Steve Blank

MAY 23, 2016

NYU Engineering Commencement Speech. Thank you for the opportunity to address you on your graduation from this esteemed engineering school. I’m honored to help you celebrate this important milestone. Your life is already full of milestones: Your first steps, your first kiss, passing a driving test, this graduation. And there are more to come: your first job, getting married, buying a house, having a child, becoming a manager, starting a company, retirement – and eventually commencement speaker.

Lean 223

Lean Technical Review Vietnam Engineer 223

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

I’ve spoken before about our desire at Upfront Ventures to fund really big ideas that solve hard problems, are science led and if successful will both have a positive effect on people’s lives as well as make great financial returns. We’re not Pollyannaish about this. We believe that it is incrementally harder to differentiate on simple Internet products or mobile apps and while great companies are built doing this, our goal as a fund is to try and fund things that can be 100x returns if they wor

Cofounder 207

Cofounder Differentiation Hosting Design 207

View from Seed

MAY 11, 2016

Investors love the idea of backing second-time founders, especially if they have had success in their last company. The reasons are fairly obvious: It’s easy to reference them and understand their track record; they’ve made a ton of mistakes already that they have hopefully learned from and are unlikely to make again; they are probably more adept at raising and managing capital, which reduces financing risk down the road, etc. etc… In addition, first-time founders I speak to often talk abo

Founder 159

Founder Cofounder CTO Hire Early Stage 159

YoungUpstarts

MAY 18, 2016

Husband and wife team Jason Womack and Jodi Womack recently launched their first co-authored book, “ Get Momentum: How to Start When You’re Stuck “ Unlike the promise of many self-help books, their book isn’t a typical one-size-fits-all recipe for success, but instead provides valuable insights into the psychology of change and how to direct focus to experience fulfillment. “ Get Momentum ” aims at coaching individuals on the mindset, skill set, and toolkit require

Costa Rica 183

Costa Rica California Leadership Partner 183

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

David Teten

MAY 20, 2016

My colleague Sebastian Soler, software engineer at ff Venture Capital, is leading the launch of a new Meetup with me. I asked him to write a guest post: Hi! I’ve just launched a new Meetup and online community I’m heading up with David. Our meetup is focused on how to use technology to enhance investing in private markets, including VC, growth, buyout, and distressed.

Private Equity 113

Private Equity Equity Cap Table Venture Capital 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2016

The military has long recognized that machine guns are force multipliers for rifles, but businesses have been slow to capitalize on this concept. Sometimes all the planning in the world isn’t enough for business survival, when things change as fast as they do today. Every business, especially startups, needs all guns blazing quickly on every opportunity or insight into the market.

Silicon Valley 145

Silicon Valley Startup Flash Social Media 145

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. In fact, SaaS industry revenue is projected to grow from $49 billion in 2015 to $67 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of approximately eight percent. If you want a slice of the pie, there isn’t a better time to get involved.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

ConversionXL

MAY 19, 2016

Would you rather optimize the path your visitor will actually take or optimize the path you think he should take? If you’d rather the former, then there’s something you need to know about linear funnels… they’re not a completely accurate representation of reality. The question is, what should you do about it and what is an accurate representation of reality?

Analytics 78

Analytics Metrics Channel Software Review 78

YoungUpstarts

MAY 22, 2016

If you are reading this, you are probably into Ruby and obviously heard of Ruby on Rails – a useful and super popular web application framework. However, you might not be aware that some of your favorite sites are built on Rails! These services cover various spheres including entertainment, gaming, education, jobs, and much more. With the help of our friends from Rails Ware Web Development Company , we have gathered 13 famous sites built with Ruby on Rails framework: 500px.

Ruby 124

Ruby Latvia Framework Social Network 124

Mike Michalowicz

MAY 31, 2016

Also Available On. Show Summary. Welcome back from the weekend! Today Dr.Zarik Boghossian shares his personal story of being born in Iran and moving to the US, the hardships he faced because of his accent, having no money and how he moved on to successfully develop a software that does the flight navigation for the international space station. Join us to learn some interesting insights on what can drive profitability and success for anyone.

Iran 60

Iran Architecture Texas Cofounder 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2016

Most new entrepreneurs have great ideas, and many are highly skilled in building their solutions. Unfortunately, far fewer have the focus and experience of building and maintaining a highly engaged team. They don’t realize that strong team engagement leads to even stronger customer engagement, which can more than double your startup revenue and growth, according to experts.

Leadership 144

Leadership Software Review Social Media Employee 144

YFS Magazine

MAY 20, 2016

Your website is where people learn about your business on your terms. It’s where they first come to grasp the value of what you’re doing. Your website is your digital calling card.

