TechEmpower

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

We love this! If you've not been watching the ASP.NET team's community standups , you have missed some surprisingly transparent, interesting, and oftentimes funny updates from a major web application framework development team. Every time I watch one I marvel, this is Microsoft? Clearly we're seeing a new Microsoft. If you're not watching, you would have also missed how much emphasis the ASP.NET team is putting on performance.

Framework 200

Framework Application Development Web Hosting 200

View from Seed

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

You probably know them well. If you’re not already subscribed to a number of them yourself, you’ve seen pop-up messages—on any number of sites—that urge, beg, plead with you to sign up to receive them regularly. Not every company uses them the right way, but those that do reap incredible rewards from their creations—even if the payoff isn’t direct or immediate.

Curation 185

Curation RSS Term Sheet Technical Review 185

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

“Survival of the fittest” is not the same thing as “survival of the best,” though not apparent at first glance. “Fittest” means “most able to become a grandparent.” Sound weird? You might “fittest” means “most able to create offspring,” but that’s not true if the offspring themselves are unable to continue the process of reproduction. A horse mated with a donkey creates a mule which is sterile; the parents in this case cannot become grandparents, and thus is an evolutionary dead-end.

Technical Review 148

Technical Review Viral Metrics Salary 148

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Image credit: Franchise from Shutterstock. By Brandon Moxam, Director of Brand Development at U.S. Lawns. There are numerous franchising opportunities in the U.S. With more than 825,000 franchise establishments across 300 business lines, they employ nearly 18 million people and account for one eighth of the U.S. private-sector jobs. Whether it’s access to a proven business model, the expertise and resources needed to achieve sustainable growth, or simply wanting a team of support, franchising ha

Small Business Administration 115

Small Business Administration SBA Business Model Small Business 115

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

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

In 1999, David Weinberger, a technologist and co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto , wrote, “Personalization: the automatic tailoring of sites and messages to the individuals viewing them so that we can feel that somewhere there’s a piece of software that loves us for who we are.” Ironically, nearly 20 years later, personalization is being used by companies attempting to make the online experience more human.

Web 76

Web Software Review Jordan Technical Review 76

SiliconHills

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Anna Eilering worked as a chef before becoming a software developer two years ago. “I make four times the amount of money I made as a chef,” Eilering said. She also has healthcare and other benefits as an employee at Rackspace in San Antonio. But it took her almost ten years working as a chef […] The post Linux for Ladies Program Seeks to Train More Women in the Technology Field appeared first on SiliconHills.

San Antonio 76

San Antonio Programming Technology Software Developers 76

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

A lot of work goes into making a nonprofit run smoothly, and a lot can go wrong. If you want to keep yours afloat, here are five mistakes you need to avoid. There’s something immensely admirable about running a nonprofit; it stems from a desire to change the world for the better, and a willingness to devote oneself entirely to a charitable cause. Unfortunately, good intentions do not a stable organization make.

Leadership 75

Leadership Government Hiring Operations 75

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 21, 2016

Elle Luna and I met several years ago via overlapping friend circles. The last meal we shared, several years ago, she departed accepting a ride in a pedicab piloted by a man in a spiderman costume. That kinda summarizes how wonderful her journey of the past several years have been. Hunter Walk: Your book, The Crossroads of Should and Must , has really reverberated with the creative community.

Design 51

Design India San Francisco Technical Review 51

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

MakeSpace , the leading provider of next-generation storage for consumers, today announced an additional $17.5 million in funding on TechCrunch led by Harmony Partners and Upfront Ventures to double its footprint of 3 cities (New York, Chicago & Washington DC) to 6 in 2016. We raised this capital in what has increasingly become a difficult market for fund raising so I’d like to share with you some details on how we get it done.

Video 238

Video DC Chicago Washington 238

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

As we prepared for the new Hacking for Defense class at Stanford, we had to stop and ask ourselves: How do we use the Business Model Canvas if the primary goal is not to earn money, but to fulfill a mission? In other words, how can we adapt the Business Model Canvas when the metrics of success for an organization is not revenue? Alexander Osterwalder and I think we have the answer – the new Mission Model Canvas.

Business Model 205

Business Model Revenue Channel Community 205

deal architect

FEBRUARY 21, 2016

I have analyzed Oracle for over two decades – at PwC, at Gartner, and now at Deal Architect. I have written before Oracle does not get enough respect – I would say it has to work twice as hard as.

