Local Archives - Startup Economist

Rethinking Startup Ecosystems to Build What Investors Really Want

Monday, 28 October 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In most of the world, startups are in disrepair. No more effectively can we just reboot or defrag a computer to actually fix it, than we can try again and again to host demo days, networking events, and run incubators, expecting different results, when there is a virus in the system. Begging the question, that,

Published in Economic Development, Industry, Insights / Research, Local, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

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Seek the Contrarian: What to Expect of a Good Entrepreneurship Program

Tuesday, 15 October 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In a speech in Paris, in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt remarked the often encouraged, “Comparison Is the Thief of Joy.” That, when we compare ourselves to others, we rob ourselves of our own happiness as, through comparison, we either feel a sense of inferiority or superiority. What we see in entrepreneurship and among founders is this

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Published in Insights / Research, Local, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

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Learning from Google Analytics in Workforce Development

Tuesday, 05 June 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Recently, Trevor Boehm, program Director at the Techstars Impact Accelerator and founder of Assemble, had me stand in a line. Not just any line mind you, I stood in a line with the exceptional entrepreneurs of Impact Hub’s Workforce Development Accelerator. At one end of the line, those who felt “metrics” were of great importance in

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Published in Analytics, Local

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The Rhythm of Austin Innovation

Monday, 08 August 2016 by Paul O'Brien

I had the honor of joining Austin Inno’s Billy Utt today on The Beat. His usual host, the resplendent Brent Winstom, was I’m sure preparing to cheer Dwyer or Haas to the 200m freestyle gold tonight, so I was called up from the deck to chat live about the latest in Austin innovation, via The Beat newsletter.

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Published in Startups, Local

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Real Estate Tech is Texas

Thursday, 19 May 2016 by Paul O'Brien

Everything is bigger in Texas, under the Lone Star. Real estate is as Texan as Oil & Gas, with even ranches here that are larger than some states. What recently struck me was the discovery that, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis and National Association of Realtors, Texas Real Estate accounts for roughly 14%

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Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Local, Startups

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Austin is Where Tech Comes to Life

Tuesday, 12 May 2015 by Paul O'Brien

With another SXSW well behind us and the inevitable cries that the conference has lost something since it has failed again to discover the next Twitter or Facebook, I find myself considering bigger picture questions: Why are so many moving to Austin? Why did I move to Austin? Is it finding the next Unicorn that

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Published in Advertising, Austin, Industry, Insights / Research, Local, Startups

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What Stickers on Laptops Say About Your Startup Community

Wednesday, 14 January 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Think about the last time you spent in a coffee shop working. Perhaps you had a quick meeting with a friend or potential partner, perhaps you haven’t made the leap to coworking and call Starbucks your office; regardless of why you were there, picture the laptops around you. When I arrived in Austin, TX, I

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Published in Austin, Industry, Local, Startups

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