When an entrepreneur fails from lack of nerve

Watching an entrepreneur fail is sad, but watching them fail from a lack of nerve is tragic.

Excitement

At the beginning of this year Bob, one of my ex-students was in entrepreneurial heaven. He had an idea for a new class of enterprise software insight-as-a-service based on big data web analytics as a Cloud and SaaS (Software As a Service) application.

Bob had taken to heart the business model canvas and Customer Development lessons. After … Continue Reading

How to make a millionaire (video)

Recently, VentureBeat’s Chikodi Chima sat down with Michael Ellsberg, author of The Education of Millionaires: It’s Not What You Think and It’s Not Too Late, to talk about what it really takes to be successful.

Most of us were told by our parents that if we worked hard, went to college, got good grades and treated people fairly, we’d succeed in life. However, many of us have not found this to be the case … Continue Reading

Myopic entrepreneurs need to “think big,” Get Satisfaction CEO says (video)

Get Satisfaction CEO Wendy Lea has a few choice words for entrepreneurs, and the women and men in the business of creating and running startups would be well served to tune in.

“If you’re going to get into the entrepreneurship game… I think it’s our responsibility to think big,” Lea said in a recent interview with VentureBeat. She continued to admonish startup folks who are myopic in their aims while huge needs still abound in … Continue Reading

AdGame goes from zero to startup hero in one week

One week ago, AdGame didn’t exist. Today, the company has a customer, a little bit of funding, and the attention of a crowd full of potential investors and partners.

The idea is to make web display ads into incentivized, educational quizzes that not only engage the viewer, but also teach them the kind of facts that would be helpful on a standardized test.

For example, a test ad for Gucci asks, “Which city is the … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Motivating employees and leveraging the human cloud

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Why governments don’t get startups – Government entrepreneurship policies might sound like a good idea, but serial entrepreneur Steve Blank notes they’re generally doomed to failure, since (with one exception) governments fail to define the different types of startups in the market.

5 ways to motivate employees (beyond stocks and salary) – With the ongoing economic crisis, many companies have had to cut back on salary bumps and … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Unusual promotion and tapping into big markets

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Should you use an investor’s lawyer? – It’s not uncommon in Silicon Valley for investors to suggest their clients to simply use their attorney – and it’s not illegal, either. However, attorney Scott Edward Walker notes there are some practical reasons why this is a bad idea.

4 ways to tap into the big contract market – Start-ups can earn some much needed capital from government agencies and … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Google+ as intranet and fundraising secrets

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Can Google+ replace your company’s intranet? – Google+ is one of the hottest social networks to hit the scene in a long time, but is it something that can replace how your company communicates internally? Attorney Curtis Smolar looks at the legal risks that accompany this service for businesses.

6 secrets of fundraising success – Finding venture capital in today’s economic environment is hard to do. Jon Olafsson, … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Marketing truths and a primer on networking

Here’s a roundup of the latest posts from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

VC Roundtable: What makes a great founder? — OpenView Partners surveyed several venture capitalists, asking them to share their vision on what qualities make for a good founder and to weigh in on whether those founders should extract equity upon receiving funding. Hear thoughts from Phin Barnes, Brad Feld, Rob Go and Alex Taussig in this roundtable discussion.

6 social marketing truths executives must … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Marketing with Google+ and employee/customer altercations

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Fight! Fight! Are you liable when your employees and customers mix it up? – Altercations between customers and employees are PR nightmares, but they could be legal ones as well. Attorney Curtis Smolar looks at ways to protect your employees and your company.

7 ways to get an industry leader you don’t know to mentor you – Mentorship is critical for many startups, but finding experienced market leaders … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Spying on employees and evaluating partnerships

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Where are the lines in employee surveillance? – Hollywood shows companies spying on their employees all the time, but in the real world, it’s something that can land you in a world of trouble. Attorney Curtis Smolar runs down the legal cans and can’ts of keeping tabs on your employees – even when you suspect them of stealing trade secrets.

5 ways to boost your freemium conversion rates… Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Customer tell signs and Reid Hoffman’s rules for success

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

What are the rights of minority stockholders? – State law rights aren’t something many entrepreneurs are familiar with, but for minority stockholders, these non-contractual rights can be their best friend in a pinch. Attorney Scott Edward Walker looks at three significant rights of these shareholders.

What do customers really say when they are going to buy? – Finding people who are excited about your idea isn’t all that … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: New rules for the bubble and incorporation choices

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Where should you incorporate your LLC? – The lures and temptations of certain states are like a siren song to some entrepreneurs, but attorney Curtis Smolar warns that there are some important factors you’ll need to keep in mind before leaping to a decision on the matter.

4 ways to create innovative business software that sticks – For every piece of business software that finds a userbase, there … Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Corner: Inspiring ideas and arguing in favor of outsourcing

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner.

Demystifying the VC term sheet: Redemption rights – Attorney Scott Edward Walker continues his ongoing series looking at the often dense language of VC term sheets, this week focusing on redemption rights, which can put founders in the crosshairs, if they’re not careful.

Smart marketing in the era of agile commerce – As the need for agility grows at eCommerce startups, marketing departments need to extend their reach … Continue Reading