Startup Ecosystems Archives - Page 3 of 4

Why Accelerators Fail Startup Founders

Thursday, 11 April 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Let’s take the two most distributed Startup Development Organizations in the world, and tease out what’s happening In a point of fact: overwhelming most Accelerators *fail* founders; but why? With such a bold assertion, let me properly set the stage by pointing out that when 90% or more of all startups fail rather quickly, it’s

Published in Featured, Industry, Insights / Research, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

25 Comments

The Critical Role of Startup Mentors

Wednesday, 12 April 2023 by Paul O'Brien

Finding myself now through 3 cycles of the economy (more or less), working with startups throughout, I can’t help but observe and plead for people to raise their hands in philanthropy as mentors to entrepreneurs and would be founders. I’m no graphic designer but an idea struck me that felt best conveyed in a graphic,

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Published in Insights / Research, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

3 Comments

Developing Austin’s Startup Ecosystem

Tuesday, 28 February 2023 by Paul O'Brien

Regional culture, history, and infrastructure are the qualities of a region of the world that drives innovation, jobs, and economic development because technology is ultimately about people and their potential. A really a wonderful article about Austin in The New Yorker sparked a series of wonderful discussions of the past and present of the Austin

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Published in Industry, Startup Ecosystems, Startups, Texas Startups

19 Comments

When an Economy needs Co-Founders – And Seems to have a Tech Talent Gap

Tuesday, 11 September 2018 by Paul O'Brien

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

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Published in Startup Ecosystems, Startups

19 Comments

When Raising Capital, What is a Broker-Dealer Registered with the SEC?

Friday, 19 December 2014 by Paul O'Brien

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

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

4 Comments

The Ancient Startup Communities of Greece and Rome

Wednesday, 16 April 2014 by Paul O'Brien

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

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Published in Austin, Industry, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

10 Comments

The Cost of Entrepreneurship in Your Community

Tuesday, 20 November 2012 by Paul O'Brien

Having spent a couple years now in Austin, and the previous 12 in Silicon Valley, a frequent topic of discussion over drinks or dinner is the question of how entrepreneurship works. Not “Startups” per se, at least not in the context that we think of them when reading about all the innovation on TechCrunch; rather,

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Published in Economic Development, Featured, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

5 Comments