8/30/11

Good morning, All,

Yes, the SOS Labor Day Weekend barbeque is on, barring earthquakes and hurricanes. But that was sooo last week. Anyway, please do sign up so we know how much food/and beverage to get. We know a lot of you like to show up at the last minute, and you’re always more than welcome, but a little advance notice is always nice, too: http://soslabordaybbq.eventbrite.com
Next, the final EW+SOS+ER Rocking Out on the Terrace of the season is September 12^thand we’ll have investors on hand who’ll introduce themselves at 6.30, then will make themselves available to you. To register: http://terraceparty3.eventbrite.com/
The list of investors who’ve RSVP’d so far:
- Jay Levy, Zelkova Ventures
- Matt Turck, Bloomberg Ventures
- John Frankel, ff Venture Capital
- Edlyn Yuen, StarVest Partners
- Nathan Suh, Comcast Capital
- Charlie O’ Donnell, First Round Capital
- Aaron Price, DFJGotham

Mission Fifty: Coworking Open House is this week and it’s free! Free passes are available tomorrow through Friday so go check it out. It’s hosted by Aaron Price of NJ Tech Meetup fame, so go and introduce yourself, grab a desk, make a friend, get work done!
50 Harrison St., Penthouse
Hoboken, NJ 07030
The space will be open from 9am – 6pm Monday-Friday. For your free pass: http://bit.ly/nf2yrg
To signup as a member and to get 50% off your 1st month and avoid an application go to: https://mission50.cobot.me/

It was quite a week last week! In case you hadn’t heard, New York – and much of the East Coast – had an earthquake (which, honestly, was more a hiccup than a quake, eh, California? http://bit.ly/pFVfJy), followed a few days later by a hurricane (in Manhattan itself: some rain and a lot of hot air; we had more rain and winds during the two hour rain storm the week before – and the trains still pretty much ran on time). In the midst of it all – Steve Jobs resigned from Apple, and that was certainly felt around the world.

We mention these events because, as we are on the eve of an election year, it’s worthy to note that, as he proved time and again, Steve Jobs was anything but a politician: no, he was a true leader, steering Apple not only back to solvency, but on to become the second largest company in the world. For those of us who were in the tri-state area this past week for the so-called apocalyptic hurricane that was going to devastate the area to the point where the Governor of New Jersey ordered the mandatory evacuation of Atlantic City (many residents ignored him, especially the elderly, who’ve been there, done that) and the Mayor of New York shut down the entire subway system for the first time in its history, due to weather, and ordered the mandatory evacuation of downtown Manhattan, take note: New York was devastated and the effects on the local economy cataclysmic. We do realize that there were parts of the eastern seaboard that were battered by Irene, but honestly? By the time it reached NYC, it was a rainstorm at best, and we had some strong winds on Sunday (Perfect Storm of Hype: Politicians, the media and the Hurricane Irene apocalypse that never was http://tgr.ph/qki802. And because this is just too priceless: http://youtu.be/8slEPV9LyS0). And yet, stores and restaurants were closed and museums, galleries and Broadway dark, for the most part – the city shut down during one of the biggest tourist – and back to school shopping – weekends of the year. Yes, many people had floods and power outages to contend with (http://bit.ly/oIn2bj), but we had nothing like that in NYC and the twitter wags were out in force. In fact, there were more accurate – and far more irreverent – local reports from Dennis Crowley’s tweets than there were on the national or local news. With world economies in dire straits, we don’t need manufactured news events or posturing from elected officials. We need honest reporting and more people like Steve Jobs: real leaders who are ready to show their balls rather than their bats. Alan Kay said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Steve Jobs lived it. Didn’t work out that well this past week for newscasters and politicians. Onward and forward.

Deadlines!

