Steve Blank
JUNE 27, 2017
This article originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review. As more and more companies face disruption from globalization, new technology, and startups that have more capital than the incumbents, the continuing cry from Wall Street investors is, “Why can’t companies be as innovative as startups?”. Here’s one reason why: Startups can do anything.
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 5, 2017
by Brian Zeng, owner of Ponbee.com. “We spend as much as half our days in meetings.” – ‘ State of Modern Meeting ’ by Blue Jeans Network. It is therefore essential for business owners to think of ways to make meetings more productive and reduce the time spent in the conference rooms. This will not only ensure higher productivity and better efficiency within the organization, but the employees will be better engaged.
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deal architect
JUNE 20, 2017
UNIT4 had an analyst day last week. FinancialForce is hosting its user conference this week. I missed both due to other commitments but I see lots of tweets from fellow analysts.
Hearpreneur
JUNE 14, 2017
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 be the same. No matter the tale, the background behind each and every business is what fuels each and brand.
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 Professionals Musings
JUNE 4, 2017
With the Identity Theft Resource Center® reporting a 40 percent increase in data breaches in 2016, there seems to be a growing population out there worried about all the people intent on hurting them. Why is everyone so paranoid these days? My plea to entrepreneurs is to recognize these concerns as an opportunity, to make people’s life better, rather than stoke the fires.
ConversionXL
JUNE 13, 2017
Agile marketing may not be a phrase you hear often, but it’s becoming increasingly popular and important. Traditionally associated with development and product management, agile is a lightweight and, well, agile framework for software development and bringing features and products to market. It stands in opposition to “waterfall” production methods that treat analysis, design, coding, and testing as discrete phases – where in agile they are treated as continuous.
Start Up Roar brings together the best content for start up professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 26, 2017
by Nate Vickery, editor-in-chief of Bizzmarkblog.com. The new generation is coming of age and marketers turn their gaze to the new consumer focus group. Generation Z is making its way into the market and its starting to reshape the tech world with their views and preferences. Generation Z, much like their parents, Generation X, still doesn’t have an appropriate “name” like Millennials or Baby Boomers.
Up and Running
JUNE 14, 2017
Almost on a weekly basis, I meet new aspiring entrepreneurs looking to execute on their ideas. Some believe in the all-in approach to product development: build an advanced app. If it works, they’ll hit it big, and if it doesn’t, they’ll make some changes and do it again. Others believe in the start small, grow strong approach: build a small version of the app, test user demand, and then take it from there.
Hearpreneur
JUNE 10, 2017
Music can change your spirit. If you’re having a bad day and listen to your favorite song, it can change your entire mood. Music can also help you to get through difficult moments in life. One of the hardest things anyone can ever do is start and run a business. We knew that entrepreneurs have the best playlists and we decided to ask them their favorite tracks. #1 – All I do is Win by DJ Khaled.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 5, 2017
Even the most diligent investors are often surprised by apparently solid business startups that fail, while others succeed, despite the odds. In my own experience as an investor, I have concluded that success is more about the people than the product. The best founders operate with a key set of internal principles that allow them to break through all but the toughest business obstacles.
ConversionXL
JUNE 8, 2017
Did you know that Netflix has only 90 seconds to find a show that suits a user before she gets frustrated and quits? According to a recent academic study, “a typical Netflix member loses interest after perhaps 60 to 90 seconds of choosing, having reviewed 10 to 20 titles (perhaps 3 in detail) on one or two screens.” How does Netflix manage to find the right show for the right user so quickly?
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 29, 2017
I am so proud and humbled to be able to formally announce that Upfront Ventures has raised its 6th venture capital fund in the past 21 years. Upfront VI is our latest core fund and is $400 million to invest in early stage entrepreneurs. This brings our combined funds under management to nearly $2 billion. A huge thank you to all of the Limited Partners who have entrusted us with your capital, time and reputations.
