novocain? If you’re like me, you’ll spend a few minutes in serious debate about this topic. (But you shouldn’t – and besides, you might bite the dentist.) Most entrepreneurs prefer to spend time working in their business than on it, but don’t be fooled – setting up an initial budget and financial infrastructure can help insure you have a business to work on! Your initial budget you created for your business plan is a great starting point for this…

  • I Got The Money – Now What? (Part 2)

    Howard Greenstein
    3 Jan 2012 | 2:40 pm
    In our last installment, we had gotten the money for our business - hooray! And we were working through the legal and accounting issues and changes that might be required in order to actually get and use the capital from investors. Again, a special thanks to the FizzLaw team for connecting us to some great attorneys to answer these questions. How long could the typical process to obtain the money take? What might hold it up? According to attorney Tammi Franke of Fitzgerald, Hewes & Franke LLP, “Once a company has the green light from an investor, it will take at least a month to…

  • I Got the Money – Now What? (Part 1)

    Howard Greenstein
    20 Dec 2011 | 2:29 pm
    Most start-ups spend lots of time seeking out investors to help them move the company forward. Once you’ve grabbed the brass ring, what do you do with it? Companies who come to agreement for funding terms with an investor often have to make a few changes to their structure, governance, and more in order to be able to accept that money and move forward. Most companies have gotten their lawyers involved beforehand, but let’s go through some of the steps so you can plan it out. A special thanks to the FizzLaw team for helping us connect to some great attorneys to answer these…

  • Get a Merchant Account

    Howard Greenstein
    6 Dec 2011 | 3:14 am
    Almost all businesses accept debit and credit cards these days – even service businesses and B2B ventures. Having a way to accept a card is critical when you get ready to operationalize and start your business. You’ll need a merchant account – something provided by financial institutions that lets you accept cards for payments. In order to get a merchant account, your business signs an agreement with your bank or another entity like PayPal that sets legal terms which you agree to and which allow you to receive funds for services or products sold, put forth terms for disputes, and so…
 
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    Erin Bury's random musings

  • My Two-Books-a-Month Resolution

    3 Jan 2012 | 8:14 pm
    It’s January, which means it’s resolution time. I usually only make three resolutions, zero of which involve getting fit (I like poutine too much), but at least one of which usually involves a hobby. One of my biggest hobbies is reading, and in early 2011 I was inspired by a post from my friend Dave Fleet outlining his reading challenge. I’ve always loved reading, but I find when I’m busy books fall to the wayside. So one of my New Year’s Resolutions last year was to read two books per month in 2011.  I passed with flying colours (I read 29 books in total), which is quite…

  • How to reward your company during the holiday months

    7 Dec 2011 | 8:38 am
    Black Friday and Cyber Monday came and went, and the holidays are fast approaching. That means a few things are guaranteed – busy malls, festive parties, and holiday cheer in the office. The holidays provide a great opportunity to reward your team for a year of hard work. Here’s how to thank your team during the holiday season – hopefully it keeps them focused on the tasks at hand right up to Christmas Eve: Throw a holiday party, no matter how small. As soon as the snow starts falling it’s inevitable that you’ll get a barrage of holiday party invites in your inbox. Most of them…

  • Heart and Stroke Foundation Launches Calendar Lottery

    16 Nov 2011 | 8:25 am
    Whether you’re ready or not, Christmas is coming. It’s is my absolutely most favourite holiday in the world, and I think I have more Christmas cheer than Elf and the Grinch (after his heart explodes) times ten. I love the music, holiday parties, and the atmosphere in the malls (not the lineups). But more than that I love buying gifts for people. So last week Kevin and I were sitting around talking about what we each wanted for Christmas. Last year I got him Xbox Kinect; he’s used it approximately three times. Before that I got him Rock Band (he claimed it would be good for parties),…

