The power of high-speed Internet extends further than we ever realized

robohand11

Ever stop to take a look at the people around you getting coffee or on the bus?  They all have their heads buried into their smartphones and tablets— headphones in and eyes rarely looking up.  But, you probably don’t notice because you’re doing the same thing. The Internet has revolutionized our day-to-day communications.  We live… 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

topramen1111

“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…

Taking on telecommuting: Maybe Marissa Mayer was right

mayer-marissa

Yahoo’s recent work from home uproar caused the pundit class to claim that one company’s internal decision was a mandate that that would kill off workplace flexibility and set women back decades across the country. The problem: it wasn’t. Yahoo made a decision for Yahoo, and other companies may follow suit.  That’s not a bad… Read More…

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

tools

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

school-sohn_02

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

brand-mates11

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

worklife1111

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…

Why entrepreneurs need to share moments of weakness with their startup peers

Panelists at last night's discussion on managing family life and startups.

“Oh excuse me, it’s Amy,” said Brad Feld as he answered his wife’s phone call, while sitting on stage doing a live panel to a packed out room at the Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle. Priorities! Many topics were covered during last night’s session, to share insights on how we, as entrepreneurs and workaholics, can… Read More…