Startup Founders Incentivize Teams with Equity
Tuesday, 09 December 2014
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
- Published in Startups
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How to Write an Effective Pitch email to Angel Investors
Monday, 01 December 2014
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
- Published in Raising Capital
What Startups Should Expect from a PR Agency
Monday, 20 October 2014
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
AT&T Innovation Center in Austin by 2015
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Dallas based AT&T, in the midst of serious competition for access to Austin’s incredibly innovative startup community, has announced plans for a Center for Innovation on downtown Austin’s Congress Avenue. Part of a developing trend among technology companies to open offices in downtown Austin’s central corridor, AT&T’s new multimillion-dollar facility will be housed in 15,000
- Published in Startups
Startup Advisors vs. Mentors
Tuesday, 01 July 2014
Words tossed about so frequently in startup communities, it is easy to conclude they mean the same thing; that it doesn’t matter what such people are called, as long as you have some, you’re in good shape. But is that really so? Over the years, I’ve come to notice that startup communities collect mentors as though they are
- Published in Startups
The Ancient Startup Communities of Greece and Rome
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Recently, I had the honor of addressing a group of investors from Shenzhen, China, exploring opportunities in Texas and asking the question, why? Why here? Why Texas? Why Austin? Fostered by DB Business Group (a multi-sector global business development group), and a program called Invest Austin, a veteran of Silicon Valley like myself can’t help
- Published in Austin, Industry, Startup Ecosystems, Startups