I'm here to talk about building mentor relationships. I wish I could write a listicle or "how to" document. The truth is that building mentor relationships is complicated. There is nothing more personal or nuanced. I'm going to try to put into words how we over at Switchboard built our mentor relationships, and maybe parts will ring … Continue reading How to find a mentor by not asking for one
Category: Advice
The Next Year (& Beyond) Plan – Part 1
You’ve had a piece of the PIE… Now What? As this year’s PIE class wraps up it’s official program and settles down to dig in and advance their products and companies, I thought it would be useful to put together some strategies for thinking about the future. This two part series highlights the more operational … Continue reading The Next Year (& Beyond) Plan – Part 1
First Step of Developer Marketing is to Stop Marketing
Developers have a keen ability to ignore most traditional marketing. Including "developer marketing" in this post's title alone may have raised the hackles of most developers who read it. Yet, developer marketing is necessary for an increasing number of companies. There are a growing number of APIs, which allow developers to create something new on … Continue reading First Step of Developer Marketing is to Stop Marketing
Marketing Fundamentals – Start with a Message Map/Architecture
Whenever I ask how I can help the latest crop of PIE companies, the answer is usually, “they aren’t ready for marketing help yet.” I get it. I do. You’ve got to build the product, then get someone to test/buy it, then support it, fix it, build enhancements, sell some more, keep supporting it and hiring … Continue reading Marketing Fundamentals – Start with a Message Map/Architecture
10 Hackerish Partnership Tips and Observations
I’ve served in business development and product roles at four startups—two in California and two here in Portland. If I count the digital media group at the LA Times, I can call it five. I also headed up new business development for Knowledge Universe, where my job was to look for new business lines for the … Continue reading 10 Hackerish Partnership Tips and Observations
Presenting 101 — a few tips from Mike Pacchione
With demo day looming, PIE startups have already begun to experience both the joys of pitching and the pain of critical, straightforward feedback. We’ve received insight on the topic from a variety of mentors, and that’s just the beginning of the program’s pitch phase. Earlier this week we had storytelling expert, Mike Pacchione, share presentation basics with us. … Continue reading Presenting 101 — a few tips from Mike Pacchione
Five questions with Duncan Davidson, Bullpen Capital
Duncan Davidson, Managing Director at Bullpen Capital, visited PIE today and shared valuable advice to all of us in the space. While all the startups asked him questions related to their specific businesses, I simply wanted to learn more of what it's like to be on his side of the table. I didn't pitch him, but … Continue reading Five questions with Duncan Davidson, Bullpen Capital
[Updated] How to hire for cultural fit.
Company culture is all the rage in PDX startup land. It’s incorporated into hiring processes and strategic planning meetings. There are even full time jobs dedicated to ensuring the success of a company’s culture. When you’ve got an intimate staff size that’s in the single or double digits, every new employee makes a difference, shifts … Continue reading [Updated] How to hire for cultural fit.
Startup Storytelling: Get Started with Digital Media
Startups in 2014 have a great opportunity to tell their story… not just the story of their product or service, but the story of their company. The internet has enabled easier publishing and distribution of words, images, and video, and savvy founders will use these tools to their advantage in building the reach and reputation … Continue reading Startup Storytelling: Get Started with Digital Media
Entering an accelerator? Keep this in mind.
We have six new companies entering the PIE space this Monday. In anticipation of their arrival, we’ve asked a few PIE alum to chime in with their thoughts of what the most important thing to keep in mind is when entering the PIE space and working out of an accelerator. Here are their thoughts: “PIE … Continue reading Entering an accelerator? Keep this in mind.
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