American Entrepreneurship

APRIL 3, 2025

Small businesses cannot afford to have a tech team on staff, so this article offers valuable insights about the step-by-step cost- effective ways to use No-Code AI tools in various areas of a company. Studies have shown that AI-powered automation can increase productivity by up to 40%, giving small businesses a significant competitive edge.

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culture data collection enablement innovation 92

Hunter Walk

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Hunter Walk: You started at Instacart in 2013, just a year after it was founded, which obviously turned out to be an epic decision. I was introduced to Apoorva , the founder of Instacart, in the spring of 2013 by my close friend/business school neighbor Rafael Corrales. So what follows are Five Question with Nilam.

board 104

board collaboration energy advice 104

Entrepreneurs' Organization

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Contributed by Rob Cross , professor of global leadership at Babson College, cofounder and research director of the Connected Commons business consortium, and author of Beyond Collaboration Overload: How to Work Smarter, Get Ahead, and Restore Your Well-Being. Look at your calendar! What is dysfunctional collaboration?

collaboration 252

collaboration peer-to-peer culture energy 252

Dream It

JANUARY 13, 2021

Do your research You should do your research before talking to an associate. We understand that as an entrepreneur you’ve got a lot on your plate. Looking at their portfolio companies will give you a good idea of whether or not your company will be a fit for their fund. For example. So be transparent with us.

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VC founder consulting networking 364

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2013

Having a good sales methodology can help you ensure your company runs more disciplined campaigns and focuses scarce resources on your best opportunities. Simply, this is identifying a customer need which has economic value to them if they can solve it. by your customers. You’re ready to test drive your new deck.

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advice opportunity development investing 336

Source Link

AUGUST 9, 2021

We know that building effective and impactful entrepreneurial support networks starts first with understanding the assets and gaps that you have, then pulling together the key players to discuss and make a difference,” said Rob Williams, director of SourceLink®. Kankakee SourceFinder. Entrepreneurial ecosystem expertise.

entrepreneurship 246

entrepreneurship communities economic development entrepreneurial ecosystem 246

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

So that we’re speaking the same language I would define “exclusive” as a period in which your company is prohibited from doing business with certain customers or business partners, which is why many incorrectly assume this is necessarily bad.

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innovation creativity development advice 329

The Zapier Blog

JUNE 19, 2025

Get your leads where you need them Automate Facebook Lead Ads Here, I've rounded up standout Facebook ad examples that do just that. Canva This video ad for Canva presentations shows how you can record yourself and add it to your deck with just a few clicks. They don't ask for ad breakdowns, but I send them anyway.

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culture pitching media education 98

American Entrepreneurship

MARCH 12, 2025

This article describes the entrepreneurial mindset behind successful startups, how you can develop that mindset, and the strategies to build your startup based on that mindset. Reid Hoffman Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people wont, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people cant.

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strategy startup creativity mentorship 58

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 13, 2020

In his book The Innovation Stack , he recounts how he and his cofounder, Jack Dorsey of Twitter, approached the problem of credit cards with a new perspective. I love solving problems, so I called up my buddy Jack Dorsey and proposed solving this one together. The first step is finding the perfect problem for you.

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innovation entrepreneurs entrepreneurship board 190

Entrepreneurs' Organization

AUGUST 27, 2020

Agonise over whether or not you need business partners. If you can afford it, don’t have business partners. The tenth entrepreneur without the headache is usually the one without a business partner. For me, not having a business partner is one less problem. Listen to your gut. It will never fail you.

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advice entrepreneurs creativity culture 325

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2011

NDAs would make it impossible to do business. If they say yes you get a term sheet and once this is signed it is usually 3-6 weeks until your legal docs get signed and you’re funded. 1 or more can attend first meeting depending on strength of your team. How you solve that problem conceptually at the highest level.

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VC venture capital leadership pitching 340

Gust

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I’ve always wondered who started the urban myth that the best way to start a company is to come up with a great idea, and then find some professional investors to give you a pot of money to build a company. If you chose the entrepreneur lifestyle to be your own boss, don’t accept money from anyone. Image via Pixabay.

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entrepreneurs startup creativity education 191

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Understanding how your company will change as you move through these phases is critical if you hope to scale to a large business one day. There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it.

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innovation startup board leadership 286

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 15, 2021

He has raised venture capital for his startups, helped hundreds of founders craft their pitch decks and fundraising strategy, and invested as a business angel. Here is what he shared: During my career, I pitched my business hundreds of times—sometimes to friends and family, sometimes to customers, and sometimes to potential investors.

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pitching entrepreneurs venture capital ventures 256

Gust

AUGUST 17, 2014

One of the most common failures I see in startups is lack of focus. Other elements of startup focus are a bit fuzzier, so let me zoom-in on some key ones here: Type of business model. Solve one problem really well. Solve one problem really well. Keep your value chain consistent.

entrepreneurs 182

entrepreneurs mix-use disruption education 182

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

MAY 18, 2021

Launching your business or nonprofit organization will often be about more than offering a product or a service. It will be about telling your story. This often means building a relationship with members of your audience, making them feel personally connected to the cause of your organization. government.

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mentorship development entrepreneurship leadership 290

Entrepreneurs' Organization

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Yet, as I mark five years leading the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) as its CEO, it’s a good time to reflect on five key insights gained from such a remarkable community of business founders. It can be how to handle a customer complaint, how to stay calm when your teenager is exasperating, or how to deal with a parent’s dementia.

