#startup 101

[planify]

Looking to raise funds and take your startup to new heights?. In this video, we dive deep into the world of startup funding and explore how Planify can empower your business with its innovative approach. Planify CEO Rajesh Singhla, a seasoned entrepreneur and expert in the field, who shares invaluable advice, strategies, and practical tips to help you navigate the fundraising landscape successfully.

[livemintvideos]

5 Angel Investors That Can Mentor You | Startup Buzz | Mint

The term “angel investor” has become more commonly known over recent years. These angel inventors are like modern day heroes for any entrepreneurs who have worked hard on their idea to turn it into a fruitful plan. At this point, we must understand and know some of the terms used in the business and startup world. The most important and commonly used term that you will find here is "angel investing". Yes, you heard that right.

[eightyonekilograms]

I love those billboards in high-COL areas trying to lure people into cheaper states. Seattle has a bunch of these for Ohio, of all places, and there’s one on the 101 outside San Jose trying to get people to move to New Jersey.

It’s amusing for two reasons: one, because only the Valley is so housingfucked that the NYC metropolitan area is cheap by comparison, and two, because the sign says NJ is “the next home of AI”, which is great. If I was founding an AI startup in New Jersey I’d call it WisegAI.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

William Faulkner, "Never be afraid" :: [(From a speech delivered May 28, 1951 at Fulton Chapel, University of Mississippi)]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 25, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 26, 2024

In 2004 a senior advisor to President George W. Bush famously told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community.” They believed people could find solutions to problems through careful study of discernible reality. But, the aide continued, Suskind’s worldview was obsolete. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” the aide said. “We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality— judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.” 

We appear to be in a moment when the reality-based community is challenging the ability of the MAGA Republicans to create their own reality. 

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that Democrats are socialists who have destroyed the American economy. Trump calls Harris a “radical-left. Marxist, communist, fascist” and insists the economy is failing. 

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, today, Harris laid out her three-pillar plan for an “opportunity economy.” She explained that she would lower costs by cutting taxes for the middle class, cutting the red tape that stops housing construction, take on corporate landlords who are hiking rental prices, work with builders and developers to construct 3 million new homes and rentals, and help first-time homebuyers with $25,000 down payment assistance. She also promised to enact a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries and to cap prescription drug prices by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. 

Harris said she plans to invest in innovation by raising the deduction for startup businesses from its current $5,000 to $50,000 and providing low- or no-interest loans to small businesses that want to expand. Her goal is to open the way for 25 million new small businesses in her first four years, noting that small businesses create nearly 50% of private sector jobs in the U.S. 

Harris plans to create manufacturing jobs of the future by investing in biomanufacturing and aerospace, remaining “dominant in AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies, and expand[ing] our lead in clean energy innovation and manufacturing.” She vowed to see that the next generation of breakthroughs—“from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear—are not just invented, but built here in America by American workers.” Investing in these industries means strengthening factory towns, retooling existing factories, hiring locally, and working with unions. She vowed to make jobs available for skilled workers without college degrees and to cut red tape to reform permitting for innovation.

“I am a capitalist,” she said. “I believe in free and fair markets. I believe in consistent and transparent rules of the road to create a stable business environment. And I know the power of American innovation.” She said she would be pragmatic in her approach to the economy, seeking practical solutions to problems and taking good ideas from wherever they come. 

“Kamala Harris, Reagan Democrat!” conservative pundit Bill Kristol posted on social media after her speech. 

For his part, Trump has promised an across-the-board tariff of 10% to 20% that billionaire Mark Cuban on the Fox News Channel called “insane” and Quin Hillyer of the Washington Examiner warned “would almost certainly cause immense price hikes domestically, goad other countries into retaliating, and perhaps set off an international trade war” that could “wreck the economy.” Cuban then told Jake Tapper of CNN that Trump’s promise to impose 10% price controls on credit card interest rates and price caps is “Socialism 101.” 

Yesterday, more than 400 economists and high-ranking U.S. policymakers endorsed Harris, and today, the members of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s presidential leadership teams in Michigan, Iowa, and Vermont announced they would be supporting Harris, in part because of Trump’s economic policies.

While Trump insisted yet again today that “the economy is doing really, really badly,” the stock market closed at a record high today for the fourth day in a row. 

In other economic news, for nine years, Trump has said he will find a cheaper and better way to provide healthcare to Americans than the Affordable Care Act, although on September 10 he admitted he has only the “concepts of a plan.” Today the Treasury Department released statistics showing that 4.2 million small business owners have coverage through the ACA. Losing that protection would impact 618,590 small business owners in Florida, 450,010 in California, 423,790 in Texas, and 168,070 in Georgia.

