[L]earned Media Industry News -- March 3, 2014 -- [L]earned Media

[L]earning Media:

Funding Your Business on Your Own? Learn From These 7 Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur 2.17.14

Business owners don’t know what they don’t know. The beauty of mistakes, however, is that they make you infinitely wiser. Smart business leaders won’t flinch when they lose a client, customer or potential revenue source -- they’ll reinvest that mistake into their own learning.

What Startups Need to Get VC, Angel Funding

Fox Business 2.14.14

All startups think they have the secret sauce, but if you want to get the investment dollars from venture capitalists and angel investors—you better KNOW you have it. Although you may have the greatest product or a brilliant idea, you need something else.

8 Ways to Make Reporters Fall In Love With Your Startup

Entrepreneur 2.16.14

Much has been written about the strained relationship between reporters and PR practitioners, so the question is: How can we show reporters we love them and, in turn, help them fall in love with us?

4 Reasons You Need a Cofounder For Your Startup

Nibletz 2.18.14

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it will not be possible to clone yourself during your lifetime. Major bummer, right? That means that uttering, “If only there were two of me, I could get this done so much faster!” under your breath is never going to be a viable solution for getting something done, no matter how much you will it to happen. That includes starting a business. I’m sorry.

3 Classic Startup Mistakes to Avoid

AlleyWatch 2.18.14

When you start your first company, you may think that it’s okay to let some less-than-perfect aspects slide. Or, maybe you think that the imperfections will smooth themselves out over time. But, Kathryn Minshew of The Muse explains that if you don’t trust your gut immediately, you can actually hurt your chances for long-term success.

What It's Like to Be One of the First 10 Employees at a Successful Startup

Mashable 2.21.14

There are rocket ships beyond Silicon Valley, and for our new series The First 100, we tracked down the first 100 employees at 100 startups and small businesses. These are the early employees who wore many hats, laid the foundation and established the culture for some of the coolest businesses around. We asked each of them questions about their ride on the rocket ship, and over the next few weeks, you'll get to know 100 faces behind your favorite companies.

Why I Quit the Company I Helped Launch

Inc. 2.21.14

These days, Dave Hersh describes himself as an investor in early-stage tech companies. (He hangs his hat at Andreessen Horowitz.) He was 29 when he became CEO of the startup Jive Software, a pioneer in social-business software, which allows employees and customers to communicate via Facebook- and Twitter-like tools.

How I Set My Pitch Apart and Won a Pitch Competition

Bplans 2.26.14

The first good thing that happened to my startup was a small victory at a local pitch competition. It was good for a lot of reasons. Most obviously, we won $1,000 in prize money that we put towards our minimum viable product (or MVP). But even if we hadn’t won, the competition itself forced us to move from the business planning stage to the real world, and in the process we learned what makes for a compelling pitch.

5 Tasks Every Entrepreneur Should Outsource Even On A Start-up Budget

Blogtrepreneur 2.25.14

Money is usually tight for start-up Entrepreneurs, but regardless of the investment, there are some things you should outsource. Too many times Entrepreneur’s are so busy working in their business, they aren’t working on their business. When you’re mired down in daily work that a hired staff could do more efficiently than you can alone, you aren’t using your time smart.

Here’s How To Know If A Startup is Really Ready for Investment

Nibletz 2.26.14

Since 2005 startup accelerators have provided cohorts of startups with mentoring, pitch practice and product focus. However, accelerator Demo Days are a combination of graduation ceremony and pitch contest, with the uncomfortable feel of a swimsuit competition. Other than “I’ll know it when I see it”, there’s no formal way for an investor attending Demo Day to assess project maturity or quantify risks.

Visualizing 15 Years Of Acquisitions By Apple, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, and Facebook

Techcrunch 2.25.14

You grow old, you slow down, and you die. That is, unless you can inject some fresh blood. After watching the last generation of tech giants wither or stagnate, today’s juggernauts are relying on acquisitions to keep them young and relevant. Check out the interactive infographic below to compare the size, frequency, and focus of the last 15 years of acquisitions by Apple, Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook.

5 Ways To Win At SXSW

Venturebeat 2.22.14

I am from Austin originally and have been going to SXSW since its inception. Should you decide to go, you’ll find that it’s a great place to meet new people and get your company’s name out there. However, as a summit of the world’s top marketers, there is some serious competition. To think you and your team will attend SXSW and float gracefully into the zeitgeist might not be a realistic goal.

"You Name It, I Did It": 10 Startup Employees Recall the Early Days

Mashable 2.25.14

In the First 100, we're introducing Mashable readers to employees 1 through 100 at 100 different companies. Last week, we introduced you to employees 1 through 10, from companies like HowAboutWe, Groupon, Reddit, Barkbox and Quirky. Today, we introduce you to employees 11-20, and we hear about how a company evolves in the period of growth from 10 people to 20 people.

Blogs:

10 Ideas of 2014 That Will Change the Business World

2.26.14

In a recent Forbes article, Mark Fidelman identified exciting developments in business and the world at large that will help shape the identity of the business world in 2014. Many companies are creating new products and trends that paving the way for a new future in the way we communicate, network and even tell stories.

Shareswell - Give the Gift of Financial Security

2.25.14

One of the best gifts you can give to your loved ones is one that will positively impact their future. Shareswell, a new venture based out of New York City, has just launched and will provide users an alternative to traditional gift registries for newlyweds, graduates, and family members. Those that sign up or receive the gifts can easily register for stocks and begin building a foundation for their financial portfolio.

Providing Storytelling Space for Content Creators is in Your Best Interest

2.21.14

They say that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you give a man a fishing pole, you feed him for a lifetime. The bottom line: empowering an individual with the ability to create, instead of the ability to consume, fosters a lifetime of potential growth. Why is this relevant? Because we are living in an era where empowering the user directly generates a return-on-investment. In other words, developers can make profits buy giving their users space to create and share meaningful content.

*From the creators of Wendr, [L]M is a New York based branded content company that focuses on social, mobile and earned media. We develop products and provide services for both agencies and brands.

Check us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggers.com
Follow our Twitter updates at @MediaBizBlogger

The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggers.com management or associated bloggers. MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries.