Startups Archives - Page 25 of 39

Early Stage Startups: Sales vs. Marketing

Monday, 13 November 2017 by Paul O'Brien

It’s that this question of priorities exists that one can appreciate why so many startups fail. For decades, economists have noted that only two things create value in business: innovation and marketing. Everything else is a cost of doing business. Yet… we’re exploring here the notion that Sales is more important. You’ve been led to

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

4 Comments

Overcoming Obstacles: How Startups Prevent a Hiccup in Due Diligence

Monday, 18 September 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Most of the articles you read about venture capital, and getting funded, are focused on the positive outcome – finding, meeting, and pitching the VC. Let’s take a look at a startup from the other perspective – how to avoid a “no.” If an investor takes a shine to you, they’re going to go through

angel investment due diligence funding investment investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Startups

5 Comments

Telling a Story that Raises Capital

Tuesday, 29 August 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Shehzad Bharwani and Adnan Merchant have helped start an incredible story; a story about the role Austin will play in FinTech. It was the fact that they have a story about the work they were doing as entrepreneurs – the experience Shehzad shared with me in transitioning his company, Dealytics, from New York to Austin,

austin entrepreneurship fintech funding innovation mediatech star wars startups

Published in Startups

4 Comments

Conspire to Change Austin Startups

Friday, 11 August 2017 by Paul O'Brien

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.

Amazon austin aws investing texas venture capital

Published in Startups, Texas Startups

16 Comments

Frequently Asked: How can I identify venture capital companies and investors who might be interested?

Thursday, 22 June 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Where can I pitch my startup? Who will fund us? Those are the questions typically heard and occasionally, too rarely, someone asks the more valuable question, how do I figure out who will fund me? Who will fund you gets the heart of an exercise far too few startups conduct; asking the question of whether

financing funding investment investors venture capital

Published in Startups

4 Comments

How to Decide on a Startup Incubator

Tuesday, 06 June 2017 by Paul O'Brien

I think I’m asked twice a day. Ponder that a moment. Countless are trying to grasp IF, WHY, HOW, and WHICH startup program to join. Which incubator. Just today I was pinged to answer the question on Quora, of which of a few popular local programs should a founder join. It’s a good question, a

accelerators coworking incubators startups

Published in Startups

2 Comments

A Giant Conversation

Friday, 05 May 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Why the future is now – and the secrets that could be the key to getting your next big idea funded. Whether it’s VC, sponsorship or grant, I had a chance, with Epsilon’s John Immesoete, to break down the startup ecosystem as it relates to media and technology. We discuss ever-changing role of today’s CMO, and why

cmo marketing media startups sxsw technology twitter

Published in Advertising, Austin, Brand Marketing, Industry, Startups

No Comments