1/31/12

Good morning, All,

First, it’s that time again – our next Find A Cofounder is now scheduled for February 6^th, with Charlie O’Donnell (Brooklyn Bridge Ventures), Mac Lipscomb (New York Angels), Jeff Zerofsky (‘wichcraft) and Cheryl Yeow (City Pockets). Besides this panel of investors and entrepreneurs, each startup will get a chance to pitch their idea to the crowd to maximize their chances of finding the right person for their startup. Register here: http://fac8.eventbrite.com/ and speaking of launching a new company, yes, we will be bringing along our low fat, healthy cookies and truffles for you to sample and purchase. Product catalog here: http://bit.ly/AuakzX No, we haven’t officially launched yet but still, marketing. So important, eh?

Jack Dorsey was 30 when he launched twitter, which is to say that he had some life experience before founding a company that would have a major impact on the global landscape. We mention this because of last week’s announcement that twitter would remove content, on a country by country basis. The company went on to say that they would also “give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world. We have also built in a way to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why.” (Tweets still must flow: http://bit.ly/A4KhF6) Larry Page and Sergei Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg founded Google and Facebook right out of school (yes, we know Zuck pulled a Gates never graduated) and built global companies without the benefit of having developed world views, and give no thought to the personal rights or privacy of their users. All your base are belong to us? This may well be their Achilles heel. (Google, Facebook, Privacy — And You: http://tcrn.ch/y7kl6O 7 Big Privacy Concerns For New Facebook and Open Graph (http://on.mash.to/zmSgXc). We leave you with this from Mark Birch: Twitter Censorship and Misplaced Outrage. And he’s right: twitter is being completely transparent and they’re far from being the evil empire. As he says in closing, “If we want to direct our anger, we would be better off focusing it on the real perpetrators of censorship. And you do not have to look much farther than our own government and old guard, incumbent industries that look upon technology as more of a threat or a mystical art rather than the source of innovation, the savior of our economy, and a bastion of freedom worldwide.” http://bit.ly/xnFhKv Take note, Larry, Sergei and Mark as you so readily relinquish everyone’s privacy without any regard at all to the big picture – or the long term consequences. You won’t be on top forever and some day the very policies you implement today may well come back to bite you in the proverbial. Time to grow up, boys – and stop playing firemen with each other. Onward and forward.

Deadlines:

inSiteNY, deadline Febrary 1^st: InSITE sources startup companies from the New York area who are seeking to raise Venture Capital or Angel financing. We neither focus on a particular industry nor do we have a quota for industry and business types. Company submissions are evaluated by a committee of InSITE members and selected based on broad criteria. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/pEgEAq

Hacker School is a three-month, full-time school in New York for becoming a better programmer. We’re free as in beer, and provide space, a little structure, time to focus, and a friendly community of smart builders dedicated to self-improvement. We value free software, beautiful code, personal growth, and shipping. The third batch will take place from February 13th to May 3rd. For more information and to apply: http://www.hackerschool.com/

WIM Accelerator, Deadline February 1^st. Women Innovate Mobile (WIM) is the first startup accelerator and mentorship-driven program designed for women-founded companies in mobile technology. WIM’s goal is to provide women entrepreneurs with the guidance, feedback and connections needed to make their startups best in class companies and formidable business concerns. Our companies will receive $18,000 in funding, free office space, product development and design support, mobile-marketing promotions, and access to an incredible network of mentors, funders and advisors. In exchange for our investment and services, we receive a 6% equity stake in each company. For more information and to apply: http://womeninnovatemobile.com/ From the WSJ, A Start-Up Program for Women in Mobile Tech: http://on.wsj.com/vErQhp

Startup Weekend EDU is coming to NYC February 3-5th to launch startups and transform education. To learn more and register for this technology-driven revolution in education, visit http://nycedu.startupweekend.org

NEW Astia’s Global Entrepreneur Program Call for Applications, deadline February 4^th. The Entrepreneur Program is a transformative program designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who want to become dominant players in their sectors. The format? A comprehensive 6–day workshop, 2–month program of personalized advising from premier experts and the opportunity to start benefiting from the global ecosystem of angels, VCs, corporations, and entrepreneurs that is Astia. Who should apply? Exceptional women-led high growth start-ups who know that success is not just about raising money but about growing a business and thriving even in today’s tough market. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/x1uQmb

businessweek is looking for America’s most promising social entrepreneurs, deadline February 9^th. The idea is to find and report on business ventures that advance a social or environmental mission and aim to turn a profit. For more information and to apply: http://buswk.co/zWbf20

Startup Bootcamp Amsterdam, deadline February 12^th. We provide seed investment, 6-months of office space, 99 mentors, daily coaching by serial entrepreneurs in residence and a 3-week road-trip to Silicon Valley. Teams receive a maximum of €17,000 per team and 6 months of free office space in return for 8 percent of equity. The accelerator program operates for 3 months. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/vWpBqW

NXTP LABS/TechStars Argentina deadline 13 de Febrero – and that’s the extent of our Spanish. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rYcDfN

NEW youngStartup Ventures will be hosting VC Outlook NYC|2012on February 16th, an exclusive cocktail reception which will be a gathering of cutting edge startups with active VCs, Private Investors, Corporate VCs and Strategic Service Firms. This unique forum will feature Entrepreneur & Investor Face 2 Face “speed pitch” meetings, a VC panel discussion as well as high-level networking opportunities. And the investor world is pretty well represented here. For more information and to register: http://www.youngstartup.com/VCO12/overview.php

NEW Heads up, Australia and NZ:UK Trade and Investment Go UK business competition with over 100k in prizes, deadline February 17^th. For more information: http://bit.ly/w3rBWk. To enter: http://bit.ly/AvYVfZ

