YoungUpstarts

JUNE 12, 2014

'by Tim Maliyil , CEO and Data Security Architect for AlertBoot. The decision to leave the security of a traditional job for the uncertain life of an entrepreneur is difficult. You’re giving up financial stability, committing a lot of time, and accepting the challenges of running your own business. Although you can never really know whether it’s the right decision beforehand, in many situations, the jump to entrepreneurship is worth the risk.

Angel Investor 273

Angel Investor Security Cofounder Salary 273

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2014

'In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. That’s why investors say they invest in people (bet on the jockey, not the horse), rather than the idea. Yet every entrepreneur I meet wants to talk about the idea, and rarely mentions the team.

Technical Cofounder 245

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Advisory Board Startup 245

Hunter Walker

JUNE 7, 2014

'Most of the startups we’ve backed at Homebrew don’t rush to announce their funding. Not because they’re all operating in stealth or pre-product – in fact some already are earning $1m+ in revenue per annum. They just don’t feel the need to draw attention to themselves or alert possible competitors. And my sense is the trend carries outside of our portfolio these days.

Technical Review 117

Technical Review CTO Hire Finance Stealth 117

The Next Web

JUNE 11, 2014

'Mikita Mikado is a software engineer and entrepreneur from Belarus, now based in San Francisco. He is the co-­founder and CEO of Quote Roller and PandaDoc. There is no other place like Silicon Valley, the tech Mecca of access to great talent, capital and countless prospective clients. For some founders, moving to the Valley is the only option to succeed.

Belarus 167

Belarus San Francisco Founder Silicon Valley 167

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

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2014

'By Jon Gordon, author of “ The Carpenter: A Story About the Greatest Success Strategies of All “ Does America care anymore? Our actions seem to say “no.” In fact, not caring seems to be an epidemic. Exhibit A: Seventy percent of Americans are disengaged from their jobs, which leads to the poor customer service we experience all too often.

America 154

America Technical Review Non-Compete Employee 154

The Equity Kicker

JUNE 9, 2014

'Last week I wrote that a $1m revenue run rate and 20% month-on-month growth is a good benchmark to assess whether a transactional company is ready for a Series A, and then over the weekend I had a conversation on Twitter about whether investing in companies with a $1m revenue run rate was ‘venture’ capital or ‘growth’ capital.

Entrepreneur 143

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Europe Revenue 143

The Next Web

JUNE 7, 2014

'Mikita Mikado is a software engineer and entrepreneur from Belarus, now based in San Francisco. He is the co-­founder and CEO of Quote Roller and PandaDoc. While Congress is trying to decide on immigration reform, I’ve been through the excruciating, year-and-a-half-long process of getting a long-term US visa. I wasn’t looking to work for an American company.

Belarus 154

Belarus San Francisco Europe Software Engineering 154

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 11, 2014

'By Ben Carpenter, author of “ The Bigs: The Secrets Nobody Tells Students and Young Professionals About How to Find a Great Job, Do a Great Job, Be a Leader, Start a Business, Stay Out of Trouble, and Live A Happy Life “. Yet again, you’ve been passed over for a promotion. As you throw a pity party for one in your drab cubicle, you can’t help but wonder why.

Reputation 154

Reputation Switzerland Naming Email 154

SVPG

JUNE 13, 2014

'NOTE: My friend and colleague Jeff Patton is the author of an upcoming book on the general topic of User Stories and especially the technique of Story Mapping. I was asked to write a foreword for this new book, and this article is an excerpt from the foreword. I was also a reviewer of the book and it is definitely a must-read for any product person and fills a very big gap in the current library of Agile titles.

Product 107

Product Technical Review Engineer Agile 107

ConversionXL

JUNE 10, 2014

'If you’re selling in a competitive market, you must live & die by the little things that make you uniquely different from your competition. Do you have superior customer service? Have you targeted a very specific segment of the market with a common complaint? Are you approaching the problem in a way your competitors won’t? I suspect that might be the case with Team Colony , the subject of this week’s website review.

Design 100

Design Software Review Marketing Software 100

The Next Web

JUNE 8, 2014

'Yoav Leitersdorf and Ofer Schreiber of are partners at YL Ventures. Developing an enterprise-grade SaaS product is not easy. The keys are maintaining capital efficiency, launching early versions to the SMB market and constantly applying customer development methods. B2B companies, often due to the higher barriers to develop a working product, have historically been less popular with early-stage investors – such barriers sometimes involve tough requirements for core IP and deep technology.

B2C 132

B2C B2B IP Technical Review 132

deal architect

JUNE 11, 2014

'“No stock footage here” Remarked Plex CEO Jason Blessing about the video about various shop floors at customer sites which kicked off his user conference, PowerPlex yesterday. Actually he need not have used any footage at all. He had 900.

