A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 10, 2012

I can’t remember how many times at Smart Bear I tried to sell Code Collaborator with the argument that it “saves you money.” And customers demanded it — some even required that we produce an ROI spreadsheet. And we did. The argument makes sense (though it’s wrong). Code Collaborator is tool which helps software developers review each other’s work, just like an editor of a book.

Software Review 256

Software Review Product Software Developers Software Development 256

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. After exchanging a couple of notes, I concluded that she was more likely a victim of item #1 on my reject list below, rather than a drought on seed funding.

Software Review 250

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Entrepreneur 250

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 10, 2012

by Bill Lee, author of “ The Hidden Wealth of Customers: Realizing the Untapped Value of Your Most Important Asset “. Are you ready to grow your company? If so, the business world is full of specialists who are all too eager to help. Brilliant ad agencies and clever marketing communications experts. Highly trained salespeople. Talented product developers.

Customer 154

Customer Fractional CTO Canada Technical Review 154

betashop.com

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Home. Fab.com Fab Feed Bradfords Blog. Archive. RSS. 05. Oct. 90 Things I’ve Learned From Founding 4 Technology Companies. On October 27, 2010 I wrote a blog post about the “ 57 Things I Learned Founding 3 Tech Companies.”. It has been awesome, flattering, and humbling to see that post went viral and has been seen by so many thousands of people — mainly aspiring entrepreneurs — and has been translated into many languages.

Technical Review 108

Technical Review Technology Software Review Valuation 108

Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic

Every startup and innovation project exists within an ecosystem that either helps or hurts that project. As innovation managers, we need to keep a pulse of that ecosystem and make sure we're helping those innovation projects we're managing every step of the way. In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in

Startup

Lightspeed Venture Partners

OCTOBER 7, 2012

I’ve been writing up reviews of this season’s Shark Tank pitches from a silicon valley VCs perspective. Week three’s breakdown covered topics like how hard momentum is to turn around, and how participating preferred stock works. This time I’ll break down week four of this season. BACK 9 DIPS. The first company started as a BBQ catering business, and eventually focused in on their most popular product, a dip made of blended up chicken plus various sauces.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 110

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2012

As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs, I find it’s easy to recognize “street smarts” when I see them, but it’s hard to explain the specifics to someone on the other end of the spectrum, even if they are willing to learn. Some people argue that street smarts are only a natural born skill, but I disagree. I believe they are disciplines that can be taught and learned.

Entrepreneur 241

Entrepreneur Partner Finance Internet 241

www.starling-software.com

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Programmer Competency Matrix. Note that the knowledge for each level is cumulative; being at level n implies that you also know everything from the levels lower than n. Computer Science. 2 n (Level 0) n 2 (Level 1) n (Level 2) log(n) (Level 3) Comments. data structures Doesnt know the difference between Array and LinkedList Able to explain and use Arrays, LinkedLists, Dictionaries etc in practical programming tasks Knows space and time tradeoffs of the basic data structures, Arrays vs LinkedList

Software Review 108

Software Review Technical Review SQL API 108

crowdSPRING Blog

OCTOBER 11, 2012

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!

Social Media 92

Social Media Small Business Design Media 92

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 10, 2012

Many startups scramble to create a "minimum viable product," or MVP, to get a version of their product to market quickly for testing. It’s a great way to cost-effectively test a website or app with real users. But be careful, if your MVP is too minimalist, it could torpedo your company's future. Guest author Matthew Zehner is the CEO of ZehnerGroup , a digital agency that specializes in launching Web startups and innovating established businesses.

Product 129

Product PHP Ruby Framework 129

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 9, 2012

In this day and age, change is the only constant. Global economic uncertainties, sociocultural shifts and technological breakthroughs make it necessary for organizations to adapt and transform themselves to remain relevant. The question, however, is how one can drive change successfully in a stage littered with numerous failures. Enter Harvard professor John Kotter , his collaborator Holger Rathgeber, and a fable about a penguin colony in Antarctica called “ Our Iceberg Is Melting “

Technical Review 162

Technical Review Leadership Global Analytics 162

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 8, 2012

MakerBot is hiring a lot of folks but they have a two specific needs that are unique. If you fit the description, or know someone who does, please reach out to me or apply. 1. Software Engineer with a focus in Computational Geometry and Image Processing ( [link] applicantstack.com/x/detail/ a2m4ro97dz39 ). 2. Manufacturing Engineer to be a strong leader for our manufacturing teams ( [link] applicantstack.com/x/detail/ a2m4ro9s06i3 ).