DEMO Spring 2012, application deadline February 17^th. DEMO Spring 2012, the launchpad for emerging technology and trends, is returning to Silicon Valley April 17-19, 2012 and we have many exciting new reasons to attend and launch! www.demo.com
DEMO Innovation Tour- Announcing Dates/Locations:
DEMO comes to Palo Alto, Boulder, Boston and Austin in February and March in search of the best innovation to showcase at DEMO Spring 2012, April 17-19, Hyatt Regency Silicon Valley. Apply today for a meeting spot and you or your client will have an opportunity to meet with Matt Marshall, DEMO Executive Producer, members from the DEMO and VCs to get candid feedback on your pitch and make investment connections.
DEMO and Foundry Group – February 8, 2012- Boulder, CO
DEMO Meet-up- February 8, 2012 in Boulder, CO at T-Zero Lounge, 6-8 p.m.
DEMO and Kleiner Perkins- February 9, 2012- Palo Alto, CA
DEMO and Atlas Venture- February 14, 2012- Boston, MA
DEMO and SXSW- March 11, 2012- Austin, TX
DEMO Innovation Tour- www.demo.com/innovationtour
No Barrier to Entry: Apply to Launch or Pitch at DEMO Spring 2012 and take advantage of our new pricing and scholarship program opportunities. Application Deadline: February 17, 2012.Over the next few months, we’ll be in touch with conference updates, speakers and more! To apply to Launch or Register to Attend: www.demo.com

NEW Vimeo Festival and Awards, deadline February 20^th. Category Prizes: $5,000 (there are quite a few). Grand Prize: $25,000. For more information and to enter: https://vimeo.com/awards

NEW DreamIt Israel, deadline February 22^nd. DreamIt is only interested in ideas that can turn into a product in three months. DreamIt Ventures will take a 6% passive equity stake in the companies in exchange for up to $25,000 in funding, mentorship, and access to early-stage capital. For more information and to apply: http://www.dreamitventures.com/apply/ There’s also a piece on the program in the press section below.

Win a VIP Trip to SXSW, deadline February 24^th. Yeah, thought you’d like this one: http://bit.ly/wTXVdT

Applications for the DreamIt NYC Summer 2012 program are now open. Final deadline: March 16^th, but note: there is a definite advantage to applying early, as it results in the application getting more attention (and possibly early admittance).
-the program runs from May-August 2012 in NYC
-accepted companies get seed money (typically $20-25,000), office space, free legal and accounting services, and access to a who’s who list of advisors and mentors (http://www.dreamitventures.com/team/advisors.php)
For more information and to apply: http://www.dreamitventures.com/apply/.

The Appy Awards – enter once and you could win twice. Deadline March 21, 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/

Speaking of find a cofounder, now there’s FounderSoup: Stanford and Andreessen’s New Startup Generator. At the inaugural event, 4 teams discovered co-founders and 2 went on to receive funding. “More universities and cities should look to copy the FounderSoup model,” says TechCrunch. “It’s simple, cheap, and in a school’s interest.” Full article here: http://tcrn.ch/wctYLS and students/recent grads are welcome to our FAC on Feb 6. Just don’t forget to bring your world view.

An issue that’s not going away: ACTA: Worse Than SOPA and PIPA. “For now, the largest online protest in Internet history got Congress to abandon SOPA and PIPA but not permanently. Expect resurrection in modified form. Language may change but not intent. ACTA’s worse.” For a global rundown on ACTA and it’s far-reaching consequences, read on: http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/ * (Saturday, January 28, 2012)

And don’t forget to sign this petition: Please Submit ACTA to the Senate for Ratification as Required by the Constitution for Trade Agreements. Yes, Obama is trying to bypass Congress – and the Constitution, so please make sure to sign this petition – and spread the word – while we still have a voice: http://bit.ly/xbr3PK

http://voteforthenet.com/ “In 2012, I will only support candidates who stand for Internet freedom and who oppose the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA. I will work against any candidate, of any party, who votes to censor and stifle the Internet.” We repeat this from last week because Congress really isn’t concerned with under-30s, since under-30s, whom they feel are the only ones out there protesting SOPA and PIPA, historically don’t vote. So, under 30′s, time to make it perfectly clear: Contact your representatives and tell them that you are watching – and voting.

This was forwarded by an SOS member and speaking of the truth comes out eventually (we hope): No Need to Panic About Global Warming As the article states – and there are 16 notable scientists supporting it: there’s no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to ‘decarbonize’ the world’s economy. Every candidate should support rational measures to protect and improve our environment, but it makes no sense at all to back expensive programs that divert resources from real needs and are based on alarming but untenable claims of “incontrovertible” evidence. We agree, and let’s not forget that climate change activist Al Gore made (another) fortune on this issue and yes, may be time to return that Oscar and Nobel Prize, Al: http://on.wsj.com/xK33Pi

From SOS member Howard Greenstein: Ta-da! Timing the Perfect Product Release. We’re living in a world of beta tests and products that are released and then improved. How do you know when you’re done and it’s time to ship? Three entrepreneurs give their advice: http://bit.ly/wZz2hD

DreamIt Incubator Moves Beyond NY And Philly To Israel. DreamIt managing partner Mitchell Golner, who has nearly two decades of high-tech industry experience, is in charge of the Israeli venture. The new program will fund up to five Israeli startups who want to penetrate the United States. And don’t forget that the deadline for the New York program is coming up. For the full story on the Israeli expansion, http://bit.ly/y5RKTy

What are Angel Investors Looking for this Year? You know the drill. Fill a need, but some good suggestions for you: http://bit.ly/xMn0jm

Tips for Entrepreneurs from a First Year VC. We always appreciate advice from someone who has sat on both sides of the table. You know, entrepreneurs & operators who become venture capitalists thus “trading in their blue light sabers for red ones.” http://bit.ly/AwyevK

The Startup Skill Set. Crib notes for you, from Lean Camp, London. You may not have all of the skills, or have the ability to be all things to all people, but “Being at least baseline-competent in all the skills on this list will markedly decrease the chances that you screw up your first business in a really obvious and easy to avoid way.” http://bit.ly/xJl8Yf

Google Math: This post on Google+ statistics is a billion* times better than any other post. Google may have at least once been good with algorithms but it seem with math, well, not so much. Oh, if only they believed what they originally set out to do and used their powers for good instead of evil: http://bit.ly/y26bJ7

