2024-04-11 16:53
Let’s take the two most distributed Startup Development Organizations in the world, and tease out what’s happening In a point of fact: overwhelming most Accelerators *fail* found… Read More
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Seo'brien - Growth Hacker, Cmo, Consultant, S Blog
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Paul gets startups funded and has worked with major brands, startups, and influential agencies to scale ideas and businesses significantly and efficiently.
2024-03-06 22:01
We’re witnessing throughout the world that our focus on “tech” for the sake of technology skills, and STEM education to support that, is actually failing people. Don’… Read More
2024-03-04 18:46
As a teenager, I had the pleasure and privilege of following in the footsteps of my father who, at the time serving through United Way, got me involved in Youth United Way. That experience l… Read More
2023-12-04 00:53
I want to put your head on a specific focus as we explore this question. In the last few weeks, I’ve tackled the question of an ideal team for a startup, sharing new research about per… Read More
2023-10-19 23:17
A recent study conducted by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the University of Melbourne examined data from ove… Read More
2023-09-30 01:29
So, the guy who chose and loves Austin has some thoughts about the potential of Houston. I had a chance to sit with Chris Howard during their interview series when in Austin, for Forging the… Read More
2023-09-26 21:30
My world is almost entirely online; from my written works to the majority of MediaTech Ventures‘ focus, the internet changed everything about our world but in doing that, created confu… Read More
2023-09-21 12:55
One of the more challenging skills to help develop in a founder, is being able to discern b.s. from experienced and valid advice. As you might imagine (and I hope you can relate from the all… Read More
2023-06-29 16:45
We have a huge problem in the startup ecosystem; that’s that most founders have been misled by a lot of people to think in terms of Problem / Solution. That a solution to a problem is… Read More
2023-05-25 18:41
Focus. We hear that word and advice bantered about A LOT in the startup community but rarely is that mentorship capably followed up with WHAT to focus on and why. This is what contributes to… Read More
2023-04-28 22:54
Now, the most important tweeters Had profiles with marks The plain-profile tweeters had none but remarks. Those marks weren’t so big. They were really so small. You might think such a… Read More
2023-04-13 17:08
I have a confession to get off my chest. In my work through Austin, I’ve long celebrated and promoted the maturing of Austin’s startup ecosystem by illuminating that we’re… Read More
2023-04-13 01:13
Finding myself now through 3 cycles of the economy (more or less), working with startups throughout, I can’t help but observe and plead for people to raise their hands in philanthropy… Read More
2023-02-28 21:43
A really a wonderful article about Austin in The New Yorker sparked a series of wonderful discussions of the past and present of the Austin ecosystem and in one case, as I proposed, how the… Read More
2023-02-16 21:13
Privacy, fake news, Twitter, security, my data being sold, Facebook monetizing you, addiction to screens, social media bullying, the Prince of Nigeria having money for you, and cryptocurrenc… Read More
2023-01-17 23:25
How do startup founders protect their company from investors in the shareholders’ agreement? Should they? Protect from what?? Seriously, think about it for a moment. The startup commun… Read More
2022-12-05 23:46
Businesses are valued based a multiple of earnings and profit. The variation stems from a few things associated with what that multiple might be (since earnings and profit are evident) Inves… Read More
2022-10-09 22:23
Why is Coca-Cola a super successful company even though its main product does not solve any world problem? The question caught my attention for two reasons: Much of the world seems misled to… Read More
2022-09-28 20:36
In the past few days alone, half of my office hours with startups have resulted in exactly the same feedback, in a critical but advisory way: I don’t care You’re telling me about… Read More
2022-09-12 05:43
Regional culture, history, and infrastructure are the qualities of a region of the world that drives innovation, jobs, and economic development because technology is ultimately about people… Read More
2022-08-14 20:18
How do I sell a startup that has a validated solution yet neither users nor revenue? Among the primary FAQs within startup incubators and of advisors, is how do I get my product funded? You… Read More
2022-07-01 22:47
I’ve been the “Grumpy Get Off My Lawn!” about this over the years and tend to just roll with the people who are adamant that words are interchangeable, feeling that it&rsqu&hell…Read More
2022-06-27 13:59
It’s never too early to work on something toward which you’re truly passionate. Too many founders start out focused on building the business they want or expecting when and how t… Read More
2022-04-27 22:17
Nearing the end of the school year, I get asked a lot, by parents and teachers, how to help students get into internships and even first jobs. This is my lecture in high school and college c… Read More
