Working Backwards
In the fine grained services approach that we use at Amazon, services do not only represent a software structure but also the organizational structure. The services have a strong ownership model, which combined with the small team size is intended to make it very easy to innovate. In some sense you can see these services as small startups within the walls of a bigger company. The product definition process works backwards in the following way: we start by writing the documents we'll need at launch (the press release and the faq) and then work towards documents that are closer to the implementation. The Working Backwards product definition process is all about is fleshing out the concept and achieving clarity of thought about what we will ultimately go off and build. Start by writing the Press Release. Once we have gone through the process of creating the press release, faq, mockups, and user manuals, it is amazing how much clearer it is what you are planning to build.
Keynotopia: User Interface Design Libraries for Keynote, PowerPoint and OpenOffice
Definitive Guide to Growth Hacking
What is Growth Hacking? Growth hacking is so misunderstood that there is a desperate need for this chapter. Few concepts have been as polarizing and revolutionary, simultaneously. Two chasms have already been crossed.
TCLP — 2014 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association
The Texas Certified Landscape Professional (TCLP) program certifies individuals in the nursery and landscape industry that possess a high degree of knowledge and skill in horticulture and landscape development. Ready to take the exam? To start the TCLP certification exam registration process, click here. Exam Breakdown - Exam Process - Prices - Renewal - Why Get Certified Video Exam Breakdown: The TCLP certification process consists of two exams: • TCLP Exam – 200 multiple choice questions • Plant ID Exam – ID plant pictures and plant characteristics TCLP exams are available online for anyone with a high speed internet connection. What you need for the online exam: If you already have a login to the TNLA "Members Only" section of this site you can proceed with your TCLP Certification application. If you do not know your user login and password, contact TNLA. Easy Online Exam Process: • Register for the TCLP Exam by filling out the online TCLP application and paying the required fee. Prices:
Anthropology of Mid-Sized Startups
Guest post by Kevin Simler, who works at Palantir, observes the startup scene, and writes at Melting Asphalt, about… well, go see for yourself. In their natural habitats, social species organize into characteristic groups. Gazelles form herds, wolves form packs, and ants form colonies. Humans, in the same way, form tribes. Of course, we’re pretty far removed from our natural habitat these days. Humans also form kingdoms, nations, states, and civilizations, but those units of organizations aren’t as fundamental to our psychology. So let’s see what happens when we treat startups as tribes. To do that, we’ll need to use the methods of anthropology rather than business analysis. Startups as tribes is a useful shift in perspective, I think, because we typically think about startups with a more technical mindset. I’m writing about the world of startups because that’s where I’ve been doing amateur ethnography for the past 7 years. Startups in culture space Startups have low power-distances.
Digital Products Retailer: Affiliate Program & Sell Online - ClickBank
21 Actionable Growth Hacking Tactics
Update: Interested in even more Growth Hacking tactics? Buy my book of 100 practical growth hacking tactics! In this deck you will find 21 different areas of startup marketing where you can employ growth hacking tactics. I enjoy presentations with lots of actionable content so that's all this is. On Slideshare: Actionable Growth Hacking Tactics Growth Hacking is just a good way to describe how marketing is done at a startup. There is a particular focus on the application of technology. The deck speaks mostly for itself, but I'll add some minimal notes between them in this post. A good growth hacker needs to focus on two types of growth. Knowing the language of the customer refers to understanding how the customer articulates a problem to themselves. Even if you don't have budget for paid search, Google Adwords is an incredibly useful tool for an early stage startup. Buy the Growth Hacking Handbook for even more growth tactics!
ASHS
Want to Know How VC’s Calculate Valuation Differently from Founders?
Back in 1999 when I first raised venture capital I had zero knowledge of what a fair term sheet looked like or how to value my company. Due to competitive markets we ended up with a pretty good term sheet until we needed to raise money in April 2001 and then we got completely screwed. It was accept the terms or go into bankruptcy so we took the money. But the truth is that I didn’t really understand just how screwed I was until years later when I finally understood every term in a term sheet and more importantly I understood how each term could actually be used to screw me. Back then VentureHacks didn’t exist. I don’t feel that as a VC sneaking in nefarious terms into a term sheet that the entrepreneur doesn’t understand is a good way to build a long-term relationship nor to build a long-term reputation but this does happen and more frequently than we all would like. This starts with understanding how VCs and entrepreneurs often see valuation differently. I turned them down.
How do you issue the right number of shares/options to an employee or an advisor? | the drawingboard [dot] me
HM Revenue & Customs at Mevagissey Harbour (Photo credit: Cross Duck) Most founders have desire to share their equity with people that helped them along the way, both as a thank you, but also as a motivation tool. However, how to share is always a big question mark for every Founder. The two most frequently asked question is, “How much equity should I assign an advisor?”, which is shortly followed by “How do I know when to issue shares to new employees and how much do I give them?”. So, let’s take step back and look at why we are doing this in the first place. Motivating employees and or advisors is a key part of having a productive workforce. Therefore, the word ‘fairness’ is what’s important here.. how do you define the fairness culture in your startup? Let’s start with advisors: Advisors need to commit some time to your company to ‘earn’ their equity. Then, define a time period for this relationship before you review it for extension. Pricing strike prices is a bit of a pain.