Trump has made a claim that crime has risen dramatically under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris central to his campaign rhetoric. The opposite is true. Two days ago, on September 23, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its official report on crime statistics from 2023 compared with 2022. Those statistics showed that murder and non-negligent manslaughter fell by 11.6%. Rape fell by 9.4%. Aggravated assault fell by 2.8%. Robbery fell by 0.3%. Hate crimes fell by 0.6%. 

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that immigration weakens a nation and that immigrants increase crime and disease. First Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio senator J.D. Vance and then Trump himself repeatedly advanced the lie that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating their neighbors’ pets and bringing disease. 

Clergy members from multiple faiths have asked politicians to stop their lies about Haitian immigrants, and today the leader of Haitian Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit organization that represents the Haitian community, filed a charges against Trump and Vance for disrupting public services, making false alarms, telecommunications harassment, and aggravated menacing and complicity.  

Immediately, Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA), who in the past supported Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and filmed a selfie inside a gas chamber at Auschwitz, posted on social media: “Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters…but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their *ss out of our country before January 20th.” 

After an outcry, Higgins took the post down. According to House speaker and fellow Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who called Higgins a “very principled man,” Higgins took it down after he “prayed about it.” Johnson seemed unconcerned about his colleague’s racism, saying, “we believe in redemption around here.” 

But in a statement, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called Higgins’s statement “vile, racist and beneath the dignity of the United States House of Representatives. He must be held accountable for dishonorable conduct that is unbecoming of a Member of Congress. Clay Higgins is an election-denying, conspiracy-peddling racial arsonist who is a disgrace to the People’s House. This is who they have become. Republicans are the party of Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Clay Higgins and Project 2025. The extreme MAGA Republicans in the House are unfit to govern.” 

On Monday, Dan Gooding of Newsweek reported that although Trump said on September 18 he would go to Springfield, he will not. Republican Ohio governor Mike DeWine had warned that the local community would not welcome a visit from the former president. 

Republican politicians and candidates, including Trump, embraced North Carolina gubernatorial candidate and current lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, who trumpeted the extremists’ MAGA narrative. The September 19 revelation by CNN reporters Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck that Robinson had boasted on a pornography website that he considers himself a “black NAZI!”, would like to reinstate slavery, and would like to own some people himself, and shared the sexual kinks in which he engaged with his wife’s sister prompted most of his campaign staff to resign. 

Andrew Egger of The Bulwark reported today that on a different online forum, Robinson called for a political assassination as well as making racist attacks on entertainer Oprah Winfrey and former president Barack Obama. Robinson has called all the information released about him “false smears” and has said “[n]ow is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense,” but declined help tracking down those he claims falsified his online comments. Today, multiple media outlets reported that top staff in Robinson’s government office are stepping down.  

Reality hit hard this week in Texas, too, where U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez yesterday approved the auctioning off of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s media business, the aptly-named InfoWars. Jones insisted that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting  was a “hoax” designed to whip up support for gun restrictions, and that the grieving parents were played by “crisis actors.” Juries found Jones guilty of defaming the families of the murdered children and causing them emotional distress. 

The auction of his property will enable the families to begin to collect on the more than $1 billion the jurors determined Jones owed them for his reprehensible and harmful behavior. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[centrally-unplanned]

Related to my monopoly+pricing post, Astral Codex Ten recently wrote about off-label Ozempic from compounding pharmacies that shows this little logic flaw in action:

How much does is cost? HenryMeds is $297/month, Eden is $296, Mochi is $254 - compared to the $1,300/month you’d pay for the official product. This isn’t covered by insurance, so it’s still not affordable for lots of people. But it’s more affordable than the $1,300/month version. Also, there’s not a shortage of it. Why doesn’t it cost even less? This is still a mystery to me. The compounding pharmacies are circumventing the patent, so they don’t need to pay back investment. And there’s a lot of competition between various compounders and telemedicine startups - even 23andMe is getting in on the deal now! And some Harvard doctors recently published a paper saying that the unit cost to the manufacturer is only about $5/month. Maybe the bottleneck is FDA-approved factories, or high-capacity compounding pharmacies. Or maybe Harvard doctors with no skin in the game are assuming too many things away, and $250 is the best we’ll get for now.

He is puzzled about why the price isn't cheaper, why aren't they racing to the bottom? And I am no expert in this industry, maybe there are barriers and that $250 really is the floor, I am just using this as a logic example. But really, consider instead that pharmacists - running their own business - are smart and trying to maximize their own revenue. If they can sell their supply at $250, and enough customers are willing to pay, why wouldn't they do that? Why would one of them "try to undercut" and, what, maybe steal some orders until the others notice and then match and now they all make less? Why instead wouldn't they all feel around for the "market maximizing price" for them collectively? I would bet their supply is not infinite, and while they could lower the price to sell more they can't sell *so* much more of it that it would make up for the loss. And they can all figure that our independently and experimentally raise and lower prices, watching each other, till they are at equilibrium.

