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5 Things You Should Know Before Hiring A Development Shop

YoungUpstarts

Most dev shops are good at one technology over another, or focus on UX or even a vertical like healthcare. She is also cofounder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd and an MBA candidate at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Most have an emphasis. Catch her on Twitter at @StartupStella.

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TechStars Chicago Applications Are Now Open

Feld Thoughts

TechStars Chicago applications are now open. You didn’t know there was a TechStars Chicago? Last night I was in Chicago at 1871 , the amazing 50,000 square foot co-working space in the Chicago Merchandise Mart that has become the convening spot for the digital economy in Chicago and the home of Excelerate Labs.

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Why do marketplaces make great businesses?

Austin Startup

Find your vertical and stick to it (for a few years at least). It took them two years to expand to their next city, Chicago. For example, Airbnb offers all kinds of accommodation, and StockX offers authentic goods. But they didn’t all start off that way. My big tip here for any new marketplace founder is to go niche.

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Money Out of Nowhere: How Internet Marketplaces Unlock Economic Wealth

abovethecrowd.com

In many cases, a deeper focus on a particular category or vertical allows these marketplaces to distinguish themselves from broader marketplaces like eBay. Wyzant is a leading Chicago-based marketplace that connects tutors with students around the country. The company was founded by Andrew Geant and Mike Weishuhn in 2005.

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Twitter Link Roundup #133 – Small Business, Social Media, Design, Copywriting, Marketing And More

crowdSPRING Blog

Interesting vertical farm concept coming together in an old Chicago meatpacking plant – [link]. Stunning map of America’s bike lanes – [link]. Creative way for Getty images to advertise its photo collection (video) - [link]. The Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words – [link].

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Twitter Link Roundup #202 – Small Business, Startups, Innovation, Social Media, Design, Marketing and More

crowdSPRING Blog

If you can’t make it [as an entrepreneur] in Chicago, the problem might be your idea – crowdspring.co/1i5CnPy. Interesting Web Design Trend: Vertical Split Layouts – crowdspring.co/1eEmorS. Why You Shouldn’t Say “You’re Welcome” – crowdspring.co/1eJnLpo. 1eEieQL.

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Strategy Roundtable For Entrepreneurs: Top 10 Vertical and Social Web Trends For The Decade

ReadWriteStart

John has rightly observed that many small companies, as well as foreign companies trying to get into the United States, have limited budget, and could use 25% of the time of a sales rep in each geography, say, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle. I like the idea, and recognize the problem.

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