Berlin’s Startup Factory Takes Shape [TCTV] We originally reported on the project to create a new kind of startup space in Berlin back in April, provisionally titled “The Factory”. I recently visited the project which has been put together by JMES Investments (a Berlin based Angel and Seed Investor), s+p Real Estate, and other private investors. They plan to develop the buildings into a hub for startups, where some will be investments and others added just to add to the cultural mix of the place. Close to Berlin’s central Mitte district, the project his being led by Simon Schaefer with input from major Berlin startups like Soundcloud. With a total of 5 stories and 8,500 square-meters of space, The Factory will consist of two multi-story buildings which are already over-subscribed for potential startup tenants who will be treated to bars, restaurants a pool and a basketball court. Schaefer took me for a tour around the buildings that are slowly coming together.
How to price something by Jason Fried of 37signals Lately I’ve been spending some time with local entrepreneurs who are looking for business advice. Inevitably, the topic of pricing comes up. “How do I know how much to charge?” There are lots of answers. You can make up a number and see if it works. The good news about pricing is that you can guess, be wrong, but still be right enough to build a great sustainable business. However, you are not allowed to ask people: “What would you pay for this?” And these are the questions I hear people asking over and over. The only answers that matter are dollars spent. So put a price on it and put it up for sale. You can dig into the why’s more deeply over time, but you have to start somewhere.
Actionable Metrics - Say Hello to Cohort Analysis 334 Flares544535100100--×334 Flares x Access to videos, talks, and worksheetsInvitation to private Google Plus CommunityJoin in on live Q&A webinars and fireside chats How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day When I started writing The Spirit War (Eli novel #4), I had a bit of a problem. I had a brand new baby and my life (like every new mother's life) was constantly on the verge of shambles. I paid for a sitter four times a week so I could get some writing time, and I guarded these hours like a mama bear guards her cubs - with ferocity and hiker-mauling violence. But (of course), things didn't work out like that. Needless to say, I felt like a failure. When I told people at ConCarolinas that I'd gone from writing 2k to 10k per day, I got a huge response. So, once and for all, here's the story of how I went from writing 500 words an hour to over 1500, and (hopefully) how you can too: A quick note: There are many fine, successful writers out there who equate writing quickly with being a hack. Drastically increasing your words per day is actually pretty easy, all it takes is a shift in perspective and the ability to be honest with yourself (which is the hardest part). Update! Side 2: Time
The Darwinian Evolution of Startup Hubs This weekend finds NYC in between Internet Week (which I largely missed because of my London trip) and Disrupt NYC (which I will be at on and off this coming week). So the development of NYC as a startup hub is very much on my mind. And so I thought I'd post about the development of startup hubs. This theory, which I like the call The Darwinian Evolution of Startup Hubs, is not new and I certainly didn't come up with it. But I think it is important for everyone to understand and so I'm going to blog about it. If you study Silicon Valley, what you see is something that looks like a forest where trees grow tall, produce seeds that drop and start new trees, and eventually the older trees mature and stop growing or worse, die of disease and rot, but the new trees grow up even taller and stronger. If I left out important foundational companies of this mental model, please forgive me. That makes total sense since this darwinian evolutionary model is non linear.
Pricing Pages in Web Design: Getting Users to Sign Up What is are the first thing a visitor will look at before signing up for a paid service? The pricing of course. Can they afford it? Pricing pages can sell a service, or scare people away. Pricing Pages in Web Design Shopify Shopify has a well-designed and bright pricing page that uses a lot of great techniques that likely turn into high conversion rates. Featured and "Most Popular" plan is highlighted visually, and uses the term "Most Popular" for social influence." Wufoo Wufoo's pricing page matches their overall brand and style with quirky typography and a colorful design. A quick and short list of primary features making decision making simple.On this page, the plans are listed from most expensive to free. Freckle Freckle really emphasizes the little risk involved, which can be a great influencing factor to get more visitors to sign up, and then turn into paying customers later. CobbleStone CobbleStone is a service that offers website solutions for churches and such organizations. SipGate
5 Reasons Recurring Revenue Models Work The Software-as-a-Service delivery model has rapidly matured in the past few years, evolving from an experimental delivery method for niche audiences to a widely-practiced business approach. Investors are clearly enamored with it, in part, because it's helped lower the barrier of entry for filing for an IPO. That's certainly been the case with the recent wave of IPOs and S1 filings from the likes of Eloqua, Cornerstone, and Bazaarvoice, all of whom had annual revenues well under $100 million at the time of their respective filings. SEE ALSO: How Mark Cuban Does Business [VIDEO] While accessibility, cost, and ease-of-use are some of the most commonly cited factors when discussing how the “as-a-service” approach has gained mainstream traction so quickly, there’s another major factor at play: recurring revenue offerings. With that in mind, here are five reasons you should be consider a recurring revenue model for your own business. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, STEEX
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Eleven Compelling Startup Pitch Archetypes (with examples from YC companies) Photo credit by TEDx Vancouver Over the past few weeks, I’ve helped a handful of startups work on their YC applications and interviews. I spent much of the time brainstorming with the founders on the best way to explain their business in the most clear and compelling way possible. These founders knew a lot about the market and had spent months if not years developing their ideas, but that often meant they would be all over the place when talking about what they were doing. This caused their pitch to sound weak and not be as compelling as it could be. Paul Graham is, among other things, really good at boiling companies down to their essence. Startup Pitch Archetypes From my experience at two demo days, talking to investors about Ridejoy and listening to lots of aspiring YC founders talk about their businesses, I realized that the best startup pitches seem to fall into several patterns. Take a look. The Standard Pitch What it is: What it sounds like: Who uses it: Many startups. When to use it: