YoungUpstarts

MAY 29, 2017

by Quan Heng Lim, Cyber-Operations Consultant at Horangi. “The Lean Startup.”. “Fail Fast, Pivot.”. “Agile Methodology.”. The trend today is for teams and projects to be flexible, adaptable, continuously reassessed and developed to ensure that products and/or companies fit market demand. In the chase to produce the best minimum viable product or to push out the next killer feature, security is often given the backseat.

Security 206

Security Software Review Technical Review Agile 206

TechEmpower

MAY 10, 2017

Results from Round 14 of the Web Framework Benchmarks project are now available! This round's results are limited to the physical hardware environment only, but cloud results will be included again in the next round. Recent improvements. Our efforts during Round 14 focused on improvements that help us manage the project, mostly by removing some of our manual work.

Framework 136

Framework Software Review Community Cloud 136

Up and Running

MAY 10, 2017

In the summer of 2009, my wife and I caught the entrepreneurial bug and started a company without any prior business experience. We’d never hired anyone. We’d never had anyone pay us for a product or a service. We didn’t know anything about small business accounting or finance. We didn’t even know how to write a business plan. I had some limited knowledge about search engine marketing, but knew nothing about marketing in a more general sense.

Startup 119

Startup SEO Montana Argentina 119

ConversionXL

MAY 11, 2017

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” —Napoleon Bonaparte. When your competitors make mistakes, it makes winning so much easier. But what if it’s you who is making a mistake, while your competitors are off to the races? You won’t know until you figure out what your competitors are up to. Knowing what the competitors are doing – how they are thinking about the market, what tactics they are using, how they are crafting messages and design – can make all the differen

SEO 131

SEO Analytics Conversion Search 131

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Maybe it’s time to look harder at the mantra of a new breed of gurus and successful entrepreneurs, including Steve Blank and Eric Ries , called “nail it then scale it” (NISI).

Startup 161

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 161

Occam's Razor

MAY 2, 2017

The very best analysts distill, rather than dilute. The very best analysts focus, when most will tend to gather. The very best analysts are display critical thinking, rather than giving into what’s asked. The very best analysts are comfortable operating with ambiguity and incompleteness, while all others chase perfection in implementation / processing / reports.

Metrics 143

Metrics Acquisition eCommerce Analytics 143

Mike Michalowicz

MAY 22, 2017

What I love about the E-Commerce industry is that it provides opportunity for everyone. It’s a great business leveler. The continual innovation of technology and product can provide infinite scalability for an Online Retailer. Plus there’s an industry wide openness and willingness to share what they have already learnt with those new to selling online.

Global 87

Global Channel Sales Software Review 87

Version One Ventures

MAY 11, 2017

A few weeks ago, Forbes released their annual Midas List of Top Tech Investors , recognizing those investors who have backed unicorns and seen strong returns for their funds. For these investors, their success is partly due to the fact that they are good pickers and can see opportunities like Uber and Airbnb. But there’s more to it than that. Great investors are at the right place at the right time by being thought leaders and generally solid and helpful individuals.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Due Diligence .Net Founder 110

ConversionXL

MAY 8, 2017

Most product descriptions are awful. Or worse, non-existent. Product copy and product descriptions seems like such minor parts of a website in the grand scheme of conversion optimization , so many brands brush it off. But for companies doing it right, writing excellent product descriptions is a great way to sprinkle brand personality in a place that most people don’t expect it.

Product 104

Product Technical Review Trinidad SEO 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2017

Building a business is not rocket science, so there is no magic success formula. Some people think you need to get an MBA to get it right, while others are convinced that those who drop out of school early (Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg) have the advantage. In my experience working with startups, the best approach these days is to find and use a good mentor (been there, done that).

Technical Review 154

Technical Review Agile Social Media Networking 154

Up and Running

MAY 9, 2017

Here at Palo Alto Software , we take hiring pretty seriously. I should know—we just wrapped up a lengthy hiring process within the marketing department. After months of searching, dozens of interviews, and sifting through countless resumes, we finally hired a new managing editor for Bplans. This prolonged interview approach wasn’t due to a lack of qualified candidates, but rather a strong desire to make sure that the candidate we chose to fill the role was a great fit on all levels, from a skill

Hiring 105

Hiring Employee Matching Software Review 105

YoungUpstarts

MAY 30, 2017

by Julia Kravchenko, partner and VP of HR at Qubit Labs. “Why don’t we make an app?”. Obviously, if you open this article you are also interested in creating the one. If we look through the statistics, it’ll show us that mobile phones are gradually becoming more and more popular. They follow the way of websites: a couple of decades ago having a page in the internet was considered to be luxury, though now you cannot surprise customers with online presence.

