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.
Fundraising, For Real: Can convertible notes kill a deal in the Midwest?
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Laura McCoolidge is managing partner at the Sofia Fund, which recently expanded its reach to Kansas City. Religion. Gun control. Politics. Convertible notes. Why are convertible notes so controversial? Despite the controversy, this instrument has proven popular as a means for working with…
KC Fed: We can fix the digital divide (and solutions come without a high cost)
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Jeremy Hegle is senior community development advisor at Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Some issues affecting the digital divide are complex — expanding availability of affordable broadband, for example, requires government policy, technology, and lots of money. It can seem daunting and…
3 ways Kansas City’s corporate leaders can support local startups
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Martha Salinas is an executive with Overland Park-based MSTS. The world’s largest companies are often associated with high-rise offices and massive workforces. But behind most success stories are humble beginnings. Amazon, for example, was started in Jeff Bezos’ garage before becoming the most…
Earn-out exit: Beware a startup sale price hinging on future performance, attorney cautions
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Todd McGuire is a partner at Stueve Siegel Hanson law firm in Kansas City. He focuses on cases involving business torts, contract disputes, employment matters and other civil claims. As an entrepreneur, you likely envision one day moving beyond your current business. But…
Cutting the card in a digital world? Behold the staying power of the analog business card
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Anyone remember Bump? You might not, but the ultra-popular app has about 125 million downloads since its debut in 2009. Free for both Android and iPhone, the app allowed you to instantly share your contact information by literally “bumping” your smartphones together in…
Marshall Dougherty: Just launch already! (Stop polishing the cannonball and love your product)
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Marshall Dougherty is a longtime developer of leaders and teams through his military and investment careers. Knocking down your enemy’s castle in the 15th Century was hard work — nearly impossible, actually. That all changed in the 1450s, however, when a French engineer…