Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

'I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency.

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Technical Review Intellectual Property Angel Investor Elevator Pitch 273

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 21, 2013

'Creators of new products in environments of extreme uncertainty, startups face enormous risks. In the US, about 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years. Insufficient capital, over investment, and low sales are just some of the reasons leading to this sobering statistic. As a startup owner, what can you do to improve your chances? Enter “ The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses “, a New York Ti

Lean 193

Lean Technical Review North America Startup 193

readwrite.com

APRIL 25, 2013

'And you thought being a software engineer was all about dreaming up clever algorithms or amazing graphics routines and then instantiating them in elegant, tightly written code. Shows what you know. It turns out, at least according to a survey conducted by software delivery service Electric Cloud , that developers spend almost 20% of their time. waiting.

Software Developers 84

Software Developers Software Development Software Developer 84

TechEmpower

APRIL 22, 2013

'We''ve previously posted two rounds of results of benchmarking many web application platforms and frameworks. The community''s response remains strong! We have really enjoyed your comments, advice, questions, criticism, and pull requests. Speaking of pull requests, we received tests for several additional frameworks since Round 2 and we have posted Round 3.

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Framework PHP EC2 Database 509

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

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2013

'Change is hard. I see entrepreneurs every day who are trying to change the world with a new idea, and startups that are trying to survive their hyper-growth phase by changing processes to meet demand. In both cases, it’s easy for them to become frustrated and give up, since most have never been trained in change management, and don’t even know what questions to ask.

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Startup Metrics Technical Review Leadership 253

Growthink Blog

APRIL 21, 2013

'On April 4th of last year, the JOBS Act was signed into law. As part of the JOBS Act, equity-based crowdfunding was made legal in the US. However, before entrepreneurs could start using equity-based crowdfunding, the SEC had to write the specific rules governing it. The SEC was given 9 months to write those rules; they were due on December 31, 2012.

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Accredited Investor SEC San Francisco Equity 95

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2013

'This article originally appeared on TechCrunch. If you don’t like it hot, use less,” he said. “We don’t make mayonnaise here.” . This morning I was reading my social media and came across an article that Christine Tsai had posted on Facebook. It was about the founder of Sriracha sauce, David Tran, displaced from Vietnam when the North’s communists took power.

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Vietnam Los Angeles Entrepreneur Thailand 415

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2013

'Over 25 years ago, Michael E. Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact most are started by “technicians” who know nothing about running a business.

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Technical Review Social Media Internet Matching 235

OnlyOnce

APRIL 25, 2013

'The People Who Go the the Trainer the Most Are the Onese Who Were int eh Best Shape to Begin With. Have you ever noticed this? That the people working out with trainers in the gym are usually in great shape? So why do they keep working with the trainer? So they maintain their awesome level of fitness, of course! The lesson for business is the same.

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Leadership Employee Sales Restful 75

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 25, 2013

'Enjoy this guest post from Michael Reynolds is President/CEO of SpinWeb. photo credit: Folk Media via photopin cc. Inbound marketing is both an art and a science. The technology, metrics, measurements, testing, and goals are the science part of it while the creative campaigns and intuitive ideas are a critical part of the art of inbound marketing. While the numbers and metrics are very quantifiable, the multifaceted nature of inbound marketing can make it somewhat challenging to tackle from a p

Marketing 69

Marketing Indianapolis Technical Review Social Media 69

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

'Note: if you’re a parent please check out their website. Kara called me on a Tuesday. She was leaving IAC to start a company. “Tasha, clear some space on my calendar tomorrow. OK?” “I want you in my offices tomorrow, Kara. Does that work for you?” Kara came. She didn’t tell me she was bringing anybody. I didn’t ask her for a deck.

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Haiti San Francisco Startup Turkey 398

deal architect

APRIL 21, 2013

'Upfront a confession - my wife has long accused me of planning the next vacation instead of enjoying the one we are on. So, I don''t blame SAP co-CEOs Jim Snabe ( as he does with Dennis Howlett here) or.

