Good morning, All,

It’s Tuesday, April 26^th and yes, it’s (finally) another SOS gathering. We wish it could be a barbeque in the backyard, but, well, soon enough and in the meantime, blame it on the groundhog. On Digital Media will be there to interview some of you – and they’ll memorialize your elevator pitches on video, so bring your best face. Details to come next week. Oh, and then you can post your elevator pitches in the newsletter. We love it when a plan comes together!

We have a lot of new members today, so welcome, and brief intro for you: the newsletter is here to help – you. Feel free to post what you need, be it people, office space, legal advice, hosting suggestions, beta testers – go for it. You’re also welcome to post what you have to offer: services, for example, or if you’re organizing an event. Finally, you can do your elevator pitch. Keep it brief and whether you’re looking for funding or feedback – let us know.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. First,

Next, a nod to Genius Marketing 101:

As you no doubt know, last week Linkedin passed a milestone – 100 million members – and sent out a letter of appreciation to the first 100,000 (#15564). Which set off both a firestorm and bragging rights – all day long and then some – on various listservs in which we participate. No matter: it was brilliant marketing on their part and heaven knows FB gets enough press. Our .02: FB is where we go to see what our friends/family are up to; linkedin is where we go to get work done. And let’s not forget twitter – our running conversation with the world, short and sweet.

Deadlines and lots of them:

First, next Thursday, April 7^th is the ER Accelerator Happy Hour. Please come join us for some free beer, networking – and meet some ER
Accelerator mentors and learn more about the program. ER Accelerator is now accepting applications for its June 2011 program:
http://eranyc.com Apply to work with our amazing team of partners, sponsors, interns, resident technologists, resident designers and 150+ mentors including Fred Wilson, Howard Morgan, Esther Dyson, Jeff Stewart, David Pakman, Brian Cohen, John Frankel, Anil Dash and more. Application deadline is April 30^th: http//eranyc.com/apply. Also, the next Entrepreneurs Roundtable, which will be on April 20th.

Enter the Startup 2011 Competition For A Chance To Win $100,000 In Cash And Prizes, courtesy of Business Insider. Do you have what it takes to bring home the big check? From hundreds of applicants, our judges –Joel Cutler of General Catalyst, David Pakman of Venrock, Rick Heitzman of FirstMark, Stuart Ellman of RRE, Habib Kairouz of Rho, andLaura Sachar of Starvest — will winnow the list down to seven. Each will present on stage and withstand the judges’ grilling. One lucky winner will pocket $100,000: a $25,000 investment from founding sponsor General Catalyst Partners and $75,000 in goods and services to boost his or her startup. Even more valuable than the cash investment is the exposure and networking opportunities you’ll receive if you’re chosen as one of the seven finalists. Startup 2011 is for startups that have raised less than $2.5 million in outside financing. Application deadline: midnight, March 30. For more information and to enter: http://read.bi/gz6cSS

Games For Change application deadline is March 31st. GAMES FOR CHANGE is the leading global advocate for supporting and making games for social impact. The Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and the only international event uniting “games for change” creators, the public, civil society, academia, the gaming industry and media. The 8^th Annual Games For Change Festival takes place here in NYC June 20-22. Early bird tickets are available now and prices go up after April 15. For more information and to enter or register: http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival-2011/

NYC SeedStart Media application deadline: March 31st. This is a 12-week summer program designed to provide seed funding to technology companies to build a product and launch their company. SeedStart is interested in companies focusing on advertising infrastructure, e-commerce, digital content, and mobile technology. Companies will work with an incredible network of mentors, professionals, and experienced technology entrepreneurs. Venture Capital Partners include Contour Venture Partners, Comcast Interactive Capital/Genacast Ventures, NYC Seed, Polaris Venture Partners, RRE Ventures. We are inviting technology companies willing to spend the summer in New York City that are concentrating on these industries to apply to SeedStart. The program will give up to 10 companies $20,000, office space, and time in exchange for a small piece of equity (5%). At the end of the 12 weeks, SeedStart features an investor day where companies will have the opportunity to present to seed and early stage investors as well as potential partners and customers.  They’re also hosting an info session March 29th at 7pm, 160 Varick St. 12th floor. All mentors, participating corporations, and SeedStart Media applicants – and potential applicants – are invited to attend. Please RSVP at info@nycseedstart.com  For more information: http://www.nycseedstart.com/

TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield – Deadline April 3^rd. Do you have the hottest, next generation start up? Start here. Let your future begin at the Disrupt Battlefield. It’s the premiere start up launch competition by TechCrunch.  Hopeful founders and entrepreneurs submit their young, unseen startup companies for the opportunity to launch on technology’s biggest stage in front of an all-star panel consisting of the biggest innovators, angels, VCs and influencers in the Tech community.  Up for grabs is the $50,000 prize and the coveted “Disrupt Cup,” and new open doors. For more information and to apply: http://disrupt.techcrunch.com/battlefield/

The Founders Lab is coming to New York City! They will select about 15 hackers and engineers, designers, product and marketing mavens to begin to develop high-growth mobile ventures in NYC. You may apply individually (most common scenario) however, pairs or teams who want to work together and are open to change, may also apply. Founder Labs builds fresh founding teams and validates ideas. Application deadline: April 20^th. For more information: http://bit.ly/gcOJF8

Good Deeds Time:

This Saturday, April 2nd is the Taka Kigawa Benefit Concert for Japan. As you know, Japan is now facing the series of unprecedented, unimaginable crises.   Pianist Taka Kigawa is doing a benefit concert for Japan. Tickets $25 and the 100% of the ticket sales goes to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund by Japan Society. For more information: http://on.fb.me/dV5Ij7 Also, if you have friends or family in Japan and are a TW phone customer, you can make free calls to check in on them, until 4/15: http://tinyurl.com/4pz38tl

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Pieces we liked this week and since Friday is April Fools, yes, we did have some fun with it this time:

How to Turn Around a Failing Business: A Step-By-Step Plan The economy has affected many businesses, but the good news is that with a well thought out plan, it is possible to make the best of your business—even in these times.  If your business needs some life infused into it, pay attention to this step-by-step plan that will help you get your business back on the right track. Even better news: no where is the word ‘pivot’ mentioned: http://goo.gl/fb/Q9srg

What it’s Not is just as important as what it Is.The hardest part of early app design is determining what is essential to an application, and what is out of character or a distraction. Good lessons to be learned here: http://bit.ly/eT2XP2

Bubble, bubble. Bubble Trouble? I Don’t Think So. Ben Horowitz weighs in with an excellent read and as he so astutely points out: As today’s clients move from PCs to mobile devices, a huge set of opportunities will emerge for new companies to solve important problems. http://bit.ly/gXMyxI

This is definitely a bubble – or bubble head? We report, you decide: http://goo.gl/fb/v9GJJ

AngelList just launched a new blog. Always good to keep up with those guys and you’ll find it here: http://blog.angel.co/

How to Network at A Conference You’re Not At. Since we’re all so busy and bilocation has not yet been perfected, well, let us not forget that technology is helping to get us a few steps closer. Yes, it can be done and here are some helpful tips on how to do it and note: do not try this at the next SOS get-together. I’ll know. Trust me: http://bit.ly/gSXlhb

Good news from our members: congratulations to honestlynow.com – Tereza and Bob – who over the last couple of weeks have enjoyed a flurry of press, starting with a great writeup on techlicious (How Do I Look in this Dress? Finally, honest answers: http://bit.ly/glyQin, which re-appeared on msn’s TODAYshow.com. Then, Australia’s leading morning show booked HN for a live appearance (Fashion’s Answer to Facebook: http://bit.ly/flE32Z), which had Aussies piling onto the HN facebook fan page. Next, they were written up by life hacker (HN Solicits Discreet Advice from your Friends) http://bit.ly/gs2BBL and chatted on drive home radio with hosts and fans in Denver and Manitoba, and picked up fans in Flint. 
And some great reviews have rolled in on their iPhone app http://honestlynow.com/iphoneapp
Impressive: people who’ve asked questions invite 6x the amount of friends as everyone else. 
The moral of the story: it pays to dip your toe in the water.  And, btw, askers of the very best questions are being randomly selected for cool prizes.  So join, ask that burning question – and keep doing what you’re doing. Unless it’s a fashion faux pas.

Finally, the strange story of www.hitmanforhire.com and how a would-be Vegas hitman ended up in an Irish jail. His website is down – and he probably should have just posted on monster.com. Makes sense to us! http://bit.ly/h7c3w0

Hope to see you on April 26th and until then, as always, help is on the way…

Good morning, All,

What a week, eh? The supermoon on Saturday evening (http://bit.ly/gXsVP8) and if you missed it, you won’t be able to see it again until 2029; war #3 in Libya and the battle between Michael Yavonditte (hashable) and the press (How Not to Interact with the Press: http://bit.ly/ii7oWi). Onward and forward:

Deadlines!