Cloud 195

Cloud Software 195

Seeing Both Sides

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

. (this post was originally published in Harvard Business Review and is co-authored with Nadav Benbarak of Okta.). Growing revenue and profits is a core objective of most companies, and it is the responsibility of every function to contribute to the pursuit of this goal. Yet, in recent years technology startups have embraced a new role, Growth Manager — alternatively Growth Hacker, Growth PM, or Head of Growth — that focuses on it exclusively.

Management 29

Management Analytics Technical Review Framework 29

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

I recently sat down with Troy Carter to talk about what he does and why he believes it is applicable to venture capital. The “what” is well known in LA circles – Troy discovered a little known young singer named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta aka Lady Gaga and helped her launch her career. The “what” Troy Carter does also led him to be an early investor in Uber, Lyft, Dropbox, Warby Parker and several other great startups of the last era.

Los Angeles 202

Los Angeles West Virginia Venture Capital Silicon Valley 202

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Twenty-three percent of small business owners say that out of all the tasks involved in running their business, being a salesperson is their least favorite , making sales the least favorite task after bookkeeping, an eVoice survey found. Even professional sales representatives admit to sales anxiety, with 80 percent of new salespeople failing because of sales call reluctance , according to Shannon Goodson and George Dudley in The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance.

Sales 159

Sales Direct Marketing Conversion Small Business 159

deal architect

FEBRUARY 21, 2016

Over the last few weeks I have had a feeling of déjà vu. It’s a feeling I last had when I was writing SAP Nation a year and a half ago. As I wrote in the book “I reached out.

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Brandanew

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Ever so often we have a winter that doesn’t really feel like a Michigan winter. This year’s been like that. Middle of February and it already feels like we’re in spring. If you’ve been following my recent brand new escapades on Instagram , then you probably know this already. Good news is: spring’s a good time to get rid of things we’ve not looked at in years.

Michigan 141

Michigan Database Algorithm Mobile 141

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

As an advisor to many startups, I often see business principles espoused that may make sense for a large and established business trying to foster innovation but won’t work for a new startup. I’m a strong proponent of new entrepreneurs starting with a big vision, and believing anything is possible -- but I’m also a pragmatist who believes in factoring some realism into any plan.

Stealth 137

Stealth Startup Social Media Entrepreneur 137

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

While finding product-market fit is important, getting the rest of the business model right is the difference between and a great demo and a great business. And embracing risk-taking or failure is hard when you go to college and have to be the example for your family. Lessons learned from starting up and teaching entrepreneurship were the focus of an interview with the latest guest on Entrepreneurs are Everywhere , my radio show on SiriusXM Channel 111 (airing weekly Thursdays at 1 pm Pacific,

Cofounder 130

Cofounder DC Entrepreneur Silicon Valley 130

deal architect

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

This continues a series of columns from practitioners I respect. The category "Real Deal" describes them well. This time it is Bill Hewitt. Bill joined Exari in 2015 as Chief Executive Officer, responsible for the company’s vision, strategy and business.

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YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Image credit: Taking the leap from Shutterstock. by Rob Villeneuve, CEO of Rebel.com. Making the jump from a traditional career is terrifying. I found that leaving behind a predictable income in favor of following my passion wasn’t dissimilar to jumping out of an airplane with a questionable parachute. Starting your own business is filled with obstacles, fear, and crippling self-doubt; it seems crazy that anyone would ever choose that life.

Entrepreneur 150

Entrepreneur Stealth Finance Internet 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

To be an entrepreneur, you have to have a thick skin and not be defensive to customer feedback and constructive criticism. On the other hand, no entrepreneur should tolerate negative vibes and complainers on their own team. The challenge is to understand the difference between these two situations -- and to respond effectively to both. You can’t reinforce negative thinking and stay positive.

Leadership 136

Leadership Partner Customer Entrepreneur 136

Brandanew

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Finding the most effective methods to build a strong online presence and brand credibility in a world where competition is tougher with each new day is hard for all businesses. Email marketing is still among the strongest ways to get the message across to customers and prospective clients. Having a targeted audience of e-mail subscribers is crucial for your email marketing strategy.

Email 126

Email Marketing B2C Social Media 126

Seeing Both Sides

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

. (this post was originally published in Harvard Business Review and is co-authored with Nadav Benbarak of Okta.). Growing revenue and profits is a core objective of most companies, and it is the responsibility of every function to contribute to the pursuit of this goal. Yet, in recent years technology startups have embraced a new role, Growth Manager — alternatively Growth Hacker, Growth PM, or Head of Growth — that focuses on it exclusively.

Management 20

Management Analytics Technical Review Silicon Valley 20

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

Image credit: Warehouse from Shutterstock. There are many different reasons why you may need a type of storage unit. Perhaps you are moving home, for instance, in which case you need portable storage containers to not just move your belongings, but to bridge the gap between moving out and moving in as well. It is also possible that you simply don’t have enough space in your own home or office to store all your belongings.