Hack for Good, September 06 – September 30, 2011 (but feel free to start working on your project when you register; we’ll give you access to all available documentation). LetGive’s first annual “Hack-for-Good” (HFG) contest! LetGive has created an API that allows anyone to include a charitable giving component within their application. Applications built on our platform are transformed into powerful fundraising vehicles for Nonprofits and Charities. Prize: $1000 for the winning app. To register: http://www.letgive.com/hackforgood/

Apply to speak at Ignite NYC 13, deadline September 8^th. Think you can enlighten and entertain a room full (1500+) of New York’s brightest geeks? Know anyone who could? Then apply to be a speaker: http://bit.ly/oIxxPN. The event itself is October 10^th, but tickets go fast, so get yours now: http://bit.ly/qYPsf4

Silicon Valley Immersion Week + DEMO is September 12-16 and we have a 15% discount for you. Code is SOS. This intensive 5-day program brings together leading experts in legal, finance, sales, marketing and PR, and investment to provide you with the information and best practices required to ensure a successful US market entry and a sustainable business. Silicon Valley Immersion Week includes 2 full days at the DEMO Conference, Silicon Valley’s premier technology event. DEMO can help you quickly assess the competitive environment of the US market while making valuable contacts that can become the foundation of your Silicon Valley business network.
5-day program includes:

DEMO conference ticket ($1,795 value)
2+ days of essential information presented in working session format
Lunch each day
Two evening networking events
Private hosted dinner
Google & Computer History Museum visits
Coach transportation to and from Guidewire and corporate site visits

For the full schedule and to RSVP: http://bit.ly/nYdJgu

College students! Moverandchangers.com is all set to launch its third nationwide challenge to uncover the country’s next young entrepreneurs who want to make it big with their innovative ideas for a new business. The contest is open to 16-28 year old college students to develop and produce a compelling business proposal. Ideas must be original, feasible, scalable and practical. More information on the site, which features a video with Dennis Crowley, who, just for the record, wouldn’t qualify for the contest now, nor would he when he first started foursquare. Deadline is October. Information is here: http://bit.ly/EvBLZ

Global Amazon Web Services Start-up Challenge is on! Deadline: October 2^nd. This year, AWS will select 15 regional semi-finalists: 5 each from the Americas, Asia Pacific (including Japan), and EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), respectively, who will each receive $2,500 in AWS credits. From these, they will select a minimum of 6 finalists to be awarded a package of $10,000 in AWS credits and a trip to Palo Alto, California, to attend the final round of judging. Then, after a day of meetings with the judges, they will announce one grand prize winner at a public event for start-ups and investors. The winner will receive a package that includes $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in AWS credits. To enter: http://aws.amazon.com/startupchallenge/
Y Combinator now accepting applications for Winter 2012. Deadline: October 10^th. The ideal company would have two or three founders. We’ll consider those with four or five. We’re reluctant to accept one-person companies, though we have funded a couple. For those of you interested in applying now or finding out more about the process: http://bit.ly/nUYxNY
6^th Annual New England Venture Summit – Call for Top Innovators and an SOS discount! If you are a Startup seeking capital and/or partnerships, submit your plan for the opportunity to present at the premier venue connecting emerging growth companies with active Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, Corporate VCs and Investment Firms. A select group of 50 Top Innovators from the technology, life sciences and Clean-tech sectors will be chosen to present their breakthrough investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of investors.The early deadline for presenting company applications is October 26^th. E-mail iwant2present@youngstartup.com for more details and an application. To nominate a company please forward: company name, main contact at firm, contact details and why you think they should present to nominations@youngstartup.com. The event happens December 14^th; 50% off if you register by November 9^th: http://bit.ly/nCkYN6 For a further discount, the code is: sos.

The Appy Awards – enter once and you could win twice. Deadline March 21, 2012 but any entry you submit today may also be selected as our “Featured App of the Week“, scoring you some seriously instant gratification. And we doesn’t love that? For more information and to enter – any time – http://appyawards.net/

For your edification this week:

Integrating Ethics Into The Core Of Your Startups: Why And How. Once you start compromising your values for short-term gains, there is no turning back, Vivek Wadhwa writes. Business ethics are not something you need to start worrying about when your company reaches a certain size; they need to be sewn into the fabric of your startup from the get-go. The lessons are the same for tech businesses as they are for investment banks and for third-world economies. Seemed particularly appropriate for this week. http://bit.ly/kz21eg

25 Reasons Why Hurricane Irene Is Great for New York City. Because there’s a silver lining in every cloud – no matter how big or full of hot air that cloud might be: http://bit.ly/oQD4QE

Why Do VC’s Invest in Companies with No Business Model? In the New York startup community, the first words out of every local investor’s mouth is: what’s the business model? Good question, read on and hint: twitter was the best entertainment in town this past Saturday night in NYC: http://bit.ly/o8Q55W

Gone In 30 Seconds – How VCs Screen Your Business Plan. You actually only have 22 seconds, so don’t underestimate the one-line pitch. Go! http://bit.ly/oXCn0n