Enter the Startup 2011 Competition For A Chance To Win $100,000 In Cash And Prizes, courtesy of Business Insider. Do you have what it takes to bring home the big check? From hundreds of applicants, our judges –Joel Cutler of General Catalyst, David Pakman of Venrock, Rick Heitzman of FirstMark, Stuart Ellman of RRE, Habib Kairouz of Rho, and Laura Sachar of Starvest — will winnow the list down to seven. Each will present on stage and withstand the judges’ grilling. One lucky winner will pocket $100,000: a $25,000 investment from founding sponsor General Catalyst Partners and $75,000 in goods and services to boost his or her startup. Even more valuable than the cash investment is the exposure and networking opportunities you’ll receive if you’re chosen as one of the seven finalists. Startup 2011 is for startups that have raised less than $2.5 million in outside financing. Application deadline: midnight, March 30. For more information and to enter: http://read.bi/gz6cSS

Lean Startup Machine is back and the deadline is tonight!  At Lean Startup Machine, you’ll learn how to figure out what customers really want. In 48 hours, you’ll form a team with other participants and work on a new startup while competing for cash, mentorship, and glory. Lean Startup Machine will change the way you think about building startups.Deadline: March 22. Details and to apply:http://nyc.theleanstartupmachine.com/

Good Deeds Time:

Twestival is two days away: Thursday, March 24 and it’s for a good cause: Twestival is a global movement where people come together with their Twitter buddies to raise money for charity. This year, the NYC group chose iMentor, where young people and volunteer adult mentors build their relationships through a combination of e-mail correspondence and in-person meetings. Sponsorships are still available and did we mention that #Hashable (yes, Michael, again) is the headline sponsor? For tickets: http://newyork.Twestival.com. Come meet, tweet and give. The event will also be broadcast by watchitoo.

Taka Kigawa Benefit Concert for Japan, Saturday, April 2. As you know, Japan is now facing the series of unprecedented, unimaginable crises.  Pianist Taka Kigawa is doing a benefit concert for Japan.  Details to come. Tickets $25 and the 100% of the ticket sales goes to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund by Japan Society. For more information: http://on.fb.me/dV5Ij7 Also, if you have friends or family in Japan and are a TW phone customer, you can make free calls to check in on them, until 4/15: http://tinyurl.com/4pz38tl

This week’s Entrepreneurs Roundtable will be the largest one ever, with Metamorphic Venture’s Lewis Gersh, a Q&A on Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, and some of the ERA mentors will also be attending. ER is this Thursday http://bit.ly/e0cl1b. Deadline for ERA is April 30^th. For more information: http://bit.ly/eB43sg

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This week’s reading:

From Steve Blank, The New Rules for the New Internet Bubble. The rules for making money are different in a bubble than in normal times. What are they, how do they differ and what can a startup do to take advantage of them? http://goo.gl/Whatu

We’ve heard it ad nauseam: in a startup, who is as important as what – teams matter, so from Mark Suster: Whom Should You Hire at a Startup? (Attitude Over Aptitude) http://bit.ly/i7kk1d

From SXSW: Reid Hoffman and Web 3.0. The Fast Company article: http://bit.ly/gRCl63 and the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6mb5imj2pM

8 Questions on How to Prepare for VC Meetings. Good points from Ben Yoskowitz, a successful entrepreneur and founder of an early stage accelerator: http://bit.ly/eG0Wge

Since it is finally Spring, and New Yorkers love to eat, and be outdoors, and take our meals walking: The 11 Best Food Trucks in NYC: http://bit.ly/hjJVOy

And yes, this week we will leave you with a chuckle of the week. This one is just too good to miss and a definite contender for the Stella Awards: Man Complains To Police About Being Shorted By His Cocaine Dealer:  http://bit.ly/hcRO6l and yes, he probably would have been better served – no pun intended – had he called the Better Business Bureau.

Finally, we are planning another StartupOneStop gathering, and once again, you’ll be able to do your elevator pitch on video! Developing, and we will have a time/date/venue for you next week and in the meantime, help is on the way…

Good morning, All, and a very happy St. Patrick’s Day to you this week as well.

