Startups Archives - Page 27 of 36

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

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

13 Comments

How Do You Find and Engage Good Mentors?

Friday, 24 April 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Correct me if I’m wrong but you need a mentor that is passionate about your space, invested (personally not financially) in your vision and the opportunity, and all but on your team. The least effective mentors are those that are assigned by Universities or Incubators as though just anyone who knows more than you do will

advisors mentors team

Published in Startups

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Perfect Startup Founding Team: The Butcher, The Baker, and The Candlestick Maker

Friday, 10 April 2015 by Paul O'Brien

The question of the perfect team is timeless and yet the answer seems obvious as most successful startups are renown with their famous duo, or sole founder. Larry Page and Sergey Brin come to mind. Mark Zuckerberg seems to have done it alone, no? That media fervor for the unicorn startups and their celebrity founders lead

co-founders entrepreneurship founders team

Published in Startups

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The Tale of Two Founders

Tuesday, 24 March 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Yesterday, famed New York Times cartoonist Kaamran Hafeez featured a sketch that has garnered quite a bit of attention in the startup community. Implied by one “faction” (a term I’m using not to be critical but to distinguish) to offer a tongue-in-cheek jab at founders and investors who arguably embrace market share and scalability over

customers entrepreneurship founders funding growth investment marketing revenue scale startups

Published in Startups

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The Pitch Deck Slide That Can Make you Look Like a Moron

Tuesday, 17 February 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Okay so perhaps implying that you might be a moron is a bit harsh but let’s be realistic, as a startup in need of funding, if you fail to secure that funding simply because you haven’t done your homework or your failure to communicate effectively, you’re a moron. I’ve explored in the past, quite a

competition competitors fund raising funding marketing pitch deck pitching

Published in Raising Capital, Startups

19 Comments

Why Startups Fail – Bosses vs. Founders

Monday, 19 January 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Almost every list of reasons startups fail, point out near the top that they run out of capital. Lists created by founders abound and it’s not unreasonable to conclude that they’ll cite that they ran out money. It’s not wrong, startups most often succeed through perseverance, tenacity, and patience, but I’m intrigued by what you probably

entrepreneurship failure infographic leadership management startups

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

5 Comments

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

austin cities community culture ecosystem entrepreneurship silicon valley startups

Published in Austin, Industry, Local, Startups

6 Comments