SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

This post is admittedly the outcome of a conversation with a few people over some beers. Some of it is a bit tongue-in-cheek and certainly we are greatly simplifying things. The people around the table included a bunch of us who would be prey in some situations. So, please take this in the spirit intended. The conversation centered around a founder who's key question is "Where Do I Find a Developer for My Startup?

Fractional CTO 349

Fractional CTO Southern California Startup Mobile 349

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

It’s very common for startup companies to have COO’s. So I know I’m getting myself into a bit of trouble by writing this. But … Startups don’t need – shouldn’t have – COOs. I have this conversation with every startup that comes to see me and has a CEO & a COO. I think usually a COO title at a startup is an ego thing.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Startup Cofounder Due Diligence 325

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 upon us, and the recent financial woes, there seems to be a growing population out there worried about all the people and companies watching to hurt them. Why is everyone so paranoid these days? My plea to entrepreneurs is to recognize it as an opportunity, and go the extra mile to make people’s life better rather than stoke the fires.

Technical Review 235

Technical Review Startup Social Network Software Review 235

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

During the recent launch of Blackberry 7 OS in Singapore, Research In Motion (RIM) executives had shared that Southeast Asia was a potential hotbed of application developers with whom they were keen to work with. We took the opportunity to speak to Sarim Aziz, RIM ‘s Team Lead for Developer Relations and ask more about the company’s interest in the burgeoning developer ecosystem in this region. 1.

Developer 207

Developer Asia Thailand Singapore 207

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

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

This post is admittedly the outcome of a conversation with a few people over some beers. Some of it is a bit tongue-in-cheek and certainly we are greatly simplifying things. The people around the table included a bunch of us who would be prey in some situations. So, please take this in the spirit intended. The conversation centered around a founder who's key question is "Where Do I Find a Developer for My Startup?

Fractional CTO 296

Fractional CTO Southern California Startup Mobile 296

Feld Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Now that Dick and Jane have added a CTO to SayAhh’s founding team, they’ve turned their full attention to working on their product. Today, we’ll look at the impact of the expenses to date on the P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. Since SayAhh is in the pre-launch development stage, the company doesn’t have any revenue yet. They also haven’t launched a product, so there is no corresponding “cost of goods sold” – the direct cost of delivering their product.

Balance Sheet 125

Balance Sheet Fractional CTO Burn Rate Salary 125

Agile VC

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

How to Evaluate Firms for a Seed VC. How To Think About The Future. Home. About Me. AGILEVC My idle thoughts on tech startups. Startup IPO Market: A Fickle Mistress. September 15, 2011. The IPO market, she is a fickle mistress. In the first half of 2011, the IPO markets were looking strong for VC-backed companies. In the software an internet space a number of companies obviously had strong public offerings (LinkedIn, Yandex, Pandora, RenRen, et al).

IPO 100

IPO Marketing Silicon Valley Technical Review 100

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Today, September 13, 2011 is launch day ! And, for me, it's literally a launch into a crazy amount of travel. For the next two weeks, I'm going to do as many events, interviews, and talks as I physically can. I hope you'll join me, either in person or virtually. A complete list of book tour stops for the first leg of my journey is below. To stay up-to-date, you can get the firehose of updates by following me on Twitter or for "just the facts" follow me on Plancast.

Lean 155

Lean Seattle Los Angeles San Francisco 155

crowdSPRING Blog

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

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 97

Social Media Small Business Design Media 97

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

As the song goes, it’s not easy being green. Well, it’s not easy being the Technical Support guy either. While the rest of us in the Marketing and Customer Service departments tend to get a lot of the fun sides of talking to our customers, that isn’t always the case with Tech Support. So imagine our glee when Josh, our main Techie Guy, got a present in the mail!

Small Business 63

Small Business Columbus Technical Review Technical Support 63

Gust

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Since this is my inaugural post here, I decided it would fit the occasion to list the five things I value most in an startup investment proposal. What I say here is my opinion and mine alone. It’s the result of several decades in high tech, three years as an investor in a local Oregon angel investment group , some consulting in due diligence for venture capital, and my experience as founder and co-founder of successful ventures.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Software Review Angel Investor Exit Strategy 70

Growthink Blog

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at Boyan Josic’s Daily Deal Media Conference in Chicago. Our topics were the growth and fundraising environment in the "daily deal" sector - which today happens to be both one of the hottest and one of the most maligned technology investment sectors in the world. While I am by no means an expert in the space, I know serious, talented entrepreneurs when I see them, and Boyan’s conference was chock full of the kind of creative high IQ and high “EQ” people

Tennessee 75

Tennessee CTO Hire Chicago Aggregator 75

crowdSPRING Blog

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Crafting is not for the faint of heart. It requires a perseverance, attention to detail and dedication many tend to underestimate. Failed crafting experiments can leave a person feeling useless and stupid. If you doubt this, try teaching yourself to knit. However, there is hope for those who are not naturally craft-inclined. And it’s this week’s small business spotlight: Hands Occupied.

Small Business 65

Small Business Chicago Design Web Development 65

news.ycombinator.com

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Hacker News new | comments | ask | jobs | submit login Startups in stealth mode need one piece of advice. (humbledmba.com) 279 points by jaf12duke 216 days ago | comments. niyazpk 215 days ago | link. I work for a stealth startup. The idea is just a very small part of the reason why we are in stealth. There are some other serious reasons why we dont want to go public right now.

Stealth 41

Stealth Technical Review Startup Software Review 41

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Foreign visitors to Silicon Valley continually mention how willing we are to help, network and connect strangers. We take it so for granted we never even to bother to talk about it. It’s the “Pay-It-Forward” culture. ——-. We’re all in this together – The Chips are Down. in 1962 Walker’s Wagon Wheel Bar/Restaurant in Mountain View became the lunch hangout for employees at Fairchild Semiconductor.

Silicon Valley 335

Silicon Valley Finland IP Cofounder 335

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

I was an entrepreneur for years. I must have pitched 40-50 VCs over the years. Possibly more. As I talked about on many occasions when I was an entrepreneur – and blogged publicly about - I learned a lot about my business and myself in these meetings. It was largely a positive experience. [Make sure to watch the video ]. Still, it was bloody annoying, too.

Viral 292

Viral Video Partner Entrepreneur 292

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Investors invest in people, not ideas. Customers buy from people, not companies. Employees rally for a great leader. As an entrepreneur, you need relationships to succeed. That means relationships with team members, investors, customers, and vendors. One of the best ways to build a good relationship with anyone is to make them feel important. One of my favorite authors, Brian Tracy, in his book “ No Excuses!

Entrepreneur 268

Entrepreneur Public Relations Advertising Customer 268

deal architect

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

I saw yesterday morning the print edition of the TIME 9/11 special issue but even more impressive are the video interviews of the people profiled in the issue. The site is here. Each will move you – some are still.

Video 236

Video 236

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Have you ever gone through your wallet one day and cursed yourself when you discover a multitude of expired and unredeemed gift cards and coupons? Or have you purchased an online daily deal offer off Groupon but never did claim the offer? Well, many of us have. In fact, it is said that around US$20 billion worth of gift cards and coupons go unredeemed each day, spelling a waste of consumers’ hard-earned cash while racking huge profits for merchants.

Illinois 242

Illinois Cofounder Chicago Founder 242

www.frozennorth.org

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

"The more I find out, the less I know.". Browse archives by date. Weather at the Frozen North. This is my personal blog. My professional blog is. The Customer Service Survey. Ive written a book called. Gourmet Customer Service. You can. buy it on Amazon. (in)Frequently Asked Questions. AIM Screen Name: DFNfrozenNorth. Categories. Statistics. Last Updated: Aug 07, 2008 03:29 PM.

Stealth 40

Stealth IP NDA Startup 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Change is about the only thing constant in the world of startups. Despite their own focus on changing the world, they often forget that they too have to change rapidly and often as the market evolves. Too many find that out too late, and are left chasing a rabbit that is long gone. The solution is to establish and maintain a culture and processes that don’t view change as a discrete event to be spotted and managed, but as an ongoing opportunity to improve competitiveness.

Marketing 235

Marketing Startup Agile Metrics 235

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Tweet. --> It’s “ Loveline for startups ,&# if you like those kinds of phrases. Introduced a month ago as an event in Austin, this time we moved this live audio advice column to the web, taking phone calls from startups around the country. My co-hosts were Bob Walsh and Patrick Foley , hosts of the well-known Startup Success Podcast. It was awesome having podcasting experts on board, especially Patrick who was on-site with me at Cospace in Austin, interrupting a vacation with his fa

Audio 211

Audio RSS Hosting Austin 211

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

If you’ve ever been to Singapore’s Midview City – one of the country’s newest “integrated business hubs&# – you’ll probably agree with me that it’s one dreary and depressing complex located in the middle of nowhere. But set amidst sprawling furniture stores and assorted commercial companies that occupy much of the industrial labyrinth is an unlikely gem that seems better suited in a premium Orchard Road shopping mall: Cake Over Heels , a cheery bou

Singapore 234

Singapore Canada Seed Capital Advertising 234

deal architect

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

NetSuite has announced that thirteen North American university accounting programs have adopted its software as a key component of their degree curricula. Purdue University; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Toronto; Arizona State University; Indiana University; Marietta College; University.