That Was Fast: Betaworks Returns All Capital… And Then Some. Betaworks is a platform that accelerates early-stage company building. Our “secret sauce” is not easy to replicate, as it comes from an intensive hands-on approach to studio companies, deep knowledge of social media from many years of experience, and leverage gained by a network of investments in the space. We believe we are entering a new era in on-line innovation and, as is so often the case, the companies and the structures that led the last round of innovation will not lead this round. We believe beta works is uniquely positioned to build assets that define the next chapter of the Internet.” It’s not a fund, and it’s not an incubator. It’s a company that takes ideas and develops them in hyper-speed to become other companies that are put out into the world. It’s analogous to how a movie studio puts out films – and for those of you thinking of starting accelerators out there, take note and read on: http://bit.ly/y4I3Vv

That’s it from us this week, except this little chuckle on Sh*t Silicon Valley says: http://on.mash.to/zgYcWb Hope to see you at our Find A Cofounder event on Monday and until then, as always, help is on the way…

1/24/12

Good morning, All, and happy Year of the Dragon to you!

Among the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the only mythical animal, believed to be accompanied by thunder and rain; dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds – all powerful yet totally unpredictable. Hmmm. It is commonly believed that dragon years are lucky for anyone thinking of starting a business or initiating a new project of any sort because money is easier to come by for everyone, whether it’s earned, borrowed or received as a gift. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represented power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. May the celestial Dragon bring good luck to everyone. And we have dragons out there to slay:

Last week Jerry Yang exited the board of Yahoo; the online community rallied in record numbers and managed to get a postponement on the SOPA and PIPA votes – both of which had pretty much been considered shoo-ins for passage (The largest online protest in history, by numbers: http://sopastrike.com/numbers/); and Kodak filed for bankruptcy (What Happened To Kodak’s Moment? http://tcrn.ch/yv8Fz9) These three things are not unrelated: video did kill the radio star, and the big media companies know it. Two more thing happened to which attention must be paid: megaupload was shut down and all of its assets seized, without due process, and former Senator and current MPAA chief Chris Dodd went on Fox News to explicitly threaten politicians who accept MPAA campaign donations that they’d better pass Hollywood’s favorite legislation…or else.” Full article is here: http://bit.ly/ya94fq. Of course, there are lobbying restriction on former congressmen (Why Chris Dodd Failed With His SOPA/PIPA Strategy http://bit.ly/wmBP2K ) and since the online community managed to get together, it may be time we stayed together and cry enough already, while we’re still have a voice (A petition to the White House: Investigate Chris Dodd and the MPAA for bribery after he publicly admitted to bribing politicians to pass legislation: http://bit.ly/yPtkB8). But wait! There’s more: there’s ACTA, the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that is more sweeping and Draconian than either SOPA and PIPA, and spans virtually all countries of the developed world. The US – and many other countries – have already signed on, and it’s now awaiting Senate approval – and the Obama administration has aggressively pursued it and strongly supports it. Full article is here: (If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA http://onforb.es/y5oQtD) To sign the petition to stop it: http://bit.ly/ygUaWt – and make sure to also get the word out. We cannot let this slip under the radar. Jerry Yang’s departure from the company he founded and the demise of Kodak due to technology may in fact signal a time for a changing of the guard. It’s time we stop referring to ourselves as the tech community and become a unified tech industry and enough of politics-walletics as usual. In the words of Wikipedia: “Thank you for protecting Wikipedia. We’re not done yet.” This is the year for slaying dragons – and sending a dragon slayer or two of our own to Washington. Onward and forward.

Deadlines:

Another accelerator, deadline unknown, but it says January. We run four three-month funding cycles a year, one from January, April, July and October. We may ask the founders of each startup we fund to move to the Northern NJ Metro Area for the duration of their cycle, during which we work intensively with them to get the company into the best shape possible. We usually $10,000-$100,000 per startup. Occasionally we invest more. The goal is usually to give you enough money to build an impressive prototype or version 1, which you can then use to get further funding. What do we get out of this? From 2-30% of your stock. Usually 5 or 10%. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/ysJLXG

SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW NYC Big App Awards, deadline January 25th. – New York City is challenging software developers to create apps that use city data to make NYC better. $50k in cash and prizes! You have from now until January 25^th to enter. For more information and to apply: http://2011.nycbigapps.com/ To reward yourself for submitting — or just for thinking about submitting! — plan to attend the opening celebration for the new BMW i Ventures Incubator. (BMW i Ventures is an NYC BigApps strategic partner) on January 31st. You must RSVP by January 27th. For more information and to attend: http://bit.ly/AtYjps. To learn more about BMW-i Ventures and if you would like to know more about the application process for the incubator, please contact tara.gebbia@bmwnaext.com_.BMW-i, based in NYC, is looking for promising services that fit to the BMW i brand and improve personal mobility in urban areas and deliver extra comfort or smart advantages (intermodal travel, smart parking, recommendations, communication etc). Early- or mid-stage. Run by capable entrepreneurs. Even more information here: http://bit.ly/eOXX9R

NEW inSiteNY, deadline Febrary 1^st: InSITE sources startup companies from the New York area who are seeking to raise Venture Capital or Angel financing. We neither focus on a particular industry nor do we have a quota for industry and business types. Company submissions are evaluated by a committee of InSITE members and selected based on broad criteria. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/pEgEAq

Race For Apps, deadline January 26^th . The judges have completed their first round assessments and 29 of the lanes have been filled. They have decided to reopen the race to fill the remaining lanes in four of the categories. If you’ve got a great idea for an app which you think could help people visiting Hackney during the 2012 Olympic Games, go for it! For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/w9KIiv

Startup Weekend San Jose, January 27-29^th. You know the drill. You have 54 hours – GO! http://sanjose.startupweekend.org/