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peer-to-peer entrepreneurship creativity entrepreneurs 234

Paul G. Silva

JUNE 3, 2021

30-page business plans are great for established businesses and terrible for startups that need to iterate quickly. 15+ years ago the Business Model Canvas (BMC) changed everything by giving us a 1-pager (or 4×3 foot poster) to help you quickly document and test the key hypothesis behind your business model.

creativity 147

creativity sustainability pitching ventures 147

Paul G. Silva

MAY 24, 2020

30-page business plans are great for established businesses and terrible for startups that need to iterate quickly. 15 years ago the Business Model Canvas (BMC) changed everything by giving us a 1-pager (or 4×3 foot poster) to help you quickly document and test the key hypothesis behind your business model.

creativity 147

creativity sustainability pitching startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

But issues do arise as your company grows. I never built a Google-sized business but I did build an organization from scratch that grew to 120 employees in 5 countries before we sold it. I see two common mistakes in companies (not just in startups, in fact). This applies to both founders and to VC’s that work with them.

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startup board advice VC 308

StartupNation

JUNE 18, 2025

As you set out on this journey, protecting your business means more than just securing your data or drafting airtight contracts. We’ve put together eight ways to safeguard your startup—from how you build your team to managing your finances, and choosing the right tech.

startup 59

startup culture peer-to-peer creativity 59

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 5, 2010

We were looking for what I call the “6 C’s of Social Networking&# – Communications, connectedness, common experiences, content, commerce & cool experiences (fun!). It was an online community like CompuServe and eventually started offering people dial-up access to the Internet for a monthly fee.

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networking mix-use innovation development 318

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 28, 2024

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, many entrepreneurs and business owners face the dilemma of whether to go it alone or do it yourself (DIY) or seek professional guidance through business coaching. Here are seven reasons to consider investing in business coaching versus pursuing the DIY route: 1.

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strategy leadership advice development 206

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 5, 2022

These people might have been our colleagues, our managers, our HR business partners, or even an intern or a consultant. How many times has a new director changed loyal members of the team for a fresh start? An active decision that we all must start making because we need to do better. And can we really blame them? Are you in?

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mentorship culture consulting entrepreneurs 225

Gust

JUNE 19, 2012

And, I think but can’t prove, both were business failures. I used to think you could use convenience and common sense to predict markets. Investment and startups problem : we all want disruptive and game-changing businesses. The 10 Best Sources of Cash to Start Your Business. June 19th, 2012.

startup 180

startup pitching disruption mix-use 180

Paul G. Silva

DECEMBER 12, 2022

Struggling to map your business model because you have lots of stakeholders / customer segments? The Keep It Super Simple (KISS) Canvas takes your complex, multi-sided business model and turns it into an easy-to-understand story. Pains – What problems do they have? The value that must be delivered.

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startup accelerator creativity pitching accelerator 130

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

My initial reaction to Adeo when we spoke was that while it may have solved some issues (debt versus equity) it didn’t solve the ones that I’ve been warning entrepreneurs about most loudly. million cap I am assuming when I write the check that I will own 10% of your company. That’s right. Enter “the cap.”

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startup VC entrepreneurs finance 354

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

People ask me if they really need ANY business plan, unless they are looking for an outside investor. In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Do describe your intellectual property and “secret sauce”. Solution and benefits.

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strategy sustainability investment investing 182

Gust

JULY 18, 2012

Following the huge success of the Gust-DEMO scholarship earlier this year, Gust and DEMO have teamed up again to offer Gust start-ups a full scholarship opportunity for DEMO Fall 2012. There is only one common denominator among companies chosen to present at DEMO: excellence. HOW TO APPLY. ELIGIBILITY. Upgrades to an existing product.

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media innovation technology opportunity 142

Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

5000 list , but getting there came with many, many landmines that could have blown up the business—as well as our relationship. I started the company in 2015 as a side-hustle with my old friend Mike Watts. About the same time, I started dating Lindsey Rima (pictured at left). She managed the co-working space I was working in.

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The Zapier Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

If you work in IT operations, the work you do is basically the backbone of your company. From safeguarding data to resolving major incidents and beyond, you're in charge of keeping everything running smoothly, so the only downtime you encounter is yours—not your system's. " What problems are you trying to solve?

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Gust

AUGUST 24, 2014

The implications of the decision you make are huge, defining your brand image, your funding requirements, and your long-term business viability. The revenue model you select is basically the implementation of your business strategy, and the key to attaining your financial objectives. Cost-based model.

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startup strategy investment investing 184

StartupNation

DECEMBER 10, 2020

Ultimately, finding a simple but important problem and matching it with the best solution possible will always be the foundation of a successful business. You don’t need to set out to become a multi-billion-dollar business and uproot entire systems in order to have impact. Tech giants started with small problems.

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Jason Malki

JANUARY 29, 2025

Throughout my career, Ive always been passionate about solving problems that directly impact peoples day-to-day lives. The excitement of creating something from the ground up, with the potential to change the way people think or do things, was a driving force behind starting my owncompany.

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Revolution

OCTOBER 9, 2024

The adage was always ‘keep your eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel.’ The problem was, they kept adding more tunnel.” Anne Mahlum got us fired up and ready to go with lessons from founding Back on My Feet and starting, scaling, and selling Solidcore. A common thread: resilience.

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