Pitch perfect: A startup’s guide to getting coverage. Most young startup’s needs three things: Money, a good idea and a dogged determination to see that idea through to completion. But what about publicity? Ok, so make that four things: http://tnw.co/pND6Cr

There’s Always a Plan B: One of the key distinctions between an entrepreneur and an operating executive is an entrepreneur’s almost seamless agility in the face of changing circumstances versus an operating executive’s intense execution focus on a plan. World-class entrepreneurs learn how to combine both. Great entrepreneurs have Plans B through infinity: http://bit.ly/qh4KxL

9 Reasons Why Failure is not Fatal. Fear of it is universal, experiencing it is inevitable, and running from it is dependably routine. Sir James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame failed 5,126 before he succeeded.Hopefully there’s some inspiration here for you: http://bit.ly/n8UHvg

For your amusement this week: The Greatest Farewell Email We’ve Seen…EVER. Names have been changed – not by us – to protect the guilty, but never a good idea to start a resignation letter with Dear MF. And it just gets better from there: http://bit.ly/rmFY8C See you in September and now, as always, help is on the way…

8/23/11

Good morning, All,

If you’ll be in town on Labor Day, yes, we are doing a bbq, so come join us! http://soslabordaybbq.eventbrite.com
Next, the final EW+SOS+ER Rocking Out on the Terrace of the season is September 12^th. This time, we’ll have investors on hand who’ll introduce themselves at 6.30, then will make themselves available to you, so feel free to pitch them – or just buy them a beer. Oh, wait, it’s open bar. Even better! http://terraceparty3.eventbrite.com/.

In case you missed it, a shot was fired last week – two, in fact, in the last few weeks. First, Apple became the world’s largest company (surpassing Exxon Mobile, albeit briefly) and then there was Marc Andreessen’s piece in the Wall Street Journal (Why Software Is Eating The World: http://on.wsj.com/q82iSD – a must read) “Today’s stock market actually hates technology,” Andreessen states, “as shown by all-time low price/earnings ratios for major public technology companies. Apple, for example, has a P/E ratio of around 15.2—about the same as the broader stock market, despite Apple’s immense profitability and dominant market position… Too much of the debate is still around financial valuation, as opposed to the underlying intrinsic value of the best of Silicon Valley’s new companies. My own theory is that we are in the middle of a dramatic and broad technological and economic shift in which software companies are poised to take over large swathes of the economy.”

We agree, although, unlike Andreessen, we don’t limit software innovation to Silicon Valley. Yes, we realize Andreessen is an investor and certainly has a vested interest in the Street’s perception/valuation of software, but let’s face it: technology – specifically, software – is the new Industrial Age, and as in any industrial revolution, there’s a shift in the skill sets that are in demand. We’ve said it before: that there are many people on this list – yours truly included – who worked in traditional industries, saw the future coming and moved with it, and had many friends/associates – we called them Luddites back in the day – who thought we were crazy and who are now struggling to keep up with the changes we’ve wrought. In deference to Apple’s domination, we leave you with the famous ‘Here’s to the crazy ones’ – the 1997 ad campaign that marked the company’s re-emergence as a tech giant and Steve Jobs’ return to Apple after having been booted out by its board 11 years before. If you’ve never seen the commercial (http://youtu.be/4oAB83Z1ydE) or the text of the print ad (http://bit.ly/pYW0Pl), take the time: it’s a classic. Moreover, it was a rallying call and it’s high time for The Street to take note: you’re not going to stop us, deter us or diminish us. We think not. Because we think different. Onward and forward.

Deadlines!

DEMO conference ticket ($1,795 value)
2+ days of essential information presented in working session format
Lunch each day
Two evening networking events
Private hosted dinner
Google & Computer History Museum visits
Coach transportation to and from Guidewire and corporate site visits

For the full schedule and to RSVP: http://bit.ly/nYdJgu

6^th Annual New England Venture Summit – Call for Top Innovators. If you are a Startup seeking capital and/or partnerships, submit your plan for the opportunity to present at the premier venue connecting emerging growth companies with active Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, Corporate VCs and Investment Firms. A select group of 50 Top Innovators from the technology, life sciences and Clean-tech sectors will be chosen to present their breakthrough investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of investors.The early deadline for presenting company applications is October 26^th. E-mail iwant2present@youngstartup.com for more details and an application. To nominate a company please forward: company name, main contact at firm, contact details and why you think they should present to nominations@youngstartup.com. The event happens December 14^th; 50% off if you register by November 9^th: http://bit.ly/nCkYN6

