Sat.Mar 29, 2014 - Fri.Apr 04, 2014

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Helping Startups Understand Salespeople & the Sales Culture

Both Sides of the Table

'Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Specifically what is often not in the DNA of founders are sales skills. Nor do they exist in the investors of early-stage companies. The result is a lack of knowledge of the process and of sales people themselves. My first startup was no different. I had never had any sales training so everything we did for the first couple of years was instinctual.

Sales 382
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ESADE Business School Commencement Speech

Steve Blank

'President Bieto, Dean Sauquet, members of the faculty, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen….Thank you for the kind introduction. I’m honored to be at a university noted for knowledge, and in a city with 2000 years of history – home of Gaudí one of the 20 th century’s greatest innovators. I’d like to start with a request. Everyone, hold your phone up in the air like this.

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Set Your Online Reputation Before Someone Else Does

Startup Professionals Musings

'These days, your online Internet reputation is your reputation. Of course, having no reputation is usually better than a bad one, but don’t wait for someone else to establish a good one for you. It’s time for every business and business person to proactively create a positive presence, before someone else puts you in a defensive mode that is hard to win.

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5 Tips For Growing Your Start-up Into An Attractive Acquisition Target

YoungUpstarts

'For many start-up companies, the dream is to one day become the other half in a merger or acquisition with a larger, more developed organisation. While this is a great dream to have, there are thousands of businesses offering the same or similar products or services as yours, so you’ll need a competitive edge to turn this dream into a reality. Whether your start-up involves providing a service or your planning on selling a product, it doesn’t really matter – and it also doesn’t really matter wh

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Building Healthy Innovation Ecosystems for Your Projects

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

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One of My Most Frequent Pieces of Advice: Be Politely Persistent

Both Sides of the Table

'One of the hardest things for most entrepreneurs to know is how hard to push in situations where people tell you “no.” But then again most entrepreneurs fail. There is that rare breed that doesn’t accept “no” for an answer. It is impossible advice to give because there is such a fine line between being persistent and being annoying and it’s something you probably can’t teach.

Email 389
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A feel good story gets better

deal architect

'On Friday, I wrote about Suvir Mirchandani, a 14 year old who has analyzed how the government can save in printing costs. Tongue in cheek, I called him Deal Architect Jr, because of the $ 400 million savings potential his.

More Trending

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Wireless Network Security: What 802.11ac Means To You

YoungUpstarts

'The new wireless 802.11ac standard, or “Gigabit Wi-Fi,” uses new technology to launch wireless data rates into the stratosphere. Gigabit Wi-Fi will take the 802.11n standard, which enabled 450-Mbps data transmission, and raise the rate to as much as 6.93 Gbps on an eight-stream wireless device. Although the new standard has great implications for wireless network speed, organizations making the switch will need to update their wireless network security approaches.

Security 279
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How You Know You’ve Got the Right Startup Model?

Both Sides of the Table

'If you’ve watched any industry in the last 20 years where technology has begun to transform how the industry works the results are always predictable driven by what Clay Christensen appropriately called “ The Innovator’s Dilemma ” (one of the most influential books that changed my thinking about markets). Young startups claim they are going to change the world, large companies that dominate that sector scoff at how low quality these new entrants are, until l ike frogs bo

Turkey 338
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IT needs to lead not just align with business

deal architect

'Dr James Cash of Harvard Business School had a great talk last week at the Oracle Industry Connect event. Among other things he said IT should be involved in strategic planning at companies, not just try to be “aligned with.

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A Founder’s First Key Decision Is The Business Name

Gust

'Image via Startup Professionals. First things first – your startup needs a name! This may seem a silly and frivolous task, but it may be the most important decision you make. The name of your business has a tremendous impact on how customers and investors view you, and in today’s small world, it’s a world-wide decision. Please don’t send me any more business plans with TBD or NewCo in the title position.

Naming 174
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The 5 Main Conflict Management Styles And How They Affect Resolution

YoungUpstarts

'Conflicts and disagreements are a regular part of life, work, relationships and even self-interaction, and everyone approaches the issue a little differently. While few people find conflict pleasant, when conflict is managed well the negative aspects of a disagreement will end up being limited, while the positive aspects will be emphasized. Understanding the various approaches to conflict management can be enlightening because how someone engages in conflict can affect the types of resolution o

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How to Deliver More Software Projects On Time

Both Sides of the Table

'There’s an old joke in software development, “How much time does it take to design software?” Answer: As long as you have scheduled for the design phase. I know. Not funny, “ha, ha” but pretty apropos. If you’ve been involved with a number of software projects you already have an intuitive sense for this. We’ve all been involved with projects that seem to drift and drift and make progress.