Engineer 122

Engineer Software Hiring Software Engineering 122

Up and Running

OCTOBER 8, 2012

This post is the third in a series about Entrepreneurial DNA – an exploration of what makes entrepreneurs different from one another. If you haven’t already, it may be helpful to read the first post, “Do You Know Your BOSI Profile? Your Investor Do es!” before you proceed. (You will get an overview for the entire series.) In my last post, I described, Entrepreneurial Profile #1 – The Promoter.

Technical Review 73

Technical Review Social Media Lead Generation CPA 73

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 10, 2012

Many startups scramble to create a "minimum viable product," or MVP, to get a version of their product to market quickly for testing. It’s a great way to cost-effectively test a website or app with real users. But be careful, if your MVP is too minimalist, it could torpedo your company's future. Guest author Matthew Zehner is the CEO of ZehnerGroup , an interactive agency that specializes in launching Web startups and innovating established businesses.

Product 110

Product PHP Ruby Framework 110

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 8, 2012

How to build regional entrepreneurial communities has just gotten it’s first “here’s how to do it” book. Brad Feld’s new book Startup Communities joins the two other “must reads,” ( Regional Advantage and Startup Nation ) and one “must view” ( The Secret History of Silicon Valley ) for anyone trying to understand the components of a regional cluster.

Community 333

Community Silicon Valley San Francisco Startup 333

deal architect

OCTOBER 10, 2012

First came the SAP outrage about Larry Ellison’s comments in his OOW keynote. Then came my friend Josh Greenbaum’s rant about the vibe at OOW. Now comes an accusation of Oracle is trying to smear competition at a prospect. Surely.

Software 286

Software 286

Up and Running

OCTOBER 9, 2012

I discovered this little piece of heaven on holidays this year. It’s a place on the Sunshine Coast in Canada , and I fell in love with it so much, I have gone back twice already. Both times that I caught a glimpse of the view, I got goosebumps and my eyes welled up with tears. In other words, I experienced 2 pure moments of “WOW.”. I think as we get older we have less of these wow moments.

Canada 78

Canada Customer Software Review Small Business 78

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 12, 2012

by Gregory Downing, author of “ Entrepreneur Unleashed “ The anxiety swirling around the upcoming election is almost palpable. People are agonizing over what the results might mean for job creation, Social Security, healthcare, college tuition, and other hot-button issues. Given the shaky state of the economy, some angst is surely understandable.

Programming 276

Programming Non-Compete Bankruptcy United States 276

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2012

If you expect to succeed in the thrill-a-minute, roller coaster ride of a startup, let me assure you it takes more than a good idea, a rich uncle, and luck. In fact, the idea is often the least important part of the equation. Most investors tell me that they look at the people first, the business plan second, and only then at the idea. If you want some tips to beat the insurmountable odds, take a look at the following concepts, adapted from Richard C.

Startup 255

Startup Flash Entrepreneur Business Plan 255

deal architect

OCTOBER 12, 2012

Readers of this blog know I am more focused on corporate buyers than investors. But an IPO is a huge milestone, and the intense interest in Workday’s offering (priced at a valuation of about $ 4.5 billion) which started trading.

IPO 275

IPO Valuation Cloud 275

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 6, 2012

Here’s an email exchange that I had in the past 24 hours with an entrepreneur. Remember, I try to answer all of my emails and be responsive to any inquiry – this was a random one (which I get between 25 and 100 a day). Entrepreneur: I just wanted to touch base with you and see if you are taking on new startups right now. Me: Can you send me a paragraph and I’ll tell you if it’s something we’d be interested in.

Oklahoma City 187

Oklahoma City Oklahoma Seattle Global 187

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 9, 2012

By Garrett Heath. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen South Korean rapper Psy’s music video Gangnam Style. Taking a life of its own, this song and dance has traversed languages and oceans to become the latest induction to the pantheon of dance crazes that capture the imagination of the populace. Tech companies, particularly startups, should take heed – there are lessons to be learned from popular dance songs. 1.

Startup 192

Startup Flash Cloud Global 192

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2012

I tell entrepreneurs that Google was an “exception” to all the investment and startup rules, but I’ve always wondered what it takes to be an exception. Since every business is built by unique individuals, I’m totally convinced that exceptional people are the key to an exceptional company. To check out the Google founders, and because I still see so many business plans that are modeled after Google (more search engines, and more billion dollar growth models), I had to take a look at the definitiv

Founder 225

Founder Search Advertising Engineer 225

deal architect

OCTOBER 9, 2012

This continues a series of columns from practitioners I respect. The category "Real Deal" describes them well. This time it is Sanjay Poonen, President and Corporate Officer at SAP, and a thought leader in Analytics, Big Data and Mobility. For.