For your edification this week:

Speaking of Apple – Want to Be the Next Apple? Lose the Bafflegab. It’s all about strategy, and Steve Jobs is a master strategist – and consummate showman/marketer: http://bloom.bg/pZ4Oyo

Speaking of The Street – Sound Thinking for Unsound Time is Roger Ehrenberg’s notes to early-stage companies everywhere: make sure you’ve got enough financial resources to hit key operational milestones – taking into account lousy financing conditions. Block out the noise. Maintain your laser focus. And execute, execute, execute. Otay! http://bit.ly/qvlsdL

Coffee, tea – or more coffee? Why You Need to Take 50 Coffee Meetings. According to Mark Suster, 50 coffee meetings should stick in your head as a metaphor for networking. For getting outside of your comfort zone. For starting relationships today that won’t pay off for a year. Keep reading and bottoms up: http://bit.ly/oSqcik

Adventures with Venture Capital Outside the Valley. Trunk.ly co-founder (and coffee addict) Tim Bull blogged about his (painful) experiences with a Chinese VC firm. Lessons to be learned: You need to trust your investors; always make sure to have a good lawyer, good instincts and a good pair of shoes – you just may need to walk away from the deal: http://bit.ly/n69Or3

What to Consider Before Teaming Up With a Partner. A number of you look for co-founders. Two is always better than one, no? But going into business together is more than just two people with complementary talents “teaming up” to work together and there may be legal implications. Brad Sugars outlines what to consider before signing on the dotted line: http://bit.ly/p7VzRL

When It Comes To Founding Successful Startups, Old Guys Rule. Much is made of youth in this industry, but as Vivek Wadhwa wrote back in ’09: message to all the Silicon Valley venture capitalists who think a CEO is over the hill after age 40. Old guys rule. They are far more likely to be the founder of a successful technology company than most of you understand. And for the record, when Steve Jobs successful resumed the reigns at Apple in ’97, he was – yep – over 40: http://tcrn.ch/qQKb81

Finally, speaking of biting back, IBM unveils microchip based on the human brain – and it can think. Seriously. The chips are sponsored by a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project – the same people who brought you the internet itself – to create computers whose abilities rival those of the human brain. And you thought Skynet was fiction: http://bit.ly/nNKEtb

We do try to leave you with a chuckle, so for your amusement this week: The Entire Facebook Terms of Service in Bro Speak. The Facebook Terms of Service So here it is, translated into a more familiar vernacular (with a lot of swearing). Then again, can anyone figure out what the frack it all means the way the lawyers write it? http://linkd.in/n5g7m5. The hour doth draw on apace and summer’s coming to an end. Yes, Virginia, September starts next week! Don’t forget to sign up for the SOS Labor Day weekend barbeque, and we’ve moved it to Monday, Labor Day, September 5: http://soslabordaybbq.eventbrite.com And for now, as always, help is on the way…

8/16/11

Good morning, All,

Yes, our terrace event is tonight and there’s still time to RSVP: http://bit.ly/nEsdBC We know that many of you are struggling entrepreneurs, so please feel free to use the discount code: VIP. Or volunteer and come for free! Looking forward to seeing you tonight and read on – we have a goodie for you!

We love sponsors – especially when they offer something useful to you all. When you’re on the go and have remote staff, the Grasshopper virtual phone system can help. It can get you a toll free or local number, set up extensions for employees, and get business calls forwarded to your cell phone. Join over 100,000 entrepreneurs who’ve used Grasshopper. Get $75 credit on any new plan when you enter SOS75 in the comments box upon sign up (expires in 1 week). Register here: http://www.launchbit.com/1-10/ (Powered launchbit: http://www.launchbit.com/2-10/) and as always, we’re happy to help!