2022-03-22 03:01
“Now I have to think in terms of scale and process, not just marketing, which is a new paradigm for me. What are your best learning resources (book, webinars, podcasts, etc.) to start… Read More
2021-12-17 17:45
My Dad sent me a thought about Life, and lately, I can’t help but be fixated on notions that life lessons parallel entrepreneurship more than we realize or put into practice. The notio… Read More
2021-09-27 14:55
It’s difficult today, online, if you’re paying any attention all to cryptocurrency or media innovation, to not have heard “NFT” A .gif of Nyan Cat sold for lots and l… Read More
2021-08-10 00:41
Last week, a bit of a controversial, but thought-provoking, perspective about Venture Capital caught the attention of a lot of my readers and followers. There has been a horrific rash of *VC… Read More
2021-08-05 00:52
The conversation recently had started, “ Why do venture capitalists invest in startups if many of them are losing money and destroying value?” and I had to pause when I heard the… Read More
2021-07-07 14:02
I found myself at Hewlett-Packard, some 15 years ago, as desktop and laptop computers still dominated our lives and the iPhone was merely a sparkle in Apple’s eye. With my PDA in hand… Read More
2021-06-09 01:58
Highly risk tolerant and constantly fixated on doing things better, entrepreneurs tend not to be found running companies. That’s not remotely a knock against entrepreneurs. Operating a… Read More
2021-05-25 16:46
In 2018, some, in the U.S. Congress, proposed an Internet Bill of Rights that though well intentioned, was essentially a set of regulations proposed to adhere companies to obligations with r… Read More
2021-05-18 20:49
So you want to work for a startup… This month in Texas, the startup ecosystem is heating up faster than a Texas summer, so my mind is turned the increasing networking going on, fueled… Read More
2021-05-12 18:17
For a few months now, Facebook has been gently testing post voting changes that might substantially change our experience with comments and posts on the dominant social media platform. Today… Read More
2021-04-13 01:33
Opportunity Education Technology Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Resulting in Opportunity. You know that licking of your lips and grasping at air that one does when trying to put in to words a… Read More
2021-04-07 01:11
“Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything.” Neil Strauss “Motivation is what gets you started. Commitment is what keeps you going.” Jim Rohn “Commit… Read More
2021-02-17 23:24
People have different definitions of “startup” and “venture capital,” and it’s that foundation that causes frustrations and misplaced expectations. The real rea… Read More
2021-01-25 18:24
Nothing, it happens all the time. Yet, the question is common, frequently asked; begging a question its own – what are startups struggling with that they think that foreign investors w… Read More
2021-01-21 01:02
Startups all, struggle with a question of what’s called, “valuation.” What is the company worth? To put together a pitch deck, negotiate terms with investors, or just to sh… Read More
2021-01-06 01:52
Chief Executive Officer. The responsibilities of a CEO are set by the organization’s board of directors because technically, a CEO is the Chief Executive among many, referring to the f… Read More
2020-12-17 16:53
“Perhaps one of the most important financial decisions a forest landowner will make is determining when to harvest timber.” That, the opening of a PennState article exploring the… Read More
2020-11-19 00:30
Think of the funnel. Here’s one I found from, SKYWORD Now, the sign that someone’s digital marketing plan will fail is that the business, budget, decision makers, and marketers… Read More
2020-11-17 16:58
I’m realizing that I have a fetish for offering what seem to be contradictory points of view. In the world of entrepreneurship and our startup communities, one thing I’ve learned… Read More
2020-11-10 19:37
An Andersen folktale written about a vain emporer who gets exposed before his subjects, imparts a fairy tale lesson reminding us to be a little bit more aware of our circumstances, and to be… Read More
2020-10-27 22:39
This advised resume thanks to Resume Genius To take a look at even the most advised of resume writing guides is to take a step back into the history of web page design; everyone writing a re… Read More
2020-10-06 16:08
In a world wherein overwhelmingly most founders and startups fail as a result of a lack of product/market fit, and incubators, University startup programs, and mentors, are flush with &ldquo&hell…Read More
2020-09-17 19:21
There is a trick to entrepreneurship, to starting a venture, that no one really ever talks about. Not sure why they don’t talk about it… perhaps because they don’t underst… Read More
2020-09-10 02:00
Businesses and startup founders learn early of a critical methodology in sales referred to as a funnel. Developing products and services, marketing is the process therein by which organizati… Read More
2020-09-04 01:38
Nearly three quarters of the way through 2020, and with the world fully settled into the “new normal,” quarantine, “ the recession?,” (or whatever it is that we&rsquo&hell…Read More
