View from Seed

AUGUST 26, 2015

A little under a year ago, we hosted an event called Angel Bootcamp that was a primer for folks thinking about getting into angel investing. It was really helpful for the community, and it is something we’ll probably do again, although not every year. ( Here’s a great recap on the Boston Globe’s tech blog.). Of late, I have had a number of friends who have recently become more active as angels and have been trying to track down some of the advice from the event.

Technical Review 249

Technical Review Angel Investor Software Review Silicon Valley 249

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 5, 2015

by Marcus Turner, President and CTO of Enola Labs. In fall of 2014, after over ten months of struggling with basic “business ethics” issues, I decided to resign from the company that I had poured not only my money but also 3 years of my life into. From that experience, I have grown as an entrepreneur, but that “growth” came at a tremendous expense, so I thought I would share the 5 lessons I learned throughout that experience that every entrepreneur should know. 1.

CTO Hire 191

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Advisory Board Software Review 191

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

AUGUST 18, 2015

A big, profitable company seems like the hardest thing for a small company to compete against. They have everything: money, brand, momentum, existing customers, press, product teams, distribution channels, expertise, market insight, analysts, sales offices, product features, and, by definition, a working business model. All a little startup has is a decent idea and extremely greasy elbows.

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Technical Review Valuation Flash Revenue 256

Steve Blank

AUGUST 25, 2015

I’ve spent this year working with corporations and government agencies that are adopting and adapting Lean Methodologies. The biggest surprise for me was getting schooled on how extremely difficult it is to be an innovator inside a company of executors. —– What Have We Lost? I’ve been working with Richard, a mid-level executive in a large federal agency facing increasing external disruption (technology shifts, new competitors, asymmetric warfare , etc.).

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Lean Entrepreneur Business Model Silicon Valley 253

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

AUGUST 10, 2015

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, you need to take a hard look at yourself before leaving that regular paycheck. Don't assume you will be happier and make more money starting the business of your dreams. The good and the bad news is that as an entrepreneur, you won’t have a manager charged with directing your efforts or peers helping you implement, and your new team will be quick to tell you only what you want to hear.

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Cofounder Startup Leadership Restful 221

Feld Thoughts

AUGUST 2, 2015

From Chattanooga to Omaha to Las Vegas, many cities in the US – and around the world – are building startup communities. An important part of doing this to attract, retain, and mentor more young people. Behind every successful startup community is a group of young people with their entire life ahead of them. These youngsters aren’t afraid to take on projects bigger than themselves and won’t take no for an answer.

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Community Las Vegas Omaha Iowa 149

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 25, 2015

by Q Manning , CEO of Rocksauce Studios. App and tech development can sometimes turn into an ego trip. Put a bunch of brilliant minds on a great idea, and they’ll continue to grow the product’s features to an unruly state. They forget that before a product can rake in the big bucks, it has to be something that consumers want to use. That means keeping things simple.

Technical Review 189

Technical Review Software Review Social Media Developer 189

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 31, 2015

The following is a guest post by Kirsten Cluthe and Ritika Puri from The Lean Startup Conference team Wondering what’s new in the Lean Startup community? With hundred of thousands of global practitioners, the supply of ideas and best practices is endless. What’s more challenging is finding the right information that will influence positive change within your organization.

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Lean United States Fractional CTO Startup 131

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 19, 2015

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

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Entrepreneur Australia Technical Review Community 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2015

With the advent of social media and the pervasive move to smartphones, even customers who still prefer to purchase in brick-and-mortar stores have dramatically changed their shopping habits. Many people don’t post about their experiences, but still routinely check first to see what others are saying about the brand and the product online. This new customer paradigm is no longer a homogeneous group driven by traditional media, but a network of unique individuals who interact with each other to de

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Customer Marketing Social Media Technical Review 212

Feld Thoughts

AUGUST 25, 2015

In January, Jerry Neumann wrote a long and detailed analysis of his view of the VC industry in the 1980’s titled Heat Death: Venture Capital in the 1980’s. While I don’t know Jerry very well, I like him and thought his post was extremely detailed and thoughtful. However, there were some things in it that didn’t ring true for me. I sent out a few emails to mentors of mine who had been VCs in the 1980s.

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Venture Capital SBIC Technical Review Silicon Valley 133

Mike Michalowicz

AUGUST 10, 2015

Also Available On. Show Summary. Joseph Shemesh and Ethan Anderson join us for Episode 40 of the Profit First Podcast. Joseph shares his expertise on heat mapping for your website. Ethan discusses the new age of booking appointments with your clients. Our Guests. Joseph Shemesh (left). Joseph is an Achieved CEO/CTO investor and strategic advisor. A long-time entrepreneur, Joseph founded/co-founded many technological companies throughout the years.