Anyone who tries to launch a startup in NYC knows that at some point comes the inevitable question from far too many a New York-based investor: Does your product have any patents? Shoot me now! We defer to Brad Feld (Time To Really Deal With The Broken Patent System: http://bit.ly/pipdl9), who’s been on this topic for years. Patents inhibit innovation, or as Don Dodge comments in response to the Feld piece: “Patents are not innovation. In fact, they are barriers to innovation.” Consider the case of twitter (Twitter Fires Back on Patent Infringement Lawsuit) http://bit.ly/3PsV. TechRadium’s patents concern its emergency notification system which “simultaneously delivers uniform, reliable and verifiable emergency messages to an unlimited number of contacts within seconds, across all means and devices of communication.” Yes, their patents pre-date twitter’s existence, but with technology and deliver mechanisms/devices evolving so rapidly, what seemed novel to the patent office a few short years ago, is de rigueur and makes the patent seem ludicrous. And what was yesterday’s announced sale of Motorola Mobility to Google all about? Patents and staving off patent lawsuits.

How big a problem is it? Some people believe a situation has arisen where it’s almost impossible to offer a new software service without infringing a number of patents and that the lawsuits create a disincentive to innovate: http://ind.pn/pzOIAs On the other hand, where would eBay, Amazon or Facebook be today had they not patented their technologies before going out of the gate?

Oh, wait – they didn’t! No patents there at all! The reason Apple and Microsoft were able to innovate in the early days was because they were invited to Xerox Park for a tour – and literally walked out with the store. Not a shot was fired. Nor patent infringement lawsuit filed and not that we sanction stealing ideas. We only mention all of this because of that mantra those of us in the startup world here hear time and again: when will New York come out with a billion dollar startup? Newsflash: we did. Sort of. New York native Mark Zuckerberg, who did try to move FB to NY, couldn’t find an investor here – because he hadn’t filed for any patents, perhaps? – and so facebook is based in the valley. Oops. The 20^th anniversary of the web just passed – what if Tim Berners-Lee had patented it? Quelle dommage!

Is this seeming patent obsession many a New York investor’s equivalent of ‘bring me the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West?’ We don’t know, but we wish this nonsense would stop. We’re in tough economic times and entrepreneurs drive job creation. Time to wake up out there because let’s face it: we’re not in Kansas anymore. Onward and forward.

Deadlines!

powered by Movable Ink
And the winner is…NYC StartupWeekend just passed and ShareWith911.com won the grand prize. Sharewith911.com (http://www.sharewith911.com/) are building an Emergency Information Sharing Network connecting 911, First Responders and citizens before, during and after emergencies of all shapes and sizes. Good work and congratulations! And as always, organizers (and SOS members) Frank Denbow,Shane Reiser and Kelley Boyd, you rock!

For your edification this week:

On the Google-Moto deal: The good: http://zd.net/nuCM9I The bad: http://read.bi/nUPRLo And the awesome headline: Google’s Smartphone Partners Are Stuck Between a Phone and a Hard Case http://bit.ly/qCJIqD

The 5 Worse Pieces of Advice Apple Ever Got: Steve Jobs has always kept his own counsel and as a result, Apple is now one of the world’s most valuable companies. Shakespeare said it best: “To thine own self be true.” Here’s the advice Jobs didn’t take. So don’t listen – and learn: http://read.bi/r3K3ds

DreamIt Ventures had its demo day last week, and showcased 15 companies, from a hooty call to death and the maidens (after-steps.com, founded by two women from HBS; couldn’t resist) For the inside story of DreamIt Ventures’ first New York City accelerator: http://tnw.co/pjYTr2 And stay tuned! Philadelphia is coming up next and there will be another one in NYC next summer.

Stock Market Drops. Then Rallies. What Happens Next For Funding? Yes, it was a crazy week last week and Mark Suster offers a great analysis of what one might expect. A must read: http://bit.ly/qpjVey

On the other hand – Where Silicon Valley Stands on the Downgrade. Bottom line: a bad economy is a good time to launch a business, since the lean times embed a lean, scrappy business DNA into a company. Great companies like Johnson & Johnson, Caterpillar, McDonald’s, and Walt Disney were born in recessions, as were tech giants like Adobe, Intel, Compaq, Sun, and Microsoft. And GOOG. http://wapo.st/njTwS0

Seven Skill Not Found at Birth in Most Entrepreneurs. Many people believe that good entrepreneurs are naturally born, rather than trained or experienced in the art of business. Mark Zwilling, veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, author, tech professional, and angel investor, believes there is a natural born component required, but often tends to agree with Peter Drucker, who said “It’s not magic, it’s not mysterious, and it has nothing to do with genes. It’s a discipline, and like any discipline, it can be learned.” http://read.bi/o49sU6

The quick website launch checklist, which speaks for itself: http://bit.ly/o4WrGW