Rockstart Accelerator Amsterdam, deadline January 31^st Rockstart Accelerator is a new program that helps the most promising teams from around the world to launch their startups and break through on a global scale. We support 10 startups for 100 days, backed by 99 mentors, coaching by entrepreneurs in residence and a 3-week road-trip to Silicon Valley. Our goal is to get you ready for international expansion and growth funding of between 100,000 and 1,000,000 EUR. For more information and to apply: http://rockstart.com/accelerator/

Mini Seedcamp London, January 31, 2012 is a one day event aiming to connect the 20 best web-tech, mobile and software talent with some of the leading entrepreneurs, developers, and experts from all across Europe and all over the world. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rqgVQm

NEW Startup Weekend EDU is coming to NYC February 3-5th to launch startups and transform education. To learn more and register for this technology-driven revolution in education, visit http://nycedu.startupweekend.org

NEW businessweek is looking for America’s most promising social entrepreneurs, deadline February 9^th. The idea is to find and report on business ventures that advance a social or environmental mission and aim to turn a profit. For more information and to apply: http://buswk.co/zWbf20

NXTP LABS/TechStars Argentina deadline 13 de Febrero – and that’s the extent of our Spanish. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rYcDfN

Win a VIP Trip to SXSW, deadline February 24^th. Yeah, thought you’d like this one: http://bit.ly/wTXVdT

http://voteforthenet.com/ “In 2012, I will only support candidates who stand for Internet freedom and who oppose the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA. I will work against any candidate, of any party, who votes to censor and stifle the Internet.” It’s an election year and your vote may well outweigh Hollywood money and influence. And while we’re on the subject: HOW CONGRESS IS PREPARING TO DESTROY THE INTERNET: These Popular Sites Could Be Screwed By SOPA http://read.bi/wDlRUg

Why Bootstrapping Is Just As Over-Rated As Raising Venture Capital. As the author sayd, “The cliché is that it’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Sure, maybe in Bullshitistan. In the sports and business world, it’s all about the outcome. When it’s said and done, you can own 100% of a lemonade stand or 1% of Coca-Cola.” Eric Reiss may sell a lot of books with his Lean Startup concept but really, isn’t it post Web 1.0 common sense? http://tcrn.ch/w7ftWG

6 Things to Know Before Starting a Business. According to the author, here’s advice he’d wished someone had shared with him before he’d started his first – and second – businesses. Happy to share: http://on.mash.to/AssupQ

Startup Metrics in Plain English. A shockingly large number of people still can’t define their value proposition in simple terms, so Sister Mary Explains It All. Kidding, but couldn’t resist. The author gives some plain English metrics to help you better communicate with your team, your investors – and maybe figure out a few things you yourself should know about your product: http://bit.ly/yWJbsz

Why Some Startups Succeed And Others Fail: 10 Fascinating Harvard Findings http://read.bi/x4yPCI

How to Develop Your Fund Raising Strategy. Yes, it’s Mark Suster, entrepreneur and VC who gives his fund raising perspective from both sides of the table: http://bit.ly/zynNiG

Dharmesh Shah’s guide to angel investing: Don’t worry, be snappy. Boston-based Shah is cofounder of Hubspot and a prolific angel investor. His summary: Angel investors shouldn’t over-think it. Just write checks, support our future stars. http://bit.ly/AoX9aM

That’s it from us this week, except this little ditty about priorities and royalties uber alles: http://bit.ly/wgYna4 and now, as always, help is on the way…

1/17/12

Good morning, All,

Heads up, NYC: there’s an Emergency NY Tech Meetup/SOPA/PIPA Demonstration in New York on January 18. It’s so that “we can publicly demonstrate our collective dismay at the unprecedented attack currently being made on the Internet and our industry. We will gather at 12:30 pm outside the offices of Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand at 780 Third Avenue (at 49^th Street). RSVP here: http://nytm.org/sos .” Yes, SOPA was supposedly killed by the House of Representatives (House Kills SOPA: http://exm.nr/wdW6D8), but as of the time of this writing, we’re not sure if it was killed or sidelined, and PIPA is still alive and well. Chuck Schumer co-sponsor of PIPA, and his office believe that the internet needs to be censored (NYC Startup Founder Says Schumer’s Office Told Her the Senator ‘Is In Favor of Censoring the Internet’ http://bit.ly/zCdi9W), while SOPA’s author is himself guilty of copyright violation (The Villain Behind SOPA, Rep. Lamar Smith: Copyright-Violating Hypocrite? http://bit.ly/wMmk6e). Let’s not lose sight of the fact that our lawmakers have taken to passing legislation – and exempting themselves from it, thereby placing themselves outside of the law. Why is it OK for lawmakers not to have to adhere to the laws that they themselves legislate? This is as troubling as SOPA and PIPA themselves.

We digress. Hollywood has been rife with sequels, prequels, remakes and animated films for a long time now. Box office receipts are down. Cable companies have been gouging consumers for years, and people have been fleeing for tech-based options. Network television has devolved to a large part into reality programming – cheap to produce, but very little upside in syndication, which is where they make much of their money. And the major news outlets have seen their audiences defecting for years – you must have noticed that this story has been widely underreported in the mainstream press. These industries have stopped innovating, and more and more eyeballs have migrated online. Make no mistake about it: PIPA is censorship by any other name and they’re just the beginning. Once the precedence has been set, they can shut anyone down. The word about these two bills spread via the online media and twitter. Who do you think they’ve got next in their sites? As Fast Company noted (Remain Diligent: SOPA And PIPA Must Be Squashed, Not Changed: http://bit.ly/xtghkl), “this is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation ever introduced in Washington. It will not only strip us of many of the freedoms (and websites) that we currently hold dear, but will also set a precedent that the US Government controls the internet. We’ve seen what has happened in the Middle East and Asia when governments meddle with the internet. It cannot happen here.” Onward and forward.

