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.

New exempt salary threshold struck down: Why a judge said the feds’ rule had ‘gone seriously awry’

By Tommy Felts / November 26, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Robert J. Hingula is employment class and collective actions co-chair at Polsinelli’s Kansas City office. He primarily focuses his practice on trial and counseling work involving labor and employment law. This commentary was originally published by Polsinelli. Employers have been waiting with bated…

Executing a valuation cap SAFE: Why you should think about the employee equity pool

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Gabriel Riekhof is an attorney at Husch Blackwell, a leading law firm that provides unparalleled service and industry-specific solutions to clients nationwide. Earlier this year, I wrote about SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity), focusing on the importance of the defined term “Company Capitalization.”…

Test once, report many: Improve your security and compliance posture with less effort

By Tommy Felts / October 21, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. BARR Advisory, which has offices in Kansas City, is a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider, specializing in cybersecurity, is a financial partner of Startland News. Click here to check out more from this Cybersecurity Month series from BARR Advisory. Achieving compliance against…

Cybersecurity automation: How to do more with less

By Tommy Felts / October 14, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. BARR Advisory, which has offices in Kansas City, is a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider, specializing in cybersecurity, is a financial partner of Startland News. Click here to check out more from this Cybersecurity Month series from BARR Advisory. In today’s rapidly…

How market volatility may affect private company liquidity

By Tommy Felts / October 14, 2024

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. The following is a paid thought leadership piece from The Plaza Group at Morgan Stanley in Leawood, Kansas. Volatile public markets may affect private company liquidity in a variety of ways; Find out what this might mean for private company shareholders According to recent research…

Information security should come standard: Everything you need to know about ISO 27001 

By Tommy Felts / October 7, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. BARR Advisory, which has offices in Kansas City, is a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider, specializing in cybersecurity, is a financial partner of Startland News. Click here to check out more from this Cybersecurity Month series from BARR Advisory. In today’s digital…