Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

'A while back I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ For a Startup, Two Heads are Always Better Than One ”. The feedback was good, but some readers asked me to be a bit more specific on attributes that might indicate an ideal startup partner. Even if you are looking in all the right places, it helps to know what you are looking for. In this context, I’m broadening the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.

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Partner Software Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 269

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2014

'For decades large companies have gone shopping in Silicon Valley for startups. Lately the pressure of continuous disruption has forced them to step up the pace. More often than not the results of these acquisitions are disappointing. What can companies learn from others’ failed efforts to integrate startups into large companies? The answer - there are two types of integration strategies, and they depend on where the startup is in its lifecycle.

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Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 332

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 24, 2014

'This morning littleBits released their Space Kit. I’ve been on the board of littleBits since last year and am just in awe of what the team, led by Ayah Bdeir, is cranking out. Ayah is an example of an amazing female entrepreneur and CEO. I first met her via Joanne Wilson who wrote about here here. I hope to work with her for a long time. Seeing the launch inspired me to go dig up a list of resourced for girls learning to code.

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Software Engineering Software Developers Software Development Curation 178

Gust

APRIL 20, 2014

'Image via Wikimedia Commons. It’s your startup, so you can give early partners any title you want, but be aware of potential investor and peer implications. VCs and Angel investors like to see a startup that is running lean and mean, with no more than three or four of the conventional C-level or VP titles. More executives, or other more creative titles are seen as a big red flag.

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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 19, 2014

'Most entrepreneurs have learned that it’s almost always quicker and easier to get cash from someone you know, rather than Angel investors or professional investors (VCs). In fact, most investors “require” that you already have some investment from friends and family before they will even step up to the plate. You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products.

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Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Startup 266

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 21, 2014

'by Forbes magazine publisher Rich Karlgaard and author of “ The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success “ In an age of cynicism and irony, Northwestern Mutual is a throwback to a more innocent time. The company is the antithesis of “cool.” It has the kind of culture in which people embrace plain suits and sincere handshakes, take pride in wearing achievement ribbons, kick off conferences with patriotic music.

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Employee Balance Sheet Leadership Chicago 189

Growthink Blog

APRIL 22, 2014

'It’s been 15 years now since I started working with entrepreneurs. Over this time, I’ve seen lots of successes, and unfortunately lots of failures. So, I started thinking, “what is it about those entrepreneurs who have achieved the most success? What are their common attributes and skills?” While the initial list was pretty large, when I boiled it down, there were 5 common attributes or skills that the successful entrepreneurs all had.

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Technical Review Framework Metrics Leadership 117

Up and Running

APRIL 21, 2014

'We all know how challenging it is to take a great idea and turn it into a real business. You need funding, a business plan, a website, a business model—the list goes on and on. But have you thought about the little things, like how you’re actually going to take payments from your customers? You have options, and choices to make. And regarding credit card payments, you probably haven’t thought farther than, “Of course I’ll take credit and debit cards!

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Customer Software Review Security Sales 104

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 21, 2014

'by Roger Smith, Technology Marketing Specialist at Hypersoft. Effective networking is one of the most powerful entrepreneurial skills you need to master to advance in your personal and professional life. Lately, I’ve been using a particular networking shortcut before I attend networking events or industry mixers that I sign up for through Meetup.com.

Networking 168

Networking Technical Review Due Diligence Analytics 168

Gregg Fraley, Author of Jack's Notebook

APRIL 21, 2014

'Creativity and innovation training is a highly effective accelerant for business results. When I step into a room to facilitate an innovation, strategy, or idea generation session I nearly always find a great deal of energy. What I also often find is inexperience — in the kind of thinking necessary to innovate. Successful managers and leaders are promoted up the ladder because of their great analytical thinking skills.

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Framework Analytics Management Product Development 96

Hunter Walker

APRIL 24, 2014

'It’s a shame that consumers largely balk at paying for mobile productivity apps like email, calendars, to do lists and so on. Despite spending our lives inside of this software the developers can’t seem to charge more than a few bucks. Perhaps it’s because the free alternatives are ‘good enough.’ Perhaps because they’re often *just* front-ends to other infrastructure.