  • Superfan, Meet Specialty Coffee

    15 Nov 2011 | 8:25 am
    There are certain brands you just grow up with. Barbies and Disney come to mind, but usually coffee companies do not. But for me, one of my fondest childhood memories was taking my dog Shadow for a walk with my dad, a Tim Hortons coffee in hand. No, it wasn’t my coffee (kids can’t have coffee silly) but rather my dad’s candy-like concoction with four creams, three sugars. Back then I thought all coffee tasted like dessert - boy was I in for a shock when I tasted a black cup of coffee…and I still have to have it with copious amounts of milk and sweetener, the slightly healthier…

  • Online Tools That Help Keep Your Business Innovative

    9 Nov 2011 | 9:01 am
    In the past few years it’s become a necessity for small businesses to use online tools for their business, regardless of whether it’s a web-based company or not. Social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging have become the new pillars of a company’s marketing plan, supplementing or even replacing traditional marketing channels like direct mail.Today, your company is judged more on its website or reviews on sites like Yelp and Google Places than on your advertising efforts. Your company probably already has a Twitter account, a Facebook Page, and a blog (and if not,…
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    Start-Up Smart

  • Low Cost Marketing Strategies

    Bryan Janezcko
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:18 pm
    I’ve found that when first starting up, marketing is such an important component of your business success, from both attracting and retaining customers. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot. I’ve seen many great business ideas fail because they thought that they needed to- and did- drop a bucket load of cash on expensive activities like TV, radio, print or other expensive marketing strategies.  Whether you’re thinking about starting a business or you’re already in the process of starting up, there are many activities that you should take advantage of…

  • Startup Funding from A VC? Think Again…

    Bryan Janezcko
    19 Jan 2012 | 10:20 am
    Getting Venture Capital- VC funding- is very unlikely if you’re a newbie entrepreneur; unless you’ve got a prototype or proven model. We all hear tales of a VC backed company getting bought by Google or going public in an IPO. While this does happen, your every day startup won’t generally get funding from a VC.  Only 1 in 500 startups is VC backed and that’s typically limited to the Silicon Valley tech startups. Usually, you seek VC funding once you’re up and running. There are exceptions of course. Watch this short video of Divya Gugnani, VC turned entrepreneur. Divya has a lot…

  • 3 Trends in 2012 to Help Startups Get Going!

    Bryan Janezcko
    12 Jan 2012 | 1:29 pm
    At the beginning of each year, I like to think about what the big trends are for startups that make it easier to build your business, raise capital or just make it easier for you to get going. To start with–a trend that has been continuing for several years now is the decreasing cost of technology solutions from the cost of laptops to the proliferation of online business services such as Grasshopper, an Internet based phone system that’s only $15/month. It works and I use these services for my own startup so I got rid of the expensive business landline, saving over $100/month.

  • Realities Of Starting A Business In 2012

    Bryan Janezcko
    5 Jan 2012 | 3:23 pm
    Welcome to 2012. It’s a new year and many of us take this opportunity to embark to make New Year resolutions, whether it’s a diet, kicking a bad habitor even starting a business. I personally believe that more businesses will be started this year than ever before due to chronic high unemployment and people simply wanting to create their own economic opportunities. Combine this with the low costs of launching a business- thanks largely to the decreasing costs of technology, and you’ll see a proliferation of newbie startups. I’m excited by it all and that’s why I’m here –…

  • 3 Must Read Books For Any Entrepreneur

    Bryan Janezcko
    29 Dec 2011 | 10:08 pm
    With the New Year upon us, you should think about what you could be doing to better manage your startup, whether it’s just getting it off the ground, finding more time for yourself, or doubling sales. You may have had a crazy last year so think about improvements that you’d like to see and form a strategy that you can implement to accomplish your goals. With that, there are three must reads for any entrepreneur— that I know can help you get there. My top picks are Guy Kawasaki’s “Art of the Start”, Eric Ries “The Lean Startup”, and Michael Gerber’s “The…
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    Start Up

  • How Do Start-Up Companies Raise So Much Money?