Deadlines:

FinTech Innovation Labs, deadline January 18^th. This is an annual program run by the New York City Investment Fund and Accenture for early and growth companies that have developed cutting edge technology products targeted at financial services customers. For more information and to apply: http://www.fintechinnovationlab.com/

First Ever Startup Weekend Mobile | Jan 20-22, NYC. Are you a developer, graphics designer, UX designer, or business person with a great idea for new mobile Startup? Startup Weekend Mobile is a 54 hour challenge to launch a mobile business, hosted by Microsoft on Jan 20-22nd. SOS readers can use DISCOUNT CODE “SOS” for $25 off the ticket price. Our Premier Sponsor EachScape was nice enough to put together a training for non-technical attendees How to Create a Demo App – No Code Required. The event is January 17th. See below for details. For more information and to register for SW Mobile: http://nycmobile.startupweekend.org/

TechStars NYC, final deadline: January 23^rd. Time for the Spring session. To apply: http://apply.techstars.com/ For more information: http://www.techstars.com/

NYC Big App Awards, deadline January 25th. – New York City is challenging software developers to create apps that use city data to make NYC better. $50k in cash and prizes! You have from now until January 25^th to enter. For more information and to apply: http://2011.nycbigapps.com/

NEW Hacker School is a three-month, full-time school in New York for becoming a better programmer. We’re free as in beer, and provide space, a little structure, time to focus, and a friendly community of smart builders dedicated to self-improvement. We value free software, beautiful code, personal growth, and shipping. The third batch will take place from February 13th to May 3rd. For more information and to apply: http://www.hackerschool.com/

NEW Race For Apps, deadline January 26^th . The judges have completed their first round assessments and 29 of the lanes have been filled. They have decided to reopen the race to fill the remaining lanes in four of the categories. If you’ve got a great idea for an app which you think could help people visiting Hackney during the 2012 Olympic Games, go for it! For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/w9KIiv

NEW Startup Weekend San Jose, January 27-29^th. You know the drill. You have 54 hours – GO! http://sanjose.startupweekend.org/

NEW Rockstart Accelerator Amsterdam, deadline January 31^st Rockstart Accelerator is a new program that helps the most promising teams from around the world to launch their startups and break through on a global scale. We support 10 startups for 100 days, backed by 99 mentors, coaching by entrepreneurs in residence and a 3-week road-trip to Silicon Valley. Our goal is to get you ready for international expansion and growth funding of between 100,000 and 1,000,000 EUR. For more information and to apply: http://rockstart.com/accelerator/

NXTP LABS/TechStars Argentina deadline 13 de Febrero – and that’s the extent of our Spanish. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rYcDfN

New Low Attendee Rate: Register for DEMO Spring 2012 by January 20 at the low conference attendee rate of $995.
No Barrier to Entry: Apply to Launch or Pitch at DEMO Spring 2012 and take advantage of our new pricing and scholarship program opportunities. Application Deadline: February 17, 2012.

Over the next few months, we’ll be in touch with conference updates, speakers and more! To apply to Launch or Register to Attend: www.demo.com

NEW Win a VIP Trip to SXSW, deadline February 24^th. Yeah, thought you’d like this one: http://bit.ly/wTXVdT

List of Major Companies Supporting SOPA – this is one of the few non-PDFs we found: http://bit.ly/vOdCO9

The 10 Hottest Startup Incubators. Here are 10 incubators putting their mark on the Web and beyond. Congratulations to Murat (ER Accelertor) and Mark Wachen (DreamIt Ventures), SOS members both, who made the list and heads up: DreamIt is now accepting applications for its summer session. Full article here: http://onforb.es/yfl6G7 To apply to DreamIt: http://www.dreamitventures.com/apply/.

Mark Cuban’s 12 Rules for Startups – http://bit.ly/AymIAW

The Startup Calculator. http://bit.ly/w1GfeZ It’s supposed to do four things:
1) Describe the web startup in a one line pitch
2) tell you how much time you are saving a potential client
3) tell you how much money you are saving a potential client
4) Help you understand how many sales you need to make a month to achieve a certain amount of profit

How to make money doing what you love to do on the Internet. A few under-the-radar startups that are making powerful moves to change the way inspired entrepreneurs can make money doing what they love on the Internet. Including companies whose products might help you to launch your startup: http://tnw.co/zQinud

The 5 Basic Building Blocks For Branding Your Startup. First, you need to figure out who you are. Of course, that’s just the first step: http://bit.ly/wliq2j

Adding features takes creativing; Cutting Features is Hard: http://bit.ly/xAPxIF

26 questions you have to answer correctly to get funding for your startup. And for all we (and the author) know, there may be more: http://bit.ly/x6Tlgn

Lest we forget why we do what we do, from Vivek Wadhwa, who reminds us that if you build a company with the right values, you are more likely to be successful and enjoy the journey than if you just focus on the exit: Is Entrepreneurship Just About the Exit? http://bit.ly/y0Yv5z

Hey, StartupGrind is tonight and hope to see you there! To register: http://startupgrindnyc.eventbrite.com/ In the meantime, very serious week ahead of us, so we thought we’d leave you with a chuckle. Work can get monotonous – unless you have a bit of imagination. For your amusement this week: World’s Coolest Flight Attendant: http://youtu.be/-_MfHMQWmiE That’s it from us and now, without further ado, as always, help is on the way…

1/10/12

Good morning, All,

Last week we attended the preview of the next class of ER Accelerator startups – and were quite impressed at the caliber of the companies chosen (ER Accelerator Announces Class of Winter 2012: http://tnw.co/ycfo6i). We are admittedly a mentor in the program; it’s early days, and of course, time will tell. One thing did strike us: that these companies do have paths to revenue. Then again, this is New York, and in New York, we do mean business. We look forward to seeing what they build and it being a new year, being there gave us pause to look back as well. At the formerly much-touted Groupon, whose stock has fallen below its IPO price, as well as Zynga, whose stock price is going down, down, down – so far – and is nearly already 20% lower than its IPO price.

