We see quite a few pitches at Techstars. And we also therefore are involved in many Q&A sessions afterwards. In one recent session, I noticed lots of what I call “negative space” so I wanted to jot down some thoughts. When answering questions, especially in a group or public setting, you can show mastery by …
It’s art. It’s a speaker. It’s a conversation piece. With Soundwall you can stream music to an interactive flat-panel speaker that also happens to be a beautiful piece of artwork. It’s really cool to have art that surprises people, and everyone always wants to talk about it. The sound is incredible thanks to Distributed Mode …
Remember factoring out from math class, where you had to simplify an equation by finding the common factors? Startups often start out as a fairly simple equation. But over time, as your organization grows, it becomes more complex. As you scale, your business model gets complex. It creeps in naturally. You know what’s complex in …
I recently read The Business Blockchain by William Mougayar, which provides a really strong description of the practical applications of this important new technology. This goes way beyond bitcoin. William anticipates a future with thousands, possibly millions, of blockchains that will enable frictionless value exchange and disrupt traditional business models. He defines blockchains as “new technology …
A thriving startup community provides a boost to the greater community in lots of ways. It encourages innovation and investment, attracts creative, entrepreneurial people, and generates a certain energy– making the entire city a more desirable place to live. Additionally, when local startups are acquired by big companies, and those companies hire more people in the …
As an investor, I’m often asked what sort of burn rate is appropriate for a growing company. This question seems to come up right after a Series A raise when the startup feels flush with cash, has some level of product/market fit, and is wondering how much and how fast to try to grow. For …