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 6, 2017
Cloud computing has many advantages, so it’s no wonder that uptake and growth continue to increase at a formidable pace. Many companies, not just the major players, are moving their data and applications over to the cloud. As with all technologies, new and old, there are strengths and weaknesses. One of the major concerns about cloud computing is security.
Up and Running
JUNE 28, 2017
Over the past decade, ecommerce has enjoyed explosive growth. Retailers everywhere, large and small, have their pick from a range of tools to create an online shopping presence that attracts customers and increases revenue. But for today’s hair salons, spas, car repair shops, and other service- or appointment-based businesses, the technology needed to enhance the customer experience requires a slightly different set of features.
Hearpreneur
JUNE 26, 2017
Being an entrepreneur is a source of pride. It also evidences an individual with a huge amount of discipline and focus to be able to build a business a lot of times from just an idea. It is the ambition of an entrepreneur that built the most profitable and successful companies. The only issue is that the word entrepreneurship can often vary from person to person. #1 – A Few Things.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 21, 2017
Have you noticed that more companies beg you to participate in their business today? It started with an email survey on your last stay at their hotel, but now includes requests for online product reviews, to social media input on the design of future products. They do it because engaged customers become loyal advocates and buyers. Welcome to the “Participation Age” of marketing.
ConversionXL
JUNE 15, 2017
If you’re not following form design best practices, you might be leaving a significant amount of money on the table. While forms aren’t the sexiest part of conversion optimization , they tend to be the closest to the money, the macro-conversions. Spending a little time optimizing forms can be some of the most important optimization work you can do. Of course, best practices don’t work the same on all sites.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 17, 2017
There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. One of them is whether profitability matters. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 27, 2017
by James Ontra, CEO of Shufflrr. Startups typically lack the resources of larger organizations – cash, staff, and huge marketing budgets. Yet the good ones can compensate with a great product combined with great service. Customer support is one venue where start-ups can differentiate themselves from their larger competitors. To run a successful startup in the tech industry, you need to understand how critical tech support really is to the livelihood of your business, especially in the competitiv
Up and Running
JUNE 13, 2017
One of the largest banks in the country, with branch locations in your town, advertises everywhere. You know their jingle. Those ads are tempting for small business owners—it’s hard to resist the ten largest banks because they control over $10.1 trillion in assets and have the marketing budget to prove it. After seeing the ads for weeks on TV, you apply for a small business loan.
deal architect
JUNE 20, 2017
I honestly cannot remember the last time SAP showed in the lower left quadrant – for niche players – in a Gartner MQ. But in the latest MQ for “Cloud Core Financial Management Suites for Midsize, Large and Global Enterprises”.
Steve Blank
JUNE 21, 2017
I was in Boston and was interviewed by The Growth Show about my current thinking about innovation in companies and government agencies.The interviewer was great and managed to get me to summarize several years of learning in one podcast. It’s worth a listen. At the end of the interview I got surprised by a great question – “What’s the Problem that Still Haunts You?
View from Seed
JUNE 7, 2017
Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown are entrepreneurs, growth experts, and co-authors of the book Hacking Growth. Today, we talk about this notion of growth hacking and debunk some myths, then walk through a smart process you can use to start running a growth engine strategically, instead of seeking false silver bullets. Find their book, Hacking Growth , on Amazon.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 19, 2017
One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. That is, how much should your company be willing to lose in cash every month as you make investments in staff and equipment that funds technology, sales, marketing and management. Of course there is no right answer but it’s a function of how much capital you have raised, your prospects for raising more capital in the future, your growth rate and y
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 27, 2017
by Ross Kimbarovsky, founder of crowdSPRING. Not every entrepreneur or business owner is comfortable negotiating. Many dread the adversarial nature of negotiation. Even so, it’s difficult (and perhaps impossible) to operate a small business or startup and not negotiate agreements with employees, vendors, customers, and others. I’ve negotiated with thousands of people (for 13 years as an attorney and for the past 10 as an entrepreneur and business owner).
