Sat.Nov 15, 2014 - Fri.Nov 21, 2014

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Why Entrepreneurs Should Be Respected More Than Loved

Both Sides of the Table

'One of the vivid memories I have from being a startup CEO is the feeling that most people in your company have a look in their eyes that like they can do your job as well as you. How hard could it be? You just assign out tasks to all of us. In the early days the CEO is the jack-of-all-trades, doer-of-all, famously the “chief janitor” or coffee maker.

CTO Hire 385
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The Planned Iteration Startup Launch Minimizes Risk

Startup Professionals Musings

'The traditional mode of starting a company has been to plan a serial process, where you complete once all the steps, leading to the “big bang” launch of the company. I strongly recommend a dramatic departure from this model, called “planned iteration” or Lean Startup methodology, where you assume you won’t get it right the first time, so you launch with a minimum viable product (MVP).

Agile 253
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7 Reasons Businesses Need Expert Online Visibility

YoungUpstarts

'by Russell Wallace, founder and CEO of 29 Prime, Inc. If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? SMB brands are damaging their own success by not having an online presence. Because just having a website is not enough, here are 7 reasons why presence is a must: 1. If your business doesn’t have an online presence, it doesn’t exist in the current marketplace.

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Your Guide to the Complete Lean Startup Conference Program

Startup Lessons Learned

'Guest post by Lisa Regan, writer for The Lean Startup Conference Eleven months in the making, the full schedule for The Lean Startup Conference is at last complete, and we can’t wait to show you around! OK, sure, we’re still nailing down a couple more speakers and sessions, which we’ll announce as we finalize them. But other than that, it’s all there.

Lean 156
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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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Valuing My Own Time and Saying No

This is going to be BIG.

'The other day, I got a note asking whether I''d be willing to meet some "Head of New Things" at a big telecom. That wasn''t their actual title, but it was something like that. You''ve met them before. They''re new to the gig, super excited about all its potential, and getting out there selling founders hope for that one big gamechanging deal. But I''ve seen this movie before, so here''s how I responded: "Hi!

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How to Make Your Confirmation Emails Not Suck (and Make Money)

ConversionXL

'Confirmation emails may be the least developed customer touchpoint. These standard, expected emails are often as delightful as your typical in-store receipt (read: not at all delightful). Because confirmation emails are triggered by the user’s actions, your customers are expecting something – which means they open, notice and engage with them.

Email 124

More Trending

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Blockstream

thebarefootvc

'We’ve come together because we believe in the potential of this technology to have a significant, positive social impact. – Austin Hill , co-founder Blockstream (FPV’s newest portfolio company). I founded FuturePerfect Ventures earlier this year because I believe that technology’s potential for positive social impact is still in formative stages.

Kenya 109
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Infocyte Raises $500K for Assessment Platform that Determines If a Network Has Been Hacked

Austin Startup

'Infocyte, Inc., a San Antonio-based cyber security startup, has secured $500k in additional seed funding to accelerate development of its’ assessment platform, Pulse. Led by Austin-based LiveOak Venture Partners, the funding will be used to expand Infocyte’s development team ahead of their planned 1st Quarter 2015 product launch.

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How to Use Qualitative Research to Drive Conversions

ConversionXL

'When marketers think of using data to come up with test hypotheses, they typically think of digital analytics. Quantifiable data. But qualitative research can actually offer more insight than anything else for coming up with winning test hypotheses. When quantitative stuff tells you what, where and how much, then qualitative tells you ‘why’ The goal of qualitative research is to gather an in-depth understanding of user behavior, and the reasons for that behavior.

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11 Ways Virtual Offices Can Increase Your Productivity

YoungUpstarts

'by Deanna Ayres, SEM Strategist and Community Outreach Supervisor at The Marketing Zen Group. Virtual offices like Sococo are more common than ever and many are enjoying the benefits that they bring. Operating a virtual office and having a remote workforce can increase your organizations productivity exponentially. Here are 11 ways to stay competitive and productive with your business: 1.

Product 174
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Startup Data: 4 Strategies Changing the Speed & Size of Your Series A

View from Seed

'Once a startup has raised seed capital, plenty of theories and advice exist on how to successfully raise a Series A. Recently, we looked at our own portfolio at NextView Ventures to dig a little deeper on how startups actually raise that next round of financing. It’s been four years since we founded NextView Ventures, so we’re now at a critical mass of startups that have accomplished this Series A milestone.

Syndicate 333
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Tempo Semiconductor Launches with Focus on Low Power, High Fidelity, Mixed Signal Audio Semiconductor Solutions

Austin Startup

'On December 20, 2013, Tempo Semiconductor acquired the assets of IDT’s Audio Business Unit, along with a highly skilled engineering and technical support organization committed to providing innovative solutions. Tempo is reigniting the value of these audio products, delivering new ultra low power, high fidelity, mixed signal semiconductor solutions to the handheld and portable devices market, as well as continuing audio support for PCs.