Speaking of lists, Raising Money on the Angel List: 21 Tips from 2 Active Angels. As the authors point out, not a lot has been written for startups on how to best use this service. This is a start: http://bit.ly/nbz3I1

What would Brian Boitano do? Steve, Please Buy Us A Carrier! Apple certainly has the cash on hand. Nice idea, but it certainly wouldn’t be without its problems: http://bit.ly/rs620v

We always try to leave you with a chuckle or two of the week and this week’s goes to 15 Common and Absurd Google Searches, and we agree: yes, you can haz a cheeseburger: http://read.bi/nOf3xi Looking forward to seeing you this evening and in case you won’t be able to join us on the west side, this Web Side Story is for you: http://youtu.be/3HnS_W2zA4E

Finally, yes, we are doing an SOS Labor Day weekend barbeque. We hate to see the summer go, too, so we’ll be sure to have tequila on hand: Date: September 4; Raindate: September 5.To Register: http://soslabordaybbq.eventbrite.com It’s still a ways away, and for now, as always, help is on the way…

8/9/11

Good morning, All,

We had our first SOS 1-1 last week and despite the torrential downpour, it was a hit! Yes, it was an outdoor barbeque, and our guest investors, Aaron Price and Joy Marcus of DFJGotham, braved the rains and talked to every SOS member who wanted one-on-one facetime with him. Aaron stayed until well after 10 to talk to everyone! Our hero! Thanks also goes to our sponsors, 1099partners.com, who literally cooked up a storm, rain and all, and met with and advised members as well. Stay tuned: the next one is coming next month and yes, will do a Labor Day bbq as well, for anyone in town. Date: September 4; Raindate: September 5. To Register: http://soslabordaybbq.eventbrite.com

In the meantime, our next Rocking it out on the terrace event is next week, August 16^th. We had quite a good investor turn out last time, so don’t forget to RSVP: http://terraceparty.eventbrite.com/

The web turned 20 on Saturday, and so we decided to do our own then and now, even though ‘then’ didn’t really kick in until well after graphics hit the web in ’94. Then we had sixdegrees.com; now we have facebook. Yahoo was the dominant search engine (remember the appropriately named AOL webcrawler?) and Google is now a verb. IRC and IM predated twitter, but early mobile phones weren’t smart at all and easily doubled as paperweights. Remember paper? Amazon.com was bleeding money in its early years and Jeff Bezos was a laughingstock – who ended up having the last laugh.

So is there really anything new online? Yes, the bandwidth is up and barriers to entry down; names and delivery mechanisms have changed and so have the top dogs. Microsoft was on top back then and Apple was nearly out of business. Times change and will change again and GOOG’s and FB’s hour in the sun shall pass, too. A number of you were busy having your pampers changed in those nascent days of the web, while others were busy leaving jobs in traditional industries and slouching towards Bethlehem, forging the future: then – and now – the future belongs to those who can see it coming. The game is never over and the players do change, so keep doing what you’re doing. Onward and forward. And happy 20^th, WWW.

Deadlines!

StartupChile Round 2 deadline August 11. Start-Up Chile is a program of the Chilean Government, created by the Ministry of Economy, executed by CORFO via InnovaChile, that seeks to attract foreign, high-potential entrepreneurs to come to Chile to bootstrap their businesses with the end goal of converting Chile into the innovation and entrepreneurial hub of Latin America. Start-Up Chile provides access to a mentors network, attendance to weekly networking events, and the support of the Program which offers all the necessary contacts to find the money, the talent, the expertise, the visibility or other support that you may need. The Program assigns a $40k grant per project ($20,000,000 CLP), a 1-year resident visa to every founding team member provided on the application, a temporary workspace (desk & wifi). And you surrender zero equity in your company. The program is conducted in English, and entrepreneurs worldwide are encouraged to apply. For more information: www.startupchile.org. To apply: http://bit.ly/i8bFur

Lessons HealthTech Startups Can Take From ZocDoc. Good lessons here for all entrepreneurs, actually: http://tcrn.ch/ovTmsa

Venture Mentor. Esther Dyson, who’s both a VC and a mentor, weighs in on both and on philanthropists as well. A good read and for those of you who might have been turned down by Esther, remember: you’re in good company – she said no to facebook, too: http://bit.ly/pHAY4i

