I seems like every self-respecting entrepreneur these days is building a platform, not a product. Many (but certainly not all) of these “platform” aspirants are smart enough to understand that most true platforms (think Facebook, iOS, Android) didn’t start out that way. Platforms tend to emerge in one of two ways: EITHER: a disruptive new continue…
I took a swing at this idea over four years ago, but in retrospect I buried the lede. It keeps coming up in my conversations with entrepreneurs, so I figured I’d try again with a more direct approach. It’s insanely hard to get people to adopt new behaviors. Almost by definition, startups need customers to continue…
“Self-provisioning” is the enterprise IT manager’s description for services that users can select, install, configure and use all by themselves. The name reeks of corporate-speak, but the impact is all startup. Combine “self-provisioning” with… – No contract / low monthly pricing — so no procurement officer has to bless it, and… – User-centered design — so continue…
I’ve been singing a song in my head for the last few weeks — if you’re an old-school Beastie Boys fan like me you might recognize it… “What’s gonna set you free?Look inside and you’ll seeWhen you’ve got so much to sayIt’s called gratitude, and that’s right” – Beastie Boys, “Gratitude”, Check Your Head (1992) Last continue…
Happy 2012 startup people! I’m just getting my calendar back together after the holidays and the first event on the books is PIE Demo Day, Tuesday January 17 at Portland’s Bagdad Theater. A little over two years ago, Portland-based creative firm Wieden+Kennedy created the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE). This coworking space was the spawning ground for continue…