    admin
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:49 pm
    Successful entrepreneur and CEO, Jay Adelson, demystifies the start-up process by providing advice, tips, and answering questions. Today he discusses how start-up companies are able to raise such large amounts of money. Have a question about launching a business that you want answered? Comment or add a video response! Jay’s Twitter: www.twitter.com EMail Your Questions: askjay@revision3.com Never Miss An Episode! Subscribe Here: www.youtube.com More AskJay Episodes: www.revision3.com ABOUT ASK JAY: Entrepreneur, CEO, and business owner Jay Adelson (Equinix, Digg, Revision3, SimpleGeo)…

  • 2011 BMW 335is Convertible Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Tour

    admin
    10 Jan 2012 | 11:10 pm
    In thisvideo I give a full in depth tour of the new 2011 BMW 335is Convertible. Twin turbo straight 6 with sport tuned suspension, exhaust, unique body, and much more. I take viewers on a close look through the interior and exterior of this car while showing details, over viewing of features, and noting unique styling cues to the vehicle itself. I also show the engine and the details of it, start it up and see how it sounds under acceleration. A thorough tour/review of this car designed to give others a greater overall appreciation of the vehicle. Thanks again to Hendrick BMW for allowing me…

  • 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 2-Door Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Tour

    admin
    3 Jan 2012 | 10:36 pm
    I have recently purchased my first classic car, this 1965 Ford Fairlane 500. Always wanted to own a classic and couldn’t pass it up to buy a rust free car that was just about perfect (requiring minor work) a 289 V8 and a 3 speed manual on the column. It was traded in at my Dad’s dealership for those who are not apart of the saabkyle04 facebook page and I bought it last week. I am looking forward to working on the car myself and fixing/replacing things as needed. Car drives like a dream and looks great. It’s mostly original except for new upholstery, a decent paint job…

  • 2000 Lincoln Town Car Limousine Start Up, Engine, and In Depth Tour

    admin
    27 Dec 2011 | 9:59 pm
    In thisvideo I give a full in depth tour of a 2000 Lincoln Town Car Limousine. I take viewers on a close look through the interior and exterior of this car while showing details, over viewing of features, and noting unique styling cues to the vehicle itself. I also show the engine and the details of it, start it up and see how it sounds under acceleration. A thorough tour/review of this car designed to give others a greater overall appreciation of the vehicle. Video Rating: 4 / 5 In thisvideo I give a full in depth tour of the all new 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, loaded with just about every option…

  • START UP 29

    admin
    20 Dec 2011 | 9:22 pm
    In thisvideo I give a full in depth tour of the all new 2012 Volkswagen Passat SEL TDI. I take viewers on a close look through the interior and exterior of this car while showing details, over viewing of features, and noting unique styling cues to the vehicle itself. I also show the engine and the details of it, start it up and see how it sounds under acceleration. A thorough tour/review of this car designed to give others a greater overall appreciation of the vehicle. Video Rating: 4 / 5
 
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    Alastair Banks, Devon based Entrepreneur, Social Media and Online Marketing Consultant, Lover of West Ham and Poker

  • 2011 – 7 Things that changed my life….

    Banksy
    1 Jan 2012 | 12:08 pm
    Hey folks, firstly a very happy New Year to you all. I wish you the very best for 2012. If you do one thing this year make it your objective to go out of your way to help others succeed with their goals and yours will follow on. So in the now great tradition, here is my summary post of the last year and the things both in and out of work that changed my life for the better. Remember this isn’t just about me telling you how great 2011 was for me, it’s written because if just one of the things that had a huge impact on my life, could affect yours in the same way then it will have…

  • Do you look for Opportunities or Obstacles?

    Banksy
    9 Dec 2011 | 6:51 am
    I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I took the www.Kolbe.com personality test a few weeks ago and it showed that I have an extremely high level of what’s called ‘quick start‘ in their system. I love new ideas, vision, creation of new concepts, problem solving and thinking outside the box. On the flip side, I’m pretty awful at ‘follow through‘ which means I need people around me who can take on these new ideas and make them fly. One of the things I know I do is to look for and see opportunity in everything around me, so this got me wondering if other entrepreneurs and…