How I Raised $350k as a Solo Founder using these 4 Email Templates. Good stuff and very helpful. All spelled correctly as well, for those who read Esther’s piece: http://bit.ly/rbJP64

When Do VCs Make Mistakes. Since VC is as much about feelings as it is about logic, sometimes, they make bad bets. When does this happen? Kirill Sheynkman of Greycroft has a few thoughts, including ‘when we follow the herd.’ Been there, seen that, burned that t-shirt, what, eh? http://bit.ly/qcY0zA

Five Myths Challenging Everything You Think You Know About Entrepreneurs. Spoiler Alert: Myth #1 – America’s typical tech entrepreneurs are in their 20s. According to this article, twice as many were older than 50 as were younger than 25; twice as many were over 60 as under 20. http://wapo.st/oEgUzk

5 Ways To Tap Into Ad Agency Funding. From David Rosenberg, Director of Innovation at LBi in the U.S., the world’s leading independent global marketing and technology agency and someone who has been tasked with innovation on the agency side for years, He has compiled a guide to make the most of each agency funding opportunity: http://on.mash.to/nDvpuQ

Where Are They Now: NYC’s Dot Com Entrepreneurs, Part 2: This week, Murray Hidary, Steve Krein, Cecilia Pagkalinawan, Jeff Dachis and Laurel Touby, who are all up to new and exciting endeavors, hit the spotlight. http://tnw.co/qrBV3Q

Startup Weekend Pep Talk: It Ain’t the Code. Startup Weekend NYC is this week, so we thought we’d share a pep talk Shane Reiser gave at a recent startup weekend. And some good points in there for one and all: http://bit.ly/oiBv3w

Just for fun: iPhone v Android: A State By State Comparison: http://read.bi/mYV91d

Finally, for the design-impaired (like yours truly) Wix now makes it easy to build a good looking mobile website in minutes http://tnw.to/1AG6O

Not only did the web turned 20 last week – StartupOneStop turned two. In honor of the first, this from TheNextWeb, which pondered What the Web will be like in 20 years: http://tnw.co/nmubhj. As for SOS, a big thank you to all of you here on the list and for those of you who know me well, yes, it has to be done: http://youtu.be/UVKsd8z6scw. Cheers to us and as always, help is on the way…

8/2/11

Good morning, All,

The 1^st SOS 1-1 is tomorrow, August 3^rd and our first guest VC/early stage investor is Aaron Price of DFJGotham. He’ll let you know what sort of investments they make and what the sweet spot is; then you have an opportunity to ask questions, then meet him, one-on-one. We’re keeping it informal which means, yes, there will also be a barbeque, and our thanks to our bbq sponsors, the 1099partners.com, who will also be there to talk to you about their services (they’re also plugged into the investor community) – and they’re always open to meeting new potential 1099partners.com consultants. Hope to see you there. To register: http://sos1-1.eventbrite.com/We will do more in future, we will be incorporating technology so that non-New Yorkers can also participate and have 1-1s with the investors, too, so stay tuned! BTW, raindate is August 10th and only if it pours in the evening. In case of rain, check twitter (@SOSlist). Or open the newsletter and the updated tweets will be there, of course!

Don’t forget: our next EW-SOS-ER Terrace Party is August 16th! To register: http://terraceparty.eventbrite.com/

We all want to make a few bucks/save a few bucks when traveling – or whenever, actually – but what happens when good pets turn bad? Two days after Airbnb, the “marketplace for space” announced having raised $112m in funding, the gut-wrenching story (http://deck.ly/~1molG) of an Airbnb user whose place was robbed, ransacked and destroyed (her identity was supposedly stolen as well) began making headlines, resulting in a surge of negative attention that questioned the company’s viability as a business.

These days, there are sites where you can borrow/lend/share anything, thanks to the zaarlys, loosecubes, zipcars, and yes, airbnb’s of the world and they’re all useful and much-needed services. Craigslist has been around forever – but a Craigslist Killer? Pedophiles on myspace? I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling at Rick’s! Not everyone is trust-worthy and the same hold for online as IRL. We have no idea how safeguards can be put in place (either), but when/why did caution and caveat emptor go the way of the dialup modems? Remember: Ted Bundy was not a bad looking guy, either (http://bit.ly/OCgzJ). Just wanted to flag the potential liability to entrepreneurs on the list who may be venturing into these still uncharted waters. Yes, a suspect was arrested (http://cnet.co/oDeC5v) and mashable offers several lessons all entrepreneurs should learn from Airbnb’s mistakes (Startup Crisis Control: 6 Painful Lessons from Airbnb: http://on.mash.to/rkek4E). As the mashable piece states, “this is not just a painful learning moment for Airbnb, but for all entrepreneurs who may experience a crisis of this magnitude at some point in their startup careers.“ So, hey, let’s be careful out there. For a recap of the whole saga: http://bit.ly/oiTjid Onward and forward.

