When an Economy needs Co-Founders – And Seems to have a Tech Talent Gap
Tuesday, 11 September 2018
A characteristic of local economies that I never experienced much before leaving Palo Alto, California: “we can’t find co-founders!” Many know that I’ve spent half of my professional life in Silicon Valley and the other half in the new economy’s most appealing innovation region: Central Texas. I’ve touched a few times on the stark differences
- Published in Startup Ecosystems, Startups
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Conspire to Change Austin Startups
Friday, 11 August 2017
Peter Thiel, notable by way of PayPal, Founders Fund, and Zero to One, if you’re not familiar, noted once that, “a great company is a conspiracy to change the world.” I was honored recently to be asked by one of Austin’s great mentors and investors, Ryan Merket, to keynote Amazon’s AWS Startup Day in Austin.
- Published in Startups, Texas Startups
The Vision For Austin
Wednesday, 08 March 2017
You know that licking of your lips and grasping at air that one does when trying to put in to words a dream. How you think through, as you’re talking with someone, something you just can’t quite simplify. What I’m thinking about is not a dream but a vision. Something magical is happening by way
- Published in Brand Marketing, Texas Startups
Where are Austin’s Venture Capital Firms?
Tuesday, 03 May 2016
Of late I’ve been exploring, discussing, and working with Austin’s venture capital economy. We’ll not belabor the ongoing discussions of the state of venture capital, lack of funding, future of financing, and otherwise here; rather, what struck me as potentially helpful is a mere layout of where venture capital is found. Certainly, before we can
- Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Raising Capital, Texas Startups
Why Where Matters
Monday, 09 November 2015
Some time ago, I shared some thoughts about how the size and scope of Silicon Valley eludes most entrepreneurs. That, challenging most startup communities, is the fact that comparing and contrasting one’s local economy to “Silicon Valley” easily misleads, as N. California’s startup community is much more than a city, more than a region even,
- Published in Brand Marketing, Economic Development, Industry, Insights / Research, PR, Startups
When Raising Capital, What is a Broker-Dealer Registered with the SEC?
Friday, 19 December 2014
With the advent of crowdfunding and the ongoing changes to how startups might raise capital, prompted by the JOBS Act, entrepreneurs are frequently asking about the role of a broker-dealer. Why? Let’s start from the beginning with an understanding of what exactly is a broker-dealer An individual, company, or organization that trades securities (a catch-all term
- Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems
The Ancient Startup Communities of Greece and Rome
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Recently, I had the honor of addressing a group of investors from Shenzhen, China, exploring opportunities in Texas and asking the question, why? Why here? Why Texas? Why Austin? Fostered by DB Business Group (a multi-sector global business development group), and a program called Invest Austin, a veteran of Silicon Valley like myself can’t help
- Published in Austin, Industry, Startup Ecosystems, Startups