Internet 244

Internet Analytics Mobile 244

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 12, 2012

If you’ve ever shipped anything, you understand the power of a deadline. It’s incredibly helpful to me as an investor to also be a maker, as I get to experience the same pressure many of the people I’m investing in feel, as I try to weave the creation – in my case of books – into a very busy life. Blending the creative / maker experience with a very full manager experience is fascinating, hard, and very enlightening.

Slovenia 157

Slovenia San Francisco New York Community 157

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 9, 2012

by Steven Wendt, Internet Marketing Manager at UV Cards. Statistically speaking, small businesses with one or more employees have a 44 percent survival rate. This means that 56 percent of small businesses fail, no matter how amazing their product or how prepared they thought they were. This is an alarming number, and considering the time and money that goes into start-up, it’s certainly worth the extra effort to make sure all your bases are covered and you don’t become one of the 56 percent.

Business Plan 180

Business Plan Demand Small Business Internet 180

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2012

Once you are able to achieve some real “traction” with your business (paying customers, revenue stream), it may seem the time to relax a bit, but in fact this is the point where many founders start to flounder. All the skills and instincts you needed to get to this level can actually start working against you, and you can fail to scale. Investors often say that successfully navigating the early stages of a startup requires lots of street smarts, guts, and luck.

Early Stage 222

Early Stage Founder Revenue Entrepreneur 222

deal architect

OCTOBER 9, 2012

This continues a series of periodic posts to recognize articles, blogs, books, videos, interviews I think are worthy of sharing. The category A Rare Medium Well Done says it nicely. Chris Murphy is one of my favorite tech influencers. He.

Video 240

Video 240

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 11, 2012

I just finished up at Thinc Iowa and am heading to San Francisco for a few meetings tomorrow. I had an awesome time in the last 24 hours, especially last night hanging out for three hours with 20 or so entrepreneurs at StartupCity in Des Moines. I started my talk off today by showing a video that the Kauffman Foundation just did for Startup Communities.

Community 150

Community Iowa San Francisco Startup 150

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 11, 2012

By Ron Kaufman, author of “ Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet ”. In a harsh global economy, great service is the price of admission. Companies whose cultures aren’t built around the ability and the willingness — no, the eagerness — to delight the customer won’t survive. You know this.

Mauritius 186

Mauritius Singapore Customer Seychelles 186

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Business incubators for sharing services were all the rage back in the days of the dot-com bubble (700 for profit, many more non-profit). About that time the bubble burst, causing more than 80% of them to disappear. Now they are coming back, and the best even provide networking, technical leadership, and seed funding, as well as investors waving money at graduates.

Incubator 215

Incubator Entrepreneur New York City Silicon Valley 215

deal architect

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Last week at OOW, Michael Krigsman talking of someone who speaks his mind said “he is very brave”. I am not sure if Michael meant it as a compliment, but I noted what a wonderful adjective that is. Over the.

210

210

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 12, 2012

Immigration has always been the engine that drives the American economy. In Silicon Valley, foreign-born entrepreneurs have founded half the region’s startups in recent years - and kept the U.S. economy moving forward. So what happens if that innovation engine stalls? We’re about to find out. A new study shows the number of immigrant-founded startups in Silicon Valley has tumbled from 52.4% to 43.9% since 2005.

Silicon Valley 152

Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Green India 152

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 8, 2012

We all need to have a work-life balance, but that can be applied to our social media use as well – especially when it comes to our professional relationships. But the truth is that many of us have trouble treading the fine line when it comes to connecting with co-workers and *gasp* superiors on Facebook or Twitter. While there are both pros and cons, it is up to you to decide if it is worthwhile extending your online social network at the risk of having unprofessional and embarrassing soci

Social Media 174

Social Media Media Social Network Networking 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 11, 2012

A spin-off is merely a startup spawned by a mature parent (company), and conventional logic would dictate that it has a survival advantage over the lowly startup. Yet spin-offs seem to most often fail to launch in the real world. I was part of one myself a few years ago, and felt the pain, so the phenomenon has intrigued me ever since. My first thought is that spin-offs are like struggling adolescents with over-protective parents.

Startup 213

Startup Non-Compete Merger Leadership 213

deal architect

OCTOBER 7, 2012

On the innovation blog Presidential Science and Technology Debate MS Windows 8 gets augmented reality Turboprop 2.0 Personal Satellites Open Blue Sea Farms The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse When I grow up, I want to be a Mars.

Technology 210

Technology 210

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 8, 2012

I’m a huge admirer of Hacker News – it’s one of the sites I look at every day in my Daily reading routine. I scan the links, often click through to articles, and occasionally comment. I’ve decided to try a similar approach for the Startup Revolution community that I’m calling the Startup Revolution Hub. Rather than reblog a bunch of stuff that I get from the world about Startup Communities , I’m going to open up the ability to put this up on the Hub to anyone

Community 146

Community Startup Management Entrepreneur 146