YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

by Jason Mendelson and Brad Feld, co-authors of “ Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist “ So, you’ve got a brilliant idea and you’re ready to launch a company. You’re passionate and ready to act! But first comes the tricky part: securing funds to make your dream a reality. If you’re new to the concept of raising massive amounts of cash for a new business, it’s only natural to be unsure of how to proceed from here.

Venture Capital 138

Venture Capital Term Sheet Technical Review Due Diligence 138

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

New business owners are rightfully proud of the changes they bring to the market, so they readily admit that change is good. Yet these same entrepreneurs often quickly get set in their ways, and find themselves resisting changes to their own business, and begin to fear further customer change in their domain. Change is no longer seen as an opportunity, but as a big risk and cost.

Metrics 134

Metrics Video Cost Revenue 134

View from Seed

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Our entire team at NextView is very pleased to announce that Ginny Mineo will be joining us as Director of Platform. Ginny comes to us from HubSpot, where she had a tremendous impact on the company in a variety of ways. Most recently, she led the team responsible for growing their successful podcast audience and expanding the company’s presence on emerging channels like Medium.

Seed Stage 120

Seed Stage Boston Early Stage Portfolio 120

BeyondVC

FEBRUARY 5, 2017

It’s going to be fun to watch the enterprise collaboration wars and how each company is approaching the market! In my mind it is a microcosm of many battles being played out with startups versus incumbents. Do large enterprises go for “best of breed” providers or the “one throat to choke” model? How does the bottom-up model work versus the traditional top-down enterprise sales model?

Technical Review 84

Technical Review New York City Software Review New York 84

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

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

As started a few weeks ago with RackN, I am putting forward a Spotlight Series on the Lontra Ventures portfolio. Next up, Appbase — wow… Continue reading on Austin Startups ».

Global 48

Global Austin Portfolio Marketing 48

Rob Go

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Our entire team at NextView is very pleased to announce that Ginny Mineo will be joining us as Director of Platform. Ginny comes to us from HubSpot, where she had a tremendous impact on the company in a variety of ways. Most recently, she led the team responsible for growing their successful podcast audience and expanding the company’s presence on emerging channels like Medium.

Seed Stage 47

Seed Stage Boston Early Stage Portfolio 47

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

It was only a year ago that many in the Venture Capital industry were predicting that “winter was coming” and to be fair the author of this post was chief amongst them. Yet as we enter February 2017 the VC funding markets are booming, Snap, Inc has filed for its IPO, AppDynamics was just purchased for $3.7 billion by Cisco and the only winter that can be found is at the ski resorts following California’s epic snowy and rainy January.

Venture Capital 203

Venture Capital Saudi Arabia Kuwait Burn Rate 203

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2017

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Innovation in marketing is perhaps more important than product innovation. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. More than just spending, you need to create an “experience” in this digital age which sets you apart from the banner ads, email blasts, and old-school websites out the

Marketing 192

Marketing Viral Demand Channel 192

deal architect

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

SAP held its Capital Markets Day in New York and shared slides which showed impressive numbers across the last 7 years – like the one below But like in the new movie about the unsung NASA “human computers” who worked.

New York 183

New York Marketing 183

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

by StormGeo Senior Meteorologist Dave Gorham. Unexpected events have a way of shining a bright light on a business’s greatest deficiency. Which begs the question: Why don’t some companies pinpoint those flaws before chunks of revenue fall by the wayside? That’s where a vulnerability assessment comes into play. The objective of this process — which should be a goal of any broad business continuity plan — is to establish a connection between safety and the continuation of your business, as wel

Forecast 156

Forecast Small Business Employee Operations 156

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

So many of us struggle with consistency. Here are 5 common reasons why you are not consistent in business and what you can do about it. This article Why You’re Not Consistent In Business appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Developer 129

Developer Product Management 129

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

A “downer” is defined here as someone who seems to dwell on the negatives of every business challenge, and loves to highlight bad news or potential problems. No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. I’m not talking about someone who has an occasional bad day, but rather people who when asked, “How are things?

