Startups Archives - Page 26 of 34

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

Published in Austin, Industry, Local, Startups

6 Comments

The Three Most Important Startups of 2014

Tuesday, 06 January 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Blah blah, great intro about how cool 2014 was for innovation. Let’s get to why you’re here: Slack’s team communication in one place, everywhere. Admit it, workplace collaboration, messaging, intranet, project management, etc. sucks. They all do. I haven’t been satisfied with internal communication since I worked at Yahoo, more than a dozen years ago when

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Published in Insights / Research, Mobile, Startups

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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

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Startup Founders Incentivize Teams with Equity

Tuesday, 09 December 2014 by Paul O'Brien

I’ve been pulled into an important question with a trouble degree of frequency lately; that is, “Why can’t I find, retain, and motivate my team?” Troubling, as not only does it reveal a problem entrepreneurs are having with talent but more so, because entrepreneurs even have to ask the question without knowing the answer. Why can’t

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Published in Startups

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How to Write an Effective Pitch email to Angel Investors

Monday, 01 December 2014 by Paul O'Brien

The challenge of raising capital will forever frustrate us as there is no right way to raise money; it takes time, perseverance, patience, and just the right fit. But, the litany of pitch consultants, books, incubators, and Angel networks seem to direct entrepreneurs in one consistent direction, and though few of those guides speak so bluntly

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Published in Raising Capital

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How are Startups Getting Funded without Revenue?!?

Thursday, 30 October 2014 by Paul O'Brien

Understanding how to disrupt markets creates the value startup investors seek

Asked the other day, having witnessed the success of WhatsApp, “how are these companies getting funded when they don’t have paying customers?” It’s a good question, but frankly too, one that for many of us, actually doesn’t make sense. Most innovation gets funded without revenue so I’d ask in return, what makes you think you

angel investment funding investment raising capital venture capital

Published in Startups

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What Startups Should Expect from a PR Agency

Monday, 20 October 2014 by Paul O'Brien

A couple years ago, Mark Cuban highlighted in his book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, quite clearly and famously, that “startups should never hire a PR firm.” Who am I to contest a man with a track record that makes my own impact on entrepreneurs look non-existent. But, given my work in

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Published in PR, Startups

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