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Technical Cofounder Cofounder Silicon Valley Private Equity 110

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 27, 2015

By Andrew Filev, CEO of Wrike. I was raised in Post-Soviet Russia, and at that time scarcity was simply a fact of life. Supplies were scarce at school, food was scarce at the grocery store, and entertainment was almost non-existent. As a kid, the most exciting part of my day was at 8pm, right before bed, when I got to watch precisely 15 minutes of cartoons, because that was all that was broadcast.

Product 182

Product Technical Review Russia Software Review 182

ConversionXL

AUGUST 24, 2015

TechValidate’s research found that “30% of companies using gamification improved registration conversion rates by upwards of 50%.” But how can we use it to retain more customers? Why Gamify Customer Retention? Gamification is the “application of game-thinking in non-game contexts.” We borrow the mechanics of traditional games and apply them to uncommon concepts, like customer retention.

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Retention Customer Software Review Technical Review 105

Up and Running

AUGUST 5, 2015

Via Mindkube. We’ve all heard that making your dreams come true takes sacrifice and hard work. Natasha Crosby decided to pursue the career of her dreams the day she sold her Ford Mustang to buy the first computer for her company, MindKube Creative & Marketing. Through hardwork and determination, Natasha has created a successful marketing company by assembling a small talented marketing team that has acquired major brands as clients, such as Harley Davidson and Wal-Mart.

Trinidad 104

Trinidad Software Review Small Business Administration Small Business 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2015

When starting a new business, an entrepreneur has to take a “hands-on” role. Because there are so many unknowns, and things are happening so fast, this is no time to delegate or hire outside consultants to handle core functions. That fact eludes most executives from mature companies who have long depended on their staffs for real work, while their focus stays on strategy.

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Founder Startup Technical Review Hiring 210

Occam's Razor

AUGUST 11, 2015

Standard reports stink. Custom reports rock! If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are quite familiar with this sentiment. I've expressed it often. :). The primary reason is simple: You are unique. Your business is unique. Why would a report created for everyone work for the special someone that you are? There are other great reasons as well.

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Analytics Customer Metrics eCommerce 126

crowdSPRING Blog

AUGUST 14, 2015

Our friends at the New York Times get to do stuff that, frankly, makes me jealous. For instance, the other night they got to go for a ride on the brand new carousel at Battery Park, in lower Manhattan. The $16 million dollar version of an old-school treat opens this week. The architects Claire Weisz and Mark Yoes have designed a magical undersea journey – an incredible ride for the senses.

Small Business 83

Small Business Design Social Media Startup 83

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 31, 2015

By Robert Tercek, author of “ Vaporized: Solid Strategies for Success in a Dematerialized World “ Robots are coming to steal our jobs. We know this because one news outlet after another has told us so. As robots and software-driven automated systems take a larger role in our digital and physical lives, the argument goes, they will displace more and more workers.

Artificial Inteligence 203

Artificial Inteligence Software Engineering Software Mobile 203

ConversionXL

AUGUST 17, 2015

There’s a philosophical statistics debate in the optimization in the world: Bayesian vs Frequentist. This is not a new debate; Thomas Bayes wrote “ An Essay towards solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances ” in 1763, and it’s been an academic argument ever since. Recently, the issue has become relevant in the CRO world – especially with the announcement that VWO will be using Bayesian decisions (Google Experiments also uses Thompson sampling , which is informed by a Bayesian pers

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Distribution Technical Review New York PHP 105

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2015

After three to four years in the corporate world, most ambitious young professionals start thinking about the next step in their career. For those with an entrepreneurial bent like myself, the draw of starting their own company can often feel at odds with the safer, well-travelled path of going to business school. When it came time for me to decide on whether or not to attend business school, I knew I wanted to eventually start my own company.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Cofounder Angel Investor eCommerce 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2015

Most small businesses are trying to forget the last recession, and get back to “business as usual.” They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever. With social media and smart phone conversations, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. Entrepreneurs that are not listening, not engaging, and not changing will be left behind even in the best of times.

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Agile Technical Review Leadership Social Media 208

Mike Michalowicz

AUGUST 17, 2015

Also Available On. Show Summary. Business owner Nathan Hecht and Disk Jockey Gregg Hollmann join us for Episode 43 of the Profit First Podcast. Nathan gives insight to what his software can do for your business and gives tips on protecting your intellectual property. Gregg shares his story of how he grew his DJ business from part time fun to full time profitability!

Las Vegas 106

Las Vegas Intellectual Property New Jersey Management 106

crowdSPRING Blog

AUGUST 28, 2015

I guess I have a travel bug this month. Sad me, it’s August but there’s no time for vacation right now. I’ll have to continue from last week and fantasize about the places I would be visiting, oh if I only could. For instance, I do really like a good market in an exotic locale, and this may be one of the most comprehensive lists of these places yet crafted.