Software 273

Software 273

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 23, 2013

'By Ella Sorenson. Starting your own business is a huge gamble, but you can increase your chances of success before you begin by making sure that you have the best possible plan. This post will offer five criteria to evaluate your business idea before you go ahead with it. It Is Financially Viable. Money talks, so carefully consider the financial side of your business to determine whether it is actually a viable idea.

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SEO Audience Revenue Web 272

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2013

'With the an estimated 150,000 new websites and 7.3 million new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your offering, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money.

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Product Cofounder Social Media SEO 261

Rembrandt Communications

APRIL 25, 2013

'Is your PR program helping your small business succeed? If you just launched a new business and want to build buzz fast, or you are a struggling small business owner who needs to increase sales right away, try these… 3 Public Relations Tips for Your Small Business to Boost Sales and Awareness Now! 1. Post [.].

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Public Relations Small Business Sales PR 232

deal architect

APRIL 24, 2013

'Last year Oracle’s events team invited me to describe some of the better events I had been to (and that I blogged about here). They heard me compliment a couple like Cognizant Community for its focus on thought leadership more.

Leadership 231

Leadership Global Community 231

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 23, 2013

'Silicon Valley is the pinnacle of a startup community that embodies the very essence of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, so much so that many startup ecosystems around the world aspires to be like it. Silicon Valley is the home for dreamers, but more importantly, it is the home for dreamers who do. Take Priya Haji, for example. The entrepreneur started World of Good , an online retail marketplace of sustainable craft goods which was acquired by eBay in 2010.

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Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Community Startup 215

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2013

'When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. A few years ago I interviewed a serial entrepreneur, Rich Christiansen , who has done almost 30 businesses wholly by bootstrapping.

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Equity Bootstrapping Startup Merger 241

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 24, 2013

'Last week TechStars London was approved for the UK Entrepreneurs’ Visa. If you are accepted to TechStars London , you now automatically get the UK Entrepreneurs’ Visa. The approval will allow TechStars London teams from outside of the EU to work in the UK for up to three years. After the three years, they can apply to extend their stay by a further two years if they want to continue living here.

Canada 156

Canada Entrepreneur Partner Startup 156

deal architect

APRIL 21, 2013

'on the New Florence blog Mail Catalogs: Ben Franklin is looking down in awe Rocket Ship Radio Innovations Outdoor Advertising evolves and thrives Reexamining scientific truths Amazon EC2 Spot Instances Rex, the Bionic Man The Big Data of Pi.

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EC2 Advertising Technology 230

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 22, 2013

'If you’re looking for entrepreneur resources online, look no further – the team at CouponAudit has put together a list of the top 100 entrepreneurship and business-focused blogs they think you should follow to help your own entrepreneurship journey along. There are familiar names such as Small Business Trends and Global Entrepreneurship Week , but the list also suggests some lesser-known blogs.

Entrepreneur 214

Entrepreneur Small Business Global Naming 214

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2013

'I’m a strong believer that investors invest in people, before they invest in a business plan, or an idea. But I continue to learn that there are a host of other factors, maybe not even related to you or your business, that could keep you from getting the funding that you need. You may not have control over many of these, but it helps to know, for planning purposes, what is really happening.

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Venture Capital Silicon Valley Massachusetts California 238

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 22, 2013

'On Digital Sabbath #5, I read Tech and the City: The Making of New York’s Startup Community. I got through half of it on my flight home from New York on Saturday morning; the balance laying on the couch next to Amy on Saturday evening. I gave a talk with Alessandro Piol on Tuesday night at the Apple Store on Prince Street that was sponsored by the Women Innovate Mobile accelerator.

Community 145

Community New York Los Angeles Chad 145

deal architect

APRIL 20, 2013

'I am a big fan of crowdsourcing done right. GE''s use of Kaggle''s crowd to solve complex aviation challenges, or the use of Amazon Mechanical Turk for crowd scans of satellite imagery in the search for Jim Gray are two.

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Search 220

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 26, 2013

'by Yatin Patel. Those in business are often said to be left-brained individuals, more logical, analytical and objective than their right-brained counterparts who are more creative in nature. But what happens when the two combine? To be a successful entrepreneur in today’s world, a person cannot achieve a high level of success without being creative.

