article placeholder

10 Things I’ve Learned About Customer Development

By Cindy Alvarez (Head of Products and Customer Development, KISSmetrics)  

  1. Whatever people say they will pay for it is wrong.
  2. If someone says, “I wouldn’t personally use it, but I bet other people would”, no one will use it.
  3. The answer to any question that starts with “do you want” or “are you concerned about” will always be “yes”.
  4. If someone says “maybe it’s just me, but...” -- it’s not.... Read More...
article placeholder

And, Who Are You? The “I Am” Dilemma

By Nilofer Merchant (Contributing Writer, Harvard Business Review) Our titles are illusions and not reflective of one’s truth. This works both ways. I am not a grand pooh-bah if I have a fancy set of titles. And I am not a lowly piece of shit if I have a junior role within the organizational structure. And we don’t need to have our mobile voicemail message say I am so-and-so-of-such-and-such.

We are each more than our titles; we are each own unique selves. Letting go of these false exterior identities can be difficult and takes time, possibly our entire lifetime. But it starts with us realizing the falsity first, and then moving in the right direction

... Read More...
article placeholder

Why Are Women Funded Less Than Men? (120 Interviews)

By Pemo Theodore (Founder, Ezebis) The "Why Are Women Funded Less Than Men?" ebook on sale now features 120 embedded clips of video interviews with 29 venture capitalists and 18 female founders in the startup industry.

There are a few organizations that have done some research and provided data which is the backdrop some of which I have included in the book.

I spent 5 years in London trying to raise funding for my online matchmaking business -- and in the end had to

... Read More...
article placeholder

The Rise of the Startup Industrial Complex?

Give entrepreneurs open, transparent access to the tools and information they need to build their business. Be candid and respectful with your feedback. Provide mentoring when they ask, and encouragement even if they don’t ask. By Chris Shipley (Co-Founder, Guidewire Group)

Running a startup is like riding a monster roller coaster. You push your way through line, excited and a little nervous, maybe even scared. You talk a good game to all your friends, while secretly stealing an envious glance at some of the seemingly safer rides. As you approach the ride, all the signs warn of the dangers. You must be so tall. Not advised for people with this condition or that. You press on, strap into the car, and go for the ride of your life, climbing up until the bottom drops out, then climbing again. In a split second, the ride is over. You stagger in to the daylight, throw up, smile, and get back in line again.

... Read More...
article placeholder

Man! I Feel Like a Woman! (Women Playing The Startup Game)

By Lisa Suennen (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Psilos Group) Back in July 2011, Vivek Wadhwa, a highly regarded entrepreneur, author and academic, wrote an article describing five myths about entrepreneurs. Among the five myths he sought to debunk was that women are less-suited than men to succeed in the technology and/or venture-backed economy.

Among all the “myths” in Wadwha’s piece, this was one that set off a cacophony of response in peHUB, with some claiming that women are treated just as well as men and a few reaffirming how different women’s experiences can be.

... Read More...
article placeholder

Partner event: WITI Women Powering Technology Summit (Oct 2-4)

Join the world's leading professional organization for executive women in technology at WITI's Annual Women Powering Technology Summit October 2-4, 2011 in San José, CA. Women 2.0 Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Angie Chang will be moderating a panel on Tuesday, October 4 featuring startup founders Sandy Jen of Meebo, Tiffani Ashley Bell of Pencil You in, and Joselle Ho of Miso Media. See full summit schedule here. Women 2.0 members save $100 on full summit registration with discount code "w2sum11" here.

... Read More...
article placeholder

IndieGoGo Raises $1.5M Series A, Founded by Danae Ringlemann

By Angie Chang (Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0) IndieGoGo today announced raising $1.5 million in funding led by Metamorphic Ventures, MHS Capital and Steve Schoettler, Co-Founder of Zynga.

IndieGoGo was founded in January 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. IndieGoGo campaigns have raised essential funds in over 200 countries –-- from the first affordable consumer 3D printer in the UK to a cupcake company in Brooklyn to a successful liver transplant in the Congo.

... Read More...
article placeholder

Business Model Generation: Strongly Recommended Read for Entrepreneurs and Startuppers

By Sophia Perl (Producer, PicPredict) I have a friend who’s writing a book on online film distribution. Every once in awhile we chat about startup topics. As a thank you to me for giving her awesome advice, she sent me a surprise book in the mail, ”Business Model Generation” by Alexander Osterwalder and Yes Pigneur. I didn’t think too much of it, but I felt obligated to read the book in its entirety because it was a gift after all. Within the first few pages, I was hooked.

This book is like a bible for evaluating or coming up with a business model. If you do a quick google

... Read More...
article placeholder

Is Your Product Idea Viable? 5 Questions to Ask

By Tracy Foster (Founder, ONA) You’ve got an idea for a new product that you think is amazing. The thought of introducing it to the marketplace is so exhilarating that it keeps you up at night, and you can’t stop wondering, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this yet!”

For some, these feelings of optimism and excitement around creating a new product are the seeds from which a flourishing business will grow. For others, they can result in less than desirable outcomes (e.g., a substantial loss of time, energy, and money).

... Read More...
article placeholder

BeCouply Receives First Investment

By Becky Cruze (Co-Founder, BeCouply) Today the BeCouply team is excited to announce that we've received our first investment!

The investment is from Mitch Kapor of Kapor Capital. Mitch is perhaps best-known for creating Lotus 1-2-3 and co-founding the Lotus Development Corporation, later acquired by IBM. Kapor Capital has made more than 50 investments in the past three years, including in bit.ly, Get Satisfaction, Posterous, Twilio, and Uber. We couldn't be more thrilled to have Mitch and his firm on board

... Read More...