3/6/12

3/6/12

Good morning, All,

First, just a couple of weeks until our next SOS+ER+Hubitat breakfast March 15 at Hubitat on 26th Street. It’s March 15th, 8.30 am – 10. $20 with an RSVP or $25 at the door, and hope to see you there! To RSVP: http://erasosbreakfast2.eventbrite.com/

Next, we are hosting our next SOS 1-on-1 with an investor on March 21st, but this one is different: we have a direct pipeline to a group of serious angels whose representative will be at the event. Caveat: you must send us your deck in advance. Your startup must be tech-based, preferably a game-changer in whatever area on which you are focused (we know; they all say that), and this SOS 1-1 is focused on startups who have developed product and are looking to get to the next level, which means, you need the money to get there. That said, it is also a networking opportunity, so all are welcome to come and schmooze and meet new people/fellow members – but you’re not guaranteed an opportunity to pitch, unless you’ve submitted your deck in advance. Just wanted to be organized and clear. Send your deck to hello@startuponestop.com and we will pass it to investors’ rep, and yes, he is someone we know, so no need for paranoia. And looking forward to seeing them, and you!  To register for the event: http://bit.ly/yhSveL  $20 in advance; $25 at the door and of course we’ll have food and beverages.

This past week, Google’s new privacy policy went into effect and basically, there is no privacy. They’re monitoring your every keystroke made on a google product, Which is why we no longer search on Goog or use their groups, docs or G+, but then, we’re hardly in the minority on the last one. True, you have no privacy on Facebook either and we could easily compile a list of services that you use on a daily basis where the same can be said. Search is free. Facebook is free. Twitter is free, too, but let’s face it: you pay a price somewhere. That’s how it works. Worldwide. You want privacy? Here’s a piece definitely worth a read: Google’s Privacy Invasion: It’s Your Fault (If we really wanted privacy, we would turn off JavaScript, block ads, and browse in privacy mode through an anonymous proxy. But we would rather have free services.) http://bit.ly/A4BERr  Adam Hirsch remarked on the Digital Flash panel during SMW that at one point, Facebook considered charging $1 a month for the service, then dismissed the idea in favor of its present model, which again, compromises your privacy. Would they have reached a billion users had they become a freemium/premium service? Well, that’s a road not taken and as a result, we’ve spun a web – a world wide web – where practically everything can be known – or assumed to be known – about anyone. A lot of attention has been focused globally on ACTA/SOPA/PIPA – monitoring the web in the name of copyright protection. It’s censorship by any other name and let’s face it: this is a two-pronged attack. And Hollywood, “Battleship – The Movie.” Seriously? What’s next? “Hungry Hungry Hippo- The Movie”? Definitely a trashy scare movie, unless Disney or Pixar gets a hold of it first. Both censorship and privacy online are critical issues and neither is about to go away anytime soon. Stay vigilant. And when posting information – anywhere – proceed with extreme prejudice. Onward and forward.

Deadlines:

StartFast! Software, Internet & Mobile Venture Accelerator, early deadline March 6th, Final deadline March 23rd. One hundred days to get focused, get feedback, and get funded. We’ll give you enough money to pursue your software/internet startup full-time, co-working space, resources to work with, and continuous feedback on your progress from mentors who’ve done it before. Post-program, our mission is to help you get the funding and resources needed to scale and achieve a successful exit. Apply Now for this summer’s program (shortcut for TechStars applicants) or contact us to be a StartFast mentor, sponsor, investor or volunteer.StartFast welcomes applicants from all over the United States and around the world.  In addition to exceptional mentors and program leaders, we offer our teams:
Up to $18,000 in cash and another $85,000 in perks
Access to high quality, affordable talent;
Ability to achieve your goals not just faster, but with an ultra low burn rate;
Our successful track record of getting companies funded;
Support from an emerging, globally connected entrepreneurial community
For more information and to apply: http://startfast.net/