2020-08-24 20:24
The idea” 80 Startup Business Ideas That Can Make You MoneyTop 10 Innovative Startup IdeasI Have an App Idea, What’s Next? 5 Clear Steps to LaunchHow do you know if your startup… Read More
2020-08-19 02:44
A great many new ventures are NOT businesses. They don’t yet know customers, have a business model, nor see a clear path to making money. Startups are distinct from new businesses (and… Read More
2020-08-05 01:51
That Friends and Family Round of funding… we’ve all heard we need it, or that that’s where founders start; but are so many really raising money from family? Let’s cu… Read More
2020-07-17 15:55
The expectations of investors, the demands of a company now more prominent in the market, but the ease of pressure in having resources available… Being venture backed doesn’t ma… Read More
2020-06-30 02:54
Can we connect with investors in 2 slides? It’s said that at the earliest stage, investors are looking for the right people, validation, and a market opportunity but as pitch coaches… Read More
2020-05-29 17:58
it’s time for the distinction of “internet company” to die. It’s time for the distinction of “tech industry” to die. In 2020, hopefully it’s clear… Read More
2020-05-07 00:20
You need to think of EVERYONE at this stage as co-founders and owners OR merely consultants (formally contracted with VERY clear terms, requirements, deliverables, and ownership). Trust me… Read More
2020-05-05 00:59
Later this year, the Mandalorian returns to the small screen for Season 2 of one of the hottest reasons everyone has flocked to Disney+ While anxiously awaiting a show near the top of my Mus… Read More
2020-05-03 21:52
Years ago, Peter Thiel provocatively proclaimed in the Wall Street Journal that “Competition Is for Losers” and I recall loving the headline not for the negative connotation impl… Read More
2020-03-31 19:07
In downturns in the economy, it’s then that Venture Capital Funds really come to the forefront of our startup communities because it’s then that entrepreneurship shifts from a bu… Read More
2020-03-26 18:16
A bit of what concerns me about society, our economy, is that this topic isn’t FAR more discussed. HOW you explain the importance of information to a company is actually really simple… Read More
2020-02-06 20:08
In the mid and late ’90s, a book sparked a new way of thinking about love. Love has been distinguished in it’s various forms, likely since humans fell for it, and notable as far… Read More
2020-01-07 20:38
What are the best SEO plugins for WordPress? I love these kind of questions where every plugin developer jumps in with a “hey check out mine which I build because the mist popular one… Read More
2019-12-16 16:43
In 1985, management scholar Manfred Kets de Vries wrote in Harvard Business Review, “Entrepreneurs seem to be achievement oriented, like to take responsibility for decisions, and disli… Read More
2019-11-26 01:46
It’s a marriage. I’m a bit surprised by how many entrepreneurs start something merely hoping to have a business, solve a problem, or accomplish something. I can’t recall wh… Read More
2019-11-21 00:22
I’ve had a particularly interesting week in Austin; through some events and lots of coffees, I’ve meet with a ton of founders, perhaps more than ever in 3 days alone. Interesting… Read More
2019-11-14 17:21
EVERY founder should plan with the exit in mind. Whether that’s getting acquired, merely successful, going public, or otherwise, most startups struggle to bring on board resources and… Read More
2019-11-13 12:46
With three kids of my own (10, 12, and 14), and a lot of time spent in incubators and corporate innovation programs, I’m frequently wondering if and how we can’t better introduce… Read More
2019-11-12 02:42
There is a common trope in academic and advisory circles, before you ask why, ask if. I was reminded of that conventional wisdom when flooded with a series of questions recently, about how a… Read More
2019-11-06 03:44
Venture Capital seeks opportunity, not a sales pitch. The mindset to have is that you don’t want to have to seek VC, you want investors to seek you. Of course, that doesn’t mean… Read More
2019-10-17 18:38
Two VERY different things. Love this question, I mentor in our local High School program and with University incubators and accelerators. Our schools can do better, if we help them do so. Pe… Read More
2019-10-17 18:14
I was just asked, What are examples of startups that tried to monetize too early? and my gut reaction was, “all that fail.” Before you jump all over that blunt and obtuse, and to… Read More
2019-09-27 15:57
As a startup mentor, that’s the start of the all too common question from founders trying to figure out if they should part with equity to get someone involved. As a venture partner, t… Read More
2019-09-09 23:07
69 percent of U.S. entrepreneurs start their businesses at home.According to the National Association of Small Business’s 2017 Economic Report, the majority of small businesses surveye… Read More
2019-09-09 17:27
Despite my frequently sharing that I don’t do SEO, an SEO piece for those trying to figure it out. One of the most notable people in Search, Rand Fishkin, just published this data. The… Read More
2019-08-27 21:31
