I’m happy to show off SeenDB! It’s a new hobby project to catalog and remember all of the concerts you’ve been to. You can create your entire concert history with the bands, dates, venues, locations, photos, and who you went with. SeenDB then makes this data easily browsable and sortable and shows you the bands you’ve … [Read more…]
In startups, we wear failure like a badge of honor. It represents a swing of the bat that ultimately didn’t work out, but where lessons were learned. Lessons that make you stronger, shape your thinking and your next thing. Unfortunately, “lessons were learned” is a big assumption. Lessons are often not learned. Arrogance gets in … [Read more…]
Portland is a proud city. We’re proud of our identity, our culture, our environment, and (somehow) our weather. We’re proud of our own startup ecosystem and we try not live in the shadows of the Bay Area, New York, Seattle, Boston, or Boulder. And now, the Portland startup ecosystem is thriving in a way that … [Read more…]
As I’ve talked about before, I’ve been lucky to have access to some amazing mentor networks (TechStars, True, PSF, PIE, etc). Choosing whose advice to listen to and whose to ignore is one of the most important skills you can learn. The key is finding mentors who not only have relevant first-hand experience but also … [Read more…]
There’s a good quote from Jim Rohn that goes, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I think that’s pretty accurate. And I think it can apply to companies and startups as well, with just a slight adjustment: “Your company is the average of the five companies … [Read more…]
This idea goes way back to 2008. I had just finished my stint in cubicle life, where I had been working at a student loan company leading a team that consolidated student loans. It was shocking to see how little most people knew about that loans they had taken out for college. It prompted … [Read more…]
Hiring isn’t easy, and it seems everybody is trying do it (including us, click here!). There’s a new trend of adding a CTA (“call to action”) on company sites to try to convert visitors into employees. Examples: (click the images to enlarge) SimplyMeasured Cloudability SocialText Zappos KISSmetrics And, of course, Glider … [Read more…]
2012 has been an amazing year; one of my best actually. Even so, it was definitely a roller coaster. There’s a lot to be thankful for. Here’s a quick breakdown of the milestones. Left GadgetTrak to start a new company (Glider/Superbly) Got into/went through Portland Seed Fund Raised our first Angel money Was … [Read more…]
It’s no secret, that startup culture is very much a “pay it forward” ecosystem. It’s a big part of what makes startup cultures thrive. “A rising tide lifts all boats” or some cliche like that. I’ve been on the receiving end of “pay it forward” more times than I could ever hope to count. … [Read more…]
Great work seems obvious in retrospect. This is especially true of great design and great writing. Once it’s seen, once it’s read, we can’t imagine it any other way. It seems so simple and obvious. Because the result looks so easy, we naively believe that the process of getting there was easy. This leads to … [Read more…]