Audio 67
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SAP Simplification: an exciting development

deal architect

'It’s tough to miss a 3 page, full color spread in the Wall Street Journal. And if you miss it, it slaps you on the head a couple of days later. Dr Hasso Plattner’s conversation with Dennis Howlett provides more.

Developer 268
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C-Suite Tsunami: The Skills That Could Sweep Women To The Top In A Tech-Dominated World

YoungUpstarts

'by Edward D. Hess, author of “ Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization “ In 10 to 20 years, the working world as we know it will be practically unrecognizable. A 2013 study published by Carl Frey and Michael Osborne of the University of Oxford shows 66 percent of the nation’s workforce has a medium to high risk of being displaced due to technology advances in coming decades.

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How To Optimize Entrepreneurial Learning In School

Startup Professionals Musings

'A popular myth these days is that finishing college only dilutes your entrepreneurial instincts, and the best of the best, including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, dropped out early to hasten their success. I agree with Robert E. Litan, former VP of research at the Kauffman Foundation, that these are exceptions to the rule, rather than a model to emulate.

Chad 279
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Impact! NYU Scales the Lean LaunchPad

Steve Blank

'NYU has adopted the Lean LaunchPad ® class as a standard entrepreneurship course across twelve different schools/colleges within the University. Over 1,000 students a year are learning lean startup concepts. Impact! —– In August 2011 I received an email from someone at NYU I never heard of. Frank Rimalovski, the Executive Director of the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute , had just read about the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) in my blog , and he absolutely ha

Lean 269
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Blockstream

thebarefootvc

We’ve come together because we believe in the potential of this technology to have a significant, positive social impact. – Austin Hill , co-founder Blockstream (FPV’s newest portfolio company). I founded FuturePerfect Ventures earlier this year because I believe that technology’s potential for positive social impact is still in formative stages.

Kenya 40
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Surround Yourself With People Smarter Than You

Gust

'Einstein image via Flickr by Sebastian Niedlich. Helpers do what you say, while good help does what you need, without you saying anything. People who can help you the most are actually smarter than you, at least in their domain. Top entrepreneurs spend more time putting the right team in place to accomplish their objectives than they spend on any other components of their job.

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10 Trust Secrets You Need To Practice In Business

Startup Professionals Musings

'One of the first harsh realities that every entrepreneur has to learn is that most of the things that are critical to startup success are outside of their direct control. Just because you dream it and build it, doesn’t mean they will come – that encompasses not only customers, but also investors, partners, team members, and even your own family. They won’t come if they don’t trust you.

Dividend 274
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The Learning Curve: Your Company’s Only Sustainable Competitive Advantage And How To Develop It

YoungUpstarts

'by Edward D. Hess, author of “ Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization “. Like all business leaders, you know that your organization’s survival and success depend on maintaining a competitive advantage. So you’re constantly focused on reaching more of your target market, making your product that much better, and expanding your services.

Developer 171
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3 Tips to a Better, Video Interview

Rembrandt Communications

'Are you ready for that big, publicity opportunity? The phone rings, and a well-known producer at one of your targeted media-venues wants to interview you via video in 30 minutes. That’s fantastic! But wait…are you ready? If so, this could be a great, publicity opportunity to help boost sales, awareness and credibility fast. If not, […]. The post 3 Tips to a Better, Video Interview appeared first on SEO Content Strategy and BtoB Public Relations.

Video 164
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Productivity advice I learned from people smarter than me

The Next Web

'Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of The Obstacle Is The Way, the founder of Brass Check Marketing and gives monthly book recommendations to 30,000 people here. Like all people, I’d like to think I am a productive person. If I am, however, it’s because I’ve been ruthlessly efficient at one thing: stealing secrets and methods from people a lot smarter than me.

Product 168
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Entrepreneurs Need To Understand Survival Basics

Startup Professionals Musings

'The good news is that the rate of entrepreneurship is down a bit, to pre-recession levels, according to the latest Kaufmann Index of entrepreneurial activity. The bad news is that it’s still high, the opportunity for change is huge, and the cost of entry is at an all-time low. It’s a jungle fight for survival out there for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics.

