Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

Amongst the most often asked questions I get from founders is, “How much money should I raise?” Reflexively founders want to raise as much money as they can because they figure it will give them more resources, better chances of competing and a longer runways before they have to do the often painful job of asking, yet again, for money. Every time you ask for money you’re faced with the possible of feeling literally and figuratively like a failure.

Pre-Money Valuation 292

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Early Stage Startup 292

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 16, 2016

When you’re starting out in business, you have thousands of things to take care of. With limited resources in capital and manpower, it is the entrepreneur’s responsibility to get things done. It then becomes imperative for small business owners to be efficient in their daily tasks, in order to free up valuable time on the things that matter: cherishing first clients and growing the company.

Software Review 141

Software Review Product Entrepreneur Technical Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

There is a common belief in the angel and venture capital community that you put your money on the best team, rather than the best idea. Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Startup 152

View from Seed

JUNE 7, 2016

Today we’re thrilled to re-launch our most popular resource ever: board deck templates for seed-stage startups. Last year, we released two different variations of the deck , both contained in the same resource. Since then, they’ve been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. Based on that reaction, we wanted to continue improving the product through both additional revs/design and continuing to evolve how we think about board meetings in the first place.

Seed Stage 160

Seed Stage Founder Seed Capital Institutional Investors 160

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

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 24, 2016

It’s 2am on Friday and I’m awake because Brooks the Wonder Dog is afraid of thunderstorms. His approach to them is to literally try to climb under my body while I’m sleeping, which prevents me from sleeping, which results in me watching the Brexit insanity in real time. Yesterday, we had our own US insanity around immigration as our Supreme Court voted 4-4 on the legality of Obama’s executive orders on immigration.

India 127

India Software Developers Software Development Finance 127

Up and Running

JUNE 28, 2016

Before anything else, realize that yes, you do have competition. No matter how new your business, you do have competition. I’m in several groups that watch startup pitches as investors, and I can guarantee you that if you say you don’t have competition, your audience is rolling its collective eyes and dismissing you as naive. Once in an extremely rare while, a new technology will appear, for a short time, as if it has no competition.

Business Plan 109

Business Plan Technical Review Software Review Vertical 109

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 30, 2016

By Vadim Kondratiev, Head of Sales at Anadea Inc. When a project owner seeks for a software development company, they often mention in their inquiries that they want to deal with a very professional developer. They want their project to be cared of properly. But what kind of service do they actually want their developers to provide? What is the difference between a professional and an amateur attitude?

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Software Developers Software Development Software Review 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. They don’t realize that according to statistics , more than 90 percent of satisfied entrepreneurs use bootstrapping, since other people’s money always comes with strings, most of them negative.

Bootstrapping 135

Bootstrapping Advisory Board Startup Venture Capital 135

Brandanew

JUNE 27, 2016

I was recently talking with a prospective client and we talked through the challenges they were facing. The client had just finished their “father’s day campaign” and the social media impact on sales seemed a little disappointing. She wasn’t sure why this was the case. The gut decision to “do something on social” seemed right, but the results seemed questionable.

Social Media 150

Social Media Media Campaign Lean 150

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 6, 2016

If there’s one consistent concern I hear from the companies I work with, it’s the shortage of qualified tech talent. But just like in so many other areas, a Boulder entrepreneur has come up a great idea to address the problem that not only adds to the talent pipeline, but also brings in more diversity — a personal passion of mine. Too often, aspiring engineers who lack the funds to pursue a computer science degree from a university or take part in a bootcamp find themselves locked out of technol

Coder 90

Coder Salary Software Engineering Software 90

ConversionXL

JUNE 22, 2016

Throughout his life, architect Bill Claudill wrote down notes on this and that, and organized those thoughts under the title This I Believe. When Tom Peters turned 60, he decided to scribble down 60 thoughts , one for each year – that seemed to capture his professional and personal journey. I turn 36 in a couple of days (June 24). Much younger than the above named folks, but I decided to do the same.

Audience 91

Audience Software Review Email Networking 91

Hearpreneur

JUNE 19, 2016

Share Each business has a story. No matter if the business is a Goliath like Wal-Mart, or a local business owned by a couple or family, the business has roots in an idea. For each business owner, the story of their journey can range from monetary needs or the passion for a unique project. Each story is different though the reasons may remain the same.

Entrepreneur 72

Entrepreneur Software Review Michigan Chicago 72

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 6, 2016

By Litha Ramirez, Director of User Experience of Breakthrough Technologies. You have around four seconds to grab someone’s attention when they visit your website, and then they could be gone forever. That’s four seconds (or less) to convey what you do and create a positive impression of your brand, to inspire the visitor to explore more and engage their interest.