Software 344
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Creativity around the planet

deal architect

'Innovation from around the world Stadel Museum in the flesh – Germany Design Capital – Las Vegas, US Europe’s startup capitals – various Services Outsourcing – Poland Reimagining India – India British Airways Digital Luggage Tag – UK Manufacturing lessons.

Las Vegas 191
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Speed = Sales and Success in PR and Marketing

Rembrandt Communications

'How Fast Does Your Team Respond? How many of you are waiting for a response from a new client, partner, publicist, or someone else? In today’s busy, business world, it’s probably quite a few of you. Although we now have speedy tools like e-mail, social media, texting, and even the old standard of actually talking […].

PR 154
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How To Pitch The Need For More Diversity In Your Workplace

YoungUpstarts

'If you find yourself working as a human resources manager, you may find that while your workplace is open to diversity, it doesn’t actively seek it. This is especially true in rural areas, where the population is less diverse. As a human resources worker or company counselor, it’s up to you to convince your bosses to approve a program to actively seek a more diverse workforce.

Florida 278
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Growth Hacking Free Trials: Time to Wow! is the key to success

For Entrepreneurs

'This article is part of a series titled “The Art & Science of Growth Hacking” that will be published over time. My thanks to Gail Goodman, the founder and CEO of Constant Contact for introducing me to this concept. Free trials and freemium products are two of the best ways to sell your product. They […].

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Outsourcers need better performers, not marketers

deal architect

'My friend Phil Fersht laments outsourcers are poor marketers. Marketing is easy if you are delivering standout solutions to customers. Amazon does not need brag too much because most customers have seen it has a track record of price reductions.

Offshore 191
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5 lessons I learned about leadership as a sergeant in the Israeli army

The Next Web

'Dan Schoenbaum is the CEO of Redbooth. I grew up in the United States, but volunteered to spend two and a half years in one of Israel’s toughest military units. Joining the military was never a thought that had crossed my mind, until – during college – I came across a review of a book called “A Purity of Arms.” Something about the book resonated with me and I found myself passionate about the opportunity to join the Army and try to be a part of a small, elite group.

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5 Stress Relief Techniques For Managers

YoungUpstarts

'Whether you aspire to manage a retail establishment or work in a company’s HR department, management can be a stressful field. For this reason, managers would do well to familiarize themselves with effective stress-relief techniques. By learning about convenient ways to reduce job-related stress, you’ll be able to confidently oversee employees with a newfound sense of calm.

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Expectations for Outside Board Members

Feld Thoughts

'For those of you that missed my note yesterday, I’m going to start using the first paragraph of my posts with an announcement about something in my world. Today’s is the launch of a new product from Orbotix called Selfiebot. My Orbotix friends are masters at creating amazing robots and are hard at work on the next generation of what we are calling “connected play.” Selfiebot is an autonomous flying robot that shoots HD photos of you, freeing you from the limitations of a

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A world without electrons and molecules

deal architect

'We had a power outage yesterday afternoon, so my wife and I escaped to a movie. And as we enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel, I thought about comments John Hofmeister, CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy and former President of.

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Why you should always under-promise and over-deliver

The Next Web

'Andrea Ayres-Deets is the Lead Writer at ooomf, an invite-only network connecting short-term software projects with handpicked developers and designers. Andrea writes about psychology, creativity, and business over on the ooomf blog. “Sure boss, I can have that article to you in two hours.” That’s an unnaturally short period of time. I knew it, my boss knew it—yet here we were—both agreeing to this farce.

Web 164
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8 Essentials For A Compelling Corporate Video

YoungUpstarts

'Many people consider corporate videos a pain to make and an even bigger pain to watch. This negative perception is really unfortunate because with a little foresight, knowledge and guidance, generating a compelling and enjoyable corporate video is fully in the realm of possibilities. Whether you’re a non-profit in Washington DC whose in-house production team needs a little help conjuring a successful promotional corporate video or you’re a DIY start-up bound and determined to hit the ground run

Video 276
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What’s Your Best Worst?

Feld Thoughts

'I just got back from a much needed vacation – the sort of vacation you kind of think you need and then on day three of 14 hours a night of sleep you realize you really needed it really badly. We got home yesterday after a solid week off the grid and I was having trouble sleeping so I got up early to spend some quality time with my computer. In the middle of a bunch of email I came across a gem from Elke Govertsen, the CEO of Mamalode.

Hosting 158
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When should a convertible note be treated as a replacement for an equity round, and take on characteristics of an equity financing?

