Writer’s block is horrible. You might feel like your brain is caught in a choking smog, or surrounded by an impenetrable, concrete wall. When struck with writer’s block I feel like I’m simultaneously trudging through quicksand and being punched in the face. Nasty, nasty stuff. Writer’s block seems to hit most acutely when I’m overwhelmed […]
Montreal Tech Entrepreneur Breakfast Is Tomorrow
Our monthly Montreal Tech Entrepreneur Breakfast is tomorrow. I’ll definitely be in attendance. And I’m looking forward to it having missed the last couple of meetups. The breakfast is held at 9:00am at Bistro, Etc. Every month we get new people coming out. I look forward to meeting new entrepreneurs, developers, investors, etc. Everyone’s welcome: […]
Can You Build a Startup Ecosystem Outside the Valley?
San Francisco is an incredible place for startups. There are so many positive factors to encourage entrepreneurs and help them along the way. It was an eye-opener. More than anything, everyone’s openness, availability and participation makes the difference. In order for startups to succeed, you need lots of different people: New entrepreneurs Veteran entrepreneurs Angel […]
Blog Hack: Link to New Blogs and Get More Readers
All bloggers are surrounded by their own blog communities. But the number of blogs within any given community is finite. It’s certainly not a walled garden, but growing thenetwork of people you communicate with regularly takes time. As a result, bloggers often link to the same people over and over. That’s not a bad thing: […]
9 Lessons Learned From Founders At Work
Founders at Work is a great book for anyone working on a startup or thinking about doing so. It’s a collection of interviews done by Jessica Livingston, a partner at Y Combinator. There are many fascinating things about the book, particularly the diversity of entrepreneurs she speaks to, from veterans of the computer world (Steve […]
How Are Companies in Silicon Valley Hiring?
The job market is hot. This is especially true in Silicon Valley where every company – big and small – is looking to hire top talent. How do they do it? Fred Ngo, co-Founder of Standout Jobs acted as roving reporter at the TechCrunch 9 Party asking people for their best hiring stories and biggest […]
A Glimpse Into The Suffering of Venture Capitalists
Last week I attended Always On at Stanford University, a great conference on Web and technology. There was a broad mix of attendees: venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, technologists, media, etc. I met a number interesting companies, including goChongo and ThinkFree. I also watched a great panel discussion on venture capital with Roger McNamee (Elevation), Erik Straser […]
Going to San Francisco – Wanna Get Together?
Tomorrow morning I board a plane at 8:30am for San Francisco. It’s my first visit there. I missed the TechCrunch Party but my Standout Jobs co-Founders made it. And it looks like Fred and Austin had a great time. Fred was on Ustream.tv, but apparently the sound wasn’t very good. Oh well! I’ll be in […]
Simple Email Hack: Get Your Questions Answered
Whether we like it or not, email is still the primary mode of communication online. That’s not going to change any time soon. We’ve got instant messenger, Twitter, Skype, message boards, project management tools, messaging applications, etc. The list of ways to communicate online is endless. But email still rules the day. And it still […]
How Big A Beach Are You?
Lots of people love the beach. Tall people. Short people. Fat people. Skinny people. Bronzed beyond George Hamilton people. Deathly pale people. There’s just something about stripping down to the bare necessities and letting it all hang out. The interesting thing about the beach is that no one seems self-conscious. It’s rarely flattering and in […]