Today's Top Posts

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Using Google Knol as a B2B Marketing Tool

by Tom Pick on 07/24/2008 17:33   0 comments ,46 views
Categories: Marketing Ideas

Yesterday, Google officially launched Knol, its Wikipedia-like tool for crafting encyclopedic expert articles. As with Wikipedia, subject matter experts can write or contribute edits to a Knol page on a specific topic. Unlike the case with Wikipedia, however, the author(s) is identified, so readers know who contributed to the article and understand any biases the author(s) may bring to the topic. For example, a technology vendor may write a very...
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Your Social Media Mission - PR It Forward

by Jason Kintzler on 07/24/2008 06:46   0 comments ,57 views
Categories: Marketing Ideas
From the amount of response to PitchEngine, it's apparent that the majority of social media adoption is coming from PR professionals, not journalists. While there are some early adopters like Wired Journalists and others in the media world, the most aggressive campaigns and exploration resides within the PR industry. From social media releases and newsrooms to TwitPitches and Facebook profiles, PR people are finding ways to open up the conversat...
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Latest Posts

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Is the iPhone a Separate Market?

by Albert Wenger on 07/25/2008 11:16   0 comments ,3 views
The answer: It depends (on your perspective).  I have had some fascinating conversations with folks in both advertising and games about the iPhone.  There is an obvious chasm between incumbents who have existing businesses on other phones and folks starting up to target the iPhone.  Those with existing businesses usually make an argument along the following lines — by the end of the year there will be 10 million iPhones which is a...
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VCs Have Regional Flavors

by Jeff Cornwall on 07/25/2008 09:55   0 comments ,6 views

When first entering into the world of VC funding entrepreneurs often overlook in the importance of understand the local "flavor" of VCs.

VCs tend to be more geographic in their investing -- they tend to favor deals closer to home. It reduces their risk, as they know more of the players in their area and it is easier to keep an eye on things.

And VCs in each region or even each city will often focus on just a few industries or even a coupl...

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A Torrent of Tax Charts

by James Maule on 07/25/2008 08:10   0 comments ,11 views
Categories: Your Tax Advisor
The supply of weather-related analogies to describe Andrew Mitchel's tax chart production is beginning to run dry. How ironic, considering that in the spirit of the season, I've reached for a reference to the way hurricane rains come down. One thing I can share is that Andrew's tax chart endeavors bear no resemblance to a stationary front. He's ever on the move.

This time, he has generated 53 new charts, bringing the total to 600. In Roman numera...
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Goliath's Revenge Part 1

by Tim Berry on 07/25/2008 06:14   0 comments ,11 views
Categories: Leadership, Managing Technology, Managing People, Finance, Startups

I had a nice time in Bend (Oregon) this weekend, including a conversation after dinner with some friends, a nice summer night, staying light late; the subject of large companies screwing small companies came up. I had something to add -- from experience. More of the "mistakes I've made" categories. They're easier to talk about at the end of a good day, looking at the river, feeling at peace with things.

Before I get into this, I should point...

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Promote Your Business By Giving: Sponsorship . . . a Real Win-Win Marketing Solution

by Stacey Mathis on 07/24/2008 22:05   0 comments ,7 views
Categories: Marketing Ideas
Have you ever had to talk yourself into spending money to promote your company, knowing full well that you really needed to do so to improve your business. Were you thinking, "I can't spend the money, because what if . . . and what if . . . and what if . . ?"

Look at it this way: There are a number of charities out there that can use sponsors, i.e., your money. Let the satisfaction of having helped a fellow human being be your incentive. Find a c...
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10 Lessons For Self-Leadership

by Steve Roesler on 07/24/2008 20:18   0 comments ,5 views
Most people seem to be looking "out there" for leadership. Why? It starts where you are right now. Every minute you spend waiting for the Second Coming in the form of a business or political leader is a minute wasted...
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+1 1 vote

Should I Pay My Lawyer A Success Fee For Venture Capital Intros?

by Brad Feld on 07/24/2008 17:57   2 comments ,40 views
Categories: Managing Technology, Managing People, Startups

Q: My lawyer is asking for a "success fee" for a referral to a potential investor in my business. Since he'll be doing the legal work, he's offered to charge only 3% on the amount funded (solely from this one contact) as opposed to a 5% that a typical investment banker would charge (even though he's not an investment banker himself).

