This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 17, 2013

'So Shopkick is apparently profitable , driving hundreds of millions of new sales to merchants--remember them? The in-store retail check-in app? And Belly? T hey just had their millionth Point of Sale loyalty check-in. What do they have in common? They''re making real business progress towards bringing retailers together with customers. In the face of " software eating the mall " they''re helping make the retail shopping experience better for the hundreds of millions of humans who still walk aro

venture capital 330

venture capital enablement creativity networking 330

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

'Note: if you’re a parent please check out their website. Kara called me on a Tuesday. She was leaving IAC to start a company. “Tasha, clear some space on my calendar tomorrow. OK?” “I want you in my offices tomorrow, Kara. Does that work for you?” Kara came. She didn’t tell me she was bringing anybody. I didn’t ask her for a deck.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Berkonomics

APRIL 11, 2013

'It is an unfortunate truism that most of us become a bit stale in our jobs after some time, even if we are most successful at it and appreciated by all who work for or with us. It is human nature to start in a new position with enthusiasm, lofty goals, new ideas, and a heightened awareness of those around us and their ideas for the business. And it is equally human for anyone to become complacent to some degree after an initial flurry of effort, ideas, reorganizations, brilliant decisions, and

peer-to-peer 83

peer-to-peer creativity accelerator 83

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 17, 2013

'In a casino, the term “rake” refers to the commission that the house earns for operating a poker game. With each hand, a small percentage of the pot is scraped off by the dealer, which in essence becomes the “revenue” for the casino. While casinos use the term “rake,” a plethora of interesting word choices exist which all describe the same thing – keeping a little bit of the revenue for the company that is running the service.

strategy 101

strategy networking disruption sustainability 101

Advertisement

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

strategy

Don Dodge

APRIL 5, 2013

Who are the big players innovating in Indoor Location and Positioning? What technologies are attracting the most attention? How will Indoor Location evolve? In my previous post I covered the different technical approaches to Indoor Location, how they work, and some of the market uses for it. In this post I will cover some of the leading large players and their technical approaches.

technology 56

technology networking innovation energy 56

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 21, 2013

'Ten years ago, I was an analyst for the General Motors pension fund, working on fund investments into leveraged buyout funds and venture capital deals. I literally wrote the investment memo for GMs investment into Accel IX, otherwise known as the "Facebook Fund." (I wasn''t a lead on the deal team or anything--just a gruntworking analyst.) Still, I came into contact with some of the largest names in the private equity world--partners from top PE firms like Blackstone, Carlyle, and TH Lee, top v

venture capital 314

venture capital enablement pitching capital 314

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

'I travel the country a lot. And I am often approached by entrepreneurs in cities which don’t have a vibrant VC community. They often ask whether they have to move to SF, NY or LA to get financed. I have the same response always, “Where do you want to live? Where do you want to build your community, your relationships, your family?” I’m trying to get a feel for their commitment to local community versus being in a place where financing is easiest.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Berkonomics

APRIL 25, 2013

'Reduce the emotion; reduce the threat of lawsuit. You’ve certainly experienced the angry outburst from an associate or employee who has just learned of an event that the person took as “unfair,” no matter how rational the explanation by the decision maker. Most emotional responses to decisions in business are generated not because the person making the response feels the decision was unwise, but rather unfair.

culture 75

culture creativity advice board 75

Derek Sivers

APRIL 13, 2013

The word “inspiration” usually means “something that mentally stimulates you.”. But “inspiration” also means to breathe in. The meanings poetically combine when you think of yourself breathing in thoughts, filling your body with ideas. But don’t forget to breathe out. People surf the web, reading pithy articles, looking for inspiration. People listen to hours of podcasts, looking for inspiration.

creativity 45

creativity 45

Advertisement

Gearing up for 2025 annual planning? Our latest eBook from the Operators Guild is your ultimate guide. Discover real-world solutions and best practices shared by top CFOs, drawn directly from discussions within OG’s vibrant online community. Learn from senior executives at high-growth tech startups as they outline financial planning strategies, align CEO and board goals, and coordinate budgets across departments.

startup

Venture Hacks

APRIL 23, 2013

How much traction do you need to raise $1M? AngelList’s Ash Fontana has the answer on TechCrunch : Read the post for details and also see these comments by me , Michael Wolfe , and Shallaba.

70

70

Tomasz Tunguz

APRIL 15, 2013

We’ve all had a great idea for a product that would solve a pain we feel directly. It used to be impossible to convey that insight to anyone who might be in a position to act upon it. But that’s all changing because of the Internet. Of late, it’s becoming increasingly easier for consumers to share their ideas for great products and bring them to market.

communities 40

communities enablement innovation investing 40

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 1, 2013

VCs, I believe that the purpose of venture investment is to serve entrepreneurs. Many of us, however, seem to regard investing as some kind of dodge or hustle. We have theories that are the worst kind of popular tripe, our methods are sloppy and our returns are highly questionable. Many of us, fellow VCs, are a poor investors. That is why some entrepreneurs have turned towards an alternative to getting investment from us.

angel investing 289

angel investing finance financing entrepreneurs 289

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2013

'Just back from 2 solid weeks on the road in Boston, New York & Philly. I spent countless hours with VC firms, startups & LPs (the people who invest in VC firms). I find these trips invaluable both from a relationship-building perspective as well as stretching my mind about our industry. I ask questions, test theories, debate topics of the day and then reflect upon what I’ve learned.

VC 309

VC advice venture capital support 309

Advertisement

Mighty Financial specializes in supporting the financial aspirations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. With our comprehensive bookkeeping and precise accounting expertise with decades of experience across diverse financial roles, our team offers tailor-made services ranging from essential bookkeeping to strategic fractional CFO support, catered specifically to the unique challenges of technology companies, startups, and SMEs.

financing

Berkonomics

APRIL 18, 2013

'How many of us have “hired” independent contractors over the years, a bit worried over the gray area between employee and contractor as defined by the IRS? I’ve experienced the results of a wrong decision, and the IRS and state agencies are not forgiving in their pursuit of penalties, interest and most damaging, assessing a company with the on both employer and employee taxes when reclassifying the person as an employee.

health 94

health board opportunity founder 94

Derek Sivers

APRIL 5, 2013

A friend I hadn’t heard from in years called me out of the blue yesterday, and just said, “Dude. did you hear?”. I went home and my girlfriend immediately said, “Babe. I heard the news. Are you OK?”. They all know I’m a fan of Roger Ebert. He died yesterday. I was also a massive James Brown fan, but I wasn’t as affected when he died, because it’s not like I was tuning in weekly to hear what new music he was making.

networking 40

networking 40

Don Dodge

APRIL 2, 2013

Indoor Location and Positioning will be huge! Apple recently acquired WifiSlam for its indoor mapping and positioning technology. Why? Because we spend most of our time indoors, working, shopping, eating, at the mall, at the office, on campus, etc. Google already has Indoor Maps for many airports and shopping malls. The race is on. The explosion of Smartphones with built in sensors, accelerometer, gyro, wifi radios, and camera make indoor positioning possible. .

technology 40

technology strategy development energy 40

Tomasz Tunguz

APRIL 10, 2013

Every SaaS business must decide how to charge for the service. Pricing plans are some of the most difficult decisions to make. Equally important to the price is determining the point at which the customer pays - the conversion point. There are four different models that I’ve experienced: up front payment, freemium, limited free trials, money back guarantee.

creativity 48

creativity strategy SaaS enablement 48

Advertisement

Lack of digitalization decreases business competitiveness. To thrive, embracing modern solutions becomes essential. The approach to digitalization often aligns with a company's business model. This shift not only boosts productivity but also automates processes and improves security. The tech market offers a wealth of technologies tailored for management, planning, and forecasting, replacing outdated pen-and-paper methods.

technology

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 2, 2013

Today, ElectNext announced that they had raised $1.3mm to launch a data, analytics and marketing service to bridge the data gap between politicians, lobby groups, and their constituents. The company provides contextual political data to media properties (Crunchbase for politics) and in turn uses that reach to provide actionable insights for campaign managers.

ventures 271

ventures investment investing media 271

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 15, 2013

'This is my third post in a series on Enterprise Software. In part one I covered the need for early-stage enterprise software companies to build up professional services staff to ensure successful implementation projects. This goes against the conventional wisdom of VCs. In part two I talked about how to ensure that your professional services practice doesn’t take over your software company although I’m on record that there is nothing wrong with a services company as long as youR

peer-to-peer 297

peer-to-peer accelerator advice networking 297

Berkonomics

APRIL 4, 2013

'It is hard to separate this kind of advice from economic lessons in running a business, when office politics can threaten a business in ways that are subtle, but sometimes just as devastating as economic shocks or continuing poor management. Most any office with more than one level of management (more than ten employees) can become a Petri dish for office politics.

disruption 70

disruption advice 70

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 25, 2013

'I reserve the right to be 100% wrong on any of my investment decisions--but at least I make them, and I try to make them fast. Too often, I hear of VCs taking four, five, six, even seven meetings with an entrepreneur only to get to a no. Honestly, if you''re thinking about an early stage company, there really isn''t enough data to process across seven hours of meetings.

venture capital 256

venture capital entrepreneurs ventures technology 256

Advertisement

CAPTARGET presents a masterclass in M&A deal sourcing. Learn to cast a wide net, embracing seller self-identification. Consistency is the linchpin: keep the origination process steady for a reliable flow of opportunities. Diversify your tactics, employing various tools and vendors. Tech matters! Understand DNS settings, domain authority, and brand presence for optimal outreach.

opportunity

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 15, 2013

'For almost ten years, I''ve been volunteering on New York City''s waterfront--introducing lifelong New Yorkers and tourists alike to kayaking. It''s a reminder that a) they live on an island and b) that NYC''s waters are usable. In fact, the more you come up with creative recreational uses for our waterfront, the less likely the city will be to do things like park garbage trucks on it or simply fence it off as a passive shoreline balcony for some wealthy waterfront condo.

creativity 244

creativity 244

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2013

'This article originally appeared on TechCrunch. If you don’t like it hot, use less,” he said. “We don’t make mayonnaise here.” . This morning I was reading my social media and came across an article that Christine Tsai had posted on Facebook. It was about the founder of Sriracha sauce, David Tran, displaced from Vietnam when the North’s communists took power.

entrepreneurs 415

entrepreneurs culture advice media 415

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2013

'Seemingly overnight, a bunch of parking spaces disappeared in New York City--replaced by bike share racks. Lots of car owners aren''t happy about it. For that matter, lots of people in the city have argued against bikes for years. Residents of Vinegar Hill signed a petition to prevent a greenway from going through their neighborhood--citing that "The Greenway would bring thousands of bikers from all over that would add noise, traffic hazards, and garbage to a neighborhood that currently has non

transportation 411

transportation construction health sustainability 411

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2013

'I’m sure you’ve all heard saying derived from Voltaire, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good” which in a way is encapsulated in the lean startup movement and the ideology of shipping a “minimum viable product” (MVP) and then learning from your customer base. Or to borrow a simple life lesson from Gretchen Rubin , “The 20-minute walk I take is better than the 3-mile run I never start.

advice 371

advice disruption communities startup 371

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

B2B marketing