Restful 118

Restful Security 118

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the business). As a result, strategy decisions are made in the same ad-hoc crises style as operational decisions, and the business suffers. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem.

Framework 129

Framework Operations Distribution Entrepreneur 129

Rembrandt Communications

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Without a content strategy, you losing time, money and sales! You write and post blogs because they are good for your business… or are they? If you don’t have a content-marketing strategy in place, you may be losing time, money and sales in the process. That’s right. Your blogs may just be blah! Here’s how […]. The post Are Your Blogs Blah? appeared first on Boost sales with BtoB Content Strategy and PR here.

PR 100

PR Sales Marketing Public Relations 100

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Your day begins before the sun has even risen. You don your clothes and rain boots and set out into the crisp morning to feed the chickens and the cattle. It’s a clear morning and you feel good being outside, feeling frost crunch beneath your feet, watching the yard cat stretch and yawn lazily. Already you’ve got a slew of tasks running through your head.

Colorado 97

Colorado Southern California Business Plan Oregon 97

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

If you’re looking for a profession that is exciting and rewarding, embarking on a career in finance could be ideal for you. Whether you’re fresh out of university or you simply fancy a change of job, there is a lot to consider before landing yourself your dream role. So, what is the secret to a successful career in the finance industry? If you want to find out, keep reading: Make sure you’re suitably qualified.

Finance 118

Finance Security Management Customer 118

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Partnership investing is boring. You give someone your money and, once a quarter, they give you a report that says what they did with your money. That's because, for the most part, fund investors fall into two categories: institutions and individuals. If you're an institution, you basically care about returns and that's it. You run X amount of capital and Y percentage of that is allocated to venture capital.

Limited Partner 94

Limited Partner Venture Capital Partner LP 94

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

The retrades have begun. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve experienced four retrades – two early stage, one growth, and one late stage – and I’ve heard of a number of others. If you’ve never experienced a retrade, or don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s the situation when you have a firm deal agreed upon or a term sheet signed and are proceeding to closing a deal, when the investor (or acquirer) decides to change the terms of the deal.

Term Sheet 94

Term Sheet Reputation Valuation Acquisition 94

Gust

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

For three out of four quarters in 2015, New York City’s tech ecosystem has led with more startup funding requests than any other region in the country, including California’s long reigning Silicon Valley. After a dip in Q3, New York rebounded in Q4 claiming nearly 20% of every funding application around the country. California ranked second with 17.8% of total.

Silicon Valley 93

Silicon Valley New York California Startup 93

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

by Emma Rosser of Publicize. For a startup leader, it can be tough to make waves in your industry and draw attention to a new endeavor. This challenge is all the more prominent this year, with the tech industry battle for VCs , amid fears that the startup bubble could be on the brink of collapse. Simply stating the usefulness of your product is not enough.

Colombia 106

Colombia Audience Internet Conversion 106

The Equity Kicker

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Deliveroo founder Will Shu was interviewed by CityAM and gave a piece of advice that is close to my heart: Unlike many higher flyers turned entrepreneurs, Shu doesn’t advocate seeing your startup as a Saturday project – if you’ve got an idea, you need to go for it. “Guys from finance are taught to hedge themselves – ‘I’ll work at Goldman, do my startup on the weekend or advise a couple of good ones and see if I can get in on that’ – but it’s important to be irrational, actually.

Cofounder 88

Cofounder Startup Founder Finance 88

YFS Magazine

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

Blogging is a strong marketing strategy in the arsenal of any growing your business. It will aid marketing efforts, engage your audience, score quality
 leads, improve visibility and convert.

Audience 76

Audience Marketing Sales 76

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 21, 2016

As an investor, I’ve noticed that our best-performing companies tend to send investor reports frequently while the ones that are flailing or flatlined never do unless reminded. As an entrepreneur, I know that it can be tough to convey bad news to your investors, because you don’t want them to think less of you or be angry / disappointed. Every time I had to write bad news to my investors when I was running LaunchBit, I would cringe a little bit before hitting the send button.

Burn Rate 76

Burn Rate Acquisition Revenue Metrics 76

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 21, 2016

By Randy Ross, author of “ Remarkable!: Maximizing Results through Value Creation “ Is your organization doing business as usual? Business as usual is conventional, operating within the established norms. It’s predictable, delivering the expected. It’s comfortable, maintaining the status quo. It’s… safe! There are millions of organizations doing business as usual.

Hiring 106

Hiring Operations Employee Founder 106