Stock 363

Stock Video Customer 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2014

'Starting a new business is a serious undertaking. Yet many aspiring entrepreneurs I know approach it as a fun project, get-rich quick scheme, or perhaps an expensive hobby. Others quit their day jobs and commit everything to their new passion, without regard for their own well-being, or the welfare of others around them. Neither of these approaches bodes well for success.

Entrepreneur 265

Entrepreneur Early Stage Bootstrapping Framework 265

ConversionXL

JUNE 10, 2014

'If you’re selling in a competitive market, you must live & die by the little things that make you uniquely different from your competition. Do you have superior customer service? Have you targeted a very specific segment of the market with a common complaint? Are you approaching the problem in a way your competitors won’t? I suspect that might be the case with Team Colony , the subject of this week’s website review.

Design 97

Design Software Review Product Software 97

Jeff Hilimire

JUNE 9, 2014

'It’s been long hypothesized that our phones will ultimately become our personal assistants. And with the movie, Her , I suppose some think our phones could become more than just friends ;). Apple’s Siri started our ability to actually begin talking to our phones. I was still using an iPhone when Siri came out and I mostly was using her it to voice dial while driving.

Mobile 52

Mobile Atlanta Technical Review Search 52

deal architect

JUNE 12, 2014

'Vishal Sikka has landed as CEO of Infosys, a few weeks after a tumultuous exit at SAP. My reaction – beyond the short term calming of jittery investors, Vishal will have his plenty of other opportunities. As I wrote last.

Offshore 323

Offshore 323

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2014

'Entrepreneurship is not a job for the Lone Ranger. Every startup requires building and maintaining effective relationships with people, including partners, team members, customers, and investors. That means giving and asking for feedback, and learning from it, especially negative feedback. “Friction” is feedback mixed with emotion or drama, making it all the more difficult to sort out the value.

Startup 258

Startup Entrepreneur Partner Employee 258

ConversionXL

JUNE 10, 2014

'If you’re selling in a competitive market, you must live & die by the little things that make you uniquely different from your competition. Do you have superior customer service? Have you targeted a very specific segment of the market with a common complaint? Are you approaching the problem in a way your competitors won’t? I suspect that might be the case with Team Colony , the subject of this week’s website review.

Software Review 86

Software Review Software Design Email 86

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2014

'by Francois Bondiguel , Online Marketing Manager at VendHQ.com. It’s like a war zone out there. The economy. The job market. The vendors. The suppliers. Even when you do get a small handful of semi-loyal repeats, you could lose them in a heartbeat if someone else comes by with a better offer. Today, you need ways to keep customers coming in the door.

Customer 228

Customer Retention Programming Customer Development 228

deal architect

JUNE 7, 2014

'I just finished reading Robert Cringley’s book on IBM. One word to describe it : “Depressing”. Not the author or his style, the subject matter. It has more sections on financial engineering – buybacks and earnings management – than about.

Software 259

Software Engineer Management 259

Gust

JUNE 8, 2014

'Virtual Team meeting image via Wikimedia blog. Almost every startup is a virtual team these days, since most don’t start out with dedicated office space, and some or all members of the team work part-time or out of their own home. It’s a small world, so these team members may not even be in the same town, or the same country. Outsourcing is just another extension of the virtual team concept to people you don’t even know.

Global 187

Global Technology Founder Entrepreneur 187

ConversionXL

JUNE 10, 2014

'If you’re selling in a competitive market, you must live & die by the little things that make you uniquely different from your competition. Do you have superior customer service? Have you targeted a very specific segment of the market with a common complaint? Are you approaching the problem in a way your competitors won’t? I suspect that might be the case with Team Colony , the subject of this week’s website review.

Design 71

Design Software Review Product Software 71

Rembrandt Communications

JUNE 11, 2014

'Did you know this can happen? You are swamped with work. There are looming deadlines, big meetings, employees, and phone calls to manage. Plus, you need to be home in time to attend a family softball game, sneak in a workout, take out the garbage, and prepare for your day tomorrow. There is a lot […].

SEO 170

SEO Hiring Web Sales 170

deal architect

JUNE 12, 2014

'I was making small talk with Shaun Rheingold at the Plex conference earlier this week. He is a former Tesla designer who has moved east to Michigan to start Canvas Watch. I asked him if Elon Musk is worried about.

Michigan 255

Michigan Design 255

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 8, 2014

'This may shock many people but according to market research company Millward Brown , in 2014 Google actually overtook Apple as the number one most valuable brand after the latter held the top spot for three consecutive years. And losing out to possibly its bitterest competitor must really cut the Cupertino-based tech giant. But why did it lose pole position to Google?

