Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 20, 2008

If engineers want more time to spend making their old code more pretty, they are invited to do so on the weekends. The idea is that once we move to the new system (or coding standard, or API, or.) The current code is spaghetti, but the new code will be elegant. Its become "legacy code" and part of the problem.

Software Review 164

Software Review Engineer Management Technical Review 164

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

He came to work in our offices at Upfront Ventures as an EIR and immediately began building software to improve how storage was picked up, photographed, scanned and routed to a warehouse. We weren’t in enough cities to do national advertising campaigns yet we weren’t centralized enough to benefit off of our central marketing traction.

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. Reviewing financial & operational performance. Founder’s perspective.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Early Stage Software Review Los Angeles 325

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 26, 2013

by Pabla Ayala, cofounder of pFunk Media Is your holiday gift-giving list becoming longer and pricier than your current wallet can handle? Gigs vary in categories like advertising, video and animation, graphics and design, programming and tech, music and audio, gifts, fun and bizarre, online marketing or writing and translation.

San Francisco 263

San Francisco Securities and Exchange Commission Miami United Kingdom 263

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Mention that you do “Consumer tech” as a startup founder and you’d be limiting your funding options to one third of the venture capital funds (in Israel that figure is probably closer to 10%). NFX argues that in 2025, the consumer window has finally reopened due to advances in AI.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

Agile VC

JULY 11, 2012

You can learn as much from these cautionary tales as you can from the enduring successes, plus studying a broad sample of firms helps avoid drawing false conclusions due to survivorship bias. Some disgruntled younger partners left in the mid-90s… two co-founded Benchmark Capital (Bruce Dunlevie & Andy Rachleff).

Silicon Valley 240

Silicon Valley Carried Interest Cofounder Boston 240

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 24, 2013

We speak to the founders of Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS) team – 28-year old Kai Lim, 39-year old Stanley Artgerm Lau, and 31-year old Kendrick Lim (pictured above)- about hitting the big eight. Stanley Artgerm Lau: I am a co-founder and creative director of IFS. Tell us a little about yourself.

Singapore 228

Singapore San Diego DC Design 228

YoungUpstarts

JULY 21, 2019

You can find free software on the internet that does almost the same thing as your subscription-based software. Review if you need the extra perks of the costlier alternative, and see if you can make do with the cheaper one. If you and your co-founder(s) are friends, why not work on your home instead? Stay online.

Software Review 191

Software Review Entrepreneur Cost Cofounder 191

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 23, 2012

Stop looking for cofounders and help them find you instead | The Startup Toolkit Blog - [link]. You can do it alone (why it’s not critical to haver a co-founder) – [link]. A co-founder’s guide to Biz Dev | Soundboy – [link]. HomeAway Co-Founder: Why I Hire Failures – [link].

Social Media 107

Social Media Small Business Design Cofounder 107

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

The video above is a fun look at the obsession people have with cats in online videos and advertising. Lean Marketing: Facebook advertising for newbies – [link]. 5 rules of small business advertising success – [link]. Lean Marketing: Facebook advertising for newbies – [link]. – [link].

Social Media 96

Social Media Small Business Design Media 96

VC Cafe

JUNE 26, 2023

In December 2022, just a month after the introduction of ChatGPT, Google understood the risk as well and launched a ‘code red’ – a company-wide emergency effort to tackle generative AI and come back with an adequate response to ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing. Much of it today belongs to Algolia.

Generative AI 174

Generative AI Search ChatGPT Technical Review 174

mashable.com

NOVEMBER 30, 2010

Brett Miller is the president of Custom Software by Preston (CSP). For more than 10 years CSP has impressed clients with highly effective software solutions and teams of multi-talented software engineers. There are multiple approaches you can take to staffing when it comes to IT projects.

Software Developers 79

Software Developers Software Development Software Review Software 79

Scott Edward Walker

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

Mistake #5 : not doing your due diligence on potential investors (at 38:36). different perspective as a lawyer (lots of phone calls from founders with problems). CA exception – CA Labor Code Section 2870: (i) different space, (ii) not using employer’s facilities and (iii) idea/IP is not based upon work done for employer.

