After nearly a decade of investing in various startups, I’ve come across my fair share of breakthrough companies that managed to conquer their particular niche - whether that be in technology, mining, energy, agriculture or biotech. I’ve had tremendous success investing in startups, but I’ve …
Every Entrepreneur’s Journey Starts with a Business Plan
Before you think I am going to give you the usual five steps ‘to a great business plan’ rundown, let me just say, that’s not going to happen here. Cookie cutter business plans are for wannabe entrepreneurs and whenever one comes across my desk, it …
A Business Model Based on Renting Cool Places
Hire Space: In the Lucrative Business of Renting Cool Space With the continued growth of service networking services and sites, which allow people to swap services and goods with each other through online platforms, new ideas in this market happen daily. One of the newest …
Berlin, the Next Silicon Valley
Obama was in Berlin yesterday and gave what sounded like a watered down version of his second inauguration speech. It was hard to listen to the same old same old from him. But in light of his visit, I want to talk about Berlin and …
Lyft’s Business Model: Exploiting an Existing Competitor’s Weakness
Putting Out Your Digital Thumb; Lyft Aims to Bring New Meaning to ‘Catching A Ride’ A few weeks ago, we profiled new cab provider UberCab, which is quickly gaining a dedicated following in cities around America and Europe with its alternative, intuitive cab services. With …
Why Has Bill Gates Invested in this Startup?
Bill Gates Sees Opportunity in Batteries and Energy Storage Batteries are often taken for granted and the industry as whole has never been considered all that sexy. However, when you think about this industry, and its vital role in our technology-based society, you’ll realize that …
Startup ClickChores Enters the Booming Micro Job Market - Can it Compete?
The Micro Job Market is Booming The Internet is notable for its ability to sustain the expansion and contraction of never-imagined markets on a daily basis. From EBay to Facebook to the bitcoin debate that is grabbing headlines today, economies and new market opportunities have …
The Spotify Business Model: No Guts No Glory
We’ve Come a Long Way Since Napster Since Napster first introduced the world to digital music accessibility over a decade ago, the music industry and its role in the digital realm has been consistently challenged and redefined, both by new competitors and by the Recording …
Uber: A Great Startup Business But Can it Survive?
Uber Cool, Uber Fast As a Chicagoan, one of the worst experiences in the city one can have is arriving at Midway, on the heels of a long-delayed flight, to realize that the Orange Line is no longer running. What this means for any downtown-bound …