The TAM Scam: Why the next economy won’t need your pitch deck’s market-size slide

For most of modern business history, directly observing economic activity was slow, expensive, or impossible. We developed proxies to compress uncertainty into numbers that executives, lenders, and investors could use. But as technology makes economic activity more observable, the proxies we built for an earlier era become harder to defend.

I was wrong about sports: Why KC’s ‘escape velocity’ keeps pointing back to 18th and Vine

By Tommy Felts / September 29, 2026

Sports, music, and barbecue are not three separate Kansas City brands, writes urbanist and entrepreneur Kemet Coleman. “They are one story, and it starts at 18th and Vine,” the Vine Street Brewing co-founder explained.

300 pitches later, GIFT founder offers a cheat sheet for selling your vision (hint: it starts with the pitch deck)

By Tommy Felts / September 14, 2026

“What does your business do? Tell me directly, clearly, and avoid unnecessary fluff,” writes Brandon Calloway in an open letter to entrepreneurs. “As someone making a snap judgment about your business, I need to quickly understand what it offers.”

Smart glasses at work: How employers using (or banning) the tech could face legal challenges

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2026

AI-enabled smart glasses take a step further than the traditional “body camera” surveillance footage, given the technology’s ability to retain and assess information, such as biometric information. That creates new concerns for employers who might want to implement the devices — or even keep them out of the workplace altogether, writes a team of attorneys from Polsinelli.

Missouri founders need rules for crypto, digital assets that protect infrastructure and consumers, advocate says

By Tommy Felts / July 9, 2026

Congress should act quickly, writes Ryan Wright. If the United States waits too long, other countries will continue setting the standards for digital assets, AI provenance, and the next generation of financial infrastructure. Missouri should not be left reacting to that future. We should help build it. 

Royals chose Crown Center; KC now must decide how 18th & Vine stays in the game

By Tommy Felts / April 27, 2026

The Royals ballpark announcement was still eye-opening, because moments like this reveal what a city is actually willing to organize itself around, writes Kemet Coleman.

How can 90 days fix 18 months of revenue? Make trust and consistency your currency

By Tommy Felts / April 19, 2026

Many leaders start buying marketing the same way they buy any other solution .. one need at a time. It’s not uncommon for one company to have a web vendor, a PR partner, a graphic designer, an email vendor, and so on. The hire is based on need, not strategy; and the real cost shows up in places most leadership teams don’t calculate.

Your body at work: Park further from the entrance and take a shower (plus all your vacation time) for better health (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / December 13, 2022

Kharissa Parker is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary on physical fitness — and its impact on the strength and energy a person’s body needs to carry them throughout the…

Your coworker who doesn’t like to fist bump isn’t dysfunctional; Don’t assume they’re broken (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2022

Kharissa Parker is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary on bio-individuality — the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to health and nutrition (even regard to a person’s health in the…

Speaking up at work? Don’t let lack of mental clarity derail your argument (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / October 3, 2022

Kharissa Parker is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary on mental clarity continues Parker-Forte’s series on the 7 Pillars of Self-Care, following spiritual alignment and emotional intelligence. Sometimes you might…

Hold that thought: Leading with emotion might feel good at first, but there’s a smarter way (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / September 7, 2022

Kharissa Parker-Forte is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News.  Read her “Holistic Hustle” columns for Startland News here. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary on emotional intelligence continues Parker-Forte’s series on the 7 Pillars of Self-Care…

Feeling bad vibes at work? It actually could be your own fault (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2022

Kharissa Parker-Forte is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News.  Read her “Holistic Hustle” columns for Startland News here. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary kicks off Parker-Forte’s series on the 7 Pillars of Self-Care by discussing…

Sometimes self-care is more about shutting down than showing out (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / July 5, 2022

Kharissa Parker-Forte is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News.  Read her “Holistic Hustle” columns for Startland News here. When I recently made the decision to dissolve my self care brand, Grace & Grind, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make. From the outside looking…