Los Angeles 186

Los Angeles Indiana Cloud Arizona 186

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Startups are usually so focused on selling more of their branded product or service to their own customer base (organic growth) that they don’t consider the more indirect methods (non-organic growth) of increasing revenue and market share. Non-organic growth would include OEM relationships, finding strategic partners, “coopetition,” as well as acquisitions.

Startup 232

Startup Merger Bandwidth Acquisition 232

Rembrandt Communications

SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

Are you a new business owner struggling to increase sales, handle public relations and get new customers to come to your site? Well, here are three, free tips to help you get noticed by the media and the search engines… fast. 1. Write An Article. Want to share some valuable information with potential customers? Write [.].

Engineer 154

Engineer Search Media Public Relations 154

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Are you an aspiring DJ? Or perhaps you harbor dreams of being the next Rush Limbaugh ? If you always wanted to create your own live web-based radio show but have no idea how to do it, here’s a simple and elegant solution for you – Spreaker ( www.spreaker.com ) is an audio platform that allows anyone to create, broadcast and share audio across the Internet easily.

Internet 223

Internet San Francisco Audio Italy 223

deal architect

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Gatorade’s Social Mission Control The.Net Gadgeteer Sleep Innovations The mighty shipping container.

Technology 210

Technology 210

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

When I heard a friend make the statement “Your startup can’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt it as their mantra. Pivoting or dealing a new hand is not quitting. If we all take this mantra, we can drastically improve the statistic that over half of new startups fail within five years. Nothing is more discouraging to future entrepreneurs than a failed startup.

Turkey 229

Turkey Startup Bootstrapping Differentiation 229

For Entrepreneurs

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

The Science behind Viral Marketing is a look at the key factors that drive growth in viral marketing. (Hint, the most important factor is not the one everyone expects.) It also looks at what is needed to get virality to work, and how to create and optimize viral marketing campaigns or viral products. This was [.].

Viral 167

Viral Marketing Campaign Product 167

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Investing in a college education is an extremely expensive and time-consuming affair – and yet many college undergraduates have no idea what courses to pursue or if the degree that they graduate with has any real value in the job marketplace. Here’s a fun, yet useful, infographic that shows you which college degrees have the best value in the market as well as the disciplines that perform the worst.

Engineer 203

Engineer United States Management Marketing 203

deal architect

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Google Maps adds weather Big Data calls for a massive data drive United’s Paperless Flight Desk 5 Unexpected Tech Centers.

Technology 170

Technology 170

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

The following is an excerpt from The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses published by Crown Business. In the book Lean Thinking , James Womack and Daniel Jones recount a story of stuffing newsletters into envelopes with the assistance of one of the author’s two young children. Every envelope had to be addressed, stamped, filled with a letter, and sealed.

Lean 167

Lean Video Startup Entrepreneur 167

Occam's Razor

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

There is one difference between winners and losers when it comes to web analytics. Winners, well before they think data or tool, have a well structured Digital Marketing & Measurement Model. Losers don't. This article guides you in understanding the value of the Digital Marketing & Measurement Model (notice the repeated emphasis on Marketing, not just Measurement), and how to create one for yourself.

Marketing 166

Marketing Campaign Acquisition Analytics 166

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Earlier we shared an infographic on some sobering unemployment numbers left behind by the recent recession. Here’s another infographic, this time another an easy (if painful) look at the history of recession in the United States since the Great Depression of the 1930s to today’s recession brought about the sub-prime mortgage implosion. And although today’s numbers don’t look quite as scary as those terrible years during the Great Depression, we’re still dipping into

United States 177

United States 177

Feld Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

I get asked to talk at a conference on a daily basis. I’m flattered by the interest, but it’s impossible for me to accomodate even a small percentage of the requests. I don’t charge anything to speak so I can’t use that as a filter, so I end up using geography and type of participation as my filters. A while ago I wrote a rant against panels and decided I would no longer participate in them.

Phoenix 132

Phoenix Global Technology Entrepreneur 132