The Next Web

JUNE 1, 2014

'Chris Bolman is the Director of Growth at Percolate. This post originally appeared on the Percolate blog. Over the summer of 2013, David Byttow, a former Google software developer, started building a mobile app to solve a problem he had. Byttow noticed he and the engineers he worked with were bad at giving each other feedback, and he wanted a way they could comment honestly on each other’s work without professional or personal backlash for saying something negative.

Mobile 166

Mobile Software Developers Software Development Marketing 166

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 4, 2014

'by Jim Alampi, founder of Alampi & Associates. Everyone knows that Superman’s sole weakness is a mineral called Kryptonite. If he came in contact with the substance it would slowly drain his powers, weakening him until proving fatal. Superman knows he must to avoid kryptonite at all costs if he wants to continue fighting for “truth, justice, and the American way”.

Cost 160

Cost Detroit Leadership Retention 160

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 5, 2014

'John Oliver and his new show Last Week Tonight has become Sunday night entertainment in my house. He’s simultaneously brilliant and hilarious. Oliver took on Net Neutrality on Sunday. Due to my cable connection being down, I didn’t see it until Monday when I was able to watch it on my DVR. He started off by reminding us that American’s simply don’t respond to “boring” so he suggested we change the phrase “Net Neutrality” to “Cable Company Fu

.Net 161

.Net Merger Technical Review Internet 161

crowdSPRING Blog

JUNE 6, 2014

'Every day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account , I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about logo design , web design , startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week!

Social Media 94

Social Media Small Business Design Software Review 94

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

Up and Running

JUNE 4, 2014

'What do you do when a customer threatens to leave your product or service? Some companies don’t respond at all, while others reply with an exit survey. But for early-stage companies, trying to win them back — and learn from their feedback — is often a better strategy. To learn what works best, we asked 10 founders the following: What is one creative way that you can show value to (and possibly win back) customers who are threatening to leave your service or company for another?

Customer 115

Customer Technical Review Early Stage Retention 115

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 4, 2014

'By Ben Carpenter, author of “ The Bigs: The Secrets Nobody Tells Students and Young Professionals About How to Find a Great Job, Do a Great Job, Be a Leader, Start a Business, Stay Out of Trouble, and Live A Happy Life “. Congratulations, graduates! You’ve worked hard for the past four (or six or eight) years and are rightfully proud of yourself. But as you head out into the brutal workplace armed with proof of your smarts and persistence, don’t expect too much from those shiny new credentials.

Leadership 154

Leadership Restful Hiring Finance 154

SiliconHills

MAY 31, 2014

'By LAURA LOREK Founder of Silicon Hills News Software developer Tony Broomes wants to see San Antonio develop into a high tech region along with Austin. He’s working to make that happen. On Saturday, Broomes participated in the Alamo Civic Hackathon held at Geekdom on the seventh floor of the Rand building in downtown San […] The post Making City Data More Accessible at the Alamo Civic Hackathon appeared first on SiliconHills.

San Antonio 84

San Antonio Austin Software Developers Software Development 84

ConversionXL

JUNE 5, 2014

'Has your company’s customer retention rate increased, decreased or remained status quo over the past five years? Have you outlined and initiated a formal customer retention strategy? In a study by Harvard Business School , it was found that increasing customer retention by even 5% can increase profits between 25-95%. And yet…Forrester found that 70% of CMOs did not list retention as a top priority.

Retention 115

Retention Customer Developer Programming 115

Up and Running

JUNE 2, 2014

'Keeping your best talent was easy when few companies were hiring and employees felt stuck at their jobs. But now, retaining the cream of the employee crop is a struggle again for many managers. When layoffs are frequent and retirement pensions are pretty much nonexistent, workers feel less loyal to their companies than they did in previous decades, and are willing to jump ship if they find better pay or better prospects elsewhere.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Employee Restful Leadership 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2014

'Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Those who respond with one of the wrong answers, such as “I want to pay myself a salary,” usually go home empty-handed.

Elevator Pitch 285

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 285

Steve Blank

JUNE 5, 2014

'If you can’t see the video click here Filed under: Business Model versus Business Plan , Customer Development.

Business Model 310

Business Model Customer Development Business Plan Video 310

ConversionXL

JUNE 5, 2014

'Has your company’s customer retention rate increased, decreased or remained status quo over the past five years? Have you outlined and initiated a formal customer retention strategy? In a study by Harvard Business School , it was found that increasing customer retention by even 5% can increase profits between 25-95%. And yet…Forrester found that 70% of CMOs did not list retention as a top priority.

