Sat.Feb 25, 2017 - Fri.Mar 03, 2017

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Why Good Marketing Campaign Costs Continue To Rise

Startup Professionals Musings

Every time I challenge a business plan with little or no budget for marketing, I get the answer that they will be using “viral” marketing, which costs nothing. The founder explains that the product is so “buzz-worthy” that usage will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. First of all, Seth Godin pointed out a long time ago that viral marketing does not equal word-of-mouth.

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How Fintech Startups Are Transforming Business

YoungUpstarts

Financial technology, also known as fintech , is changing business in a number of ways, and the value it provides for the average investor will only accelerate the transformation. Fintech affects every aspect of the financial sector, may it be investing, money transfers, online purchases or banking. Let’s look at how fintech startups are completely transforming the world of business and finance: On Demand Financial Products.

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Immigration Fundraiser: For Here or To Go

Feld Thoughts

A little over a year ago I wrote a post about a documentary Amy and I were helping fund called For Here or To Go. The movie is about a set of Indian software developers in the US on H1-B visas. The main character wanted to start a company, or join a startup, but couldn’t make either happen in the context of the current H1-B visa constraints. It felt relevant when we helped fund it.

Matching 107
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How to Use Smoke Tests to Validate Your Product or Feature Ideas

ConversionXL

Think you’re sitting on the next big idea for a product or a product feature? Before you spend dozens of hours and tens of thousands of dollars on the idea, you need to validate it. In other words, you need to make sure your audience is just as excited about the idea as you are. So, how can you validate the ideas sitting in your startup notebook or your product feature backlog without wasting resources?

Product 61
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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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7 Ways to Set Team Goals (That Actually Work)

Up and Running

We’re big fans of goal setting here at Palo Alto Software. We set goals for the company as a whole, and by specific team as well. We even set additional personal development goals, using the OKR (“objectives and key results”) goal-setting technique. We take the time to review our progress often, and we’re always working to refine and optimize it. That being said, creating a goal-setting methodology for an entire company doesn’t happen overnight.

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e-Commerce: Why You Need It And How To Do It Right

YoungUpstarts

by John Donovan, CEO of Bizfi. It used to be that a business would gain customers only from the neighborhood surrounding its location. Now, thanks to internet technology, your customers can be from around your state — or around the world. E-commerce is well within reach of virtually every small retail business, and with consumers demanding an easier way to find and purchase products, businesses need to incorporate an online sales strategy to remain relevant.

More Trending

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Don’t let process distract you from finding the strategy

Steve Blank

When you’re up to your neck in alligators, don’t forget the goal was to drain the swamp. I love teaching because I learn something new every class. This time it was, “Don’t let process distract you from finding the strategy.”. The latest “aha” moment for me when I was at Columbia University teaching an intensive 5-day version of the Lean LaunchPad/I-Corps class.

Lean 255
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10 Grammar and Proofreading Tools for Content Marketers

Duct Tape Marketing

10 Grammar and Proofreading Tools for Content Marketers written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing. In creating online content for your business, you want to ensure it has several essential ingredients checked off before distributing it to your readers. Above all else, it needs to be interesting and engaging for them, or you’ll quickly lose their attention.

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Workdays milestone quarter

deal architect

I don’t usually write about earnings announcements, but Workday’s $436.7 million Q4 which summed up a $ 1.57 billion year deserves attention. A few years ago, I would have said Workday needed a bunch of industry applications, not just its.

Cloud 226
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Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, Smart People

Austin Startup

Published on Industrial IoT 5G The Smart Cities Innovation Summit in Austin, Texas brought together a broad spectrum of professionals, each with their own experiences and perspectives. The result was a fascinating menagerie of conversations that spanned lessons from the past and provided speculation on the future of Smart Cities. On the first evening of the Summit, a smaller dialogue took place offsite at RCR atx Studios between a unique group of people with one thing in common: a deep knowledge

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How This Founder Wants to Apply Her Technology to Help Save the Planet’s Resources

Both Sides of the Table

There are so many moments from the Upfront Summit that I want to share with you — it just takes time to watch through all the videos, do write ups and still do my day job. One of the most exciting thinkers at Summit was Rebecca Kantar, the founder of Imbellus. I was excited to see her perform on stage because I’ve long been telling people how crazy smart, ambitious and talented she is but I was excited for people to hear for themselves.