Developer 178

Developer Small Business Estonia Ukraine 178

The Startup Magazine

MAY 16, 2017

If you’ve been to a dentist recently, you’re probably already aware that the dental industry is experiencing some rapid changes in technology – instant xray imaging and intraoral cameras are but two of the most noticeable high-tech innovations you’re likely to notice. Those tech advances you see as a patient are just the tip of the iceberg of tech, leadership, and business trends driving the $129 billion industry.

Technical Review 85

Technical Review Cloud Technology Pennsylvania 85

deal architect

MAY 31, 2017

Phil Fersht wrote a cheerful (not) post this weekend where he asks Is our sole purpose now simply to eliminate people? We spend a couple of decades displacing "expensive" workers because we could find less expensive able ones to do.

279

279

ConversionXL

MAY 1, 2017

One of the greatest threats to long-term success is when companies aren’t vigilant enough about responding to the changes in their market—whether it’s by failing to spot product or channel fatigue, acknowledge new competition, make needed updates to products or marketing adjustments in a timely fashion, or embrace new technology coming online. Editor’s Note: this piece is an excerpt from Hacking Growth.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Algorithm Channel Analytics 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2017

Success in today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment requires a total alignment between the needs of each business function and the priorities of all team members. If you see signs of internal misalignment, such as too many meetings, overload of emails, or lack of engagement at any level, now is the time to take action before customers and employees both sense it and leave you.

North America 136

North America Technical Review Vertical Europe 136

Up and Running

MAY 16, 2017

Your funding has been approved with the bank or granted via investors—congratulations! Now, the really fun part can begin: the spending. You may have a sudden, overwhelming desire to spend to your heart’s content, but it is important to act responsibly and follow the spending plan laid out in your business plan if your business is to survive its critical early years.

SBA 82

SBA Technical Review Small Business Administration Software Review 82

YoungUpstarts

MAY 27, 2017

Mobile applications are paramount for the success of marketing campaigns today. While the existence of a company app is not something that has gotten to the level of the website, where not having one is instant marketing doom, it’s not far from it. While not having an app is still something you can get away with as a company, it’s something that will keep you from gaining a considerable amount of extra profit.

Mobile 150

Mobile Developer Technical Review Technical Support 150

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2017

I am wired to discount people who have total assuredness in their point-of-view, have dogmatic positions or use data as a crutch or substitute for logic. I appreciate people who have strong opinions or conviction but expect them to constantly be testing their opinions and refining their approaches as they encounter new people, facts or logic. I have long believed that humans (myself included) err on the side of over-confidence in their own abilities and thoughts.

Venture Capital 182

Venture Capital Mobile Video Conversion 182

deal architect

MAY 14, 2017

I leave every visit with Plex invigorated. Last week their user conference, PowerPlex in Atlanta was no different. Each time they showcase a growing number of customers – the majority are mid-sized US manufacturers. Plex now supports 566 customers, with.

Atlanta 279

Atlanta Customer Cloud Software 279

ConversionXL

MAY 22, 2017

I’m sure you consider yourself data-driven. You make decisions based on data. Problem is, most companies aren’t using their data to the capacity they could be. It’s almost a universal problem, and it means you’re leaving money on the table. You see, the current structure of the modern marketing stack leads to a large amount of data fragmentation.

Customer 92

Customer Marketing Artificial Inteligence Clickthrough 92

View from Seed

MAY 24, 2017

Christina Sass is co-founder and COO of Andela, a company that locates, trains, and staffs world-class engineers in Africa for hire by tech companies in the US and elsewhere. They’ve sparked a movement, cracked the code on finding great coders, and have attracted investors like Mark Zuckerberg. Visit andela.com to learn more, or follow Christina at twitter.com/sasschristina.

Africa 227

Africa Engineer Coder Cofounder 227

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2017

A lot of people start their business with dreams of one day potentially selling it or having it acquired. If you are just starting out as an entrepreneur or you have a business idea you want to pursue, you may be wondering why you even need to think about selling your business at this stage. Even if you aren’t planning to sell, building your business thoughtfully and with an eye toward making it highly acquirable is an effective way to build a healthy business.