There hasn’t been much mention of the ‘b’ word yet this year (yes, bubble): the year is still young. We’re not big on predictions, but there are a few rules you might want to keep in mind as you forge bravely forward into this clean slate:
1. Don’t make a resolution – make a plan. And if you come upon a fork in the road, well, in the words of Yogi Berra, take it. At least consider it. It may be there for a reason.
2. Build a real business – something that’s needed and sustainable; that has a large market and actually fills a market need. Do you have a company, or a feature? Always a good question to keep in mind. VCs do. And you don’t always want to depend on the vaguaries of investors. They can be a fickle lot.
3. Bootstrapping may be the key to survival, but not to growth. Prove your model. Then take the investment. You’ll no doubt get a better valuation and above all, keep it real: THE BILLION-DOLLAR CLUB: 12 Startups With Skyrocketing Valuations. Do they deserve it? Some do, no doubt and again, time will tell: http://read.bi/pJomCl
4. The barriers to entry for doing a startup are down. Lean startup, faster/first to market, fine, use whatever buzzwords you’d like, but remember: the rules of economics are still immutable – and far from virtual. If you’re living on – and depending on – borrowed money, unless you’re one of those rarities that comes along that is too big to fail, thank you, twitter, but the twitters of the world are the exception than the rule, so don’t bank on it – literally, or besides living on borrowed money, you may be living on borrowed time. Well, your startup, anyway
5. If at first you don’t succeed – you might be talking to the wrong people. Expand your circle of acquaintances and business contacts. Here’s that word again: NETWORK!
6. If it ain’t fixed, don’t break it. Meaning, again, build a real business, not something based on what we personally like to call grouponomics, which is the concept that the SEC will avert its eyes, the investors will help you to cash out and to hell with the rest. Don’t leave the gate with something half-baked. It detracts from us all and leads to a buh-buh-buh – don’t make me say it. Yes, we are aware that we currently have a bad example at the top of the food chain. Don’t think Congress: think Progress.

When we worked in the music business, it was always referred to as the music business, not the music industry. They were all about business. It was a model that worked for a very long time, until technology came along, and the labels blinked. Watch this for a bit of inspiration and food for thought – we especially like the Q&A. It’s Peter Thiel’s ‘Back to the Future’ talk at the Singularity Summit 2011: http://bit.ly/vE9Pmu, because remember: your mission, above all else, is not to change the world, but to help to move the human race forward. Onward and – yes – forward.

Deadlines:

NEW Enlabs – the first Italian incubator, deadline, January 10^th. It takes place in Rome, and will run for 6 months. Equity stake taken / Investment:15 % / 50K Euro(30K cash + 20K services). For more information and to apply – quickly – http://bit.ly/wJeqaN

NEW Another accelerator, deadline unknown, but it says January. We run four three-month funding cycles a year, one from January, April, July and October. We may ask the founders of each startup we fund to move to the Northern NJ Metro Area for the duration of their cycle, during which we work intensively with them to get the company into the best shape possible. We usually $10,000-$100,000 per startup. Occasionally we invest more. The goal is usually to give you enough money to build an impressive prototype or version 1, which you can then use to get further funding. What do we get out of this? From 2-30% of your stock. Usually 5 or 10%. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/ysJLXG

Tech Wildcatters, early application deadline: January 15^th. TechWildcatters is a mentorship-driven microseed fund and startup accelerator. The 12-week accelerator “bootcamp” runs every spring and fall starting in Dallas. For more information and to apply: http://techwildcatters.com/

FinTech Innovation Labs, deadline January 18^th. This is an annual program run by the New York City Investment Fund and Accenture for early and growth companies that have developed cutting edge technology products targeted at financial services customers. There’s also an information day on January 10^th. For more information and to apply: http://www.fintechinnovationlab.com/

TechStars NYC, early appliction deadline: January 10^th. Final deadline: January 23^rd. Time for the Spring session. To apply: http://apply.techstars.com/ For more information: http://www.techstars.com/

NEW Startup Weekend Mobile | Jan 20-22, NYC. Are you a developer, graphics designer, UX designer, or business person with a great idea for new mobile Startup? Startup Weekend Mobile is a 54 hour challenge to launch a mobile business, hosted by Microsoft on Jan 20-22nd. SOS readers can use DISCOUNT CODE “SOS” for $25 off the ticket price. For more information and to register: http://nycmobile.startupweekend.org/

NXTP LABS/TechStars Argentina deadline 13 de Febrero – and that’s the extent of our Spanish. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rYcDfN

NYC Big App Awards – New York City is challenging software developers to create apps that use city data to make NYC better. $50k in cash and prizes! You have from now until January 25^th to enter. For more information and to apply: http://2011.nycbigapps.com/

NEW DEMO Spring 2012, application deadline February 17^th. DEMO Spring 2012, the launchpad for emerging technology and trends, is returning to Silicon Valley April 17-19, 2012 and we have many exciting new reasons to attend and launch!

New Low Attendee Rate: Register for DEMO Spring 2012 by January 20 at the low conference attendee rate of $995.
No Barrier to Entry: Apply to Launch or Pitch at DEMO Spring 2012 and take advantage of our new pricing and scholarship program opportunities. Application Deadline: February 17, 2012.

Over the next few months, we’ll be in touch with conference updates, speakers and more! To apply to Launch or Register to Attend: www.demo.com

NEW Applications for the DreamIt NYC Summer 2012 program are now open. Final deadline: March 16^th, but note: there is a definite advantage to applying early, as it results in the application getting more attention (and possibly early admittance).
-the program runs from May-August 2012 in NYC
-accepted companies get seed money (typically $20-25,000), office space, free legal and accounting services, and access to a who’s who list of advisors and mentors (http://www.dreamitventures.com/team/advisors.php)
For more information and to apply: http://www.dreamitventures.com/apply/.