Product 95

Product Software Review Metrics Mobile 95

OnlyOnce

APRIL 25, 2014

'Book Short: Culture is King. Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love , by Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, was a really good read. Like Remote which I reviewed a few weeks ago, Joy, Inc. is ostensibly a book about one thing — culture — but is also full of good general advice for CEOs and senior managers. Also like Remote , the book was written by the founder and CEO of a relatively small firm that is predominately software engineers, so there are some limitati

Software Review 54

Software Review Software Engineering Restful Engineer 54

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 22, 2014

'By Richard Weinberger, PhD, CPA, CEO of the Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants and author of “ Propel Your Small Business to Success: Accelerated Actions to Maximize Profit “ If you had to stand before the shark investors in ABC’s “Shark Tank,” would you get stumped by their questions? Small business owners need to have diverse knowledge in many different areas of their company, in addition to having the necessary proficient experience and technic

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CPA Technical Review Later Stage Equity 160

Jeff Hilimire

APRIL 23, 2014

'Now that we have our first game launched, Robots Love Ice Cream , I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned since starting Dragon Army last September. I’ve often said that true startups are like jumping out of an airplane and figuring out how to build your parachute on the way down. This has certainly been very much like that and while I’ve learned A TON so far and have much more to learn, here are the five things that came to mind: 1.

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Mobile Software Developers Software Development Software 50

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2014

'Every business leader has blind spots which limit their effectiveness and success, but due to ego, over-confidence, or deferential subordinates, many live totally in the dark. Some are smart and humble enough to assume that they don’t know what they don’t know, but lack an effective process for shining a light on their blind spots. Both are equally surprised by their every setback.

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Leadership Global Naming Entrepreneur 250

deal architect

APRIL 24, 2014

'As part of their new UX project named after the tony NYC neighborhood, Infor hosted analysts at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Hosting 249

Hosting Naming 249

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 25, 2014

'How can some people get rich off the stock market while others flounder or even just get lucky for a while before losing most or all of what they invested? According to superstar investor Warren Buffet , “Success in investing doesn’t correlate with IQ … what you need is the temperament to control the urges that get other people into trouble in investing.”.

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Stock Portfolio Marketing Management 279

The Next Web

APRIL 20, 2014

'James Parton is the European Director at Twilio. The Internet economy currently accounts for around 8.3 percent of British GDP according to Boston Consulting Group’s latest study, The Connected World. Not only is this a larger percentage than any other G20 nation, but this figure is expected to hit 12.4 percent by 2016. We certainly can’t underestimate the significant role that London – and Tech City – is playing in these developments, but we have to recognise it’s the UK as a whole that will b

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Europe Boston Internet Web 161

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2014

'Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. Indeed, while the rules and technologies for lead generation have changed, Forrester and other experts still see it as the most effective way for businesses with limited budgets to maximize their return on marketing investment (ROMI).

Lead Generation 248

Lead Generation SEM Social Media Startup 248

Gust

APRIL 19, 2014

'For a sophisticated investor, there are none, because an uncapped note just doesn’t make sense (see my answer to “If a startup’s valuation is $x, how much larger should its cap on a convertible note be?” ). For an unsophisticated investor (ie, friends and family) the only argument is that you’re both babes in the woods, and neither of you is legitimately able to determine a fair cap (aka a valuation) now.

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Valuation Entrepreneur Startup Marketing 155

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 25, 2014

'Now that you’ve acquired funding and gotten that startup off the ground, it’s time to staff your business with the best of the best. For your fledgling company to succeed, you’ll need applicants with a propensity for going above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, you may inadvertently overlook some of the best candidates while navigating a sea of lackluster resumes.

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Hiring Database Employee Matching 279

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 23, 2014

'Tomorrow, I’m trying out Pubble ‘s product – a Q&A widget that leverages the standard social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) but lives where ever you want it to live. I’ll be answering questions live tomorrow (4/24) at 1:00pm MT. Tweet with #askbfeld to ask me a question. Check it out below. The post Pubble Q&A – #askbfeld appeared first on Feld Thoughts.

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Widget Social Media Media Product 152

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2014

'Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Every company needs this focus to attract the best minds and loyalty in both categories.

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Leadership Early Stage Demand Hiring 227

The Next Web

APRIL 19, 2014

'Nadia Hussain is the Community Director at Polyvore. When you’re starting a social company, building a loyal and engaged community is paramount. But that can also be one of the most nuanced and challenging elements of launching your startup. As employee #6 and community director at Polyvore, I’ve had the opportunity to watch our community grow and build relationships with many of our early users – some of whom have been on our site for more than six years now.

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Community Social Media Startup Media 155

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 22, 2014

'by Brian Dozer, D. Mgt., MBA, adjunct professor at Brandman University’s School of Extended Education. Transformational leaders are in demand more than ever. The intrinsic qualities of a transformational leader are needed in today’s fast-paced, and often uncertain, world of business. If not already doing so, we recommend assessing which emerging and existing leaders already have these qualities, and which may require some training to develop.

