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 […]
Startup Port in Boston University News. Startup Port co-founder and BU alum Archel Desir in the “The BUzz Lab” news. The BUzz Lab at Boston University serves as a hive of innovation and entrepreneurship for faculty, student and alumni startups, who profit from the lab’s resources, including mentorship, coworking and rapid prototyping space and community events that engage students and alumni and accelerate learning. Link to the Boston University “BUZZ Lab” Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e76_jn5 […]
At Startup Port we always invest in “Intellectual Capital” (People) rather than ideas, concepts and gadgets. This HBR article so very well describes our investment and mentoring philosophy and methodology. In order for any startup to succeed you need “People” capable of executing the “deal”. It’s that simple. So in a nutshell, failure has to do with People and not the model or the strategy. Execution Is a People Problem, Not a Strategy Problem By Peter Bregman, January 04, 2017 […]
As of January 10, 2017: Here is a list of incubators and accelerators that are accepting applications for Startups: Start-Up Port 3 months Sprint 90 Program. Product/business development, operational advisory, shared working space, funding options. CHI only. Min. of $12,000 services value, no equity, follow on guaranteed for successful teams Techstars Funding, Mentors & 13 weeks intensive focus on your company NYC, ATL, LA, CHI +More • $120,000 for 6-10% • 100+ Mentors Newark Venture Partner Labs Top-class mentors 1 year free space […]
Corporate Innovation: Will visiting Silicon Valley help? So called Innovation and strategy “experts” waste too much time on analysis and PowerPoint and not enough time actually doing it! There are corporations that take the “pilgrimage trip” to Silicon Valley (to drink the water and breath the air in the hopes of getting struck by innovative ideas we guess?) or engage in incremental innovation but they fail to realize its not getting them further on identifying and executing upon an innovation […]
Move over Machiavelli, here is a 4,000 years old proven strategy to deal with pain in the derriere people such as your partners, co-workers, bosses, and everyone else in between: Ancient Egyptians’ 4,000-year-old strategy for dealing with an “argumentative superior”. Great article from Quartz: Ancient Egyptians’ 4,000-year-old strategy for dealing with an “argumentative superior” http://qz.com/767291 […]
This is what happens when the “money jockeys” of Silicon Valley royally screw up a due diligence on a startup. We should stop blaming Elizabeth Holmes and start questioning the judgement of the so called VC experts that vet ideas and teams. When you analyze the total mess and scandals related to Theranos you will see that there is much more blame on the shoulder of few incompetent investors than others. Unfortunately there is a lot more like Theranos but […]