UpTech deadline, March 9th. As an UpTech company you will be able to engage in applied research, develop the intellectual property, and collaborate with faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduates. This is a formal arrangement; each company will receive two student interns, plus a graduate assistant for each five companies. Also, companies will have access to an UpTech lab at Northern Kentucky University’s College of informatics and access to the state of the art facilities. This partnership is a first in Business Acceleration programs. For more information and to apply: http://www.uptechideas.org/

First Floor Labs, Palo Alto, deadline March 9th. First Floor Labs is a vibrant community of startups working out of the AOL building in Palo Alto. In general, we’re looking for companies in the consumer internet/mobile space. After that, we’ll base our decision on 1. team (brains, drive, product sense, background, etc), 2. idea (market size, use cases, competitive advantage, etc) and 3. progress. To apply: http://bit.ly/z8jLIP

Huge Thing, Poland deadline March 9rh.  Huge Thing is a 6 months two-phase business acceleration program. During first 3 months we get you through intense entrepreneurship training. The training pillars are Entrepreneurship, Strategy, People, Money, Sales and Marketing. With help of our great mentors you will validate your business model and create Minimum Viable Product. Huge Thing is located in Poznan (Poland), less than 3 hours drive from Berlin (240 km) and Warsaw.  For more information and to apply (cute website, btw): http://www.hugething.org/about/

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, deadline March 13th. It’s an international business plan competition for women entrepreneurs who are in the initial stages of development, in any country, of any nationality and operating in any industry. Since its inception five years ago, it has provided support, visibility and coaching to 76 women heading businesses in countries across the globe. There’s mentorship, $20k US and a trip to France for the presentation Finale. For more information and to apply: http://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/

3 Day Startup NYC, deadline March 15th. 3 Day Startup is an entrepreneurship education program designed for university students with an emphasis on learning by doing. The idea is simple: start tech companies over the course of three days. To apply: http://nyc.3daystartup.org/

Applications for the DreamIt NYC Summer 2012 program are now open.  Final deadline: March 16th, 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/

Crain’s New York Business is now accepting nominations for its annual Top Entrepreneurs competition, deadline March 23rd.  It is open to businesses located in the five boroughs of New York City. Businesses must be 3 years old or more to enter and can have revenues up to $100 million. You can enter and get more information here:http://bit.ly/AdFq9t Winners will be featured in the May 29 issue of Crain’s. You can enter yourself or nominate someone else. Contact: Elaine Pofeldt,epofeldt@yahoo.com

NEW Hey Startups: Here’s An Easy Way To Get 75K For Your Company, deadline March 31st. Apply to enter Business Insider’sStartup 2012 business-plan competition.: http://bit.ly/zzaKwm The online form will take about an hour to fill out. (You can save and come back if needed.) A top handful of finalists will compete to take home $75,000 in cash and prizes at the intense, fun Startup 2012 conference on May 3 in New York.
Winners also get to attend the event and hear from amazing speakers like Jason Goldberg, CEO of the world’s fastest-growing startup, Fab.com, and Philip James, CEO of the hit online wine flash retailer Lot18.
Do this now because the form closes on March 31, in 3 short weeks. Note: this is a business-plan competition, primarily. Contestants do not need a polished, whizz-bang, ready-to-market prototype. They should have at least a minimum viable product, and a very sharp, well-articulated business plan. The competition is open to companies that have taken less than $2.5million in outside financing. See more fine print here.
2. After entering, take a call with an active investor.Some of New York’s top VCs — with track records including major wins — will interview top candidates selected by a judging panel. From there, a handful of finalists will be chosen.
3. Attend Startup 2012and present your idea onstage. Then, more grilling from VCs.
4. One winner gets $75,000! That’s $25,000 in cash and $50,000 in prizes.

