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.
Clockwork founder Christian Arnold: When to explore new workspace for your startup
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. If your startup is ready to graduate from your home office and the local coffee shop, you have a lot of considerations for that perfect workspace. Yes, real estate is typically the second highest business cost, but the right space has the power…
Grant Gooding: Marketing math breaks down the odds of getting your campaign right
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Check out more from Grant Gooding here. With the seemingly unlimited places to spend your marketing dollars, clients ask us if we can nail down three things in almost every study we do: What is the right message to win over customers? Which…
Ginsburg’s Podcast Preview: Business of Story adds power to purpose
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. If you’re new to either podcasts or this occasional column, click here for background information. We preview specific podcasts to reveal their topics, formats and lessons from listening. Featured Podcast If you manage a business or organization, you surely have a story to…
April Boyd-Noronha: Q&A with Tammy Buckner, a woman rising In STEM
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m featuring a fierce woman on the rise in STEM, who also happens to be a woman of color. Tammy Buckner is the founder and chief technology strategist at Techquity Digital, a tech firm based in Kansas…
Alex Altomare: How KC students touched by gun violence changed my perspective
Editor’s note: Kansas City entrepreneur Alex Altomare served as a mentor for Tuesday’s MECA Challenge, which prompted students in Kansas City’s urban core to develop solutions for school shootings. The following is Altomare’s reflection on the experience. MECA Challenge and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation. Volunteering, especially with education…
Ginsburg’s Podcast Preview: ‘Social Media Marketing’ as a multi-tactic strategy
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. If you’re new to either podcasts or this occasional column, click here for background information. We preview specific podcasts to reveal their topics, formats and lessons from listening. Featured Podcast This podcast is the backbone of Social Media Examiner, a California-based host of…