Acquisition 92

Acquisition Technical Review Revenue Exit Strategy 92

YoungUpstarts

MAY 19, 2017

by Norman McBrien, co-founder and Head of Operations of GoConqr. The efficient management of a business requires a lot of sacrifice and perseverance, since to be a good leader you must get actively involved in the project you manage and have a close working relationship with your workforce. The small details in the day to day are the ones that make the difference between a great boss and a mediocre one, so it’s advisable to be surrounded by the best resources and to absorb all the advice you can

Cofounder 180

Cofounder Leadership Early Stage Employee 180

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 17, 2017

I’ve been involved with several startups where a giant incumbent attacks you and tries to sue you out of existence. When you first receive the threat it feels like the local pizza shop when they first get a call from the local mafia boss and you can feel the shake-down coming. The first instinct is fear, then dread, then panic. You begin to think about how hard it will be to fund raise, sign customers, hire employees, etc. with the cloud of a lawsuit hanging over you.

Los Angeles 254

Los Angeles Philadelphia Security Video 254

deal architect

MAY 9, 2017

After sitting out SAP’s event the last few years I am going to the event next week for a couple of days. Here’s why: I have been getting requests to update SAP Nation. I have to been reluctant to do.

Software 247

Software 247

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2017

As an angel investor, I sometimes worry that all the viable unique ideas must already be taken. Entrepreneurs keep talking to me about the Internet of Things (IOT), autonomous vehicles, inter-planetary travel, and other exciting opportunities, but the majority of real plans I get seem to be “me too” variations of several common themes that have already been done too many times.

Social Network 219

Social Network Angel Investor Mobile Internet 219

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 16, 2017

Not sure? Yes you are. You’re just scared. Which is understandable. But you’re sure. Is employee #2 not working out, or does she maybe just need more time? If you have to ask, you know the answer, you just don’t want to do the difficult thing. But doing the difficult things — not the easy things — is what will define your organization and could be the difference between success and failure, because that person is taking a seat, and every seat has to be filled by a powerhouse.

Hiring 215

Hiring Operations Employee Founder 215

Brandanew

MAY 1, 2017

It’s easy to get lost in the day to day workings of your Startup or small business. It’s much harder to find time to hone your online presence and evaluate what’s working. Most people think of content as the mainstay of good brand experiences. But most of us tend to ignore that content includes great design. You do not want your consumers to find your content.

Design 178

Design Small Business Startup Marketing 178

YoungUpstarts

MAY 17, 2017

“You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible.” – Paul Graham. Have you ever considered working for yourself; ergo, opening your own startup? There is little doubt that, for a lot of people, self-employment, albeit riskier than full-time employment, is preferable than working for a boss.

San Diego 138

San Diego Venture Capital Startup Bootstrapping 138

Feld Thoughts

MAY 11, 2017

There’s a long-standing cliche concerning SaaS companies that once you get to $10m in ARR you are unkillable. As Jason Lemkin says in his post from early 2013: Inevitability in SaaS comes around $10m in ARR, plus or minus. Once you hit this point, you have a brand, you have a fully baked team, you have a robust product, and you have a self-generating stream of new leads and new business.

IPO 171

IPO Portfolio Channel Revenue 171

deal architect

MAY 1, 2017

Max Hopper, writing in HBR in 1990 talked about the then IT “Hall of Fame” including SABRE, American Airlines’s reservation system, which eventually became a computerized reservation system (CRS), and Apollo, the other leading CRS, transformed marketing and distribution in.

Distribution 218

Distribution Marketing 218

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2017

Many entrepreneurs I know are confused by definition and need for an Advisory Board versus a Board of Directors. Some view both of these as a waste of time and burden on the CEO, while other founders surround themselves with insiders and cronies in an attempt to expedite and add credibility to their own interests. I suggest a few simple considerations will clarify the alternatives.

Advisory Board 174

Advisory Board IPO Angel Investor Acquisition 174

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

MAY 30, 2017

“Maximizing” means expending time and effort to ensure you’ve solved something as best as possible. It requires exploration and analysis to ensure “the best” option hasn’t been overlooked, and that we have confidence in our evaluation of all options. “Satisficing” means picking the first option that satisfies the requirements.

Software 182

Software Customer Startup Product 182

Brandanew

MAY 26, 2017

I was recently invited to speak at the Management and Entrepreneurial Skills Summit held in Delhi, India. My video (as I could physically not be there) was streamed live for the session on building up an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the survival of the fastest. Here’s the full transcript of what I shared with the audience, also with the video that was streamed at the event.

India 174

India Acquisition Video Audience 174

YoungUpstarts

MAY 11, 2017

by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, coauthors of “ The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations “ What do leaders do when they are performing at their best? It’s an interesting question. And here’s a more compelling one: Do the practices that made a leader exemplary in the (pre-Internet, pre-globalization) 1980s produce the same effect here in 2017?

Leadership 165

Leadership .Net Stock Government 165