Here’s the winner of the two-sentence startup pitch session

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After more than 30 entrepreneurial pitches and plenty of feedback from mentors in the Founder Institute accelerator program, the jury is in. The winner of the two-sentence startup pitch competition is … HotelPerHour.com. It’s not easy making a pitch in a simple two sentences, but entrepreneurs gave it their best shot in hopes of winning… Read More…

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman on what he learned about business from a ‘sex-crazed short-order cook’

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We’ve not heard much lately from Glenn Kelman, the ever-quotable CEO of Seattle online real estate company Redfin. But now Kelman — who once called real estate the most screwed up industry in America and recently explained why he was unprepared for the Redfin job — is back in form. In a post on LinkedIn,… Read More…

Startup wisdom from Kabir Shahani, the 30-year-old tech whiz who just sold Appature

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Appature co-founder Kabir Shahani was running on fumes when I stopped by the company’s offices this week to discuss its acquisition by health data giant IMS. But you couldn’t tell that Shahani, sharply dressed and buzzing with energy, hadn’t slept much in the past few days. The interesting thing about Shahani — apart from the… Read More…

The onstage pitch: How to prepare for your 5 minutes of fame

Brian Wong listens to a pitch at The Startup Conference

Congratulations!  Your company just scored a coveted presentation slot at a venture capital conference, an angel investor booze and schmooze or the next GeekWire Startup Day! You’re excited, but totally freaking out. You’ve been so busy cranking out your beta that you don’t even remember applying for that “pitch thing.” Now you’ve got to figure… Read More…

Kids, don’t believe the startup hype: Why you should join a big company first

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“Should I join Microsoft or a startup?” As the co-founder of a profitable startup and a former Microsoftie, I hear this question a lot, especially from college students ready to start their careers. In tech cities like Seattle and San Francisco, we’re quick to jump on the pro-startup bandwagon. Robert Scoble advises: “Join a startup. You… Read More…

Founder dating: Tips on how to pick your partner

Photo Rights: Costin Thampikutty via Creative Commons

Picking a co-founder. It’s as personal as picking a spouse and as financially binding as picking an investor. Co-founders are the pillar of your company and a relationship most entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time thinking about. If you get it wrong, ending the relationship is incredibly difficult. A rare few will marry someone within weeks… Read More…

34 Must-Have Tools to Launch your Startup from Idea to Exit

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I’ve launched half a dozen or so startup products in my career and in the process I’ve picked up my list of favorite tools to make each step easier, faster, and cheaper.  Below are the sites and services I’ve had success with while launching startups.  Depending on your skills and experience, you won’t need them all, but I hope… Read More…

Hard knocks: My top 10 tips for surviving at a startup

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Recently, a colleague of mine sent me a guest post from GeekWire that talked about ‘full-stack marketers’ and the value of having marketing people with broad skill sets in startup companies. Great article. And I would add that startups need full-stack people in every position.  Having just sold TappIn where we began with three people, starting… Read More…

The most overlooked element of your startup: The brand

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Anyone who has entered the startup arena knows that things move fast, get broken and can change on a whim. So much so, that entrepreneurs who aren’t baptized in lean and agile methodologies often face a grim end before ever truly beginning. However, If you’re quick on your feet, you might just emerge with co-founder… Read More…

Work-life balance hacks: Six tips from a type-A control freak

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When I was a kid, my nickname was: “Busy Lizzie.”  Now as CEO of an online project management company and mom to two young kids (not to mention wife, daughter, sister, friend…), I’m still running at full speed most days. There are plenty of people who give work-life balance advice like, “Take time for you.”… Read More…