So, have you noticed how nice and quiet it is in town this week with the kids all away at South By? If you’re in town tonight, stop in for the Third Annual NxNYC at the Empire Room, Empire State Building – and there will be free appetizers. Did you notice how many South By tweets were free-food related? The ones that weren’t drinking related of course, and having dutifully followed our buds – via twitter, of course – since their arrivals at AUS, and despite the fact that we’ve never been there, we now know Austin party location like the back of our hand and will not be ordering Tex-Mex again any time soon. But hope to see you tonight at NxNYC:  7 pm – 10. http://nxnyc2011.eventbrite.com

Tick tick tick: Applications for the DreamIt Ventures Summer Program are due tomorrow! Where does the time go? Oh, that’s right, we just lost an hour:
Up to $25,000 of seed funding per company. ($5,000 plus $5,000 for each founding team member (up to four) who will be onsite for the program).
Introductions to VCs and angel investors and an opportunity to pitch to dozens of them at Demo Day
A weekly Speaker Series and regular check-ins with your Mentors and the DreamIt Managing Partners
Apply as a company or as an individual: http://www.dreamitventures.com/apply/

Deadline is tonight for Startup Chile! The Chilean government will provide $40,000 subsidy (no equity) to your start-up. Yes, if you have an early stage idea, Chile will provide you US$40k to kick start the idea. The only catch: you have to live in Chile for 24 weeks during the program. Throughout the year, there will be 3 application rounds and up to 300 projects selected. More information and to apply:  http://www.startupchile.org/
Round 1: Opening Tuesday February 15th, 2011 (closing date: 3.15.11)
Round 2: July 4th, 2011 (tentative)
Round 3: October 3rd, 2011 (tentative)

And the application deadline (April 30^th) for Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator will be here before you know. Get a $25k investment for your startup; 3 months of free collaborative office space; access to 140+ mentors, including Fred Wilson, Esther Dyson, John Frankel, Brian Cohen, David Pakman, Jeff Stewart and Howard Morgan (and yours truly); one-on-one hands on support and free legal services and support from ERA partners. Good work and congratulations, Murat, and for more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/eB43sg
And congratulations to Murat and the Accelerator, for being written up…everywhere!
New York City Gets a New Startup Incubator (Fortune) http://bit.ly/fPduVr
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Jumps Into Accelerator Game (The New York Observer): http://bit.ly/dEuBSx
Entrepreneurs Roundtable launches New York City startup accelerator (Venturebeat) http://bit.ly/fCjVws
Here’s How to Get $25,000 And Free Office Space For Three Months http://read.bi/fAbhvW

The next Entrepreneurs Roundtable will be March 23, with featured VC Lewis Gersh of Metamorphic Ventures – and a number of the ERA mentors will also be in attendance, so come if you can, and it’s free to attend: http://bit.ly/e0cl1b

Speaking of accelerators, incubators and angels, Graham Lawlor’s Ultra Light Startup on Seed Funding was outstanding – and streamed, so if you can’t be in NYC for the next one, you can still participate via live stream, always. This week, Graham premiers UltraLight.TV, a live, web-based TV show premiering Friday, March 18 at 2pm EST. The show features startup community news plus pitches and advice from the founders of successful online businesses. Panelists and guests are primarily founder/CEO’s of technology and media companies that have achieved significant commercial success without external funding (ie by bootstrapping). Rather than being “judged,” the startups pitching will receive helpful, practical advice and connections. This “real-time mentorship” should be useful not only to the startups pitching, but also to the viewing audience, so make sure to tune in! Watch for free online at UltraLight.tv.

Geoworld Spring Summit is May 12^th, and early bird rates end March 23^rd. A must-attend for anyone working at the intersection of mobile, web, technology, media, marketing and retail, the fast-paced event includes a networking reception and panels on hyperlocal content, location tech platforms, place-based advertising and augmented reality. More information at http://geoworldsummit.com/ To register: http://geoworldsummit.com/#registration

Our latest tweets, every-changing tweets, courtesy of movableink:

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This week’s reading:

From our friends at chubbybrain.com and so appropriate for this week’s newsletter: NYC Startup Accelerators – A Quick & Dirty Guide, because reverse due diligence is always a good thing: http://bit.ly/ensmUS

Get Funded Faster – and isn’t that the holy grail after all? http://bit.ly/dQVMBL

The 4-Hour Workweek is shockingly good and may change your life forever! According to the blogger, who happens to be superangel Fabrice Grinda, “it’s less the book’s life philosophy that struck me (since it mostly eschews one), than its extremely practical productivity improving advice. In many cases, I had already reached similar conclusions… The difference is that I got there through lifelong trial and error while you can get there by reading the book.” Otay! http://bit.ly/eBqpEd