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/

Yes, we did feature this last week: it’s a keeper: The startup accelerators listed on this site all accept the Unified Seed Accelerator Application form. This means that you can apply to any number of the them with a single form, and then reuse that form to apply to other accelerator programs. In some cases, a few custom questions are also required for specific programs. Once you’ve submitted your applications, you can track the status here as well: http://www.accelerato.rs/

THE 1,000,000 MILESTONE: Here’s How Long It Took Today’s Hottest Startups To Get There. And do note how many of them have revenue models. More than half:
http://read.bi/y3NCCF

A Guide to Angel Investors. These individual VC investors seem like they’re from heaven, but be prepared to give up a chunk of your company for funding. Here is some information you need to know about angels – and how to find them: http://bit.ly/wftuVi

While we’re on the subject: The Top 10 Angel Investor Groups. A look at the largest groups that fund startups, ranked by number of investors, from all over the US: http://bit.ly/p8K9Dy

Yahoo has a new CEO – from PayPal – and in case you’re curious, Here’s What The Valley Really Thinks Of Yahoo’s New CEO http://read.bi/wbcZ9L. The company’s stock price fell with the announcement that Thompson was moving to the hotseat. From Mashable, 5 Things Yahoo’s New CEO Must Do Now. Can’t say we agree with them completely, but there you have it: http://read.bi/wbcZ9L

Economic Diversification: Reimagining the Future: NYC has developed a real thriving ecosystem around technology and innovation. In case you’re not aware of what’s been going on in this part of the world, and still, both NY Senators support PIPA. #Clueless: http://bit.ly/yENt1n

Finally, one of our list members has organized a Startup Grind here in NYC. Startup Grind was started to help entrepreneurs learn and be inspired by the stories of industry veterans while having the opportunity to get to know others face-to-face. Founded in Silicon Valley by Commonred Founder, Derek Anderson the community has grown to Los Angeles and now New York City. After the event, you can connect with the community on Commonred.com and meet more amazing professionals like you. Need an invite code? Then come! The first NYC event is next Tuesday, January 17^thand bit.ly’s Hilary Mason is the first featured guest. RSVP here: http://bit.ly/AelXhV and hope to see you there! On the 18th, is Young Jewish Professionals’ iTech, which another one of our members helped to organize. Circumcision not required. Special SOS member discount RSVP here: http://bit.ly/xtHMjS That’s it from us and now, without further ado, as always, help is on the way…

1/3/12

Good morning, All,

First, a very happy 2012 to you and our next SOS+EW+ ER ROOTT breakfast is next week – January 10^th, just for the record, and we do limit the number of attendees, so do sign up early. $25 includes breakfast and it’s $30 at the door. To RSVP: http://roottbreakfast3.eventbrite.com/

We’re not big on New Year’s predictions, but our industry seems to like to publish them, ad nauseam, and we’re limiting ours to just one: Marc Andreessen: Predictions for 2012 (and beyond) Andreessen’s view of the world boils down to software. From where he stands, as the guy who co-founded Netscape Communications and now co-runs the powerful Silicon Valley venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, no industry is safe from software. Or, as Andreessen put it in a much-discussed piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, “Software is eating the world.” For his predictions:http://cnet.co/uI4s8r

Then there’s SOPA, and The Empire (that’s us) did strike back: It started when people started pulling their domains off SOPA supporter godaddy.com, who reversed their stance following a PR nightmare. Internet giants seriously considering ‘nuclear option’ to stop SOPA. (http://bit.ly/uFdeLZ) We know that the SOPA was temporarily put on hold just before Congress went into recess. According to this article, one major tactic that might truly derail SOPA would be if the biggest websites in the country were to temporarily shut down their services and instead inform visitors of the dangers of SOPA. Remarkably, it now appears as though a coalition made up of fifteen online titans is seriously considering doing just that. The NetCoalition is made up of AOL, eBay, Facebook, foursquare, Google, IAC, Linkedin, Mozilla, OpenDNS, PayPal, Twitter, Wikipedia, Yahoo! and the Zynga Game Network. If all of these websites were to act simultaneously, both national commerce and the day-to-day life of the majority of Americans would be disrupted with an anti-SOPA message. It may not stop SOPA or PIPA, but it would certainly bring it to the attention of Americans who aren’t even aware of the threat. Moreover, isn’t this an election year, with more and more politicians turning to the web and social media to broadcast their messages? Congress nearly always excludes itself from legislation that the general populace has no choice but to live with. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if/when the plug is pulled and they’re forced to feel the consequences of their own dumb ideas – just like the rest of us. It might be the start of a beautiful wake-up call, but then, I’m a consummate optimist. More frightening still is this: The Coming War on General Computation, presented by Cory Doctorow. The copyright law may be just a skirmish. The real battle: the war against the general purpose computer, and the stakes are the freedom privacy of the entire human race: http://bit.ly/uelj73; video is here: http://bit.ly/tv7hgA Onward and forward.

Deadlines:

In SF: DEMO Enterprise Disruption: An Evening of Innovation & Change, January 5, 2012, DEMO and Fusion-io (DEMO alum) are joining forces to create a memorable event featuring enterprise product demonstrations; special Fusion-io demonstration featuring Fusion-io Chief Scientist Steve Wozniak and a New Year’s party open to the entire tech community of entrepreneurs, developers, press, investors and DEMO alumni. For more information: http://bit.ly/sos8Rt

Apply to demonstrate at the Enterprise Disruption event: Applications are currently being accepted for three student-run companies focused on the enterprise and three DEMO alumni with new enterprise products, to give product demonstrations at DEMO Enterprise. Apply today! (If accepted to demo at this event, fees are waived thanks to scholarship support from Fusion-io) To apply: http://bit.ly/tSD8AA
DEMO Enterprise Disruption Party: Join Fusion-io, DEMO and VentureBeat at Temple Nightclub on January 5 to welcome in the New Year with a rockin’ party for the entire Bay Area Tech Ecosystem! Complimentary Event! To attend: http://demopartysf2012.eventbrite.com/

Rockstart Accelerator Amsteram, deadline January 6^th. Rockstart Accelerator is a new program that helps the most promising teams from around the world to launch their startups and break through on a global scale. We support 10 startups for 100 days, backed by 99 mentors in the main European startup hub: Amsterdam. You build in Amsterdam and pitch in the US. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/vhfgVu

NEW FounderFuel in Montreal, deadline January 7^th . Web and mobile is what we’re all about, so you’re at the right place if that’s your thing. Each team in the program receives a $10K investment, plus an additional $5K per co-founder in exchange for 6% equity in the company. As an example, a team of 3 will receive a total of $25K. For more information and to apply: http://founderfuel.com/en/

