Topics - Page 13 of 92

“I have an Idea but lack Experience or Startup Capital…”

Monday, 09 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

This is one of those frequently heard statements that helps a startup ecosystem recognize that gaps remain. Last week, I pushed founders and economists to recognize the distinction between innovation and technology (between startups and businesses), and from that, I was asked for advice too frequently asked, “How can I capitalize on an app idea

Published in Raising Capital, Startups

27 Comments

Startups Must Be Disruptive

Wednesday, 04 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

The word “disruption” often evokes a sense of upheaval, and for many startup founders, the idea of creating something that dismantles existing systems can be distasteful. I discovered this distaste most prominently in my relocation from Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas, where the word “disruptive” was treated with disdain; a dirty word that implies founders

creativity disruption entrepreneurship impact innovation social impact startups

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

19 Comments

The 6 Considerations of the Economic Development of Startups

Thursday, 29 August 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In my work with cities throughout the world, guiding how to foster entrepreneurship, few realize or fully appreciate that the experiences of my life inform what works and what doesn’t, in a region of the world trying to help startups. Raised in Michigan, I spent years exposed to what it means to have a city

economic development ecosystem entrepreneurship innovation startups venture capital

Published in Economic Development, Featured, Insights / Research, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

23 Comments

Marketing and Storytelling Manifest a Startup City

Friday, 23 August 2024 by Paul O'Brien

The explosive growth of specific cities throughout the world might be the best evidence of the impact of good old-fashioned marketing. Not advertising mind you, but marketing: understanding what you have, for whom, why they care, and delivering that to them. The last 25 years or so have witnessed the transformation of our world from

austin culture economic development entrepreneurship marketing startups storytelling

Published in Economic Development, Industry, Insights / Research, Startup Ecosystems

11 Comments

Media is Capital: Startup Success Starts with Story and Community

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Possessing a compelling story outweighs merely having a brilliant idea so much so that media has become the new capital for burgeoning founders. The fundamental concept here is that media — encompassing storytelling, audience engagement, and community building, well beyond what you might consider it to mean in “the press” — serves as a powerful

Advertising audience community content entrepreneurship media news pr startups storytelling

Published in Social Media

7 Comments

The Personality of your VC Matters, Ask Investors their MBTI

Friday, 28 June 2024 by Paul O'Brien

It would seem I struck a bit of a chord the other day, pushing the popular Myers-Briggs personality assessments well beyond the overdone “What’s the best Myers-Briggs Personality of Entrepreneurs?” to instead share what personalities make the best startup advisors. Begging then the question of whether or not personalities correlate with quality startup investors. A

angel funding investors mbti myers-briggs personality vc

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

15 Comments

The Myers-Briggs Personality Types that make Ideal Startup Advisors

Thursday, 27 June 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In light of recent research establishing with near certainty that personality traits correlate with success (or failure) as a startup founder, I’ve been fixated on investigating if and how certain personality types are more or less meaningful to entrepreneurship. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a psychological assessment tool based on Carl Jung’s theory of

mbti myers-briggs

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

21 Comments