Steve Blank

APRIL 5, 2017

I was having coffee with the CEO of a new startup, listening to her puzzle through how to communicate to potential customers. She was an academic on leave from Stanford now selling SAAS software to large companies, but was being inundated with marketing communications advice. “My engineers say our website is old school, and we need to be on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, my VP of Sales says we’re wasting our marketing dollars not targeting the right people and my board keeps giving me their op

Marketing 318

Marketing Audience Technical Review PR 318

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2017

Just over a year ago I wrote about how MakeSpace had raised $17.5 million in capital to build out its operations in 4 cities: New York City , Los Angeles , Chicago and Washington D.C. I pointed out that the storage market in the US alone is ~$30 billion / year and there is no dominant provider — the largest player has < 10% market share. If you have a storage need in one of these cities please consider checking out MakeSpace.

Technical Review 268

Technical Review Los Angeles Software Review Artificial Inteligence 268

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 25, 2017

by Ross Kimbarovsky, founder of crowdSPRING. Many people confuse leadership and management. They are not the same. As you build and lead your teams, how can you ensure that you don’t suck as a leader? During my career, I’ve worked with a few remarkable leaders and managers. I’ve also worked with many who were average or even worse, mostly ineffective.

Leadership 210

Leadership Technical Review Widget Management 210

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2017

Everyone in the business world has heard of the old bestseller by Geoffrey A. Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them. In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Most investors and startup professionals expand this concept of focus to apply to key issues of every aspect of strategic and tactical planning in a startup.

Customer 191

Customer Entrepreneur Technical Review Dilution 191

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

Hearpreneur

APRIL 9, 2017

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 be the same. No matter the tale, the background behind each and every business is what fuels each and brand.

San Diego 114

San Diego Entrepreneur Software Review Southern California 114

Up and Running

APRIL 12, 2017

Starting out, it was just you, four walls, and maybe a cash register. Strategic goals were the least of your concerns. On opening day , you were already in the hole a few thousand, maybe a lot more. Money needed to pour in, quickly, or you would be belly up in a matter of a few months. But that didn’t happen. Somehow, you made it through and started seeing a return on your investment.

Software Review 108

Software Review Employee Australia Forecast 108

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2017

When you run a startup you’re always on borrowed time. You have cash in the bank, a monthly burn rate and a “cash out” date that few in the company truly comprehend. I’ve never met a founder who wasn’t acutely aware of his or her ticking time bomb and the sense that failure and humiliation is a real possibility. It’s why so few can really start a business from scratch.

Burn Rate 238

Burn Rate Term Sheet CTO Hire Fractional CTO 238

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 24, 2017

The idea of starting your own business can be tempting. As soon as the idea pops into your head, you’re likely to fantasize about the freedom. It’s easy to imagine: You’ll be able to make your own decisions. You’ll only do work that you want. And you’ll only work with people who are easy to get along with. However, here are 5 challenges you may never have thought you might have to face: 1.

Forecast 138

Forecast Web Development Hiring Business Model 138

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

Entrepreneurs always work hard to create an innovative product or service, but often count on standard seller marketing for sales. But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Reports suggest that 90% of today’s shoppers skip marketing pitches, to research online before they buy, and over 50% check user reviews before making a decision.

Small Business 147

Small Business Revenue Technical Review Business Model 147

ConversionXL

APRIL 4, 2017

How you decide to invest in marketing channels can make or break your business. That sounds like an obvious statement, but not a lot of people think about it critically. Rather, marketers get trapped in the fervent anxiety of needing to be everywhere at once. This is both ineffective and stressful. It doesn’t help that there’s a new blog post out every day about how you’re missing out on [X] and this company is killing it by doing [Y].

Channel 118

Channel Marketing Viral SEO 118

Up and Running

APRIL 18, 2017

My team and I launched crowdSPRING in early 2008. For the following eight years, despite seeing great growth in our business, we made a mistake many entrepreneurs make: we operated the business as though the competitive, technological, and economic landscape was the same as when we started. We were wrong. Markets and businesses always evolve. Xerox, Polaroid, Blockbuster, and other market leaders lost to smaller, more agile competitors because the market leaders assumed that they would dominate

Campaign 90

Campaign Agile Design Software Development 90

YFS Magazine

APRIL 17, 2017

Do your landing pages convert? Many business owners and digital marketers drive potential customers away due to poorly designed websites and landing pages.

Design 106

Design Customer Marketing Web Development 106

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 12, 2017

Technology has become so disruptive in the business world that sometimes its exact purpose can be forgotten. . From marketing to product development, to new software tools and communications, the list is almost endless as to the digital transformations taking place. While disruption can be scary at first, it is absolutely necessary for any entrepreneurial aspiration. .