MassChallenge, deadline April 11th. This is the largest-ever startup accelerator and competition, and the first to support high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs with no strongs attached.
3 month accelerator program. World-class mentorship and training, free office space, access to funding, media and more.
$1M in cash awards. $4M+ in-kind support.
Open to all. Any startup can enter, from anywhere, in any industry.
No equity taken. No restrictions applied.
$1M in cash awards. $4M+ in-kind support.
Open to all. Any startup can enter, from anywhere, in any industry.
For more information and to apply: http://masschallenge.org/

ERA is now accepting applications for Summer 2012! Application deadline: April 29th Yes, it’s here in NYC, with access to world-class mentors, office space, and more. Each company receives $25,000/8% equity. For more information and to apply: http://eranyc.com/apply/

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For you edification this week:

Since SXSW is just around the corner, we thought we’d include The 9 Skills Needed to Be a Super-Connector.: http://tcrn.ch/nxfaAQ

Speaking of angel investors…Red flags in emails to angel investors. As with anything, there are rules. Here’s how not to piss off a potential investor, and always good to know: http://bit.ly/xuO72r

And speaking of pitching…How to Evaluate Your Startup Idea Part 1: The Basics. Always good to go back to the basics and while it’s basically everything you know, there are still some gems here: http://bit.ly/xMnn8Z

How To Choose A Co-Founder. We know that a lot of you out there are desperately looking for a co-founder and according to the writer, the two biggest reasons startups fail are running out of money and founder conflicts. So read on and watch for landmines: http://bit.ly/xE9G4m

Startup Founder Agreements. This post addresses the lifecycle of founder agreements and the key compensation and control parameters in them. A companion post suggests ten rules for building better founding teams: http://bit.ly/akClsD

Always Go Home with the Lady Who Brought You to the Dance. As Mark Suster says, your word is you bond and reputation is everything. In other words, don’t be a dick and we’d say that that holds true, no matter on which side of the table you happen to be sitting: http://bit.ly/zYDrHS

From the ‘if it ain’t broke’ files: How Twitter broke Twitter. True and so annoying, and thought we’d give you a heads up: http://bit.ly/w0NFY5

Pinterest has grown 37x this year alone, so…20 Awesome Tools which will have you Pinteresting like a prohttp://tnw.co/x16dXT

Gary Whitehill is back from Entrepreneur Week Greece and it’s important to him that as many people as possible realize that Greece has an entrepreneurial ecosystem – which we know is true, as we do have quite a few Greece-based SOS members – and it’s on the way upward toward helping to save the country, instead of downward and with a lack of hope (which is how the media is portraying the situation). There is a real opportunity in the country and multiple fronts and am hoping more people will want to get engaged and help out. Link is here: Turmoil Breeds Opportunity: Greece Entrepreneur Week

Steve Jobs Solved the Innovator’s Dilemma. Everything — the business, the people — are subservient to the mission: building great products. And rather than listening to, or asking their customers what they wanted; Apple would solve problems customers didn’t know they had with products they didn’t even realize they wanted.  http://bit.ly/q4ch5I

Two more things. First, General Assembly is launching a free online education platform to teach you all the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, and they really have some amazing speakers, including:
David Kelley, Founder of IDEO: http://j.mp/ga-david
Mike Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg LP & Mayor of NYC: http://j.mp/ga-mike
Mario Batali, Chef & Restaurateur: http://j.mp/ga-mario
Amanda Hesser, Founder of Food52: http://j.mp/ga-amanda
Kevin Ryan, Founder of Gilt Groupe: http://j.mp/ga-kevin
Bre Pettis, Founder of MakerBot: http://j.mp/ga-bre
Dan Frommer, Founder of SplatF: http://j.mp/ga-dan
To reserve your spot: http://startmaking.com/

Next, a number of you have been asking us about the SXSW parties and no, we will not be there, BUT that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the party list for you, courtesy of our friends at cmp.ly and thanks, Tom! Follow the link and have fun, kids: www.cmp.ly/SXSW12

That’s it from us for now. Safe travels, if you’re off to SX and feel free to report back to us.  Until next week, as usual, help is on the way…

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