Small Business 81

Small Business Design Morocco Social Media 81

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 4, 2015

by Melissa Lincoln, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Leadspace. San Francisco and Tel Aviv are two of the greatest cities in the world for tech, each with a distinct culture and unique benefits to offer. Leadspace was founded in 2010 and maintains offices in both San Francisco and just outside Tel Aviv in Hod HaSharon, Israel. In our experience, having offices in both locations is ideal for a B2B tech company because the complementary strengths of the two locales open the door for fast and su

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B2B San Francisco Israel Semantic 182

ConversionXL

AUGUST 5, 2015

Animation for the sake of “cool” can often hurt conversions since it’s distracting, but not always. There are 4 ways animation, when used properly, can actually strengthen UX. And better user experience can lead to higher conversions. You don’t need to overhaul your site to take advantage of animation. Just about any site can utilize basic animation in it’s loading sequence, calls-to-action, or navigation.

PHP 100

PHP Web Development Web Conversion 100

Hearpreneur

AUGUST 4, 2015

What’s in a name? Would a rose called by any other name sell just as well? Coming up with a name for your business is just as important as the business idea itself. A name not only identifies you, but it can also serve to set you apart from your competitors and reflect your values. We asked some CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners about how they named their company and this is what they had to say. 1) No Tricks.

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Naming China Entrepreneur Los Angeles 102

OnlyOnce

AUGUST 19, 2015

I’ve written a couple times this past year about our ReturnShip program, which is a 4-month paid internship program designed for women who have been out of the workforce for more than 3 year to re-enter and build credible and relevant experience, and to expand the talent pool for our organization. I wrote about the initial concept when we launched v2 of the program , and then again when v2 concluded with the hiring of four of the six participants.

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Programming Indianapolis Colorado New York City 99

Mike Michalowicz

AUGUST 3, 2015

Also Available On. Show Summary. David Knowles and Kacee Johnson join us for Episode 39 of the Profit First Podcast. David sheds some light on the world of credit reporting, and Kacee talks about how to create a solid business plan for your company. Our Guests. David Knowles (left). As group marketing director of Creditsafe, David Knowles creates and drives the company’s brand and marketing strategies throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Iceland 105

Iceland CPA Europe B2C 105

Duct Tape Marketing

AUGUST 2, 2015

7 Steps to Optimize Your Blog Posts Like a Pro written by Guest Post read more at Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing. I’m a content manager; my background is in public relations with a little bit of marketing strategy and graphic design. I’m sitting here thinking, “What do I know about online optimization!?” I’m not a web design guru; I’m no software engineer or web developer.

SEO 60

SEO Green Web Development Software Engineering 60

crowdSPRING Blog

AUGUST 10, 2015

Who says business can’t be fun? Leadership is not just about productivity, strategy, and tactics – much more important is the fact that great leadership is about people. Strong leaders never lose sight of the individuals who make up their team and never stop working to make the team stronger. A great team is at once a reflection of its leadership, but it also defines its leaders.

Small Business 82

Small Business Startup Leadership Community 82

ConversionXL

AUGUST 21, 2015

In 2013, Nielsen reported in its “Trust in Advertising” study that online banner ads are the least trusted form of advertising among consumers falling even behind traditional ads like in the newspapers or magazines. In fact, you are more likely to put yourself through a Navy SEAL’s training than click on a banner ad. This is due to many reasons, mainly: a lack of credibility. doesn’t meet expectations. amateur ad design. plain old ‘ banner blindness ‘ Banner blindness is largely due to the

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Software Review Vertical Advertising 97

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

VC funding. Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles. We love capital efficiency until we love land grabs until we abhor over funding until we get huge payouts and ring the bell for more funding until we attract every non-VC on the planet to invest in startups until it crashes and we start the cycle all over again none the wiser.

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Churn Rate Silicon Valley Brazil Valuation 329

deal architect

AUGUST 7, 2015

I enjoyed the GOP debate last night – lots of complex. thorny issues we face as a country but at several points I thought they were talking about the tech industry if you substitute one or two words in what.

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Mike Michalowicz

AUGUST 24, 2015

Also Available On. Show Summary. Adam Smith and Jonathan Domsky join us for Episode 42 of the Profit First Podcast. Adam talks about office products that can help protect your company. Jonathan tells us his journey of founding Kidorable and what it’s like to work with factories in other countries. Our Guests. Adam Smith (left) is currently a Director of Marketing for ACCO Brands based in Lake Zurich, IL.

Cofounder 101

Cofounder Product B2B China 101

Duct Tape Marketing

AUGUST 6, 2015

12 Things a Small Business Owner Can Do to Get the Most Out of WordPress written by Guest Post read more at Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing. WordPress is a popular CMS platform, so you’re in a great place if you use it as the foundation for your website. With millions of themes and plugins, a superior experience can be had. It’s easy to get started, and an out of the box solution is free.

Small Business 59

Small Business XML Technical Review Software Review 59