Founder 213
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10 Sales Truths Every Entrepreneur Needs To Practice

Startup Professionals Musings

Today’s customers are overloaded and overwhelmed by too much information, so making a decision is a challenge. You may think this is only important to your marketing and sales people, but in reality it doesn’t matter how great your product or technology might be, you won’t succeed if you don’t understand your target customer decision process. Every aspect of your business must be about sales.

Sales 177
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Look out for Number One

deal architect

In the wake of all accentuated concern in SAP world about the “indirect access” clause, Geoff Scott, Chairman of the America’s SAP User Group says “I know personally that SAP isn’t interested in pursuing court action to resolve these conversations.

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Once An Upstart, Always An Upstart

YoungUpstarts

by Kathy Kolbe, co-author of the new book “ Business is Business: Reality Checks for Family-Owned Companies “ Being an upstart is a state of mind. It’s how you attack the world – both the opportunities and the obstacles in it. You don’t learn to be an upstart. You are driven to be an upstart. When you ask upstarts what they want to make happen, it will be something they’ve never done before, or something that others doubted they could do.

Finder 154
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Stay Ahead Of Google With Inbound And User Generated Marketing

YFS Magazine

Ultimately, I urge growth hackers and startup founders to take a user-focused approach to SEO and overall business growth. This article Stay Ahead Of Google With Inbound And User Generated Marketing appeared first in YFS Magazine.

Marketing 113
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5 Key Steps In Being A Role Model For Accountability

Startup Professionals Musings

It’s easy to say to people on your team that they must be accountable for their actions, but it’s not so easy to tell them how to do it. It’s even harder to give them the mindset of wanting to be accountable. In fact, many business leaders forget that they are the role model for accountability, and don’t audit their own actions to make sure that they always practice what they preach.

Employee 174
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8 reasons there’s no such thing as a free conference ticket

The Next Web

Ever since we’ve started organizing a conference back in 2006 we’ve been getting requests for free tickets. It starts as soon as we announce our event, and then the requests increase as we get closer to the conference date. I don’t blame people for asking for something free, I really don’t. You can always give it a try, and if you don’t ask, you don’t know.

Web 110
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7 Ways To Spot If An Interviewee Is Right For Your Team

YoungUpstarts

by Phil White, Managing Director at Novell Coffee. Whether you’re sitting in the hot seat or interviewing your next prospective staff member, interviews can be tough. Unfortunately, there isn’t one clear-cut method for finding the perfect new addition to your team and everyone has their own methods when it comes to perfecting the process. Each business has its own definition of “ Googleyness ”, but essentially, an interviewer is looking for candidates that for candidates who fit in with their te

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6 Ways To Become A More Resilient Entrepreneur

YFS Magazine

Although quite simple, these six tips can make a profound impact on your approach to life, and ultimately boost your resilience. This article 6 Ways To Become A More Resilient Entrepreneur appeared first in YFS Magazine.

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10 Ways For Business Leaders to Improve Their Skills

Startup Professionals Musings

Being a successful business leader requires continuous improvement in your leadership skills, as well as your products and processes. If you don’t focus on it, you can expect to be one of the 25 percent of CEO turnovers that occur every year from firing or forced retirement, as reported by a recent Harvard study. Business leadership requirements change just like market requirements.

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Don’t Play Hurt

Feld Thoughts

I heard a great line from a CEO recently: “I don’t want to play hurt.” I loved that line. In my world, some companies beat their Q416 numbers. Others made their Q416 numbers. Some missed their Q416 numbers. That’s life. Any VC who says otherwise (e.g. “All my companies are killing it”) is either full of s**t or doesn’t have very many investments.

Forecast 107
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Startups: How To Keep A Tab On Business Travel Costs

YoungUpstarts

Business trips and travel are a necessary part of most businesses. If you aren’t careful, the costs of these trips can be detrimental to your profits. Fortunately, with careful planning, you can cut down on the costs of these trips dramatically. With just a few extra steps to your planning, your trips will help your business succeed without costing it a fortune.

Cost 130
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3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Go From Good To Great This Year

YFS Magazine

Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, says only a few make that leap. If you heed of these transformational changes, you can become one of the few. This article 3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Go From Good To Great This Year appeared first in YFS Magazine.

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6 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Win More With Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

An all-too-common question I get from startups and small businesses is “Which is the right social media platform for my business?” Is it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or one of the other 200 active platforms vying for attention these days? The right answer is that not all of these are worth your attention, but it’s probably more than one. The “Tyranny of the OR” is a concept from the classic business best-seller “ Built to Last ,” by James C.