Deadlines!

Investors’ Circle Call for Applications: Deadline August 5^th. Are you: An Entrepreneur creating a more sustainable world with your business? Raising capital for your high-impact enterprise? Looking for investors with values that align with yours?
Investors’ Circle is dedicated to the growth of businesses with high social and environmental impact. We invite early-stage entrepreneurs to apply to present to our network of socially responsible angel investors, venture capitalists, foundations, and family offices. Since 1992, Investors’ Circle has facilitated the flow of $150 million into 225 companies in a variety of sectors:
Energy & Environmental Solutions
Sustainable Consumer Products
Community & Economic Development
Health, Biotech & Wellness
Social Media & Software
Education
Will your venture be next?
For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/eDSKnB

The Daily Candy 2nd Annual Start Small, Go Big Contest: Deadline August 5th. Here’s your chance to launch your bazillion dollar idea. One winner from each of our categories (fashion, beauty, food and drink, and home) will win a trip to New York City, a DailyCandy write-up, and a day at the DailyCandy Academy, where the likes of Isaac Mizrahi, Marcus Samuelsson, and Rebecca Minkoff will mentor the begenius out of you. Just think, you have nothing to lose but your day job. For rules, details, and an entry form: http://bit.ly/aR8Yk5

Last week we posted New York vs. San Francisco: The Cost of Operating a Business in the Valley and the Alley (http://bit.ly/r22L9e), but the piece might have been a bit misleading, as we’re not sure that it included The onerous $800 CA business “Franchise Tax” (http://bit.ly/p4Winr) That’s if you make money, lose money, or do a single transaction in the state of California, no matter where in the world you happen to be based. Oh, and have a nice day.

From Mark Birch, Three Epic Sins of Customer Service, the Airbnb failure. Before your startup gets on the fast track to growth, get your head around customer service and make it a priority for everyone in your company. Mark points out three fundamental sins of customer service: http://bit.ly/nfy4sL

Beware of ASSHOLE VCs. Could we resist? No way and ah, the importance of due diligence: http://bit.ly/pu7MXx

The Rise of the (Shitty) Landing Pages This post is dedicated to entrepreneurs, founders or anyone out there who are using landing pages while they work on their new startups and projects. Best part: when the writer turns his attention to those landing pages that tell people absolutely nothing, in an attempt to look mysterious and cool to gain attention (and email addresses). Agreed! Listen and learn:http://bit.ly/qV7CAX

An Entrepreneur’s Commandment: Do What Thou Lovest. David B. Lerner finds that “a combination of enormous enthusiasm, massive intellectual curiosity and wide-ranging interests can make it incredibly difficult for a multi-talented person to choose the right entrepreneurial path for themselves.” His advice: first take the time to understand what drives you and why. More here, my ADHD friends: http://bit.ly/oHJpot

Why We Desperately Need a New (and Better) Google. Google has become a jungle: a tropical paradise for spammers and marketers. Almost every search takes you to websites that want you to click on links that make them money, writes Vivek Wadhwa. The good news: there is an alternative and sign me up: http://bit.ly/nZzZUh

How Big Tech Companies are Interconnected: Who is the real hub? And who has the most offshoots? Good fun for the whole family: http://bit.ly/nlN8jq

We love ‘where are they nows’ Here’s one from thenextweb with one, covering New York City’s Dot Com Entrepreneurs: Part One (Robert Levitan) http://tnw.co/q8pRao. Last week they did a piece on Josh Harris, for those of us who remember Jupiter, Pseudo and yes, We Live In Public (didn’t he always?) http://tnw.co/qpZOh8

For your amusement this week: Daily Show host Jon Stewart leveled some well-warranted mockery at broadcasters’ use of twitter to highlight news reactions from their audiences. @ladybigmac? @dogfart? Does it get any better? Well, yes: http://on.mash.to/pMHhug.

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening and now, as always, help is on the way…

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Monthly Archives: August 2011