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5 Ways To Optimize Ecommerce On Small Business Saturday

YoungUpstarts

'by Rey Pasinli, Executive Director of Total-Apps. Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday created in 2010 by American Express. It encourages consumers to buy from small businesses on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. While it was originally aimed to persuade consumers to buy local at retail locations, you can still take advantage of this holiday with your eCommerce store.

eCommerce 166
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She Does: 21 Quotes on Why Women Should Embrace the Challenge & Thrive As Entrepreneurs

Up and Running

'To celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, we’ve collected 21 quotes from women about the challenges and fulfillment they’ve found in entrepreneurship. Featuring iconic business women and trailblazers like Oprah Winfrey, Coco Chanel, and Arianna Huffington, to small business owners who are etching out a path of their own and reaping the rewards.

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Why ‘build it and they will come’ no longer works for mobile apps

The Next Web

'Jordan Wright is the co-founder & CEO of Comfy, an Austin startup changing the way university students find housing. “Build it and they will come” hasn’t worked in app stores for years. In today’s crowded app stores, you must put in the elbow grease to help your app show in top results. Only then will your app get the visibility you need to cross the tipping point into potential monetization.

Mobile 167
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The importance of consistent messaging

Version One Ventures

'You may have noticed that we recently revamped our website in conjunction with the Fund II launch. As we updated the content, we quickly discovered that many of the company descriptions on our Portfolio page were out of date. After all, startups iterate quickly, evolve, and even pivot. Without actively managing their digital presence, messaging gets stale pretty fast.

Portfolio 143
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Primary Problems with Enforcing Non-Compete Agreements

YoungUpstarts

' by Yasir Billoo, partner at Golden & Grimes LLP. Businesses often require employees to sign non-compete agreements to protect their business interests. However, just because an employee has signed a non-compete agreement does not make the agreement valid under the law. Employers often attempt to overreach on such agreements, which may make the entire agreement invalid.

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16 PR Strategies Every Small Business Should Stop Using Right Now

Up and Running

'PR can do wonders for your startup or small business, but not all strategies have proven to be effective. Below, 16 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) share the one PR strategy they think all startups and small businesses should stop using, and why. 1. Over-the-Top Self-Promotion. Press releases are a tool for getting your company’s name out there — one that should be used strategically.

PR 145
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7 secrets that sales and marketing colleagues should know about each other

The Next Web

'Doug Camplejohn is the CEO and Founder of Fliptop, a leader in Predictive Analytics applications for B2B companies. Everybody’s got secrets. Some, like bizarre hair growth or a deep-seated love of tween pop, are perhaps best kept that way, while others can be a powerful tool for good. This is certainly the case with sales and marketing teams, where better understanding can lead to better results.

Sales 161
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Company culture is increasingly important – to customers

The Equity Kicker

'It’s pretty well recognised now that a strong company culture helps bring success to a business, but what’s new is that a company’s culture is starting to matter to consumers. Moreover, whilst shareholders may judge a company’s culture on how much it contributes to good execution, customers judge it on ethical grounds. Hence, for the second year running Amazon Anonymous are running a boycott Amazon campaign this Christmas which they claim has so far diverted £1.3m of s

Customer 138
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[Infographic] How To Make Your First E-Commerce Sale

YoungUpstarts

'So you’ve set up your first e-commerce site and are all ready to begin selling. Congratulations! But having a mere online platform doesn’t guarantee that people can find your business online such that they would buy anything from you. And if you haven’t thought about this, shame on you. How do you, for example, leverage on social media such that people will start talking about you?

Sales 162
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Here’s to You, Women in Business

Up and Running

'The United Nations Headquarters, pictured here, will hold the inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Conference. If you’re an active part of your city or town’s community, you may have noticed a sudden spike in the number of activities and events relating to business and entrepreneurship. That’s because we’re now in the midst of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW); a week wholly dedicated to inspiring people to unleash their ideas and take the next step in the entr

Iceland 138
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5 mistakes we all make with product feedback

The Next Web

'Des Traynor is the co-founder of Intercom, the easiest way for Web and mobile businesses to understand and communicate with their customers. This post originally appeared on InsideIntercom. It rarely makes sense to take feedback from all users and it never makes sense to get it all at once. At the outset of a new project, or especially if you’ve recently taken over a product, it’s tempting to survey all your users to appraise where things are.

Product 159
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If I was an Uber investor. (besides the obvious fact that I'd be rich.)

This is going to be BIG.

'I like Uber as a service. It just works. I also like the fact that it seems to provide a lot of work for a lot of otherwise underemployed people. All of the drivers I''ve spoken to have said nothing but good things about it. They seem to like getting the work. Do I think that all of the executives are bad people? No. In fact, I like all the people I know somewhat well who work there.

Valuation 129
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How To Create Attention-Grabbing Labels?

YoungUpstarts

'by Emily Smith, professional market analyst and writer for The Label Company. When you visit a store to buy something, you find numerous items stacked on the shelves. But, there are the ones that instantly catch your attention, tempting you to pick them up and have a closer look. So, what’s the thing that you like about these items? It’s their labels.