Retention 112

Retention Developer Customer Programming 112

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 3, 2014

'by Kuty Shalev is the founder of Clevertech. You’ve got an amazing idea for a business, and you just know it’s going to change the world — or at least your part of it. But is your big idea enough to make you a successful entrepreneur? Unfortunately, the answer is “probably not.”. There’s a big difference between having an idea and executing on it to turn it into a profitable reality.

New York City 255

New York City Startup Business Model New York 255

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2014

'Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. In my experience, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great leaders evolve from key leadership decisions along the way.

Entrepreneur 277

Entrepreneur Leadership Framework Metrics 277

deal architect

JUNE 1, 2014

'I asked Satya Nadella at last Fall’s analyst summit why Microsoft had been slow to leverage the multi-billion investment in Azure infrastructure (I had first written about the innovative data centers in The New Polymath in 2009). He seemed a.

Azure 220

Azure Cloud Software 220

ConversionXL

JUNE 5, 2014

'Has your company’s customer retention rate increased, decreased or remained status quo over the past five years? Have you outlined and initiated a formal customer retention strategy? In a study by Harvard Business School , it was found that increasing customer retention by even 5% can increase profits between 25-95%. And yet…Forrester found that 70% of CMOs did not list retention as a top priority.

Retention 105

Retention Customer Developer Programming 105

Steve Blank

MAY 31, 2014

'If you can’t see the video click here Filed under: Customer Development.

Customer Development 297

Customer Development Video Developer Customer 297

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2014

'Sponsored by VISA Business With all the new technology available today for video conferencing, interactive social media, and webinars, you may think that travel is no longer a requirement for starting a small business. You would be wrong. According to a recent industry report on travel spending, small businesses buy 37% more airline tickets than big business travelers, and spend 24% more when on the road.

Small Business 251

Small Business Advisory Board Silicon Valley Boston 251

deal architect

JUNE 2, 2014

'A few months ago I announced I was discontinuing SAP coverage on this blog, What many people missed was this at the end of the post ''As I have done for 25 years, I will continue to advise consulting clients.

Customer 207

Customer Software 207

ConversionXL

JUNE 5, 2014

'Has your company’s customer retention rate increased, decreased or remained status quo over the past five years? Have you outlined and initiated a formal customer retention strategy? In a study by Harvard Business School , it was found that increasing customer retention by even 5% can increase profits between 25-95%. And yet…Forrester found that 70% of CMOs did not list retention as a top priority.

Retention 98

Retention Customer Developer Programming 98

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 3, 2014

'The dreaded office meeting… For a young entrepreneur meetings can be daunting – especially when English is a second language. Meetings cause anxiety - sweaty palms meeting outstretched hands, public speaking, and the very real notion that you could misinterpret something someone says. New entrepreneurs, especially non-native English speakers, often find the idea of meetings to be intimidating, but successful businesses are built through teamwork and collaboration.

Agile 185

Agile Conversion Employee Design 185

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2014

'Every startup with any traction quickly reaches a point where they need to hire employees to grow the business. Unfortunately, this always happens when pressures are the highest, and business processes are ill-defined. At this point you need superstars and versatile future executives, yet your in-house hiring processes and focus are at their weakest.

Hiring 241

Hiring Hosting Naming Entrepreneur 241

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 6, 2014

'As exits have been flowing nicely again the past few years, many of the entrepreneurs I work with have experienced their first big exit. I refer to this moment as when you find that you have life changing money in your bank account, which I like to call “f**k you money.” You now can do whatever you want with the rest of your life. I was on a walk with an entrepreneur recently who was wrestling with this when we ran into another entrepreneur I had backed who had an exit a while ago a

Alaska 166

Alaska Widget Colorado Angel Investor 166

The Next Web

MAY 31, 2014

'Eddy Lu is the co-founder and CEO of Superb (formerly Grubwithus), a mobile app that helps people collect, share and experience must-try places with their friends. For many founders, “pivot” is a dirty word. It hints at uncertainty, even failure. But with three out of four startups flopping, we founders shouldn’t shy away from the word. We shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge that change can be good; change gained from experience can benefit companies and users.

Cofounder 167

Cofounder Mobile Web Founder 167

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 5, 2014

'By Anthony Lye, Chief Product Officer of Red Book Connect. Training has become a high risk, high cost and low value proposition for many companies. New employees often go through rigorous hands-on and in-classroom training only to leave the job three months later. Training manuals cost a lot to produce and cannot keep up with the evolution in company processes and practices.

