Comments for The NWEN Blog http://old.nwen.org/blog The Official Entrepreneur Blog for the Pacific Northwest Thu, 17 May 2012 01:59:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on First Look Forum: Throw your hat into the ring! by Daniel http://old.nwen.org/blog/events/first-look-forum-throw-your-hat-into-the-ring/#comment-7196 Daniel Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:13:44 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=479#comment-7196 Well done here Jon. You really nailed it. I competed in the FLF with my first startup and was really pleased with the feedback (positive and constructive) from my coaches. They really helped me improve my executive summary (one page was tough!) and finally the pitch. We made the finals in the end and a great deal of that success was directly attributed to our coaches and the multiple iterations they went through with us before the event. Well done here Jon. You really nailed it. I competed in the FLF with my first startup and was really pleased with the feedback (positive and constructive) from my coaches. They really helped me improve my executive summary (one page was tough!) and finally the pitch. We made the finals in the end and a great deal of that success was directly attributed to our coaches and the multiple iterations they went through with us before the event.

]]> Comment on Guide Analytics Wins Spring 2011 First Look Forum! by jon http://old.nwen.org/blog/uncategorized/guide-analytics-wins-spring-2011-first-look-forum/#comment-6786 jon Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:29:08 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=445#comment-6786 It was a really great event -- thanks to everybody who helped organize it, and to all the participants. So many people I talked to said "best one yet", a testimony to the quality of the participants and to the steady improvements we've made in the program. The biggest innovations this time were introducing "pitch doctors" to complement the other kinds of presentation coaching the companies were getting, and the dress rehearsal including peer group feedback ... they both really paid off. Of course there continues to be room for improvement, so feedback is welcome ... and as Shelley says, volunteers are very welcome as well! jon It was a really great event — thanks to everybody who helped organize it, and to all the participants. So many people I talked to said “best one yet”, a testimony to the quality of the participants and to the steady improvements we’ve made in the program. The biggest innovations this time were introducing “pitch doctors” to complement the other kinds of presentation coaching the companies were getting, and the dress rehearsal including peer group feedback … they both really paid off.

Of course there continues to be room for improvement, so feedback is welcome … and as Shelley says, volunteers are very welcome as well!

jon

]]> Comment on First Look Forum: Tips for the Final Weekend by Shelley Whelan http://old.nwen.org/blog/uncategorized/first-look-forum-tips-for-the-final-weekend/#comment-6777 Shelley Whelan Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:56:23 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=443#comment-6777 Best of luck tomorrow to all the teams. I can't wait to see the pitches. I am sure all of your work will pay off! Best of luck tomorrow to all the teams. I can’t wait to see the pitches. I am sure all of your work will pay off!

]]> Comment on First Look Forum: Tips for the Final Weekend by Mark Metcalf http://old.nwen.org/blog/uncategorized/first-look-forum-tips-for-the-final-weekend/#comment-6774 Mark Metcalf Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:56:39 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=443#comment-6774 I would echo Jon's statements about confidence -- you've made it this far, and have had the benefit of some top-notch coaching advice, and the audience is there to hear what you have to say, so enjoy yourself. And make sure you maximize your networking time, especially during the reception. This is a unique opportunity to talk to potential investors and colleagues who are there specifically to meet the presenting teams, so meet as many people as you can. Try to secure a follow up opportunity with each person you meet. And bring enough business cards to hand one out to everyone who might attend. Good luck to all of the teams presenting on Tuesday! I would echo Jon’s statements about confidence — you’ve made it this far, and have had the benefit of some top-notch coaching advice, and the audience is there to hear what you have to say, so enjoy yourself.

And make sure you maximize your networking time, especially during the reception. This is a unique opportunity to talk to potential investors and colleagues who are there specifically to meet the presenting teams, so meet as many people as you can. Try to secure a follow up opportunity with each person you meet. And bring enough business cards to hand one out to everyone who might attend.

Good luck to all of the teams presenting on Tuesday!