Technical Review 80

Technical Review Agile Software Review Algorithm 80

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 11, 2017

A recent report from by the CMI and Oxford Strategic Consulting highlighted how attitudes to online learning have started to shift in the workforce. Many employees now believe that companies choose online learning methods as a way of cutting costs rather than as a smarter alternative to traditional classroom learning. Gil Mulders, the head of learning at InterContinental Hotels Group, was speaking last month at the 2017 HR Tech World Conference in London , where he touched on the difficulty of f

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Coder Software Review Cost 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2017

When you are growing a business, it’s hard to find time to focus on anything but the crises of today. Yet if you don’t spend some resources preparing for the changes in the marketplace we already know about, there may be no tomorrow for your business. In my years of mentoring and advising business leaders, I find that real planning for the future always gets the short shrift.

Artificial Inteligence 139

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Leadership Agile 139

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 13, 2017

The Comprehensive Guide to Social Media Ad Marketing written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing. As per the latest research , social media ad spend overwhelmingly surpassed television by the end of 2016- a result that wasn’t predicted. Initially, it was estimated that TV would be on top until 2017 but surprisingly social channels overtook the tv numbers very early this year.

Social Media 73

Social Media Media Marketing Lead Generation 73

Up and Running

APRIL 25, 2017

If you’ve never recruited for a remote team, you’re probably wondering if the recruitment process looks different than the traditional hiring process. The answer? Yes, it does. However, this shouldn’t worry you. All you have to know is where to look, how to leverage LinkedIn for your recruitment process , and how to communicate with remote workers. This guide will give you three quick tips to get you started on the right track.

Salary 90

Salary Employee Technical Review Search 90

ConversionXL

APRIL 13, 2017

As technology continues to make data-driven marketing easier to implement and control, one thing remains constant: it’s all about the effectiveness of your team. As Paul Rouke says, we need to prioritize human intelligence in the face of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence, and building a high performing team is the most impactful thing you can do when it comes to growth.

Analytics 99

Analytics Engineer SEO Channel 99

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 13, 2017

The 2017 applications for the Colorado Global EIR are now open through April 15, 2017. The Colorado Global EIR program is a way for experienced international entrepreneurs to receive an H-1B visa, allowing them to work in Boulder. They must commit to working 20 hours per week at CU Boulder (supporting cross-campus entrepreneurial activities), and of course, will be paid for doing so.

Colorado 94

Colorado Global Technical Review Leadership 94

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 3, 2017

by David Midgley, Head of Operations at Total Processing. With more and more businesses embracing the efficiency and accessibility of on-the-go technology and online transactions now being processed quicker than ever, it’s no surprise that these new technologies are also attracting potential security threats. These security threats can often be blown out of proportion though, whether it’s via word of mouth, social media or marketing stunts, and which can add unnecessary concern for both business

Security 124

Security Software Review Technical Review Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2017

I know entrepreneurs who have suffered from premature execution often associated with the ready-fire-aim quick-to-market approach. Yet I believe that many more have benefited from this approach, especially in early startup stages. If your product is highly innovative, and speed to market is critical, you won’t get it right the first time anyway, no matter how cautiously you plan.

Marketing 136

Marketing Technical Review Cost Entrepreneur 136

The Startup Magazine

APRIL 5, 2017

Creating greater job satisfaction is so important and can really help your workers to be the best they can be. Here are some good tips to do so. Create An Environment Of Trust At All Levels Of Your Organization. Senior management has to establish trust with all other employees. People have to trust their leaders. Employees in authority positions should earn this trust by demonstrating credibility, honesty and integrity in all their actions.

Employee 80

Employee Salary Security Global 80

Up and Running

APRIL 26, 2017

What many small business owners don’t know about using Twitter is how they can take the conversations already happening on the social media platform to get more customers in the door. With more and more users signing up on Twitter each day, including an increasing number of users who are 50 years old and up , Twitter is a powerful platform for getting your business in front of a large audience with varied age ranges and interests.

Customer 108

Customer Social Media China Ohio 108

ConversionXL

APRIL 25, 2017

The initial phase of establishing an optimization practice at any organization is an exciting time. Big wins often accompany putting companies and careers on an upward trajectory. But it can also be a real challenge knowing where to start and how to lay a solid foundation with the potential to transform the business. How you structure your team might be the most important part of this.

Conversion 77

Conversion Technical Review Hiring HTML 77

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 7, 2017

Why Small Businesses Have the Social Media Marketing Advantage written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing. As a small business owner, you’re constantly looking for new ways to get your company’s brand on the radar of potential customers. If you don’t already, using social media in business is a great way to engage with current customers as well as attract new ones.

