Startup Revolution

Popping Startup Bubble
As we create our Triangle Startup Factory funded startup called Curagami (http://www.curagami.com) we operate largely in self imposed bubble. Books such as The Lean Startup explain the need to get OUT THERE working with customers to create validated learning as soon as possible.

We can see why. Problem solving can be solipsistic. Problems can create more problems on into infinity. Since our tool is about know what content matters and why the irony of falling into the problem black hole would be crippling. Here are a few ideas for how to break out of the startup bubble:

* Work with "beta customers" who are almost part of your team but running businesses your tool can help (such as Moon-Audio and Vestique for Curagami).

* Start forming community ASAP. We stumbled a little on this when our Curator Contest got swamped with my need to have chemo again. We ill get back on the horse because forming community is a CSF (Critical Success Factor).

* Create Key Performance Indicators for EXTERNAL validation metrics such as whitepaper downloads, unique visitors, time on site and email list growth.

* Curate content from a wide range of experts and sources because curation is easier and cheaper than content creation, more relevant to what is happening now and it helps your brand because you gain in authority by curating content from authorities.

* Define your "competitive space" BROADLY. Don't just look directly across the table discover who and what is competing for your customers mindshare and then steal the good stuff and lead with asynchronous marketing.

* Find a universal topic such as seasonality (locally "universal" and others can easily empathize with HOT and COLD) and the weather.

* Create asynchronous marketing and if that sounds disruptive and as if you should blow shit up you are getting the idea. Sometimes you should do some strange things JUST TO SEE how they blow up. Try not to blow up the good stuff :).

When startups do any two of those ideas they are less likely to fall into the talking to themselves about themselves black hole that can easily swallow a startup whole.

The link to Google Plus shares more information about how to use universal signals to create empathy and community:
https://plus.google.com/102639884404823294558/posts/JzD6DmrPWWa

Curagami & The Ecommerce Revolution Played Triangle Startup Factory's Pitchday today discussing how how to fix ecommerce marketing with Curagami.

CrowdFunde team is attending startup school. This Triangle Startup Factory Dairy shares our journey. Day 2 = creation of "unrealized networks", UGC & SEO.

Day 2: Tapping Unrealized Networks
Wow, what a day. Started with a Scrum-like standup and then worked the Business Model Canvas with TSF Founder Chris Heivly and Whitney. Discussing CrowdFunde's SEO benefit we realized that many businesses have "unrealized networks".

Unrealized networks are your customers. One undeniable New SEO truth is commons or platforms like HuffPost and Facebook out perform all other models. Problem is how does a small business easily add a "commons" that won't cost them a million bucks in cash or time?

CrowdFunde to the rescue.

CrowdFunde's goal is to help our partners TAP the gold they carry in their unrealized network. When I was a Director of Ecommerce our mailing list was around 50,000. We communicated with our customers regularly because email marketing was the most profitable Internet marketing channel (by far).

What we DID NOT do was for a community. We didn't realize benefits from our network. This Video Diary includes a 2 minute video that walks you through our first cut at tapping "unrealized networks". Please share any thoughts, reactions or ideas.

We are in "startup school" at the Triangle Startup Factory in Durham, NC for 12 weeks and everything is up for grabs. Together we create a cool tool, a "get more with less" tool to help conquer the "New SEO".

Thanks, CrowdFunde team and Marty

Get The RIGHT Startup Education
Twice a year my friends Chris Heivly and Dave Neal offer their "how to start a successful company" experience to another "class" of startups. What started as a Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC) idea is quickly gaining traction across America. 

Triangle Startup Factory's last class was 50% from outside the Triangle. You can read about TSF's last graduating class on a post I wrote for Atlantic BT when I was Marketing Director: http://www.atlanticbt.com/blog/triangle-startup-factory-fall-2013-showcase/. 

If you have "startup dreams" I highly recommend Chris and Dave. I'm applying for TSF's spring class. Even if CrowdFunde doesn't make it the business plan and I will be better for the experience! I can schedule some "open office' time and find out where I missed and what Chris and Dave would change too. 

Chris and Dave take a position in companies they include in their "incubator", but they didn't create such an influential "school" for money. Money, once you get to their level, is a scorecard, another feedback loop. Like everyone they would like to have more, but they will spend what they have supporting entrepreneurs with dreams. 

Supporting entrepreneurial dreams is what Chris and Dave love to do. They are all in and their joy, intelligence and insight are easy to see. Least someone think helping with TSF's content marketing means anything other than my admiration (lol).

I know Chris and Dave well enough to know if my idea doesn't have it they will tell me (by rejecting :). How valuable is that? I have ideas all the time, but figuring out THE idea to spend the next few years of my life and what is left of my poor 401k (after http://curecancerstarter.org), but have Chris and Dave's

But that's okay. Startups are the ultimate meritocracy. Your idea either scales or it doesn't :). Sure I have the best wishes of my "tribe" of supporters. As soon as I stop tweaking CrowdFunde I will share it for open comments before submitting to Chris and Dave. 

Help is always appreciated and how can I fail with the amazing friends I'm lucky enough to know. Friend who, like Chris and Dave, look for way to help and are living their lives for love not money. Funny, my friends who have been rewarding with the most money are grounded, love what they do, believed in themselves and others and wouldn't be stopped come Hell or High Water. 

Get your App into Chris, Dave and the team at TSF for Spring 2014 and maybe I will see you there :). Marty  

Perhaps the most interesting MAJOR conclusion after watching 6 startup presentations and doing a days worth of research into them is The Social Startup needs to be a book!

This summary of yesterday's Triangle Startup Factory Fall 2013 Showcase exposes some major content and social marketing flaws. 

It also summarizes at least two ideas, Christian online gaming from 4Soils.com and client management wth Brevado.com I wish I could invest in. Other solid ideas well trimmed against their inteded targets too. 

Social Startup needs to be a BOOK! or an ebook! 

True Quest of the new marketing is winning hearts and minds by creating friends of friends marketing and creating online community.

This post is about branding's journey from Tide in 1958 to Red Bull now with one inescapable conclusion - We Are All Media Companies Now.

Working everyday at Triangle Startup Factory is reinforcing how reluctant most startps are to START PUBLISHING. No our startup CrowdFunde (http://www.crowdfunde.com). We've been publishing warts and all from inception. The biggest content marketing mistake is NOT creating content. You can roll with anything else.

Lesson for Startups - START PUBLISHING NOW because the sooner you form a tribe the easier life gets.

CrowdFunde Accepted Triangle Startup (TSF) Factory
Thanks to friends who wrote cards and letters and thanks to the team at Triangle Startup Factory, our Durham, NC based startup incubator, who are willing to take a risk on CrowdFUnde as we smash content marketing and crowdfunding together to see what happens.

Our TSF session starts March 10th and we hope you will join us as we share this great startup adventure.

CrowdFunde
http://www.crowdfunde.com

Haiku Deck Pitch to TSF
http://shar.es/QFOzU

Triangle Startup Factory
http://thestartupfactory.co/