As this is the first venture I'm actually raising capital for, I am simply unfamiliar with this practice in the ...

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Microsoft and Facebook start collaborating

by Charlie Hoult on 07/24/2008 17:53   0 comments ,3 views
Categories: Dealmakers, Finance
…reports from Techcrunch on Microsoft Live Search and Facebook playing together.
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Learn about the mortgage industry, rules and scorecards

by James Taylor on 07/24/2008 17:43   0 comments ,11 views
Categories: Managing Technology, Marketing Ideas
ILOG is running a webinar titled “How to Leverage Scorecards for Accurate Risk Management” on Wednesday, August 6 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Anthony Garritano, editor of Mortgage Technology magazine, me (James) and Janet Wall from ILOG will share presentation duties and give you a quick look at the mortgage industr...
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What To Look For In Groups

by Steve Roesler on 07/24/2008 17:16   0 comments ,13 views

We're always part of some groupAn2

You and I pretty much spend our entire lives in groups. We start off in a family, play with groups of young friends, attend classes school, and work in groups and teams.

So it would make sense to learn as much as possible about the dynamics associated with groups. Some years ago, organizations spent a fair amount of time educating people on the fine points of group dynamics. The research was new and ...

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+5 5 votes

The real business model for Web 2.0: corporate clients

by Josh Bernoff on 07/24/2008 06:22   3 comments ,54 views
Categories: Managing Technology

Bubble Everyone seems to want an answer to the question "When will Web 2.0 startups start making money?" The implication is that unless we can answer the question, the "bubble" of Web 2.0 will burst and all of us who believe in this stuff will be revealed as fantasists.

The fact is, it's incredibly hard to make money as a Web 2.0 startup aimed at consumers.

There are hundreds of these companies, and they all clamor to brief us at ...

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+3 3 votes

Baristas Unite! Social Networking At Street Level

by Andy Beal on 07/22/2008 17:46   0 comments ,37 views
Categories: Marketing Ideas

CoffeeSmall businesses in the US are struggling right now. Any edge or any hope that can be found is a welcome change from the continued onslaught of economic news around rising prices and shrinking wallets. I found one such story this morning over my cup of coffee. Oh and it was kinda cool that it was about coffee. I need that kind of early morning validation that my coffee drinking is still “in vogue”.

Anyway, in the Wall Street Journal this ...

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+3 3 votes

Real World Adaptability: Trunk Club Rolls On

by Tim Berry on 07/21/2008 07:37   0 comments ,29 views
Categories: Leadership, Managing Technology, Managing People, Finance, Startups

What's not to love? It's a great business model, its founder is dedicated and -- more important -- quick to adapt, and she was a student in my 'Start Your Business' class a few years ago.

And things haven't gone exactly according to plan, but things keep going, and the founder keeps adjusting. That, to me, is real planning, as in "planning, not just a plan."

That's the Trunk Club, which is a couple years old now, was started in Bend (Oregon) a...

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+3 3 votes

Jason Calacanis' Retirement Could Save Newspaper

by Jason Kintzler on 07/19/2008 13:53   0 comments ,340 views
Tags: business transformaton
A couple of weeks ago Jason Calacanis announced he was retiring from blogging. This, from a guy who many consider the catalyst to professional blogging. In his follow up email (re-posted here by TechCrunch), Jason details his reasoning and shares some insight into why he prefers the 'more intimate' approach.

As you can imagine, there were plenty of critics who cried, "publicity stunt" and others who felt inspired by his change in direction. I m....

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+2 2 votes

On forecasts

by Charlie Hoult on 07/22/2008 14:58   1 comment ,29 views
Categories: Dealmakers, Finance
Inspired by a blog of Oli Barrett.

My grandfather was an actuary, so a professional mathematician in the insurance industry predicting probability of life expectancy. In a cruel irony, he died by looking the wrong way on London’s Tottenham Court Road, which Londoners will know is a one-way street. He confirmed that nothing was coming in the direction he checked and stepped into the road. Only to have a truck confirm that he had looked the wrong...

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