Gust

'It doesn’t work that way. A convertible note and an equity round are two different things, done for different reasons. In most cases, the former is a quick way to get some money in the door in anticipation of the latter. A large majority of serious investors will insist on an equity round, either lightly documented (such as a Series Seed) or fully documented (such as an NVCA Model Series A).

Equity 154
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Why european startups shouldn’t fundraise in the Silicon Valley

The Next Web

'Andrej Kiska is an associate at Prague-based Credo Ventures. “European startups are able to raise just a fraction of the capital at home compared to their U.S. counterparts. And they receive a lot more value from their investors. Why would I ever fundraise anywhere outside of Silicon Valley?” I was not surprised to see quite a few such reactions to my recent blog post analyzing investment sizes and valuations in Europe.

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Seven Tips to Help You Finish Your Work Faster (So You Can Enjoy Your Evening)

YoungUpstarts

'by Andy Core, author of “ Change Your Day, Not Your Life: A Realistic Guide to Sustained Motivation, More Productivity and the Art Of Working Well “ Finally ( finally! ), the days are getting longer, and winter’s frigid temperatures are rising. (Okay, so that last part is happening more slowly than most of us would prefer, but it is happening.

Product 243
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The future of education: the distributed school and customized learning

Version One Ventures

'Ever since my friend Albert and his wife Susan have started to homeschool their kids, I have been thinking about the best ways to make custom learning more accessible to kids, families, and adults alike. Albert and Susan have taken an innovative approach to homeschooling (if interested, you can read more about their experiences here ). They recently devised the idea to hire individual guides for each of their three children.

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Mix Strong Opinions With Big Open Ears

Feld Thoughts

'Gluecon’s early bird pricing ends Friday, April 4th and I wanted to make sure you got the chance to register prior to the registration rates going up. When we started Gluecon with Eric Norlin six years ago, I don’t think any of us really had any idea about the true size of the wave of innovation that we were catching. Glue started out like a lot of tech conferences do, with a “business track” and a “technical track,” but we quickly realized what a mistake th

API 142
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Meet the Millennials: The consumers to change the marketing landscape

The Next Web

'Jamie Gailewicz oversees the Bailey Brand Consulting Client Services team, where he is involved in the ongoing management of clients, delivering sound strategies and inventive solutions. To sell to any audience, you have to understand it. Discovering how its members think, act, and purchase is only the first step to finding new opportunities to engage with them.

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Spring Cleaning For Your Small Business

YoungUpstarts

'by Hunter Hoffmann, Head of US Communications at Hiscox Insurance. With the onset of spring, now is a good time for small business owners to track their progress on their goals in the first few months of the year, re-vamp their marketing and sales strategies and put a shiny, new face on their company for the rest of the year. Here are some tips on spring cleaning for your small business: 1.

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I have an amazing idea for a web based start up which is yet untapped. How should I get started?

Gust

'The challenge you face is that there are other amazing ideas out there. Actually, there are many, many, brilliant, wonderful, amazing ideas out there. So faced with all these amazing ideas, investors invariably choose the ones that have been reduced to practice, developed traction of some kind and proved that they are amazing businesses , not just ideas.

Web 137
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Patriot Boot Camp – May 2014

Feld Thoughts

'In the #GiveFirst spirit, Techstars supports those who have served our country by hosting Patriot Boot Camp. PBC is an intense three-day program that educates and mentors active service members, Veterans and their spouses to innovate, build technology companies, and create jobs. Essentially, they get a mini Techstars experience. The next PBC will be held at the Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York City from May 16 th to 18 th.

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How to build a tech ecosystem: The essential building blocks for your city

The Next Web

'Carlos Eduardo Espinal is a partner at Seedcamp, an early stage mentoring and investment program that engages startups through monthly Seedcamp Events. I’m continuously excited when I hear about how many new ecosystems are evolving and growing across Europe and around the world. It truly is an exciting time in history for us to live in with many new innovations being generated by smaller companies rather than a concentrated few.

Europe 161
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Tips On Printing Posters To Help Communicate Your Message

YoungUpstarts

'With so much media existing solely in a digital format, it is easy to forget that traditional media can have just as much impact when used properly to get a message across. In the world of business, and especially advertising, you will need to use every resource and technique available if you want to make an impact. While we may spend a lot of our time staring at screens, sometimes seeing information displayed physically in the real world may help us to better absorb and understand what it is t

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The 4 Biggest Business Mistakes of All Time (and What You Can Learn From Them)

Up and Running

'When I was starting out in business I was naïve. Strike that—I was clueless. In fact, I knew less than nothing about running a business, and I didn’t even know that. Back then, in my 20s, I dove headfirst into everything I did, arms and legs flailing. I was all heart and no homework. I thought that, with enough passion and effort, I’d learn what I needed to know along the way.

Sales 126