startups Archives - Page 8 of 17

So That Incubator Turned You Down… Now What?

Tuesday, 26 February 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Get back to work. I was asked recently, If a startup is turned down by an accelerator program, should the founders take it as a sign to move onto something else? Taken back a bit, the popularity of the question astounded me. Is the acceptance of a startup program really that influential to some entrepreneurs? What

Published in Startups

11 Comments

Startups: When to Quit

Monday, 04 February 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Here’s the hard truth, since you’re here, since you’re asking when to quit a startup, the answer is now. Because you asked. Truly. That’s the answer. Most Startups fail and they actually fail not for all the reasons cited but rather merely because the founding team doesn’t have their heart in it any more. Your

entrepreneurship faliure founders perserverance quitting startups tenacity

Published in Startups

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From Automobile to Innovation – Stories of Entrepreneurship

Sunday, 13 January 2019 by Paul O'Brien

I didn’t grow up around incredible cars, nor in a family of enthusiasts, but a few of my earliest and fondest memories involve automobiles. The first was as a child, being driven to school by mom, when she shared a passing anecdote that she had always wanted to be a race car driver (that story

automobiles automotive autos education entrepreneurship history Industry innovation startups

Published in Industry, Startups

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How Venture Capitalists Venture

Monday, 07 January 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Did you know? Venture Capitalists get paid to manage others’ money. If someone is investing directly in your startup, and they know and love the space, having more supportive than capital based intentions, call them an Angel Investor. If someone is directly investing in your business and they want to see customers and focus on

angel angel investors funding investors raising capital startups vc venture capital venture capitalist

Published in Startups

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How Silicon Valley Really Got Its Start: In Fashion Tech

Friday, 21 December 2018 by Paul O'Brien

It was in 1848, that a carpenter by the name of James Marshall spotted gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, Calif. Soon hopeful prospectors flooded the Golden State in search of their fortunes. Today’s gold rush is, of course, the venture capital discovered in them thar hills; with entrepreneurs flooding the Valley in search of their

innovation silicon valley startups tech technology

Published in Industry, Insights / Research

8 Comments

How Some Startups are Able to Attract Venture Capital Though They’ve Just Begun

Tuesday, 11 December 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Three things matter most to investors. THREE. You read a ton of content about validation, MVP, customers, revenue, etc. All of those perspective are platitudes; they’re meant to inspire you that you CAN or teach you how you MIGHT. End of the day, three things matter, period: Outcome. Can this exit? Will it? No ROI

entrepreneurship funding investment startups vc venture capital

Published in Startups

42 Comments

How the “Bootstrap Culture” of a Place like Austin Changes Entrepreneurship From an “Equity Culture” of a Place Like Silicon Valley

Tuesday, 27 November 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Bootstrap or VC? It’s a question on so many minds as entrepreneurship flourishes beyond Silicon Valley, in cities where venture capital seems inaccessible. It’s a question that not a day goes by in which it doesn’t come up for me, based in Austin, TX, having professional roots along Sand Hill Road. What strikes me as