Also from chubbybrain, Venture Capital Blogs that are Truly Useful for Entrepreneurs (And Not Whoring It Up for Pageviews & Attention). They only provide a short list, and always good to know: http://bit.ly/hJdd9Z

Finally, our prayers are with the people of Japan and to remind us that we’re all in this together, even further repercussions from the Japanese earthquake: Earth’s day length shortened by Japan earthquake. The quake also shifted how the planets mass is distributed: http://bit.ly/iaFCut

Our work here is done, this week. Your turn and as always, help is on the way…

Good morning, All, and speaking of carnivals, yes, SXSW does start this week and wondering what you to do, if you’re not Austin-bound? NxNYC! It’s the Third Annual, and not only does it take place in the Empire Room in the Empire State Building – you also have a much better shot at grabbing the new iPad, since almost all of the other early adopters will be in Austin, tweeting, drunk and looking like ridiculous in cowboy boots. It happens Tuesday, March 15, 7 pm – 10. Free appetizers, drink specials. http://nxnyc2011.eventbrite.com/

For those of you who are going: Top 10 questions (and answers) on how Startups should navigate SXSW: http://on.mash.to/ihNUjh And an Austinpreneur’s Guide for you: http://bit.ly/h1wsIQ For the rest of us, from Doctor Disruptive, The Top 10 Reasons I’m NOT Going to SXSW http://bit.ly/frKans

If you want to wait a couple of weeks and head a bit farther North: AccelerateMTL (yes, that’s Montreal) on bringing together C100, iNovia Capital, Real Ventures and BDC Venture Capital, not to mention Brad Feld, Dave McClure, Howard Lindzon on March 31^st – with skiing to follow on April 1^st. Really. http://bit.ly/fGjMR3 And it is drivable. Done it. More than once.

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator Program has officially launched and you can apply today for the summer program. Deadline: April 30th. Get a $25k investment for your startup; 3 months of free collaborative office space; access to 140+ mentors, including Fred Wilson, Esther Dyson, Brian Cohen, David Pakman, Jeff Stewart and Howard Morgan; one-on-one hands on support and free legal services and support from ERA partners. Good work and congratulations, Murat, and for more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/eB43sg

Lean Startup Machine is back, where you’ll learn how to figure out what customers really want. In 48 hours, you’ll form a team with other participants and work on a new startup while competing for cash, mentorship, and glory. Lean Startup Machine is limited to 50 participants. You apply as an individual. Deadline: Saturday, March 19th at 11:59pm and participants will be notified by March 20th.  The conference is April 1^st. $250 and includes food, software and books. There are a limited number of $150 early bird tickets, and last minute tickets are $300. http://nyc.theleanstartupmachine.com/

Latest tweets, and remember: thanks to movableink, they do update every time you open the newsletter. And we try to keep it current, adding events, and news, as we see them:

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This week’s congrats: honestlynow.com for the techlicious write-up (How Do I Look in this Dress? Finally Honest Answers http://bit.ly/glyQin), and to openinvo.com for garnering the most thumbs up/votes at last week’s Stamford Tech Meetup.

This week’s reading, (and note that there’s a press op in today’s posts below):

Big issue: how to decide how much equity to give a new employee or partner, especially when a company is young. Jason Cohen takes on the rather thorny topic and even provides guidelines in How To Think About Cash vs Equity Compensation: http://bit.ly/gGTbke

Another thorny issue: Angels getting diluted when VC’s step in to invest. This one from Roger Ehrenberg, angel and VC, and kudos to Roger for saying what needed to be said long ago: Bad VC behavior: Chucking the angel pre-emptive right. http://bit.ly/hfjfdE

Marketing tips from Fred Wilson and remember: 4square launched at SXSW, and no, they were not finalists. Just showed up and let it fly. http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/02/marketing.html

And from Social Media Week London (and London-based SOS member Luis Carranza), Ten Ways to Suck at Social Media (And Five Ways Not To) : http://slidesha.re/eWIszI

Finally, 60 Inconvenient Personal Development Truths. Sometimes we look for success in the wrong places or we try to achieve it in the wrong ways. Long list. Good stuff: http://bit.ly/f8pkqh

We do try to leave you with a chuckle, and admittedly, the hat won us over on this one. Deadline March 11th: http://bit.ly/hMnIJ4. In the meantime, wherever you happen to be this week and/or wherever you happen to be heading – or applying yourself – have a safe one and for now, as always, help is on the way…

Good morning, All, and thank you for coming out for our Find A Cofounder – and for drinks afterwards. We always love to see you!