Mobile 133

Mobile Design Web Internet 133

David Cohen

JUNE 8, 2016

The term “lead investor” is often code. Just like the word “quaint” is code in the real estate business for “small.” Let me know when you have a lead investor. Loosely translated, these words often actually mean “I’m not ready to commit.” You see, many angel and seed investors view it as their job to establish a “free option” on investing in your company.

Lead Investor 76

Lead Investor Software Review Due Diligence Startup 76

Up and Running

JUNE 8, 2016

Do you dream of owning your own hair salon? In a saturated market, you may be wondering how to stand out from the crowd. Should you use only organic products? Should you focus on edgy haircuts, an unforgettable experience, or something else? . If you already own your own hair salon, you’re wondering how to increase revenue and how to take your business to the next level.

Revenue 71

Revenue Philadelphia New York Software Review 71

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 28, 2016

A few weeks ago I had lunch with John Dearie to discuss a new non-profit he has started called The Center for American Entrepreneurship. Several friends and people I respect a lot are on the board , including Lucy Sanders (NCWIT), Troy Henikoff (Techstars Chicago), Bob Litan (Brookings Institute), Rebecca Lovell (Seattle’s Office of Economic Development), Monisha Merchant (formerly Senator Bennet’s Economic Advisor), Jonathan Ortmans (Global Entrepreneurship Network), Jason Seats (Techsta

SBA 102

SBA Government Green Small Business Administration 102

ConversionXL

JUNE 27, 2016

For an optimizer, these are words to live by: “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” [Tweet It!]. Optimization isn’t about educated guesses and hunches, no matter how many years you’ve been in the industry. It’s about doing the research, asking the right questions, digging for clues in problem areas, paying attention to the signs when they appear, and running smart A/B tests.

Analytics 72

Analytics Web Technical Review Conversion 72

Berkonomics

JUNE 16, 2016

Dave’s note: Our guest author this week is Kevin McDonald, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Alvaka Networks, a network services and security firm in Irvine, California. He is a trusted technology and security consultant and public policy advisory to some of America’s most influential people and organizations. .

Software Review 55

Software Review Technical Review Security California 55

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 16, 2016

By John Orlando, Chief Marketing Officer at Constant Contact. Small business owners might not hear this often enough, but you deserve a round of applause. Not only are you kicking it when it comes to revenue, you’re also savvy marketers with impressive do-it-yourself skills. This insight comes from a recent survey of 1,000 small business owners conducted by Constant Contact.

Revenue 144

Revenue Small Business Social Media Technical Review 144

Hearpreneur

JUNE 25, 2016

Share Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up each morning knowing you are getting to do exactly what you love is more than most people could ever say about any “job” they have had. Although there are days when tossing in your hat seems like a viable option, remembering how much you love your “job” can quickly snap an entrepreneur out of that mentality.

Entrepreneur 81

Entrepreneur Sacramento Advertising Campaign 81

Hunter Walker

JUNE 6, 2016

This week I’ll be running a series of Five Question interviews with small businesses which were facilitated by BondStreet , a SMB lending platform (we’re investors). LocalBiz stories are really fun for me since my first high school job was working in an independent bookstore. These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company.

Technical Review 55

Technical Review Miami Software Review Boston 55

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 16, 2016

By definition, as a company scales rapidly, it adds people quickly. There are many things about this that are difficult, but a vexing one has to do with the leadership team. Often times, the wrong people are in senior positions. The faster a company grows, or the less experienced the CEO is (e.g. a first time founding CEO), the more likely it is a problem.

Part-Time VPE 84

Part-Time VPE Leadership Engineer Hiring 84

ConversionXL

JUNE 16, 2016

Mark Zuckerberg famously said, “Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.” Since then, startups and growth marketers have latched onto the statement. “Move fast and break things” has become a way of life , an ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs who just want to hustle all day, hustle all night like Gary Vaynerchuk.

