Tag: entrepreneurship

Startup Founders, Focus! (Yeah, but on what?)

Thursday, 25 May 2023 by SEO'Brien

Focus. We hear that word and advice bantered about A LOT in the startup community but rarely is that mentorship capably followed up with WHAT to focus on and why. This is what contributes to founders to wasting time and failing. You think the advice is helpful; it’s not, it’s distracting. Focus? Yes. But on what?? Most

Published in Startups

13 Comments

Uncovering Austin FinTech as an Ecosystem

Thursday, 13 April 2023 by SEO'Brien

I have a confession to get off my chest. In my work through Austin, I’ve long celebrated and promoted the maturing of Austin’s startup ecosystem by illuminating that we’re starting to specialize and move beyond downtown; that, as the most effective startup ecosystems do, the city of Austin isn’t generically “tech” and shouldn’t be considered

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Published in Austin, Industry

10 Comments

The Critical Role of Startup Mentors

Wednesday, 12 April 2023 by SEO'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,

advisors entrepreneurship mentoring mentors Mentorship

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

2 Comments

Developing Austin’s Startup Ecosystem

Tuesday, 28 February 2023 by SEO'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 Austin, Industry, Startups

19 Comments

I’m Afraid VCs Will Take Over

Tuesday, 17 January 2023 by SEO'Brien

How do startup founders protect their company from investors in the shareholders’ agreement? Should they? Protect from what?? Seriously, think about it for a moment. The startup community is flooded with people who ‘don’t want VC,’ think, ‘investors will take over,’ and fear the influence or control of investors. This paranoia is a problem in

entrepreneurship funding investors startups venture capital

Published in Startups

18 Comments

Startup Valuations May Vary, Here’s Why and What You Need to Know

Monday, 05 December 2022 by SEO'Brien

Businesses are valued based a multiple of earnings and profit. The variation stems from a few things associated with what that multiple might be (since earnings and profit are evident) Investor opinion about the capabilities of the executive team Investor awareness of competition, threats, and opportunities Investor knowledge about the market, trends, and potential regulation

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Published in Startups

9 Comments

Startups aren’t defined by Tech: How a Beverage Venture can Change the World

Sunday, 09 October 2022 by SEO'Brien

Why is Coca-Cola a super successful company even though its main product does not solve any world problem? The question caught my attention for two reasons: Much of the world seems misled to perceive that startups and technology go hand in hand, as though something can’t be a startup unless it is in tech. Too

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Published in Advertising, Industry, Insights / Research, Startups

12 Comments

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