  • Feeling Festive

    Banksy
    5 Dec 2011 | 3:57 am
    So I’ve woken up this morning and I’m feeling quite festive. The tree went up yesterday and as I opened our sitting room door, that wonderful smell of pine needles flooded out. You just can’t beat that. Some of you might know that I have a brand called Envirosend, which is awesome email marketing software. You can find out more here: http://www.envirosend.co.uk For this week only I’m going to offer the complete upfront costs off this system for 3 people who write to me at alastair@iambanksy.co.uk with the reason they should have the system in their business and how…

  • When I grow Up…

    Banksy
    2 Dec 2011 | 4:41 am
    When I was growing up there were a number of people in my life that I looked up to – family members, inspirational teachers, sports stars and family friends all featured. When I consider the person I am today – my morals, my feelings towards others, my views on business and so much more I can see elements of these people in me. Without realising it, I have become a product of my environment. As I’ve grown up I’ve continued to seek out new role models and people that I aspire to be like or learn something from. I’m sure a few of you probably put names like Branson, Steve…

  • Remembering You

    Banksy
    11 Nov 2011 | 6:20 am
    This is my Grandfather and namesake Alastair Banks. He fought and lived through WW2. He was and always will be an inspiration in my life. This day is for remembering him and everyone else who fought for their countries.
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    The Startup Slingshot

  • Slay Your Inner-Wantrepreneur & Start Making Cash Today! — With Neville Medhora (NSFW)

    William Griggs
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    Are you a wantrepreneur? Do you have tons of business ideas, but haven’t done anything with them? Today’s guest is Neville Medhora. Neville is an entrepreneur who is best known for HouseofRave.com, his blog and the Sumo Business Blueprint. I am going to talk with Neville about the simple, yet powerful process he helped create for finding, testing and launching business ideas with no money. About Neville Neville Medhora is the creator of Kopywriting Kourse, Behind the Scenes of House of Rave and the App Sumo Business Blueprint. Connect With Neville https://twitter.com/#!/nevmed…

  • “How I Went From Idea To Product With No Programming Skills” — With John Pisciotta of MusicSynk

    William Griggs
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    Do you have an idea, but don’t have tech skills to make it happen? Today’s guest is John Pisciotta. John is an experienced entertainment entrepreneur and the founder of MusicSynk, a company that provides a suite of organization, discovery and licensing tools for copyright owners and content users. I am going to talk with John about how he was able to get MusicSynk off the ground without any programming skills. About John John is an entertainment entrepreneur passionate about creating innovative business models for the entertainment industry in the digital age. He also advises…

  • Tips & Tactics To Get People To Act A Certain Way With BJ Fogg of Stanford University

    William Griggs
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    Have you ever wondered how you can go about persuading someone to act a certain way? Today’s guest is BJ Fogg. BJ directs research and design at Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab where he focuses on creating systems to change human behavior. I am going to talk with BJ about how you can use the findings from his research to change the behavior of your employees, customers, friends and family. About BJ Dr. BJ Fogg directs the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University. A psychologist and innovator, his work empowers people to think clearly about the psychology of persuasion —…

  • “How I Launched My Business” With Tasha Ross of FiddleCakes

    William Griggs
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    Have you ever wondered how to go about launching your business? Today’s guest is Tasha Ross. Tasha is the co-owner of FiddleCakes, a bakery/café concept she opened with a partner over two and a half years ago. Today I am going to talk with Tasha about the tactics she used to launch both her first and second locations. About Tasha Tasha Ross is currently working on launching a bakery concept in the Nashville Area. Tasha received her MBA from the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management with a concentration in Human & Organizational Performance. During her tenure at Owen, she…

  • Actionable Advice For Your Early Stage Startup From Brad Feld of TechStars & Foundry Group

    William Griggs
    18 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    Have you ever wondered the impact a program like TechStars and their set of mentors could have on your startup? Today’s guest is Brad Feld. Brad has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur for the past twenty years. Prior to co-founding his current venture, Foundry Group, Brad co-founded TechStars, one of the top startup incubators in the world. Today I am going to talk with Brad about the advice he gives early stage companies as well as what he looks for in a TechStars applicant. About Brad Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over twenty years. Prior to…
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