NEW Tech Wildcatters, early application deadline: January 15^th. TechWildcatters is a mentorship-driven microseed fund and startup accelerator. The 12-week accelerator “bootcamp” runs every spring and fall starting in Dallas. For more information and to apply: http://techwildcatters.com/

FinTech Innovation Labs, deadline January 18^th. This is an annual program run by the New York City Investment Fund and Accenture for early and growth companies that have developed cutting edge technology products targeted at financial services customers. There’s also an information day on January 10^th. For more information and to apply: http://www.fintechinnovationlab.com/

NEW WIM Accelerator, Deadline February 1^st. Women Innovate Mobile (WIM) is the first startup accelerator and mentorship-driven program designed for women-founded companies in mobile technology. WIM’s goal is to provide women entrepreneurs with the guidance, feedback and connections needed to make their startups best in class companies and formidable business concerns. Our companies will receive $18,000 in funding, free office space, product development and design support, mobile-marketing promotions, and access to an incredible network of mentors, funders and advisors. In exchange for our investment and services, we receive a 6% equity stake in each company. For more information and to apply: http://womeninnovatemobile.com/ From the WSJ, A Start-Up Program for Women in Mobile Tech: http://on.wsj.com/vErQhp

NXTP LABS/TechStars Argentina deadline 13 de Febrero – and that’s the extent of our Spanish. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/rYcDfN

1. The startup accelerators listed on this site all accept the Unified Seed Accelerator Application form. This means that you can apply to any number of the them with a single form, and then reuse that form to apply to other accelerator programs. In some cases, a few custom questions are also required for specific programs. Once you’ve submitted your applications, you can track the status here as well: http://www.accelerato.rs/

2. Inside FI: Our Favorite #Startup VC Pitching Resources. From the Founders Institute blog. It’s a long list – and a keeper: http://fi.co/posts/476

3. http://astartupstore.com/ A Startup Store is now open on a very real corner in Chelsea in NYC. It’s stocked with products from five NYC-based online fledglings. Equal parts gallery and shop, the first iteration — dubbed Beta — is open until January 12. Come February, and every subsequent four to six weeks, the space will shutter, reinvent, and reopen. The space will also host events like wine-fueled Joor trunk shows this weekend and Skillshare learning sessions in the future. So, entrepreneurs out there, if you have something to showcase, get all dressed up – there’s someplace to go.

13 Ways To Think About And Crush Your Competition. Here’s how Jason L. Baptiste thinks about competition as a cofounder and CEO of a growing venture backed startup. And no, don’t worry whether or not GOOG, FB or any of the other big guys will eat your lunch. We’ll say it again: they may try, but don’t always succeed: http://bit.ly/vm96oB

PIPA explained – Censoring the Internet: It’s Not Just for China Any More! From the Atlantic, with a great video that explains it all, and it’s closer than you think, thanks to the entertainment industry: http://bit.ly/smCA0f#BoycottHollywood. And in case you missed it, Spain Gets its Own SOPA-Style Anti-Piracy Law For Shutting Down Websites http://t.co/g298dZek

Just when you thought we’d completely covered networking – 51 Interesting Networking Questions for Entrepreneurs. As the writer notes, a conversation is only as good as the questions that you ask. Something for everyone and all occasions, from the icebreakers to the dare you ask: http://bit.ly/us4WK8

Think Like a VC. Spend an hour pretending to be a VC. Would you consider your own company? Read on: http://bit.ly/rv77zW

The Importance of the Minimum Viable Team. A crucial part of a start-up CEO’s job is to build a team that lets him or her be just that: the CEO. From Mark Peter Davis, who’s been and is both a VC and an entrepreneur: http://bit.ly/vXIW6x

M.I.T. Game-Changer: Free Online Education For All. Yes, we know this was announced a few weeks ago, and yes, it is free and open to anyone in the world. And could sprout some new cottage industries, so if you’re wondering what to do next, you might get some ideas – or at least a free education: http://onforb.es/tA2RUR

And because it is a new year: Spend 2012 on the Right Side of the Haimish Line. First, “[Haimish is] a Yiddish word that suggests warmth, domesticity and unpretentious conviviality” and the infinitely approachable Mark Suster makes some interesting observations – and promises to be even more approachable. After all, it’s all about people – and some good links included here as well: http://bit.ly/tErRS2

And, because it has to be done: Mark Birch’s Best of Strong Opinions of 2011: http://bit.ly/uILx5y

From Mark Suster: End of the Web? Don’t Bet on It: http://bit.ly/v9r5Wl

Finally, What Startup To Build? What are your problems? That’s what you should be working on: http://tcrn.ch/tXnsER

Speaking of which, yes, I’ve done just that recently. Was faced with a problem when someone whom I love very much was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and spent nearly three years – and counting – researching how to get him – and keep him – off medications, since I did find most of the sites out there either 1) don’t distinguish between types 1 and 2 diabetes, which are two completely different diseases; and 2) many of them are supported by pharmaceutical advertising and my plan was to get him OFF the medications. So far, so good. So I’ve finally launched Type2likeme.com. It’s still very much a work in progress. More information and recipes to come – and no, not the cookies or muffins. Those we intend to sell and yes, commerce is important. But – my regimen did get him off the meds in two months (the doctor said he’d be on them for a year, at least, and now refers to him as his ‘poster boy’); he lost over 60 pounds in 6 months (I think it was more; he dropped 8 sizes), without going hungry, and he has kept the weight off, and his numbers down for nearly three years, and counting. Would love your feedback, especially if you’re a type 2 diabetic, or living with one, like moi. Oh, many of the recipes are also gluten free and it turns out it’s a very good weight loss program as well. Ah, what love (motivator) and necessity will do. Maybe there’s something to what drives entrepreneurs in the first place… Thank you for listening and hopefully giving feedback and now, as always, help is on the way…

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Monthly Archives: January 2012