YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
by Andrew Armstrong. Too often, businesses view their supply chain as a necessary evil as opposed to a valuable resource. This integral element of most businesses is woven through every aspect of operations. From manufacturing to sales to finance, the supply chain routinely fails to command the respect it deserve. For most companies to succeed, the goal is to deliver a quality product at a reasonable profit.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. Experts argue that it’s more important to have a great plan, and personal business acumen. Hardly anyone mentions selling principles. Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business.
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Up and Running
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
Congratulations—you’ve successfully launched your business! However, before you get too comfy, it’s important to make sure you’ve got a plan going forward. The success of your business during its first year comes down, in large part, to having a clear plan of action. We’re here to make that process as smooth and easy for you as possible. To that end, we’ve created this checklist to go over the essential tasks you’ll need to complete during your first year of business.
ConversionXL
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
A/B testing is common practice and it can be a powerful optimization strategy when it’s used properly. We’ve written on it extensively. Plus, the Internet is full of “How We Increased Conversions by 1,000% with 1 Simple Change” style articles. Unfortunately, there are experimentation flaws associated with A/B testing as well.
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
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Every new business has its own share of teething troubles. And, ensuring a consistent growth is definitely one of them. Online marketing can not only help you get past the initial hurdles but also enable your business to survive and grow consistently in today’s increasingly digitalised world. However, if you’re just getting started, setting up an online presence for your business can be just as challenging, especially considering the fact that in the online space, you no longer compete with busi
ithacaVC
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Vanity Fair recently published a expose on Theranos. It is worth reading. Like a mini “page turner” novel. It reminded me of one of my personal themes in investing: “if you don’t understand the technology then don’t invest.” The understanding can definitely be acquired. In fact, I rarely understand the technology when we first meet with a company.
Start Up Roar brings together the best content for start up professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Hunter Walker
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
The whole process had taken just a few minutes. Generating a similar query without automation, he said, ‘‘would have taken days, probably 40 man-hours, from people who were making an average of $350,000 to $500,000 a year.’’. Fascinating New York Times article of the impact an analytics startup called Kensho is having in investment banking. High frequency trading driven by algorithms have dominated the transaction side of public markets and it makes sense to see software crawl (literally in this
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
A while ago we revealed some of the fantastic benefits of creating a healthcare business. Today, we’re going to follow that article up and explain some of the biggest trends emerging in healthcare. If you have an entrepreneurial outlook and have an interest in medicine or healthcare, read on. Perhaps you will find some valuable info on something that will take your business to the next level.
ithacaVC
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Vanity Fair recently published a expose on Theranos. It is worth reading. Like a mini “page turner” novel. It reminded me of one of my personal themes in investing: “if you don’t understand the technology then don’t invest.” The understanding can definitely be acquired. In fact, I rarely understand the technology when we first meet with a company.
Up and Running
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
As part of a startup business, you’ll know that there is no greater desire to win your first customer or your tenth customer. You’ll do whatever it takes to call a customer your own. That quest will become so all-consuming, you’ll practically fantasize about it. I’ve heard some entrepreneurs compare that feeling to owning their first pet. It’s a neat analogy: Like customers, pets get stolen, escape, or get lost.
Hunter Walker
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
The whole process had taken just a few minutes. Generating a similar query without automation, he said, ‘‘would have taken days, probably 40 man-hours, from people who were making an average of $350,000 to $500,000 a year.’’. Fascinating New York Times article of the impact an analytics startup called Kensho is having in investment banking. High frequency trading driven by algorithms have dominated the transaction side of public markets and it makes sense to see software crawl (literally in this
deal architect
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
These days , far removed from the origins of Greek mythology, it is easy to feel sorry for Sisyphus as he pushes a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down. He is cursed to repeat.
Steve Blank
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Measuring how hard your team is working by counting the number of hours they work or what time they get in and leave is how amateurs run companies. The number of hours worked is not the same as how effective they (and you) are. I had been invited by Rahul, one of my students from long ago, to stop in and see how his startup was doing. Actually startup would be a misnomer as Rahul had built a great company, now over $50M in annual revenue with hundreds of employees.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
In my experience as an advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often encounter the myth that an initial startup requires investors. The reality is that over 80 percent of new businesses will never attract venture capital or Angel funding, according to experts , and there are many good reasons for skipping that painful and distracting process. Outside funding is not a startup entitlement.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to make your business more relevant in the modern market. Many of the steps you can take can actually save you money rather than cost you anything. And when you make these important changes, you can appeal to customers who were out of your business’s reach before. This is vitally important when you’re trying to make your business grow or take it to the next level.
deal architect
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
No, I am not echoing Clint Eastwood. My P is much more damning — we are a becoming a generation of pessimists. I have just released my new book, Silicon Collar. It is meant to combat widespread pessimism about machines.
Steve Blank
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Measuring how hard your team is working by counting the number of hours they work or what time they get in and leave is how amateurs run companies. The number of hours worked is not the same as how effective they (and you) are. I had been invited by Rahul, one of my students from long ago, to stop in and see how his startup was doing. Actually startup would be a misnomer as Rahul had built a great company, now over $50M in annual revenue with hundreds of employees.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
As an Angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. The entrepreneurial lifestyle is a tough one under the best of circumstances, and it’s one you have to love in order to succeed.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Creating a multinational business empire is the ultimate fantasy for every ambitious entrepreneur. Besides the eye-watering profit you’d make, what could be better than travelling the world and seeing your product used in all corners of the globe? The best thing is that it isn’t a far-fetched idea. The recent explosion of global unicorn startups shows that anything is possible.