]]> Comment on Speed Pitching: Knock it Out of the Park! by Joseph Patrick Bulko, MBA http://old.nwen.org/blog/pitching/speed-pitching-knock-it-out-of-the-park/#comment-6766 Joseph Patrick Bulko, MBA Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:17:42 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=383#comment-6766 How 'bout this for a pitch? I've written a proposal that uses entrepreneurship on a massive scale to tackle the ongoing high unemployment problem, which has left millions and millions of Americans grasping at the last vestiges of the American Dream. Long-term unemployment is at record levels and the pace of the tepid "recovery" from the Great Recession will require years to return the country to full employment. In the mean time, government coffers are depleted while straining to address the extreme hardship, and tax revenues are greatly diminished because so many jobless folks cannot pay taxes. My proposal describes an entrepreneurial mechanism through which we can fund a massive number of new business ventures (to create a massive number of new jobs) by tapping the financial power of Wall Street. It is a private-sector proactive approach to remedy the high unemployment problem. Titled "A Modest Proposal to Save the American Economy: Entrepreneurial Blitzkrieg as Job Creation Vehicle," the proposal has been published online at Salem-News.com (and various other places): http://salem-news.com/articles/march232011/solving-unemployment-jpb.php How ’bout this for a pitch? I’ve written a proposal that uses entrepreneurship on a massive scale to tackle the ongoing high unemployment problem, which has left millions and millions of Americans grasping at the last vestiges of the American Dream. Long-term unemployment is at record levels and the pace of the tepid “recovery” from the Great Recession will require years to return the country to full employment. In the mean time, government coffers are depleted while straining to address the extreme hardship, and tax revenues are greatly diminished because so many jobless folks cannot pay taxes.

My proposal describes an entrepreneurial mechanism through which we can fund a massive number of new business ventures (to create a massive number of new jobs) by tapping the financial power of Wall Street. It is a private-sector proactive approach to remedy the high unemployment problem. Titled “A Modest Proposal to Save the American Economy: Entrepreneurial Blitzkrieg as Job Creation Vehicle,” the proposal has been published online at Salem-News.com (and various other places):

http://salem-news.com/articles/march232011/solving-unemployment-jpb.php

]]> Comment on Top 20 teams selected for First Look Forum! by Mark Metcalf http://old.nwen.org/blog/uncategorized/top-20-team-selected-for-first-look-forum/#comment-6596 Mark Metcalf Thu, 03 Mar 2011 01:12:26 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=430#comment-6596 I'd also like to thank everyone for applying for the upcoming First Look Forum and encourage those who didn't make the top 20 to consider applying for the next one. It was a really strong field! -- Mark I’d also like to thank everyone for applying for the upcoming First Look Forum and encourage those who didn’t make the top 20 to consider applying for the next one. It was a really strong field!

– Mark

]]> Comment on First Look Forum Secrets Revealed! by Gary Trump http://old.nwen.org/blog/raising-money/first-look-forum-secrets-revealed/#comment-6575 Gary Trump Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:43:26 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=387#comment-6575 It's great to here inspiring stories when a company gets funded. As long as the plan,people,financing and idea or product is in place companies really do have a chance of survival. Without one of these, the failure rate grows dramatically. Don't stop trying to raise capital if you believe in your business, just look for other doors to open when one gets closed. Good Luck It’s great to here inspiring stories when a company gets funded. As long as the plan,people,financing and idea or product is in place companies really do have a chance of survival. Without one of these, the failure rate grows dramatically. Don’t stop trying to raise capital if you believe in your business, just look for other doors to open when one gets closed. Good Luck

]]> Comment on Women in tech startups: how each of us can help change the ratio, part 2 by What are specific and concrete behaviors males should do differently, according to feminist arguments? - Quora http://old.nwen.org/blog/entrepreneur-resources/women-in-tech-startups-how-each-of-us-can-help-change-the-ratio-part-2/#comment-6528 What are specific and concrete behaviors males should do differently, according to feminist arguments? - Quora Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:02:09 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=348#comment-6528 [...] Promote women (not just men), and Be a role model. More at http://www.nwen.org/blog/?p=319 and http://www.nwen.org/blog/?p=348Insert a dynamic date hereView All 0 CommentsCannot add comment at this time. Add [...] [...] Promote women (not just men), and Be a role model. More at http://www.nwen.org/blog/?p=319 and http://www.nwen.org/blog/?p=348Insert a dynamic date hereView All 0 CommentsCannot add comment at this time. Add [...]

]]> Comment on The applications are in! by jon http://old.nwen.org/blog/events/first-look-forum-events/the-applications-are-in/#comment-6520 jon Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:46:31 +0000 http://old.nwen.org/blog/?p=424#comment-6520 I've been going through the pitches ... like Shelley says, impressive quality! Congrats to everybody -- and thanks for participating! Okay, back to reading :-) jon I’ve been going through the pitches … like Shelley says, impressive quality! Congrats to everybody — and thanks for participating!

Okay, back to reading :-)

jon

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