Software Review 111

Software Review Delaware Accredited Investor Due Diligence 111

Scott Edward Walker

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

i) Rule 506 preempts State law, which means all you have to do is file a Form D and pay a filing fee; and (ii) no disclosure requirement/PPM Possible to sell to “friends and family” (e.g., issues to address include: How have they treated their other portfolio companies? (i) Are they good guys or jerks? Can they be counted-on and trusted?

Software Review 111

Software Review Delaware Accredited Investor Due Diligence 111

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Since the term “cloud computing” was coined in 1996—at least as we have come to understand its meaning—the software as a service industry has exploded. If you use software like LivePlan, you can create this initial “lean plan” in under an hour and then spend your time where it really matters—on validating your idea.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Up and Running

APRIL 18, 2014

In the early 1990s, my brother was working for a company that was going through the roof selling shareware software via catalog. Voices.com , an online marketplace that matches voice actors with advertising agencies and TV and radio stations, began in 2004 as an idea scribbled down on a napkin by newlyweds David and Stephanie Ciccarelli.

Detroit 156

Detroit Technical Review Cofounder North America 156

Agile VC

MAY 26, 2011

Many assume it was a cakewalk, based on the success LinkedIn has enjoyed over time and the current stature of our founder/CEO Reid Hoffman (now Chairman). The market size for online advertising, e-commerce, and web premium services are 1/10th to 1/3rd the size they are today. We have a long way to go baby! Thanks Lee.

Term Sheet 178

Term Sheet Silicon Valley Technical Review Social Network 178

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 13, 2010

90 Creative Advertisements You Will Listen To – [link]. Legal Contracts for Software Developers Who Hate Contracts (w/free contract template to use today) – [link]. How to run a software business on 5 hrs a week. Build a technology company without a tech cofounder – [link]. bubble – [link].

Social Media 95

Social Media Small Business Design Media 95

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 13, 2010

90 Creative Advertisements You Will Listen To – [link]. Legal Contracts for Software Developers Who Hate Contracts (w/free contract template to use today) – [link]. How to run a software business on 5 hrs a week. Build a technology company without a tech cofounder – [link]. bubble – [link].

Social Media 95

Social Media Small Business Design Media 95

David Teten

OCTOBER 1, 2015

Should you co-found your company with a software development shop? I’ve talked with a number of software development shops who are eager to get into the business of cofounding companies, i.e., getting product revenue and equity instead of just consulting revenue. What are the terms of their relationship with the founder?

Software Developers 60

Software Developers Software Development Software Review Technical Cofounder 60

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 26, 2013

3 Biggest Mistakes When Choosing a Cofounder – [link]. Don’t Use Social to Generate Sales; Make Selling Social | Advertising Age – [link]. If there’s one video 1st time founders should watch to understand VC financing it’s this one – [link]. ” – [link]. Great data – [link].

Social Media 90

Social Media Small Business Design Media 90

The Next Web

OCTOBER 28, 2012

Growth hacking has resonated in the startup community due to today’s growth challenges: new channel creation, channel saturation, the “best product” fallacy and “product-growth” fit. Paid advertising channels follow the same pattern. Channel instability. The creation and destruction of channels is a common occurrence today.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review San Francisco Software Review Distribution 150

online.wsj.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Advertising. Computer Software. Management. Media & Marketing. Small Business. More Industries. Accounting. Broadcasting & Entertainment. Computer Hardware. Consumer Products. Defense & Aerospace. Financial Services & Insurance. Food & Tobacco. Hospitality. Industrial Goods & Services. September 19, 2012, 9:32 p.m. NAME Comcast.

Venture Capital 107

Venture Capital Software Review Rhode Island North Dakota 107

Brandanew

APRIL 22, 2016

While we’ve often talked about organic Content Marketing, today we have guest blogger and entrepreneur, Garett Gan sharing his views on Content Marketing with paid advertising. Sometimes, paid advertising tools and platforms can be a great supplement to these more traditional means of distribution. Start with those notes already!

Advertising 100

Advertising Distribution Marketing New York City 100

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MARCH 11, 2014

Listen to this episode if you want to hear about a founder who has a product and users and paying customers … and is trying to figure out how to take his company to the next level and grow faster. Jason: And to me, trying to replace someone’s to-do software or their actual organization software? Jason: Okay.

Technical Cofounder 220

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Review Management 220

Agile VC

APRIL 17, 2011

Kayak was started here in my backyard of Boston… co-founder & CTO Paul English and the product/engineering team is based here in Concord MA. Co-founder & CEO Steve Hafner and the business team are based in Norwalk, CT. Kayak Software Corporation. Founding Date: 2004.