Product 142

Product Startup Employee Management 142

deal architect

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

Bell Labs thought up the 3 digit US area codes in the 1940s. They have spread around the world in the form of country and city code through ISO and other standards. The codes made long distance calling so much.

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YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

Interior design is something that many people are interested in. They enjoy turning their own living spaces into places that royalty would be proud of. But what do you do if you want to take your personal interest in interior design a step further? It’s something that many people like the idea of doing. However, actually making that leap from a hobby to a business can be tricky.

Design 129

Design Naming Operations Networking 129

For Entrepreneurs

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

This presentation is from my talk at the 2017 SaaStr Annual conference in San Francisco. It offers an overview of a simple model to understand a SaaS business and the key levers a CEO can pull to get the most impact. The presentation covers: Optimizing the SaaS Funnel: Get inside your customer’s head Break down.

San Francisco 126

San Francisco Metrics Sales Marketing 126

The Equity Kicker

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

This chart, from First Round Capital’s recent post Leslie’s Compass: A Framework for Go-To-Market Strategy is super interesting. It’s first use is for founders to work out whether they should have a sales intensive or marketing intensive go-to-market strategy. That’s the point of the post and the summary is that if your business has the characteristics on the left hand side then your strategy should be marketing intensive and if you’re more like the right hand side

Marketing 110

Marketing Framework B2C Valuation 110

deal architect

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

My innovation blog, New Florence, turns 12 next month. Across 5,000+ posts I have seen many patterns and memes, some of which have led to books like The New Polymath and Silicon Collar. It has also made me realize so.

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YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

by Andrea Kalli, www.virtualassist.net/. According to data from eMarketer, “More than 62% of the world’s internet users will view digital video in 2017, up from 60.8% in 2016. Think about that for just a minute: 62% of all online individuals will be consuming video content. If your business has yet to develop a video marketing plan, you are likely already losing out to competitors savvy enough to incorporate video into their business development plans.

Video 120

Video Distribution Analytics Audience 120

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

Have you ever wondered how you can make better business decisions? There is no other life hack with such long-lasting benefits for your business than this. This article The Key To Making Better Business Decisions appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Developer 108

Developer Leadership 108

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

There are many year-end rituals, including time with the family, shopping online for sales, and making last-minute tax moves. As we settle into a new year, there are annual rituals too—and one of those rituals for business leaders is looking ahead and assessing the trends for the coming year. If one of your rituals for the new year is looking forward, here are five business technology trends you should consider as you make your adjustments. 1.

Technology 106

Technology China Analytics Cloud 106

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 5, 2017

In our very divided world right now, this video is worth three minutes of your life on this Super Bowl Sunday. The post All That We Share appeared first on Feld Thoughts.

Video 107

Video 107

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

by Jonathan Sacks, CEO and owner of the PUSH Agency. Culture, whether deliberately developed or created by happenstance, is an undeniable fact of human behavior, showing up in the context of a community, a home, a workplace. It shapes the way people interact with one another, how they achieve goals, and how values are displayed. In business, wise leaders are recognizing the importance of cultivating a work environment that fosters employee satisfaction, a sense of camaraderie, and ultimately suc

North America 120

North America Database America Hiring 120

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Can freezing cold showers improve your business approach and general emotional intelligence? Here's what I've learned first-hand. This article Want To Be More Successful? Take Cold Showers More Often appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Developer 101

Developer 101

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

Accessing capital to launch a business is brutal for entrepreneurs just starting out along the path. Traditional lenders will want collateral to back up a loan, like your home or some other asset of value. Most VCs and angel investors are looking to invest in individuals that have a proven track record of prior success. So, if you’re anything like me, your first startup will need to be self-funded and operated with a very lean budget.

