Explore perspectives on the issues impacting business in Kansas City.
Hear from local entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders as they share insights and commentary on topics impacting business and innovation.
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
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)
“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
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
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
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
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.
Stimulus bill update: Additional SBA relief open to businesses impacted by COVID-19
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the authors’ alone. Jessica Zeratsky and Kyle Gilster are partners at Husch Blackwell. This op-ed is sponsored by the Husch Blackwell law firm, which has offices in Kansas City and across the nation, and intended to provide additional insight into the just-signed federal stimulus bill in response…
Firsthand from a founder: Applying for a SBA disaster loan? Come prepared with startup financials
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Serial entrepreneur Bo Lais is the founder of Lula, co-founder of the KC Collective founder network, and a current fellow in Pipeline Entrepreneurs. This op-ed is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community,…
Blockchain Basics: It’s more than a tech buzzword, but how does it actually work?
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kenyon Briggs is an attorney at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. This op-ed is part of a limited series on blockchain sponsored by Husch Blackwell. What is blockchain technology? Technically precise definitions found on Google define it as “a distributed, decentralized, public ledger.”…
Open letter to KCMO: Entrepreneur community makes 0.1 percent budget ask ‘for backbone of our economy’
Editor’s note: The following open letter was produced independently of Startland News by a coalition of small business and entrepreneur support leaders and signed by more than 210 members of Kansas City’s startup and business community. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the authors’ alone. The signatories are provided courtesy of the authors. Mayor Quinton…
Sprint VP: Corporate engagement helps drive KC startup ecosystem, next-generations of innovation
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Bryan Fries is vice president of 5G marketing strategy and global services for Sprint. From job creation and economic growth to the increase in competition and innovation, Kansas City-area startups and entrepreneurs play a vital role within the ecosystem of our community. And…
Chris Barnett: Pause what you’re doing for a Magical To-do List thought experiment
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Chris Barnett is the former executive vice president of global sales and marketing for EyeVerify (now Zoloz), as well as an advisor to such startups as Ainstein, Pepper IoT, and Yotabites. Barnett is fractional chief sales officer for RiskGenius and founder/principal of Barnett…