Startup 66

Startup Web Development Design Developer 66

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2016

I often use steering as a metaphor for business planning. Even when you have a steady highway, steering takes attention and constant small corrections. When the road gets curvy, corrections are more drastic. So too with running your own business, or starting a new one. You don’t just set a course; you watch results, review often, and revise as needed.

Metrics 80

Metrics Social Media Business Plan Advertising 80

Feld Thoughts

MAY 22, 2016

Neon Fever Rising by Eliot Peper was outstanding. But you can’t read it yet as it’s still in draft form. Eliot’s last book Cumulus was published a few weeks ago and has gotten awesome reviews. He’s turned into a writing machine and already had a draft of Neon Fever Rising ready to go when Cumulus was finalized. I first met Eliot several years ago when he emailed me a few chapters of the first book he was working on about a fictional tech startup in Boulder.

Oakland 74

Oakland Technical Review Stock Email 74

YoungUpstarts

MAY 20, 2016

By Becki Saltzman, author of “ Living Curiously: How to Use Curiosity to be Remarkable and Do Good Stuff ” Let’s get this part out of the way. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. These are career killers, but you probably knew that. The sneaky career killers are the ones that snag you and take you by surprise while you’re showing up on time, working hard, and doing a good job.

St. Louis 124

St. Louis Technical Review Washington Leadership 124

Mike Michalowicz

MAY 23, 2016

Also Available On. Show Summary. Today we hear a story that will tug at your heartstrings as we explore overcoming adversity. What if you grew up in a household where the family surrounding you did drugs? What if you failed out of high school and got kicked out of college – can you really have a successful lifestyle? The answer is a resounding yes.

San Diego 96

San Diego Bahamas Software Review Engineer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

There is an old saying in the startup investor community, “Smart investors invest in the team, not the idea.” As an angel investor, I’ve learned to believe in this approach, since I have seen great ideas go astray, due to poor execution and I have seen apparently marginal ideas make millions, managed by a savvy entrepreneur. Giving the wrong people money doesn’t help at the idea level.

Technical Review 134

Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence Angel Investor 134

ConversionXL

MAY 25, 2016

Almost all business owners hate Yelp, but they understand its power. User generated reviews in general are tremendously influential in persuading people to buy. One study found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations and 72% of consumers say positive reviews make them trust businesses more. Millennials, in particular, trust user-generated content 50% more than other media.

Software Review 80

Software Review Conversion Video SEO 80

Up and Running

MAY 16, 2016

Do you find yourself driven by both entrepreneurial and humanitarian interests? Is it important to you to build a business you can be proud of, knowing you are making a positive difference in people’s lives? If any of this speaks to you, you could be an excellent candidate to start a home health care business. There’s never been a better time to do so— home health care is one of the largest growing industries , not just in North America, but around the globe.

North America 95

North America United States Technical Review America 95

Hearpreneur

MAY 29, 2016

Share The idea of exactly what your business is going to be usually comes first. Secondly, most often, is giving a title to your idea. What exactly is going to be the name of your business? Some people turn to their childhood for inspiration or a beloved family pet. It could be a made up word you dream of one night and feel it has the right ring to it.

Naming 70

Naming Portland Entrepreneur SEO 70

YoungUpstarts

MAY 16, 2016

By Taryn Naidu, CEO of Rightside. One of the first and most important decisions any CEO, founder, or startup is going to make is what to name the company. It’s a decision that will inform every phase of your business’ future. And for years, entrepreneurs struggled between their desire for the perfect name and a rapidly diminishing supply of.COM domains.

Naming 124

Naming Startup Social Media Operations 124

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 25, 2016

I read many blogs to get inspired, learn, and to see what other people are doing. I’ve noticed that over the past few years, more people have been writing about productivity. This makes sense because as entrepreneurs and business owners, we are always looking for ways in which we can improve our productivity – or get more done in a shorter amount of time.

Product 77

Product Small Business Technical Review Lean 77

Transformify

MAY 8, 2016

Have you experienced that sweet, intense anxiety just before turning up the first day at a new job? The expectations, fears and big plans? You have searched for this job, engaged your network to refer you to the right people, have been through the nightmare called ‘’job interview’’ and now you have it. Your dream job is yours!

Software Engineering 66

Software Engineering California Salary Programming 66

YFS Magazine

MAY 25, 2016

Software as a Service (SaaS) provides an alternative for the.

