Like any person or company, PIE has always had a long list of things we've been meaning to do. Or projects we've been meaning to launch. But folks get busy. Priorities shift. And somehow, those things continue to remain on those lists. Undone. Now, in the midst of a global pandemic, we find ourselves at … Continue reading A new experiment: Q&A sessions with PIE mentors, founders, and community members
Category: Mentors
Puppet partners with PIE
We've had the pleasure and privilege of partnering with any number of interesting companies throughout the ten-year history of PIE. From our founding partner Wieden+Kennedy to global brands like Coca-Cola and Google to our current partners Autodesk, Prosper Portland, and Stoel-Rives. We've even had the chance to partner with PIE alums like Uncorked Studios. But … Continue reading Puppet partners with PIE
PIE announces partnership with Stoel Rives
We've had the pleasure of partnering with any number of corporations throughout our experiments. Now, we're partnering with Portland's largest law firm to ensure that startups in our community have efficient access to mentorship from legal experts. This collaboration will allow PIE to offer its startups resources and mentorship opportunities with experienced Stoel Rives attorneys … Continue reading PIE announces partnership with Stoel Rives
How to filter through all your startup advice this Thanksgiving
“Here’s what you should do.” It's a sentence you’ve probably heard a lot. Friends, family, peers, mentors, investors—they all have helpful advice, but when your cousin Billy gives you business advice this Thanksgiving that conflicts with advice an investor gave you just last week, what should you do? First, take a big bite of stuffing. Then … Continue reading How to filter through all your startup advice this Thanksgiving
How to find a mentor by not asking for one
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
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
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
PIE Blog 