Technology 182

Technology Cloud Mobile Flash 182

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2014

'With the recent apparent successes of several startups in taking their company public (initial public offering) and raising billions of dollars, I’m hearing a groundswell of enthusiasm from new entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps to fund their companies and become billionaires overnight. "If Facebook, Yelp and Twitter can do it, then why not me?

IPO 236

IPO Initial Public Offering Startup Small Business Administration 236

Gust

JUNE 1, 2014

'Image via Wikipedia. Entrepreneurship is not a job for the Lone Ranger. Every startup requires building and maintaining effective relationships with people, including partners, team members, customers, and investors. That means giving and asking for feedback, and learning from it, especially negative feedback. “Friction” is feedback mixed with emotion or drama, making it all the more difficult to sort out the value.

Startup 162

Startup Entrepreneur Partner Employee 162

The Next Web

JUNE 6, 2014

'This post originally appeared on the Buffer blog. Where do email subscribers fall on your list of priorities? We’ve recently pushed email toward the top of our most valued sources, and it doesn’t seem like we’re alone in that. While social media might be the hot place to push your marketing efforts, there are many who choose to rely instead on building a valuable email list.

Email 166

Email Social Media Media Web 166

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 6, 2014

'Even as the world jumps onto the plethora of social media platforms of the new digital era, there are some people who catch on far quicker onto these digital tools than others and building massive audiences for their content. Like how Justin Bieber was discovered online when he was just 13 and how 20-year old The Voice finalist Christina Grimmie has put together a staggering 2 million followers on YouTube, many of these influencers are young and already rocking the online world.

Media 176

Media Ireland Social Media Vertical 176

Rembrandt Communications

JUNE 4, 2014

'Start Using SEO Copy to Your Advantage Content Strategy and You In today’s competitive, business world, content is a large part of marketing and gaining new customers. But if you are busy like most entrepreneurs you may fall into one of the following categories… Do you: Have lots of content but don’t know what to […].

SEO 145

SEO Sales Marketing Entrepreneur 145

Gust

MAY 31, 2014

'A company’s board of directors is technically elected by the company’s shareholders. So before a startup receives outside funding, the board is “elected” by—and usually consists of—the founders (although it may exist in name only.). Once a company receives its initial seed, angel or venture funding, the documents prepared for the investment will include a Shareholders Agreement that gets signed by everyone.

Common Stock 159

Common Stock Startup Stock Founder 159

The Next Web

JUNE 3, 2014

'This post originally appeared on the Crew blog. I used to hate answering questions in class. I mean what if I got it wrong or what if I didn’t say it right? Nope, too many risks. Instead of answering questions I would try to look very intently at the teacher. That way I could let them know, that I knew, but that I couldn’t answer. Yah, that never worked.

Web 166

Web Cost Entrepreneur 166

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 1, 2014

'Starting a business is equally exciting as it is scary. There is a difficult balancing act that you must achieve: How do I decide which things to save money on and which ones to spend money on? Some of these choices are easy to make. You know that you must be willing to purchase quality inputs, such as foods or raw materials. You know that proper insurance is necessary, and that utilities are unavoidable.

Management 176

Management America Hiring Government 176

The Equity Kicker

JUNE 4, 2014

'Entrepreneurs are always asking us when we think their company will be strong enough to pull off a good Series A, which you can think of as $1-2+m Series A at $3m+ pre-money. Every company is different and there are as many exceptions as companies that follow the rules but if your company sells product (e.g. the ecommerce companies or software companies that we invest in) and you have a $1m revenue run rate and 20%+ month-on month growth you will generally be in good shape.

Revenue 146

Revenue eCommerce Affiliate Valuation 146

Gust

JUNE 4, 2014

'This is a somewhat tricky question. Although there are many, many excellent events each week in New York that it would make sense for a startup entrepreneur to attend (see Gary’s Guide, Startup Digest, or This Week in NY Innovation), the truth is that (a) VCs and serious investors don’t go to most of them, and (b) the odds are slim that even if you and the investor were at the same event, you will have the opportunity or time to do more than say hello.

New York City 150

New York City New York Angel Investor Affiliate 150

The Next Web

JUNE 3, 2014

'Ilya Pozin is a serial entrepreneur, writer, and investor. He is the founder of online video entertainment platform Pluto.TV, social greeting card company Open Me and digital marketing agency Ciplex. Rebranding can be a risky business. It’s more than just a fresh coat of paint on your company brand, it also signals your organization is embracing a new way of doing business.

Design 164

Design Web Video Founder 164