Social Media 77

Social Media Small Business Media Marketing 77

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 6, 2017

by Payman Taei, founder of Visme. They say that you can only ever make one first impression, so you’d better work hard to make it a good one. That, in essence, is what the startup pitch deck is all about. It’s less an informational document and more a mission statement – an interactive presentation that you use to show investors what you want to do, why you want to do it, what the results are going to be and, most importantly, why they should care in the first place.

Elevator Pitch 113

Elevator Pitch Technical Review Startup Due Diligence 113

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 25, 2017

We’ve all laughed at detailed renderings of constellations overlaying a paltry set of stars that are in fact quasi-random. Like Fornax, which is just three stars: But which humans have no trouble rendering as an intricate sequence of machinery: It would be funny, if this natural compulsion didn’t also cause us to make bad decisions, all the time.

Flash 298

Flash Africa Hiring Advertising 298

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2017

The modern world is filled with constant distractions. Only those with maniacal focus on results and a willingness not to engage in every activity achieve extraordinary results. As executives we’re all seemingly accessible at any moment to anybody via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Text. We are over-intro’d and at the same time under-resourced in terms of staff to handle the barrage of in-bound requests.

Conversion 297

Conversion Email Networking Developer 297

Up and Running

APRIL 17, 2017

When you own a business, you are in charge of hiring employees. Top-notch employees can help you streamline business processes, add innovative ideas, and grow your business. Before you start worrying about a candidate sourcing strategy or hiring your first employee, you need to have a little understanding of payroll. Most business owners are experts in their industry, not payroll.

Software Review 89

Software Review Employee Hiring Government 89

ConversionXL

APRIL 18, 2017

Run an agency? Offer conversion optimization services? Then you know it can be hard. I’ve been running an optimization agency for 6 years now. Here are my top lessons I’ve learned along the way. 1. Build a name, build an audience. It’s so much easier to run an agency business if you have a personal brand name and an audience. Think about it: you’re in the business of expertise.

Conversion 87

Conversion Framework Revenue Analytics 87

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2017

As a mentor for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs, I talk to a fair number who may have a great vision and a strong engineering background, but have a negative interest in the role of public speaking in business. In fact, they often claim to be part of the survey group that fears public speaking more than death, but I’m not sure how anyone could validate that survey.

Early Stage 242

Early Stage Lead Generation Hosting Entrepreneur 242

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 29, 2017

Logistics is the business of transporting goods from one area to another. It’s become particularly popular for business owners to outsource their logistics needs to other companies and there’s a clear reason for this. Logistics can be expensive. It can cost thousands to move heavy equipment from one area to another. Sometimes it’s cheaper for companies to hire a company to complete the service, cutting the cost as well as the responsibility.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Security Cost Cloud 138

deal architect

APRIL 29, 2017

Asked Josh Greenbaum, speaking for a group of analysts Microsoft briefed during CRM Evolution on Monday about updates to its Dynamics 365. What used to be a HR recruiters playground in LinkedIn a few years ago is becoming a salesperson’s.

Software 240

Software 240

View from Seed

APRIL 4, 2017

TL;DR: We’re launching a newsletter highlighting the best content from the NYC tech community. Fill out the form below to get Gotham Voices in your inbox each week, and read on to learn why we’re excited to launch this today. Subscribe to Gotham Voices. * indicates required. First Name. Last Name. Email Address *. As a seed-focused venture firm with offices in New York and Boston, we believe there’s a responsibility for us to not just be participants in the local entrepreneurial comm

Email 185

Email Silicon Valley New York Curation 185

Up and Running

APRIL 11, 2017

Starting a business from scratch isn’t easy under any circumstances. But for members of the millennial generation, many of whom still sit atop a mountain of student loan debt, it can seem virtually impossible. Student debt has risen dramatically in recent years to become the largest single debt source among those under 40. In fact, the average class of 2016 graduate will be saddled with $37,172 in student loan debt —enough to crush the entrepreneurial spirit of any would-be business owner.

Angel Investor 89

Angel Investor Entrepreneur Finance Small Business Administration 89

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 11, 2017

Yes. The answer is always yes. But it’s the wrong question. I started Smart Bear in a recession (2002) and it went great. I’ve been explaining for eight years why recessions are a great time to start a company. It’s wise because costs are low (every vendor is thrilled to have new business) and if you can get people to buy when money is tight, you’ve really proved you have a desirable product.

Bootstrapping 156

Bootstrapping Engineer Sales Cost 156