Product 61

Product Software Software Developers Software Development 61

Up and Running

MAY 30, 2016

It’s an image that puts you in an instant state of relaxation—a roaring fireplace in a cozy rural bed and breakfast, sharing stories with fellow travelers while enjoying a glass of brandy or your favorite red wine. The romantic notions so closely associated with a bed and breakfast have made owning one a popular dream for many people. This is one of the reasons the bed and breakfast (B&B) industry has grown so significantly in recent years.

SBA 96

SBA United States Hiring Detroit 96

Hearpreneur

MAY 21, 2016

Share In the current generation of business being unique is a top priority to getting noticed. Each day some new story comes out about some creative marketing plan that takes the cake and drives huge traffic to a business. The Taco Liberty Bell April Fool’s joke or Verizon’s real life ‘Can You Hear Me Now?’ promo can only be described as unique. If a business is to survive and thrive making an effort to be unique is a must.

Entrepreneur 80

Entrepreneur Technical Review Advertising PR 80

YoungUpstarts

MAY 17, 2016

We are living in a time when everyone is connected almost 24/7. The onslaught of mobile devices and computers is not going to end anytime soon, which means that companies that don’t change with the times will find themselves falling behind the competition. The good news is that web design and online presence can really help to catapult your business to the front of the pack, providing you do it right.

Web 113

Web Design SEO Mobile 113

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 18, 2016

Building a great team is nearly always the key difference between the success or failure of a business. Each person we hire contributes to not only the development of the product, but also to the productivity of the team and overall company culture. When we make a bad hiring decision, we not only affect the product, but we also affect the team, the company’s culture, and the potential success of the business.

Hiring 65

Hiring Small Business Lean Restful 65

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 17, 2016

How to Turn Your Browser Into a Marketing Tool written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing. I use the Chrome browser and judging from the data I get from Google Analytics so do 60.12% of my site visitors. Chrome is certainly winning the browser war at the moment and this is due in large part to the growing set of tools, plugins, and extensions that extend the power far beyond basic search.

Marketing 43

Marketing Software Review SEO Analytics 43

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2016

I was speaking recently to the team at NuOrder , an LA-based company we’re an investor in about “realism in startups” — an impromptu talk I have given to any of our portfolio companies who ask. During the Q&A I was asked about how I make investment decisions in early-stage businesses. I was asked again in an LP meeting later in the week and then again at a founder breakfast gathering we hosted yesterday.

Early Stage 254

Early Stage Non-Compete LP Later Stage 254

Up and Running

MAY 18, 2016

Reading lists are dime a dozen, but reading lists that focus on rapid-growth startup businesses? Not so much. Below, you will find a list of books recommended by serial entrepreneur David S. Rose. If you’re planning to start and build a scalable, high-growth business, get ready to fill your bookshelves. Alongside each description, you’ll also find a few words from David.

Startup 80

Startup Venture Capital Angel Investor Lean 80

Hearpreneur

MAY 28, 2016

Share André Gide wrote that,”Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” Quotes are an important part of motivation, though many of them are repeats of another turn of phrase. Business owners are particularly partial to famous quotations. Reading a motivational speech from a business legend or famous creative mind can give you a spark.

Entrepreneur 74

Entrepreneur PR DC France 74

YoungUpstarts

MAY 30, 2016

There is no business or company who doesn’t have a website as it has become the most favourable marketing plan for everyone. Having a website doesn’t mean you will succeed in your business. Your website has to be decent and clean for your customers to navigate through the website easily. But, if your website is not up to the mark, that means having a below par website would just ruin marketing plan.

Web 122

Web Web Development HTML Reputation 122

deal architect

MAY 23, 2016

I wrote in January I expect this to be the year of the vertical for cloud applications. There are too many horizonatal cloud apps in accounting, hr and crm, not enough in industry specific functionality. Every event I have gone.

Vertical 236

Vertical Cloud Marketing 236

Guy Nirpaz

MAY 29, 2016

I’ve written recently that MAU and DAU are the most important metrics for Customer Success. I’ve received in an email with the following comment: “ How does MAU and DAU, which measure interactive consumption of a service, are applied to products and services that are inherently revenue share models such as Ad-Tech and Fin-Tech?” That is a great question and I’d like to answer it in this post.

Metrics 47

Metrics Customer Technical Review Programming 47

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 28, 2016

I’ve been online for nearly 30 years (yes, there was CompuServe and Prodigy before the www), blogging for 10 and using social media tools since the earliest days. I love to watch networks evolve, see how crowds gather and communicate and curate and share. Twitter was the most unique social sharing platform that had emerged in my experience because it unintentionally innovated on a constraint of 140 characters (initially so that it could send messages as SMS, which it self had a size constraint).

Social Media 240

Social Media Media Curation SMS 240