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Demand Leadership Curation Employee 279

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 21, 2014

'Ever since Orbotix was founded, we’ve been talking about robots and education and how Sphero could play a role. Last week, my friends at Orbotix rolled out a new program called SPRK which stands for Schools, Parents, Robots, and Kids. They’ve already got six lesson plans up with more coming. To get a feel for the potential of Sphero in education, take five minutes out of your day and watch the video below.

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Programming Video 142

Mike Michalowicz

APRIL 19, 2014

'When you have passion for something it will get you over every brick wall, help you weather every storm, and even when you’ve been knocked down for the hundredth time, compel you to get back up and try again. You can’t build a successful business without it. No one can be a little bit passionate. You either have passion for something, or you don’t.

Architecture 133

Architecture 133

The Next Web

APRIL 22, 2014

'Denis Duvauchelle is the CEO and co-founder of productivity app Twoodo. Negotiation is not the simple art of getting what you want, when you want it. A great negotiation, whether in your personal or professional life, will leave both parties feeling [somewhat] satisfied rather than producing a clear winner and a clear loser. Becoming a great negotiator is a skill that will serve you well throughout your life.

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Cofounder Entrepreneur Web Founder 152

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 25, 2014

'by Monica C. Smith, founder and CEO of Marketsmith Inc. and I.Predictus. Everyone has heard hand-me-down stories that start out with, “When I was your age.” I have one for the Class of 2014. When I was your age – back in 1990 – the world was very different. The Internet as we know it didn’t exist, and it was a pre-9/11 world. Our modern inventions were ATM machines and the Sony Walkman, precursors to the mobile wallet and iPod.

Entrepreneur 198

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Feld Thoughts

APRIL 21, 2014

'Yesterday I read Kara Swisher’s post What Does the Recent Tech Stock Downturn Mean? The Truth Is Nobody Knows. It’s great. Go read it – I’ll wait for you. In the last two weeks there’s been a flurry of articles about the implications of a 25% decline in the public market value of a bunch of Internet stocks. They range from “the sky is falling” to “the IPO market window is closing” to “there will be more stupid television shows about

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Stock Internet SEC Italy 140

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 22, 2014

'It’s well understood now that at many of the best startups the founder remains at the helm until the company is very large – Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Oracle are four great examples. It’s also pretty well understood that founders have to be incredibly adaptive to stay effective as their companies scale. This description of changing requirements from CEOs is a helpful guide to anyone involved with fast growth startups (credit Venturebeat ): Innovator – at the beginn

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The Next Web

APRIL 20, 2014

'Anthony Del Monte is the CEO and founder of Squeaky Wheel Media, a Web design and development agency based in NYC. Most entrepreneurs can pinpoint the exact moment when they decided to stop working on their potential business plan and to start working on their actual business. Chances are, many of those moments came after the ever-present (but often-ignored) question: “What next”?

Entrepreneur 151

Entrepreneur Web Business Plan Media 151

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 24, 2014

'by Patrick Walsh, CEO of AirSign Inc. With the continuing evolution of media consumption, it has become increasingly challenging for an advertiser to both capture and hold an audience’s attention. A decade or two ago, media was relatively consolidated; advertisers knew they could reach a significant segment of their targeted audience via newspapers and television commercials, which almost seems quaint today.

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Feld Thoughts

APRIL 25, 2014

'I got asked today for a picture of the four founders of Techstars together (me, David Cohen, David Brown, and Jared Polis.) I did a search and came up with a few, but also stumbled upon this beauty. This is the original promotion video for the first Techstars program, filmed at the end of 2006 and apparently uploaded to Youtube on January 14, 2007.

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Video Search Programming Web 136

Gust

APRIL 23, 2014

'From a completely biased perspective, I’d nominate the nascent and not yet completely visible rise of online equity investing platforms. While Gust is generally flying under the radar, and currently accounts for an infinitesimally tiny fraction of the marketplace, the actual numbers may be a bit surprising. Today, over 200,000 companies are using it to organize their materials for raising equity, over 1100 venture capital funds and organized business angel groups are using it to manage

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Angel Groups Accredited Investor Private Equity Deal Flow 127

The Next Web

APRIL 22, 2014

'Len Kendall is the founder of CentUp. Prior to starting a company he worked in PR where he helped put out fires and manage digital communications. Crowdfunding has brought some interesting things into the world. That includes a company which recently sold to Facebook for $2.4 billion dollars, and soon it will help repair Cedric the Tortoise’s penis.

PR 143

PR Web Founder Entrepreneur 143