Launching a startup isn’t easy. But what you quickly realize is that the real work comes immediately thereafter. Our launch of Standout Jobs at DEMO was a big success. We generated plenty of buzz, brought in some great customers and the product held up to the initial onslaught of traffic, users and feedback. And for […]
The Startup CEO School of Hard Knocks
First-time startup CEOs don’t have it easy. Regardless of how much previous experience they might have – whether it’s in business or from school – thrusting yourself into the role of startup CEO is like tossing freezing cold water in your face every day. Jason Goldberg recently left as CEO of Jobster and he reflected […]
Sprinting to Start Up: How to Launch a Startup
When does the life of a startup really begin? Is it at the moment when you first have the spark of an idea? Is it when the company is incorporated? When you hire your first employee? Raise your first angel financing? How about 2 weeks before you’re set to launch? Recently, I announced that my […]
5 Marketing Tools Every Startup Should Use
[ad#Top-Popular Posts] Buzz alone won’t guarantee startup success, but it certainly can’t hurt. In the glorious Web 2.0 startup world that many of us live in there’s a lot of noise. To stand out from the noise, startups need to do more to draw attention. Some startups are great at this. The folks at Xobni […]
How Important Is Intellectual Property For Startups?
For most first-time entrepreneurs, intellectual property is a giant black hole. Most of us are familiar with the concepts of intellectual property – copyrights, patents, etc. – but few of us have been involved in really assessing and understanding intellectual property, its value and whether it’s important or not. Jason Mendelson does a great job […]
What Does Your Brain on Funding Look Like?
This is your brain. This is your brain while you’re trying to get funding.
7 Things No One Ever Tells You About Raising Venture Capital Financing
There are numerous great resources out there to help you raise venture capital or angel financing. Hopefully I’ve helped in some small way with my thoughts on pitching VCs and reviewing financing options. But there are some parts of the process that few people talk about. And they’re important; especially for startups raising money for […]
There Are No Lifejackets On This Boat
In the movie Jaws, the character Quint has an amazing monologue where he describes how his ship had just delivered a nuclear bomb (that would be used on Hiroshima) only to be torpedoed by Japanese submarines. The ship sank quickly, and eleven hundred men were stranded in the water. And then…the sharks came. Quint goes […]
Living on Loyalty, Trust and Big Ideas
There are plenty of reasons to work at a startup. But what those reasons fail to address are some of the core principles that drive startup success. Not everyone is suited to working at a startup. Even if the reasons entice you, it takes a considerable amount of intestinal fortitude. The ride can be rough. […]
Is Web 2.0 For Business Dead?
That’s certainly my impression after tracking the TechCrunch40 Conference. Of the 40 companies that presented, there was little in the way of real Business-to-Business (b2b) offerings. There was no shortage of Business-to-Consumer (b2c) plays with no business models… A few of the companies at TechCrunch40 look very interesting: Xobni, Mint, MusicShake, GotStatus and orgoo. And […]