Pre-Money Valuation 113

Pre-Money Valuation Liquidation Preference Dividend Common Stock 113

ReadWriteStart

JULY 5, 2023

Recently, the medical diagnostics company Neko Health, which was co-founded by Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, was successful in acquiring €60 million ($65.4 Dermatologists are specifically hired to review the skin images captured by the 3D scanner, and there is always a doctor present to provide qualified medical judgments.

Sweden 126

Sweden Artificial Inteligence Cofounder Technical Review 126

Software By Rob

MAY 24, 2010

Late Stage Co-Founder Wanted – [Filled] I’ve been contacted by a colleague who has been working on a SaaS application in a fairly large market. No obligation; the current founder will not know who you are unless you decide to contact him. May 24th, 2010 | Cool News, Links & Reviews Building your startup?

Cofounder 39

Cofounder Founder Software Review Ruby 39

Up and Running

MARCH 20, 2018

Sales—the one word that most employees fear, but the only word that co-founders think about. Let’s say you don’t have the proper resources to create your own goal setting software; that’s cool. It happens—even co-founders have this issue. Let’s start with the basics: You need your first 100 customers—like, now.

Customer 108

Customer Software Review Social Media Technical Review 108

Duct Tape Marketing

MARCH 15, 2023

Cracking the Code of Data-Driven Marketing written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing Marketing Podcast with Christina Inge In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast , I interview Christina Inge. She is the founder of Sleek Marketing, which offers hands-on education on digital marketing in the Boston area.

Software Review 95

Software Review Marketing Metrics Analytics 95

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

It was actually my co-founder Will Harvey who taught me to present this data in the simple format weve discussed in this post. Code To make split-testing pervasive, it has to be incredibly easy. The only change you have to get used to as you start to code in this style, is to wrap your changes in a simple one-line condition.

San Francisco 166

San Francisco Lean Technical Review Continuous Deployment 166

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 11, 2011

The Co-Founder Mythology – [link]. Marketing Inspiration: 100 Clever and Creative Advertisements – [link]. 28 Creative Automotive Advertisements – [link]. Interesting perspective arguing that focus on ROI is dangerous because it ignores advertising creative – [link]. – [link].

Social Media 90

Social Media Small Business Design Media 90

David Teten

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

But then again, very few of us will cofound a billion-dollar company which gets massive traction on day 1. In particular, if you talk with VCs, they’re going to want to at least get comfort that you know the value of the key variables that drive your business, e.g., advertising rates. The answer is, almost certainly not.

Design 144

Design Recapitalization Software Review Startup 144

Version One Ventures

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Your business has a high viral co-efficient (or perhaps even a network effect) that lets you amass users cheaply without worrying too much about the monetization per user or spending money on paid acquisition. High LTV can usually be found in transactional or subscription businesses.

Churn Rate 168

Churn Rate Viral Acquisition Cofounder 168

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 18, 2013

Does HubSpot Walk The Talk On Its Culture Code? Warby Parker Co-Founder: Creating A Strong Brand Without Marketing | PSFK – [link]. Linkedin Founder Reid Hoffman’s Advice for Entrepreneurs | KISSmetrics Blog – [link]. Using the Crowd as an Innovation Partner | Harvard Business Review – [link].

Social Media 91

Social Media Small Business Design Media 91

crowdSPRING Blog

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

The Myth of Venture Capital | Re/code by Jon Oringer – crowdspring.co/1tNFeV7. Inside the Mind of a Technical Founder | OpenView Blog by Larry Kim – crowdspring.co/1u7Fz1b. 5 Signs You’ve Got the Wrong Co-Founder – crowdspring.co/1u17ovZ. Why Introverts Make Great Leaders – crowdspring.co/1yhmaS5.

Social Media 94

Social Media Small Business Design Media 94

ConversionXL

JUNE 20, 2019

Like YouTube, you can monetize DailyMotion videos with in-stream advertisements. The recent introduction of their “Channels” feature allows website owners to create a series of related videos and display the collection on their website—no coding required. Compare that to views in other countries, like Turkey, which averages 1.13

Hosting 127

Hosting Video Technical Review Software Review 127