Internet 167

Internet Product Marketing 167

The Next Web

JUNE 13, 2014

'Becoming interesting isn’t just about learning how to become a good conversationalist. You need stories to tell. And the way you communicate those stories on the Internet is through content. Personal branding online is not about you, it’s about your content. I realized it early in my career. In every job and at every stage of my life, I had unique content that gave me an edge and propelled me ahead of the pack, from the scaffolds of Manhattan to the c-suites of Madison Avenue.

Social Media 167

Social Media Differentiation Internet Media 167

Gust

JUNE 7, 2014

'Every investment round in a company is made on the basis of extensivepaperwork (often upwards of 100 pages in total) specifying *precisely* what happens when it comes time to pay out the proceeds (if any) from the sale or dissolution of the company. And since all prior investors sign such agreements—or are otherwise legally bound by them—there is never any confusion about exactly what will happen under any particular outcome.

Warrant 157

Warrant Preferred Stock Early Stage Common Stock 157

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 10, 2014

'A year ago, I wrote a post about how I was trying to keep my phone away during meals-- No Phone with Food. These days, we''ve got so much that can distract us, being present has become a rare feat. I''ve tried to stick to it, but it''s hard. I run my own business and I try and make myself available whenever my entrepreneurs need me. I also have a lot of family responsibility--with parents getting older and my grandmother making her way ever closer to 100, there are a few important folks I alway

Venture Capital 161

Venture Capital Matching Technology Mobile 161

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 9, 2014

'‘Moonlighting’ is a term that often means you’re working a secondary job (usually at night, hence the name), but now it’s sort of shifted toward this idea of seeking the type of work that defines your lifestyle. I did this for a good while to a good degree. While holding my full-time position working at an e-commerce company, I spent my afternoons blogging, writing, producing video, graphic design, and doing everything I could to bring in additional income.

Portfolio 162

Portfolio Security Restful Finance 162

The Next Web

JUNE 10, 2014

'Thomas Clayton is the CEO of Bubbly, a social media startup backed by Sequoia Capital, SingTel Innov8, and JAFCO. Most entrepreneurs get caught up in Silicon Valley envy and decide to place their startup headquarters there without a second thought. But for most startups, this won’t necessarily lead to immediate success and riches. The Valley certainly is the mecca of the tech world; however, the Valley also isn’t the place for every tech startup.

Asia 167

Asia Silicon Valley Startup Social Media 167

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 13, 2014

'Fred Wilson beat me to it this morning with his post A Big Win For The Patent Reform Movement but he’s got a couple of hour time zone advantage over me. Regardless, I love Fred’s punch line: So it was with incredible joy that I read these words by Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla Motors and possibly the most innovative entrepreneur in the world right now.

Open Source 150

Open Source Venture Capital Software Founder 150

Version One Ventures

JUNE 10, 2014

'Sometimes, you need to wait a long time for the chance to invest in an outstanding founder. I met Adam Doppelt five years ago. He’s the co-founder of Urbanspoon , the popular restaurant review site and app. He also co-founded Cubeduel, a site that lets you rank your co-workers and Strangeberry, a digital media startup that was acquired by TiVo in 2004.

Mobile 150

Mobile Cofounder Founder Hiring 150

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 10, 2014

'The major concern of many companies in 2014 is not to reduce the volume of business travel, but to operate all possible measures to reduce the costs of it. The Barometer EVP 2013 American Express Voyages d’Affaires, a survey of 600 companies belonging to 11 European countries, reveals that 87% of the sample firms collected have as their priority the control of costs.

Cost 157

Cost Forecast Operations Search 157

The Next Web

JUNE 12, 2014

'This post originally appeared on the Buffer blog. How do you choose which social media networks to participate in? Certainly, there’re a ton to choose from. Are you on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn? Are you on Pinterest and Tumblr? Instagram and Vine? How many social media networks can you handle? Instagram makes a strong case, if you’re interested in raw numbers and unique appeal.

Social Media 166

Social Media Media Networking Web 166

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 12, 2014

'Recently I had a full day of meetings with chaotic juxtapositions of people. In one meeting, the person I interacted with was awesome. He owned everything that was going on in his company – good and bad. He was clear minded. He knew what was working, what wasn’t working, and what he needed to change. And he took responsibility for it. Immediately after, I had a non-scheduled conference call to try to get something wrapped up.

Cofounder 149

Cofounder Vesting Equity Email 149

Gust

JUNE 11, 2014

'Does the company have a board of directors? Are there any investor representatives on it? If there is a “lead” Investor with whom you have a good relationship, you might try having him act as your front man. Otherwise, you might try sending ALL your investors something like this: “Dear NewCo Investors, Given the unique circumstances of our company’s founding, we have been blessed with an amazing group of value-adding investors.

Programming 136

Programming Entrepreneur Startup 136