Up and Running
JUNE 5, 2017
Just three years after launching, FedEx was burning a million dollars per month just to stay afloat. Cash supplies were dwindling and the outlook was grim. With just five thousand dollars in the bank and a five-figure monthly fuel bill, the curtain was about to drop. With few other options, FedEx founder Fred Smith flew to Las Vegas and sat down at a blackjack table.
deal architect
JUNE 19, 2017
As part of Recode Decode webinar series, Kara Swisher interviewed Mark Hurd, CEO of Oracle on their Media Day in May. It’s always interesting to hear a consumer tech journalist interview an executive in enterprise tech. Kara did a nice.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 23, 2017
As an angel investor, I get approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who can talk endlessly about their latest great idea, and little else. While I recognize that every new venture starts with an idea, a successful business of lasting value is all about people and execution. Every investor is looking for someone who can turn an idea into a solution, and turn that solution into a business.
Steve Blank
JUNE 8, 2017
We just finished our second Hacking for Defense class at Stanford. Eight teams presented their Lessons Learned presentations. Hacking for Defense is a battle-tested problem-solving methodology that runs at Silicon Valley speed. It combines the same Lean Startup Methodology used by the National Science Foundation to commercialize science, with the rapid problem sourcing and curation methodology developed on the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq by Colonel Pete Newell and the US Army’s Rapid
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 25, 2017
Fresno State students receive supplies for school with help from Renaissance Scholars staff John Hunt, Jr. (left) and Kizzy Lopez (right). We’re all bombarded with social media campaigns asking for us to Tweet, share, like, change our badge, use a hashtag or generally show outrage at a topic du jour. We jump in when we feel compelled or want to support the person who enlisted us.
YoungUpstarts
JUNE 11, 2017
Whether you’re a startup looking at taking those first steps into the business world or an established company wanting to expand your customer base, marketing your business is an important step in getting your brand in front of the right people. With the variety of marketing options available to all industries, choosing the right one for you can seem like a long and arduous task.
Up and Running
JUNE 21, 2017
If there is one thing that has allowed us at Slidebean to grow fast and efficiently, is our obsessive tracking of marketing budget returns. Back in 2015 when we only had about $2,000-$3,000 worth of marketing budget to spend each month, getting the most out of our buck was fundamental—not only for growth, but for survival. But keeping track of where a customer came from is very hard, especially when you start diversifying your marketing channels to campaigns that don’t have a direct conve
deal architect
JUNE 3, 2017
I love Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report. This year though it struck me that over 95% of her 355 slides focused on consumer world – digital advertising, ecommerce, ride-sharing, gaming. wearables and digital healthcare etc. The “vertical” growth in.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 28, 2017
Parents, it’s never too early to start nurturing entrepreneurial talents in your kids! As an active business advisor and angel investor, I’m convinced that we are rapidly entering a new age of the entrepreneur, and those who are best prepared will be the first to reap some big rewards. You may think you need more entrepreneurial courses in school, or more advanced degrees, but in my experience it’s more of a mindset, some good coaching, and learning by doing that separates the winners from the l
Feld Thoughts
JUNE 13, 2017
Today Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) announced their support for Global EIR , a cause for which I care deeply. As you may know, over breakfast in 2015 Jeff Bussgang and I launched Global EIR with the hope of advancing the startup visa effort on a local and state level after it stalled in Congress. Since then, Global EIR has grown to 13 university programs across the country, helping 42 international founders start companies.
Rembrandt Communications
JUNE 15, 2017
Christmas starts in October. Are you ready for holiday marketing? It’s that time of year when you prepare for graduations, Father’s Day and upcoming vacations. But there is something else you need to think about now… Christmas. That’s right. Summer is not even officially here yet, but the winter holiday sales season starts in just […]. The post Summer is Not Here Yet, But Holiday Marketing Time Is!
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