startups Archives - Page 13 of 17

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

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

crowdfunding fund raising funding startups venture capital

Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

4 Comments

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

entrepreneurs entrepreneurship equity hiring retention startups talent

Published in Startups

2 Comments

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

entrepreneurship fund raising funding raising money startups

Published in Raising Capital

9 Comments

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

entrepreneurship marketing pr press public relations startups

Published in PR, Startups

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Entre to the Internet; Marketing for Startups

Thursday, 17 July 2014 by Paul O'Brien

Thanks to the incredible startup program at Houston’s Rice University, I’ve had a chance to update a popular, but out of date, post about Startup Marketing. In the process, I had a chance to meet the exceptional entrepreneurs in this year’s Owlspark program. While not too dissimilar from that startup marketing post, this update touches

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Published in Advertising, eCommerce, Insights / Research, Search, Social Media, Startups

1 Comment

Startup Advisors vs. Mentors

Tuesday, 01 July 2014 by Paul O'Brien

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

advice advising advisors entrepreneurship mentors Mentorship startups

Published in Startups

18 Comments