Mark Cuban on Becoming a Billionaire
Last night I caught part of Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on cable. Donny was interviewing billionaire Mark Cuban, who is one of the smartest entrepreneurs I've ever followed.
The best written article I've seen about how Mark turned Broadcast.com into a multi-billion dollar company is the chapter in Net Entrepreneurs Only, published around 2000, to highlight a dozen or so successful online entrepreneurs. The work ethic that Mark and his partner Todd had back then is nicely described there. Mark talked about it again last night. He described a typical work day.
Google’s Incentive for Search Engine Marketers
I like Google's Advertising Professional Program. By becoming a Qualified Professional, internet marketers who manage pay-per-click accounts for multiple clients can get $100 credits for each new client they set up -- up to 60 per year.
Company and Product Launch Events
Startup companies with finished products need publicity, media and blogger coverage, and analysts and reviewers to take note of what they are doing. They also often need investor interest. Since investors often flock to the same hot deals, it can be good to have a large number of investors exposed to your deal at the same time.
Some launch events give startups a chance to reach all these audiences at the same time.
DEMO is a semi-annual event that has featured pitches from some of the remarkable technology companies of our time. Investors and the media pay a lot of attention to the companies that get selected to present at DEMO. At every DEMO, conference organizer Chris Shipley chooses a number of DEMOgods that are worthy of special attention.
Yahoo Mail Question
I switched from Yahoo Mail to Gmail a long time ago, but I still get dozens of emails a day sent to my old Yahoo email address. I forward them to Gmail, but I'd like to make sure my 2,600 contacts in my Yahoo Address Book and many thousands of other people who have emailed me in the past know my new email address.
Internet Marketer Wanted for Fun Provo-based Educational Software Company
A friend emailed me this job description and said I could blog about it. Someone will have a lot of fun working in this exciting small company:
Company: Big Brainz Job Title: Entrepreneurial Sales / Marketing / PR Director Description: ABOUT BIG BRAINZ
#1 Need for Startups
In May 2005 Fraser Bullock, one of Utah's brightest lights in the financial world (formerly with Bain Capital, now runs Sorenson Capital, helped with the 2002 Olympics turn-around), spoke at the Edison Conference in Salt Lake City.
Fortunately, I had my blackberry and I took extensive notes. Here are my notes from the middle part of his talk:
Management has to be adaptable. 1990 someone brought him into run home shopping network, pre-internet. Challenge was to get consumers to buy. They had a patent. Decided they had assets, what could they build that might be of worth. Built transaction processing engine for remote banking. Sold it to Visa International in 1994. In fast moving tech environment, if I didn't step back every 3-6 months to fundamentally re-assess our assets and the environment, I might be missing a paradigm shift. You need the discipline to step back.
Advice from Shawn Nelson
Kelly Anderson blogged about her lunch visit with Shawn Nelson of LoveSac and his wife Tiffany who owns a shoe boutique at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. Shawn gave her advice about retail and brand building.
Free conference call for entrepreneurs
I'm back from a 10-day vacation to Florida and the Western Caribbean (I even swam with stingrays at Disneys Castaway Cay). I am well-rested and eager to spend more time promoting entrepreneurship. This week I have several important things on my calendar.
Tomorrow at 1 pm MST I will be doing another Conference Call University teleseminar on entrepreneurship. Normally listeners pay to join these conference calls where we answer questions submitted by attendees.
$31,000 in Prizes at BYU Student Entrepreneur of the Year Competition
Kevin Willeitner, one of my BYU Internet Marketing students asked me to blog this:
Student entrepreneurs now have their change to win a little money to put into their business. The Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization of BYU is now accepting applications for the 2006 Student Entrepreneur of the Year. So far, they are planning to give out a total of $31,000 to the winners with $12,500 going to first place. Contestant get prizes all the way down to 12th place, so the chances of winning something are quite good. Last years winner was Jayson Edwards of J-Dawg's (a small hot dog shack on the edge of the BYU campus.)Here is the official BYU Student Entrepreneur of the Year website.
Lingotek Needs Online Marketing/Sales Manager
My friend Tim Hunt, a venture-backed entrepreneur whose company Lingotek is located at the Novell Open Source Incubator in Provo, called me the other day and said they have a new job opening for someone in internet marketing and sales.
