There’s a New Best City in America for Startups (It’s Not in Silicon Valley) Consider joining the community of startups in this Midwestern city that generate huge returns on investment. Do you want to grow your startup in Chicago? http://www.inc.com/betsy-mikel/the-city-with-the-highest-percentage-of-insanely-profitable-startups-may-surpris.html […]
Startup Failures I am wondering (for decades now) who is doing the vetting/due diligence before investing in startups that are literally doomed to failure from the very beginning! It seems like investors have a major problem in finding who (By the way, we invest in people) and what will be successful. They keep investing in duds over and over again. And after a painful and sometimes lengthy exercise in futility (and not to mention burned money) they try to explain […]
Our goal is to facilitate Discovery, Innovation, Commercialization and Funding of new ideas through Collaboration and Creativity. But in addition to the nuts and bolts of creating a sustainable startup foundation we also provide instruction and coaching in emotional & leadership intelligence, collaboration techniques, networking, strategic thinking and the culture of high-growth marketing and sales. At the end of the day the single most important performance and success matrix of a startup (or any enterprise for that matter) is how […]
INNOVATION, IDEA AND CONCEPT COMMERCIALIZATION: It takes more than cutting-edge ideas, scholastic credentials and financial backing to move a company from pre-seed stage to commercialization. It takes hands-on business expertise from people who have been there and have done it. We help guide entrepreneurs by providing them with a real-world understanding of the unique dynamics of technology markets, and the nuances of starting and growing an early-stage company, including developing a viable business case, plan and model, product development, staffing for […]
Decisions are worthless … unless you turn them into commitments. In a business conversation, your counterpart’s decision states his intention, but a commitment holds him accountable. Although a commitment does not guarantee delivery, it’s far more reliable than a decision. More importantly, when managed properly, it allows you to handle breakdowns with effectiveness, trust and integrity. Have you been in meetings where lots of decisions are made but nothing gets done and nobody is held accountable? Unless you finish the […]
Successful people don’t compete, they collaborate. Here are four reasons why the most successful people are top-notch collaborators: GROWTH COMES THROUGH SHARING & COLLABORATING YOU CAN FIND UNEXPECTED ALIGNMENT WHEN YOU SHARE AND COLLABORATE FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY TAKES COOPERATION AND, COLLABORATING FORCES EVERYONE TO MOTIVATE EACH OTHER It’s almost impossible to do it alone! You need experienced advisors / mentors / partners / collaborators along the way to success. Over the years we have built a successful and vast […]
You can pay us now or pay us later. In an old commercial for FRAM oil filters, a mechanic is heard talking from under the belly of a car with the engine disassembled, in a state of major repair. The mechanic intones dramatically, “You can pay me now or pay me later.” His meaning is clear and loud: Changing the oil and the filter on a regular basis is a necessity that can’t be ignored. You can pay a modest […]
Strong positioning always stands out. One of the most important aspects of marketing your company or product (or even yourself) is it’s position in the market. This is often overlooked because positioning isn’t as sexy as getting Facebook Fans or Twitter and LinkedIn Followers. However, it’s the best way to separate yourself from the competition, especially if you are in a crowded space.I have seen far too many companies (and experts) build their product or service, and then leave the […]
YOU CANNOT EMAIL A HANDSHAKE The other day I was reading a blog (I don’t care much about reading blogs but this had to do with the co-working marketplace of one of the startups I mentor and advise for) and one of the posts had to do with face to face networking. The young entrepreneur was complaining that face-to-face networking events where a plain waste of time! Well, I strongly disagree (this young person is dead wrong!) with this […]
The Best Cities In The Midwest For Venture Capital Funding In 2016 list. It did not surprise me to see Chicago startup funding drop by almost 35%! When we say funding is becoming harder in Chicago we are not kidding. Here are some facts about where the investments are increasing and which cities need to reconsider their offerings to talent, capital and support for the startup ecosystem. Speaking of investments; If you don’t have the proper mindset, infrastructure, support system […]