When your startup feels less like a hockey stick and more like a hip check

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We all love to talk about the “hockey stick” moment for a company, referring to the point when users and usage really starts to take off. It’s fun.  It’s exciting.  And  it’s so elusive we all want to dissect what the specific company actually did to achieve the stratospheric growth. But what about the hip check? What’s… Read More…

Surprising lessons I learned winning a pitch competition

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thump thump….  thump thump…..  thump thump…….  My heart rate was starting to rise. As I looked around the room I noticed it overflowing with people.  There must have been hundreds…. Was I sure I could recall the points I wanted to make as I stood on the platform?   Was I actually going to make sense… Read More…

Instagram’s billion dollar idea wasn’t photos after all

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I wasn’t alone in almost spilling my coffee mid-drink when I discovered Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion.  A billion?  As a startup CEO, it’s sometimes hard to grasp how these types of platforms, which openly opine they are not concerned with making money can end up in such a successful outcome. [So to all… Read More…

The truths of entrepreneurship

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Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, founder and CEO of WatchMojo, recently wrote a guest post on TechCrunch about the Lies Entrepreneurs Tell.  In the article he makes the point that entrepreneurs are “always in sell mode, but that doesn’t mean they need to be BS-artists.” Common lies include:  “I have no regrets;”  “If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t do… Read More…

How to stop the insanity: Advice and thoughts from a first-time startup CEO

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Being a first time CEO can be confusing, intimidating and downright scary. You have a hundred things to do and no idea which way to look.  Email this person…. talk to that person.  Introduce yourself to another potential investor or partner.  There are so many different people to connect with, but it’s difficult to determine… Read More…

Tech startups: Ice cream is great, but utilities make the world go around

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Guest Commentary: Lately I have had a recurring theme running through my head – “didn’t I see that startup idea before, only with a different name?  Aren’t there more than a few startups doing this same  little sharing thing? ” I believe we are witnessing another “bubblish” period of time, with valuations of young startups skyrocketing and investment… Read More…

What any startup can learn from Starbucks

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As I drove past the Starbucks headquarters today I glanced up at their big green logo. Instantly I thought “man, what an iconic brand.” I mean, when most people see a white coffee cup with green letters, they know it’s Starbucks Coffee. Then I thought “how did they get there?” Here’s what most forget: Starbucks… Read More…

Don’t get stuck sitting on the entrepreneurial fence

(Flickr photo via ryk_neethling)

Guest commentary: Because it sucks. I’ve finally taken the leap and am now a full time entrepreneur focused on a new direction in my life.  This was not always the case – for like 5 years – I lived a double life; as a Fitness Professional (my reality) and as a founder of a web… Read More…