Framework 60

Framework Programming Metrics Engineer 60

Up and Running

JUNE 23, 2016

Do you know where to go online to continue your real estate education? Do you know where to send your clients when they haven’t the first clue about buying a house? Do you know which sites are the best for keeping on top of industry trends? Because we know it’s difficult to set aside the time to find the most valuable resources—especially when all your free time is spent completing paperwork, showing houses, and finding new leads—we’ve collated the sites, tools, and blogs that come highly recomm

Technical Review 69

Technical Review Forecast Database Video 69

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 2, 2016

by Bryan Gregory, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Aldridge. Hurricane season is fast approaching and this year’s forecasted storm activity is abnormally high. The Weather Channel predicts 2016’s season will include 14 named storms and eight hurricanes, three of which are likely to be a category three or higher. The spike in activity is a concern for anyone positioned within the storms’ potential landfall regions, but it’s especially alarming for small businesses whose operations an

Technical Review 130

Technical Review Forecast Operations Cloud 130

Hearpreneur

JUNE 4, 2016

Share Being an entrepreneur or business owner has its share of ups and downs. While the downs can be pretty low the ups always seem to triumph for a true entrepreneur at heart. Milestones are what entrepreneurs and business owners work towards. Once you finally reach a certain point then reflection can truly begin. Finding enjoyment in running your business keeps it from becoming stale in the long run.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Haiti Artificial Inteligence PR 64

Hunter Walker

JUNE 6, 2016

This week I’ll be running a series of Five Question interviews with small businesses which were facilitated by BondStreet , a SMB lending platform (we’re investors). LocalBiz stories are really fun for me since my first high school job was working in an independent bookstore. These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company.

Technical Review 53

Technical Review Miami Software Review Boston 53

crowdSPRING Blog

JUNE 28, 2016

We’ve got some bad news. Your customers are probably ignoring you. Sure, there are an infinite number of YouTube commercials, product placements, sponsored blog content, and a whole cacophony of other messages being thrown into the interwebs by companies trying to get some brand attention on the daily, but is their target audience really seeing all of these marketing messages?

Marketing 70

Marketing Advertising Social Media Media 70

ConversionXL

JUNE 30, 2016

Interactivity tends to lead to better engagement, and it’s thought that better user engagement equals more conversions and more long term satisfaction with a brand. The web is an inherently interactive medium, so there are infinite ways to implement interactivity onto your site. Of course, it’s not a silver bullet strategy. Just because something is cool or popular – or just because it looks cool – doesn’t mean it works on the bottom line.

Conversion 74

Conversion Software Review Technical Review Advertising 74

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 23, 2016

5 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Have a Following written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing. photo credit Very Pixel. Have you ever noticed how so many major corporations produce commercials that focus more on their brand name rather than an actual product? At first, this might lead to some head-scratching—after all, isn’t the product what they’re selling?

Software Review 48

Software Review Merger Advertising IPO 48

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2016

The funding environment for tech startups is an ever shifting ground as we go through predictable shifts that go hand-in-hand with the slowing of the overall market. The most important shift I would characterize as the market moving from “high conviction” and thus strong follow-ons to “limited conviction” and lots of gamesmanship / games of chicken … at your expense.

Venture Capital 230

Venture Capital Silicon Valley Burn Rate LP 230

Hearpreneur

JUNE 18, 2016

Share Twitter has had its shares of ups and downs over the last few years. Every introduction of new social media platforms chip away at current banner holders like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Over the course of the last couple years co-founder Jack Dorsey was reinstated as CEO due to decline, the constant buzz about doing away with 140 has caused uproar on both sides, and every week a headline concerning stolen information is splashed across every news site.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Social Network Channel Social Media 63

deal architect

JUNE 29, 2016

Nucleus Research just issued a report which will make SAP wince SAP’s new marketing tagline – run simple – is not only grammatically incorrect, it’s grossly inaccurate. Nucleus analyzed the experience of SAP customers and found varied – at best.

Customer 258

Customer Marketing Software 258

Reid Hoffman

JUNE 28, 2016

This essay originally appeared on MIT Sloan Management Review as part of their Frontiers Essay Series. Each essay is a response to this question: “Within the next five years, how will technology change the practice of management in a way we have not yet witnessed?”. • • •. Artificial Intelligence is about to transform management from an art into a combination of art and science.

Artificial Inteligence 51

Artificial Inteligence Management Technical Review Matching 51

ConversionXL

JUNE 20, 2016

You and I may have a hard time believing it, but many people are afraid to shop online. Now, as someone who regularly makes ridiculous impulse purchases, I never second guess entering my credit card information online. In fact, I just bought a Led Zeppelin coffee mug in the time between writing and editing this article. You, too, probably regularly buy books, movies, clothes, and software online.

Customer 72

Customer Software Review Technical Review eCommerce 72

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 9, 2016

The Clear-Cut Guide to Social Media Engagement written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing. photo credit: Pixabay. As of 2016, there’s estimated to be 2.3 billion active social media users — nearly 1/3 of the global population. While this eye-popping statistic presents obvious marketing potential, determining how your business can capitalize on it is decidedly less clear.

Social Media 42

Social Media Media Phoenix Channel 42