Sweat Equity 93

Sweat Equity Equity Sales PR 93

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

HBR recently did an interview with me around the idea of generosity burnout. It’s part of the challenge that Adam Grant is exploring after the huge success and impact of his book Give and Take. There’s a longer article on HBR by Adam about the general concept of generosity burnout. It’s a good read and it’s helpful to me as I start working on my next book, Give First.

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YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

by Adam Blackford-Mills, Head of Digital at MRS Digital. We’ve made it through the first month of 2017 and the New Year’s hype has died down. Now is the time to focus on the upcoming months, make business plans and set goals. Looking ahead at what’s in store for businesses and digital marketing this year, there are some fascinating trends and predictions about what the next big thing is going to be.

Marketing 118

Marketing SEO Channel Search 118

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

Approaching product packaging and design with an open mind and these 5 tips will help you nail your packaging strategy and entice customers. This article 5 Product Packaging And Design Tips For Startups appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Design 99

Design Product Startup Customer 99

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

Improving your Quality Score, increasing your clickthrough rate (CTR), reducing your ad spend without compromising results… these are all top-of-mind for PPC marketers using AdWords. Recently, we increased our CTR by 28.1%, improving our Quality Score from 5.56 to 7.95 (out of 10). How’d we do it? Through single keyword ad groups, a little-known tactic that smart marketers are using to maximize their PPC spend.

PPC 88

PPC Matching Algorithm Clickthrough 88

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

I’ve become a huge fan of Harry Stebbings, the intrepid entrepreneur turned VC whose age (20) matches the title of his podcast ( The Twenty Minute VC.) Today, at SaaStr at 1:40pm in the Hypercritical section , Harry is interviewing me about – well – whatever he wants. Harry has done hundreds of 20 minute VC interviews over the past few years.

LP 89

LP Cofounder Australia SEO 89

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

When it comes to setting up your first business, you usually think of ideas that are close to home. For example, if you’re great with computers then you might start up a blog or similar website that provides content for readers. It’s cheap to start up, you can get creative with your ideas, and there’s no risk to consider if your first idea fails. Thanks to the low barrier of entry, something like starting a blog can be profitable yet cheap.

Advertising 115

Advertising Hiring Social Media Reputation 115

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

Educating yourself on common business milestones in your startup will give you a better chance of getting through the stages of your growing business. This article How To Prepare For The Top 5 Business Milestones appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Startup 95

Startup 95

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

When do you sell your company? Obviously we all want to sell at the top. And there is the problem. How do you know when you are at or near that right point to sell for maximum value? Those of us in the business of calculating (guessing) this mythical peak in value often make the same mistake as our entrepreneurs. We hang on just a little bit longer, expecting continued or accelerating growth and value as in previous periods of the same.

Dilution 84

Dilution Valuation Early Stage Naming 84

Mike Michalowicz

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Many years ago, I invited a non-Christian friend to volunteer with me at a Christian organization for their annual fundraiser. She was surprised to have received so many phone calls from strangers who wanted to give. She said, “At my work place, I had to call our customers who owe us money repeatedly to pay us, but here, people just called in to give money.

Ruby 83

Ruby LLC Forecast Lean 83

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

by Tom Brialey, Managing Director of Action Storage. Keeping your staff focused on your business’s mission is much easier said than done. When you don’t own the company you’re working for, it’s often easy to feel a lack of emotional investment in the overall success of the organisation. However, there are some simple, low-cost steps you as an owner can take to keep your team just as interested in your business as they’d be if they owned it themselves: Enhance your office space.

Salary 115

Salary Employee Cost Demand 115

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Have you considered what it means to define success on your own terms? These success tips will help you go out into the world and make your own rules! This article How I Defined Success On My Own Terms appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Developer 95

Developer Leadership 95

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Do you feed hungry customers all around town in your food truck? If so, you’re part of the in-demand mobile food industry that is commonly found in major U.S. cities where people are eager to grab a quick bite for a reasonable price. While making money to cook up tasty treats can be enjoyable, there are lots of federal, state, and local tax rules that apply to running a food truck business.

LLC 81

LLC Employee Salary Social Media 81