First, the SXSW party list, for those of you who’ll be there, which unfortunately, we won’t be. As far as we know: http://www.eventbrite.com/sxsw

Next, an important message/reminder: You all are allowed to post elevator pitches, you know. Just keep it short and sweet. We’ll leave a section there – even if there are no pitches that week, just as a heads up. We mention this because as many of you know, I’m a constant if not compulsive networker and often meet investors – many of whom join or are already on this very list – who ask me to point them towards startups in specific verticals – including some of thing this you all are doing. Since you aren’t saying anything, and why not? Happened again just this past week, and yes, we do intend to make the introduction, Jesse, and you’re welcome. So, please, do feel free to share what you’re doing, since we don’t know what everyone on the list is up to. Happy to help and happy days! You can also post for beta testers. We do get a number of those requests, usually off list, and again, feel free to share.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Ok, so The Social Network didn’t sweep the Oscars, and the tech community was all abuzz about it on twitter. Why? It was not a loss for the tech community, and it wasn’t even a true account of actual events surrounding a certain one-time startup. If you want to see the real thing, warts and all, DreamIt is hosting a special screening of startup.com, a fascinating documentary that takes you back to the Internet Gold Rush of the late 1990s to expose the painfully intimate story of one would-be internet empire that goes from dot-com darling to dot-bomb flameout. This one’s a must-see for any budding internet entrepreneur – especially if you weren’t around to witness the first bubble – and its aftermath.  As an added bonus, the screening will be immediately followed by a Q&A with Kaleil Isaza-Tuzman, the main protagonist in the film.  Find out the lessons learned from Kaleil’s first, very public, entrepreneurial experience.  And learn about Kaleil’s impressive postscript: how he has gone on to build KIT Digital (NASDAQ:KITD), into a tremendously successful, internet video company that recently acquired KickApps, Kewego, and Kype (http://tcrn.ch/dU8D02) The Social Network it’s not, but trust me, it’s two good stories. So come and meet Kaleil and bring your questions:

Wednesday, March 2
General Assembly, 902 Broadway, 4th Floor (between 20th and 21st Street)
6pm: Drinks and Mingling
630pm: Startup.com Screening
830pm: Q&A with Kaleil Isaza-Tuzman
9pm: More Drinks and Food

Admission is free, but space is limited!!  Please RSVP well, now, at http://www.dreamitventures.com/news/events.php. Presented by the DreamIt accelerator program (www.dreamitventures.com/apply).  And don’t forget: applications due March 16^th, and we’ll have another accelerator to announce very soon, too, so stay tuned! Oh, and in honor of the movie, thought we’d include this, for those of you who weren’t there to have experienced it: http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=r00IjBdp-ZA

Next, Jacob Brody, Co-Founder and CEO of Standard Start, contributing writer at Venturebeat, long-time SOS member and now head of business and community development at MESA, is holding office hours this Friday, March 4, so sign up and use the time wisely, young Jedis: http://ohours.org/officehours/471.

Latest tweets, and remember: thanks to movableink, they do update every time you open the newsletter. And now that we’re finally over that bloody flu, will try to keep it current:

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This week’s reading:

Financing Your Startup without Bootstrapping, Incubation, or VC. There’s always another way… this from an entrepreneur. http://bit.ly/ePuONm

Ten Top Investor Turnoffs Around Business Plans. Investors can be a touchy lot, so we figured it’s helpful to know some of the most common turnoffs that investors encounter in plowing through this stack of requests for money, from Startup Professional Musings: http://bit.ly/gcKBxG.

From Fred Wilson, some advice for finding product/market fit and turning it into dollar bills.  Fred’s post is here: http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/02/mba-tuesday.html. For Fred’s 5 rules (aka, the crib notes): http://b.qr.ae/hoZ27c

Want to get Sponsored? You’d Better Be Sponsorable, from our friend Peter Shankman.  Just some straightforward, common sense advice from someone who knows how to get sponsors and lots of them. Ask me about his 30^th birthday party sponsors some time. Off list: http://bit.ly/gcbfE9

Since we do list the AngelList under Good Stuff, thought we’d include Mark Suster’s take on it from TechCrunch this week, What’s The Real Deal with the AngelList? http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/26/angelist/ Along with follow-up comments from his own blog: http://bit.ly/feSYLu

One last thing: One of my fellow British Airways Face to Face winners is posting today for an internship. He’s a good one, so carpe diem, guys! Just saying. Anyway, our cold February’s over. Thankfully short and so am I and on that note, help is on the way…