Steve Blank

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Meanwhile the biggest and fastest scientific computer companies were in Minnesota. While it seemed like a good idea and had the Navy’s backing, the founders got turned down for funding by companies, investment bankers and everyone, until they talked to John Parker. More in part 2 of The Secret History of Minnesota

Minnesota 309

Minnesota Engineer Minneapolis Silicon Valley 309

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 20, 2020

Lines at food pantries were hundreds of cars and hours long, as the food security system struggled to keep up with unprecedented demand. Some food banks saw demand 3-4x normal, just as their volunteer base shrunk due to worries about COVID-19 infection. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Cars line up at a drive-thru food pantry.

Lean 128

Lean San Francisco Technical Review Software Review 128

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

Retailers have proven amazingly resilient in the past year, as they’ve worked through the mass shift to ecommerce and balancing the demands of lockdowns and shifting consumer behavior. Before the pandemic hit, Minnesota brand TC Running had two brick-and-mortar stores and zero ecommerce presence. Paige Briscoe, founder of ReRoot.

eCommerce 155

eCommerce Cofounder Community Channel 155

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 19, 2012

“ JonnyPops is a homegrown Minnesota company,” says Wray. Olaf students, along with University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Spencer Uttley, have developed their own business model, JonnyPops is the brainchild of Jonathan “Jonny” Jeffrey, a cousin of chief founder Brust. “I think that’s cool.”

Minnesota 145

Minnesota Wisconsin Distribution Business Model 145

Austin Startup

AUGUST 8, 2020

Over that time period, this newsletter has emerged as a must read for the city’s startup community because of its aggressive coverage of investments, IPOs, launches, Central Texas re-locations, mergers, founder-related events and (more recently) COVID-related layoffs. In fact, the Beat now counts more than 10,000 subscribers.

Austin 62

Austin Minnesota Silicon Valley Entrepreneur 62

YoungUpstarts

MAY 21, 2012

All businesses begin with a specific idea in mind, and although some stick to exactly what they started with, it’s much more common to find that a business has grown and evolved over time to keep up with changes in supply, demand, and even resource availability. The last of the textile operations were shut down in 1985.

Mississippi 209

Mississippi San Francisco Minnesota Bankruptcy 209

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78