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Exhibit at TNW Conference for free – courtesy of Startup League

The Next Web

This May, 15,000 CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors and early-adopters will descend on Amsterdam for TNW Conference. They’re not just coming for the A-list speakers and awesome networking – they’re coming to explore the latest products, platforms and software offered by companies like yours. For the past five years, our Boost program at TNW Conference in Amsterdam has helped young startups secure the opportunities they need to accelerate their growth.

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5 Modern Technologies That Make Launching A Startup Easier

YoungUpstarts

According to the 2015/16 Global Report by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), 69 percent of entrepreneurs pursue opportunities as a basis of entrepreneurial motivations, rather than just starting out of necessity. The report shows a shift in trends and entrepreneurship as a type of lifestyle, not just a job. This focus and ambition can also help fuel the momentum behind new start-ups, but attitude alone isn’t enough to guarantee success.

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The 5 Things Entrepreneurs Need to Save More Money Each Year

YFS Magazine

Do more with less—make each dollar spent work as if it were two. Implementing any one of these five strategies will help you save more money each year. This article The 5 Things Entrepreneurs Need to Save More Money Each Year appeared first in YFS Magazine.

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Technology Redefined Sales, Marketing, and HR: How to Hire for these Roles Now

Version One Ventures

I remember a time when we used to say “he’s a good sales person” or “she’s a great marketing leader.” However, it’s no longer so simple. Technological advances over the past decade have transformed sales, marketing, and HR organizations. Entirely new titles and functions have sprung up in the process. Founders need to understand what they are looking for in order to find the right person (or people).

Hiring 99
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Avoiding analysis paralysis: Why entrepreneurs shouldn’t sweat the small stuff

The Next Web

A wise person once said that the devil is in the details. I don’t pretend to understand exactly what he meant (I’m not much of a theologian), but I know a few things about business, and in that context the statement makes a lot of sense. For startups, details can mean operations, payroll, recruitment, or for a smaller business, communication, tax help or social media strategy.

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How To Increase Productivity In Your Home Office

YoungUpstarts

For many start-ups and office workers, working from home is the ultimate goal. No longer will you have the demands of co-workers and the stress of the daily commute to contend with – instead, you are free to work on your own terms. However, this increased level of freedom can actually end up being counter-productive. If you aren’t strict on yourself, you could end up wasting precious time on unnecessary tasks rather than sticking to a schedule to ensure you stay efficient at work.

Product 109
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Why I Left My First Full-Time Job To Become An Entrepreneur

YFS Magazine

A desk job and a guaranteed paycheck may be a comfort for some. But the ability to live each day fully, on my terms, is comfort for me. This article Why I Left My First Full-Time Job To Become An Entrepreneur appeared first in YFS Magazine.

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Announcing my next book, The Startup Way

Startup Lessons Learned

In the five years since I published The Lean Startup , I've worked with organizations of varieties and sizes I never imagined would be interested in the ideas I wrote about in that book. And what I've learned is that lean isn't just for five-person startups: it's for everyone--especially everyone who wants to thrive in the quickly changing world we now live in, where the only guarantee is that we don't know what's coming next.

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Film: American Muslim Storytellers

Feld Thoughts

Over the weekend, our Monthly Match for the National Immigration Law Center raised over $47,000, For everyone who contributed, thank you! In the emails I got, one stood out. It pointed me at an Indiegogo campaign for a documentary done by American Muslim Storytellers. The timing of the email was particularly good as I had just read a Washington Post Story about American Muslims raising money to repair vandalized Jewish cemetery. .

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Are You Ready To Start A Business?

YoungUpstarts

by Mike Carroll. There are people with ideas, and there are people with good ideas. There are those who want to work on their own, and there are the few who know how to do it. Most new businesses fail for insufficient passion and planning. But, thinking ahead, you can lay a strong foundation. Making your startup succeed. Believe in your brand. Your product or service must have a unique sales proposition, a pitch that differentiates yours from others.

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Pure Barre Franchisee Shares 3 Vital Truths About Franchise Ownership

YFS Magazine

Why do franchise owners struggle? Here's a look at 3 things that makes a franchise owner successful, beyond standard franchisor support. This article Pure Barre Franchisee Shares 3 Vital Truths About Franchise Ownership appeared first in YFS Magazine.

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The Biggest Skill You Need to Run a Business (It’s Not What You Think)

Up and Running

I hold an MBA from London Business School and there’s no doubt it’s a valuable degree to have under one’s belt. I guess to some extent I have to say that; how else would I justify the exorbitant tuition fees? Still, I learned a lot during that year. Much of it applicable in the real world, which isn’t always the case when it comes to tertiary education.

Stock 81