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.
That’s what speed do: Startup Weekend showcases KC creativity and quickness
Business ideas can come from anywhere, at anytime. But few events are designed to accelerate a concept to an actual business in only 54 hours. That acceleration — paired with a team of innovative problem solvers — is the essence of Kansas City Startup Weekend. Speed, teamwork and creativity take center stage, and the best idea…
The WTF Series: Binary
On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot. Last week at the ScaleUp KC graduation ceremony, I was talking to friend and fellow Scaler Kacie…
Schukman: Is social entrepreneurship becoming business as usual?
One year ago, I started building my company by telling the story of social entrepreneurship to the world. Via a podcast, blog and other content, I launched Social Change Nation as the online hub for anyone who aspires to launch a company that makes a dollar AND a difference. At first, I imagined I would…
Cobb: Royals’ win adds to KC’s entrepreneurial swagger
Entrepreneurs are competitive by nature. They love passionate, tenacious competitors that go for it all. That is why they resonate so closely with athletes. In fact, if you look into their backgrounds, many entrepreneurs were or are fierce athletes as well. It’s similar DNA that drives you to succeed despite enormous odds and competition. So…
(S)heStarts: Do tech startups need a techie founder?
Welcome to our new series exploring news and views on men, women, start-ups and the entrepreneurial experience. Do tech startups need a techie founder? Yes. No. Maybe? Three Kansas City startup founders provided three perspectives on the technical expertise question. While their backgrounds and development paths differ, they all agree that end users…
What the world champion Royals can teach us about investing
“The future ain’t what it used to be” – Yogi Berra, New York Yankee legend Like many kids, I learned from an early age that a game can teach us more about life than most realize. Baseball is adversity. Baseball is success by way of failure. Baseball is discipline and perseverance. Sounds a lot like…