Yeah that’s a bottle of wine. And I know what you’re thinking… “What they heck does a bottle of wine have to do with content and web development?!” Well, a goo… Read More
2019-08-14 17:34
We’re in this really weird era as Silicon Valley creeps out to the rest of the world, in which investors elsewhere, traditional business owners, and the like, keep advising everyone to… Read More
2019-08-13 17:04
So I’ve been asked. And it’s a surprisingly common topic hinting that many are questioning if their introverted nature is handicapping them as a founder, leader, executive, or th… Read More
2019-08-08 18:58
The best way to predict the future is to create it.Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should n… Read More
2019-08-02 15:54
Provocative thought, I hope. “Can’t”?? I’m sure you’ve felt frequently that Marketing has failed. You’ve had that consultant, agency, or tried what that m… Read More
2019-07-24 20:54
This is a topic that really intrigues. In part, simply because it’s a VERY frequently discussed topic and considered issue. Check it out, from a simple Google Search: Why Marketing and… Read More
2019-07-23 14:43
It’s actually quite easy BUT keep in mind SEO is not a specific, single channel. You will NOT get there by URLs, keywords, and links alone. Google is looking for high quality results f… Read More
2019-07-11 16:09
WIRED and Executive in Residence and faculty member at Columbia Business School, Leonard Sherman, published a great look today at the implication of substantial rounds of investment going in… Read More
2019-07-09 22:54
Alright, in a rare break from how I tend to write, no narrative this time besides this which you’re reading now. A list! The KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) your startup should have… Read More
2019-07-05 16:46
I was inclined to put a brief Q&A in the experience where I mentor startups and founders, as I’m so frequently asked this that it’s certainly an FAQ. On further contemplation… Read More
2019-06-24 20:20
Becoming. That word. Entrepreneur is a personality trait Startup founder, business owner, inventor, executive… those are titles and roles someone can become. And they’re distinc… Read More
2019-06-10 22:17
Is it that simple? Let’s try… I’ve explored before HOW startups fail and article after article after article ponders why they fail. I hope we can agree on a simple fact th… Read More
2019-06-10 19:44
Marketing is the first, foremost, and most important thing a business does. No market for your idea… nothing for you to do, no? You are doing that, yes? There is no customer, no inves… Read More
2019-05-21 16:58
Not long ago, I shared a tweet that went a bit viral, noting that in our exuberance of things like “Big data” and “Machine Learning,” and through our Education system… Read More
2019-04-30 18:06
Digital marketing, online marketing, internet marketing, interactive, social media, content marketing, growth hacking…. it’s enough to make your head swim! And in my experience… Read More
2019-04-05 17:20
Culture. It all, always, comes down to the culture of community. Why does Silicon Valley produce startups differently than elsewhere? Why does Hollywood have a style and way about their film… Read More
2019-04-03 02:51
Venture capital investing is the riskier version of gambling in Las Vegas. Truly. 90% of startups fail. FEW are experienced with discerning any difference between those likely to fail and th… Read More
2019-03-19 15:51
Also known as Cheaper / Better / Faster, you get to pick two. How do you compete with a startup doing the same thing as you? You study them. It’s called Marketing. That’s what Ma… Read More
2019-03-18 22:51
A simple list of five. Toward investors. Start now. Getting know them before you need them. Get to know those who will likely support what you’re doing. They’re advisors so they… Read More
2019-03-11 21:49
This is my… 13th SXSW (I think). Hazy to recall.
Having had so many experiences with the conference, the question of WHO excels there, why, and how to help others make the most of o… Read More
2019-03-10 14:21
How do you determine when your business is going to be successful?
When it meets your definition of success.
Many, I’ve found, start businesses thinking forward; the test and validat… Read More
2019-03-04 19:48
Funding doesn’t determine a startup from a small business; the nature of the business determines the funding.
Twist of logic perhaps, so let’s explore it. Very frequently… Read More
2019-03-04 19:12
This is a tough question to broach with entrepreneurs but it’s one that comes up almost daily. From where does the money come to start?? There is a reason most entrep… Read More
2019-02-27 03:44
Get back to work.
I was asked recently, If a startup is turned down by an accelerator program, should the founders take it as a sign to move onto something else?
Taken back a bit, the p… Read More
2019-02-04 23:09
Here’s the hard truth, since you’re here, since you’re asking when to quit a startup, the answer is now.
Because you asked.
Truly. That’s the answer.
Most Startups fa… Read More
2019-01-14 04:14
I didn’t grow up around incredible cars, nor in a family of enthusiasts, but a few of my earliest and fondest memories involve automobiles. The first was as a child, being driven… Read More
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