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.

How to build an effective cybersecurity program in nine steps

By Tommy Felts / September 30, 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. A strong cybersecurity…

Six cap table management tips

By Tommy Felts / September 9, 2024

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. The following is a paid thought leadership piece from Chris Schumm, McQueary Schumm Munsell Group at Morgan Stanley in Leawood, Kansas. Cap table management can be more complex than it seems; Discover six ways to improve the accuracy of your cap table As the…

Switching equity plan providers during macro uncertainty

By Tommy Felts / July 15, 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. Discover the benefits of evaluating a new equity plan provider; Managing equity plans can play a critical role in  fostering company ownership culture Managing equity plans could…

Convenient target: Smarter regulation needed to combat peer-to-peer payment scams

By Tommy Felts / July 11, 2024

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Tony Bergida is an Olathe-based entrepreneur and small business owner, as well as a candidate for Johnson County Commission District 6. Click here to read more about that race in the 2024 KC Voter Guide, a free-to-access resource produced through a partnership of…

The journey from startup to IPO

By Tommy Felts / June 24, 2024

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. The following is a paid thought leadership piece from Chris Schumm, McQueary Schumm Munsell Group at Morgan Stanley in Leawood, Kansas. The lifecycle of a private company is evolving. Over the last two decades, the timeline for companies to seek an entry to the…

Why choose a Morgan Stanley financial advisor

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2024

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. The following is a paid thought leadership piece from Chris Malmgren, The Ferguson Smith Cohen Group at Morgan Stanley. You’ve worked hard to build a substantial nest egg and you need to make sure it will be managed right. Perhaps you’re thinking about…