Version One Ventures
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
It’s hard to believe that it has been three years since my first day at Version One. As I look back, I realize how much I’ve learned and grown in this short time. In this post, I’m going to share three important lessons that have not only made me a better investor, but a better person. These learnings aren’t necessarily specific to VC, so whether you’re an investor, founder, or employee, I’m hoping they have some relevance to you and your own journey.
The Equity Kicker
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
‘Flow’ is the almost magical state of extreme creativity and productivity. Most often associated with artists and developers, but I believe applies to a lesser extent to all of us. What follows is an extract from How anyone can enter flow state for maximum focus. I wanted to get these tips for enabling ‘flow’ down in one place that I can refer back to.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 3, 2016
A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. I don’t even try to assess things at the idea level, since I can’t read minds. I can assess execution plans, if you have any. Yet I believe that business success is more a function of the person than the idea or the plan, so the best idea is one that is a best fit for you, and only you can assess that.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
by Kevin Xu , CEO of MEBO International. Building a business isn’t just about making a profit. If they’re lucky, companies — like individuals — are able to step back, evaluate their role in the world, and define their very existence. Any startup should center its methods on a meaningful, strategic purpose. By implementing this objective through your company’s offering, you can add value to the community and establish the service your company provides the public.
Up and Running
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
For your business to survive and be successful, it’s important to know what your strengths are, and where you can improve. Enter the SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis (which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) enables you to take a good, hard look at factors both internal and external that can contribute to—or hinder—your success.
YFS Magazine
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
After months of stressing, I was driving through the country to my Colorado ranch and listening to my favorite band, Depeche Mode. And that's when it hit me!
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
It only takes one person come up with a great startup idea, but in my experience as an investor, it’s a rare entrepreneur who has all the skills and resources to build a business as well as a solution. Yet I meet inventors and startup founders every week who balk at the thought of sharing the founder position. In my view, it’s a key reason that 90 percent of startups fail to launch.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Data is what drives decisions in business today. In addition to collecting and managing data about the things that go on within your own organisation every day, you also need to capture and manage data regarding your industry, your competition, and your customers. Without the right strategy for getting this data and using it, however, you won’t be able to make use of data and the guidance that it can provide, so keep reading for some helpful advice: Employ Data Capture Solutions.
Hunter Walker
SEPTEMBER 3, 2016
Which Google employees has made the biggest impact to the company over the past decade? Besides the familiar choices of Larry and Sundar, I’d nominate Google’s outgoing CPO Laszlo Bock. Under Laszlo’s direction Google’s hiring and management assumptions have been challenged by real data, resulting in transformative shifts such as *not* assuming college test scores are a predictor of success as a Googler.
The Equity Kicker
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
I just read an old post by Nir Eyal about The psychology of sports: How sports affect your brain. Nir makes the point that our obsession with sports is weird. Writing at the time of the 2012 London Olympics he said: “This week, fans packed stadiums in London wearing their nation’s colors like rebels ready for battle in Mel Gibson’s army. They screamed with excitement and anguished in defeat.
YFS Magazine
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
We all have a "story". We all have thoughts and feelings that are so deeply engrained in us, we don’t even notice we’ve created a fable in our mind.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
Regardless of the type of startup, you’re launching, a smart and professional office is a must. Whether it’s just you for now or you’ve already got a team of employees in place, you need to create an office space that is smart and professional. After all, your office is probably the first glimpse clients will get into your company. So it’s crucial that it makes a good first impression.
Hunter Walker
SEPTEMBER 3, 2016
Which Google employees has made the biggest impact to the company over the past decade? Besides the familiar choices of Larry and Sundar, I’d nominate Google’s outgoing CPO Laszlo Bock. Under Laszlo’s direction Google’s hiring and management assumptions have been challenged by real data, resulting in transformative shifts such as *not* assuming college test scores are a predictor of success as a Googler.
The Next Web
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
You’re an entrepreneur with a great idea. How do you raise a million dollars? One of the most important things is to have a great pitch deck. When you’re walking down Sand Hill Road, or to your local VC, a decision to fund or not to fund will be made very quickly after you come in — that’s why it’s important to make a great impression.
YFS Magazine
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
We tend to do business with people we know, like and trust. But the “know” part – it’s the kicker – and it can be hard.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Technology has created a buzz around everything in this world. There have been revolutionary inventions in the field of IT and communication in the last decade. Things have changed so much that, brick and mortar has become a thing of the past. Be it an office or retail stores, people now get things done online or use their handheld devices rather than physically visiting the place. .
A Crowded Space
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Today, OfferUp announced their latest $119M financing here , here , and here. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nick, Arean, and the entire team on the incredible progress that led to this impressive milestone as well as welcome the new investors to the table. OfferUp has had truly explosive growth over the last 3 years from a tiny base to a staggering $14B+ in GMV this year.
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