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Entrepreneur Analytics India Internet 212

Version One Ventures

APRIL 23, 2013

'Few decisions can be as life-changing for founders as deciding when to sell a business. Companies get sold for a whole host of reasons: founders break up; money runs out; shareholders force a sale. And in many cases, the financial upside of a sale is just too seducing for the entrepreneurs, particularly for first-time founders. When making such a major decision, you’ll undoubtedly need to weigh many factors and most likely, some competing interests.

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Vertical Non-Compete Asia Europe 130

Up and Running

APRIL 23, 2013

'For 20 years now, Terrance “Cool Nutz” Scott has called music his job. A rapper, tour manager and talent manager, Cool Nutz has generated a lot of buzz and revenue for himself and other local artists. I sat down with him to try to understand what’s made him so successful, and why there aren’t a lot of rappers in his position. When did you realize that you could make a living off music?

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Portland Oregon Seattle Management 130

deal architect

APRIL 22, 2013

'Jon Swartz has a nice column in USA Today to time with Inforum in Orlando today.

Software 290

Software Audience 290

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 24, 2013

'by Claire Taylor. If you own and operate a small business, you’ll find dozens of cyber security tips. Search the Internet for “small business security” and pages upon pages of websites will be returned to you, telling you how to protect your computer systems. But what if you want to protect your physical property? In the technological age, these tips aren’t as easy to find.

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Security Small Business Employee Operations 178

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 23, 2013

'I’ve been reading a lot more lately – mostly on the weekends – but I’m getting back into a good book rhythm. I can feel it helping my brain and my soul – I’ve always been a huge reader and when I go through phases where I’m not reading something is clearly off. The second of the three books I read this weekend was Worm: The First Digital World War.

Internet 124

Internet Stock 124

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 26, 2013

'Fred Wilson has a post up this morning title Return and Ridicule which talks about the dangers of herd investing. Fred quotes Bill Gurley saying that ‘you can only make money by being right about something that most people think is wrong’ which I think is spot on. If lots of people share your idea about what is right then they will all want to invest, the valuation will rise and it will be much harder to make money.

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Valuation Social Media Software Media 129

deal architect

APRIL 24, 2013

'On the innovation blog The Maker culture in schools Billboard as water cooler The Papabili in tech glory Crisis Mapping Samsung’s S-Translator Evolving security beyond anti-virus Fan-alytics 50 Shades of Caffeine.

Security 191

Security Technology 191

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 26, 2013

'By Andrew Collins, founder & CEO of Mailman Group?. How much are you worth today? It’s a question we must ask ourselves as we embark on any new project. Depending on your age, experiences, financial situation, family and more – we make decisions as to what to get involved with, how much time to invest and what is important to you. I call this your ‘Net Life Position’ or NLP which can be the basis of all decision making.

Cleveland 159

Cleveland Jordan Asia Australia 159

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 25, 2013

'I needed some mental floss one night in New York last week when I was having trouble sleeping so I read Playing for Pizza: A Novel. My mom had recommended this one – I can’t remember why – but I usually read whatever she recommends. Put it in the “good son” category (although she helped me develop my love of reading and she’s almost always on target with recommendations for me.).

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Italy New York Developer 122

The Next Web

APRIL 26, 2013

'Gary Shapiro heads up the Consumer Electronics Association , which has taught him a thing or two about running successful businesses in a digital world. One point Shapiro particularly stressed during his keynote talk yesterday at The Next Web Conference 2013 was that diversity amongst a workforce is a key strength of the best companies. Today, The Next Web’s Paul Sawers caught up with Shapiro to find out more.

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Europe Video Restful Web 122

Mike Michalowicz

APRIL 25, 2013

'The excuses all sound so legit. I don’t have the money to hire someone! The systems aren’t in place yet! Unless the new guy comes up to speed super fast, I’m not going to be able to afford him! Sounds totally legit, right? Of course it does, but its not. Those excuses are all about the symptoms not the real reason. The real reason you keep putting off that first (or next) hire is that you will have to completely change your job.

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Hiring Employee Entrepreneur Cost 114