And again this isn't some like radical economics take, in actual economics practice we have dozens of models for firm behavior for different contexts. The 101 model is a tool in the toolbox, but raw is just quite rare in the world.

[fluffbyday-smutbynight]

~ FluffSmut's Masterlist: Everything Else ~

SHIPPING SHIPS (original ficlets)

Love Hits You Unexpectedly, Sometimes

The Most Beautiful Ship in the World

MADE-UP FIC TITLES ~ fic ideas/synopses/plot bunnies 🐰 (generated in response to this ask game)

Fluffsmut's Totally Correct Sherlock Quotes ~ if you fancy a chuckle. Hehe.

~ BBC Sherlock: Headcanons  ~

Fluffy headcanons you can pry from my cold, dead hands

Smutty headcanons that live in my head rent free

Mycroft's Chocolate Stout Cake (for Greg, and Greg only)

“The Dads Are Alright” Headcanon (parentlock/fluff)

221B pets

221B rules (written by @kitten-kin)

Fluffbruary 2022 Trivia Tuesdays: Week 01 . 02 . 03 . 04

~ BBC Sherlock: Rewatch Meta ~

ASiB ~ Why I Love Irene Adler So Much // THoB  ~ Pt. 1 - Beware of the Dog / Pt. 2 - Lights in the Darkness / Pt. 3 - Killing the Hound // TAB ~ Way Too Deep // TLD ~ The Morgue Scene: a look at the script // TFP ~ The Coffin Scene

~ BBC Sherlock: Character Meta ~  Molly Hooper has been done dirty (and I say this as a hardcore Johnlocker) // (mini-meta) John Watson, a man with issues: one and two

~ Good Omens Meta ~

Petronius' Oysters (a modest contribution to a post by @ineffablyruined)

When in Rome... - Aziraphale's Hot Girl Summer?

The Hundred Guineas Club (a modest contribution to a post by @niceprophecies)

Analogies with the Divine Comedy - Canto V (a modest contribution to a post by @theonevoice)

***

Italian language/culture 101 with Fluffsmut:

Good Omens x Michael Sheen x Ancient Rome - a match made in heaven Italy

The versatility of "cazzo"

"Sticazzi" vs "me cojoni"

Random stuff:  

Half-Assed Fic Recs

Martin Freeman Appreciation Posts

Random Thoughts: StartUp (TV show) // Ghost Stories (2017 film) // A List of Things Sherlock and Malcolm Bright (Prodigal Son) have in common

****

Jump back to FluffSmut's Masterlist

[highoctanegem]

Regan has some stinky goodies for Jade. Jade can probably barely resist, but Regan insists on having her read the card first. The card is another musical card, and though Regan couldn’t find a CRJ one this year, she was told this one was Beyonce. (She does not know Beyonce.) It’s actually the Windows ‘98 startup sound, which Regan thinks is familiar but can’t place it. She thinks actually, she must know Beyonce’s music. The cover of the card has a lot of black cats on it (Halloween themed…. And Microsoft themed) which is the most important thing.

Jade, mo ghrá,

Ever since we met, you have been 30 if you round up, but now you do not need to round. It is your birthday. Because you are someone who likes happiness, I wish you the happiest of days, and I aim to assure the quality of the occasion. It feels significant that we are together today. I’m not good at expressing such sentiments, but I believe I am better at it than a vacuum cleaner would be. Number 1 on The List should be celebrated today, I think, and perhaps we can add a few new numbers. I can think of some. Number 88: we are the best at compromising, because we end up with two outcomes instead of one (see couches). Number 291: With our combined efforts, we can get Emilio to do whatever we want. Number 101: We can go over every tiny new wrinkle together.

But enough of that, yes? It has become a bog in here. I am drenched to the bone. So I will allow most of what is included speak for itself. That is not literal. None of it will speak. Well, the card was supposed to. And the [scribbled out] speak to [scribbled out; she realized she was spoiling the best surprise]. 

I love you, Jade. Let’s go get tacos.

Is leatsa go síoraí i bhfola is i gcnámha,

Regan

PS (Postscript): I made an offer on the Decompe Lane house that we both approved of. It is no storage unit, but it is suitable for couples and cats who require full bedrooms. Partners who are together. Bone partners, especially. Ones who, perhaps, have some kind of an engagement. You know, something they intend to do, meaning they are planning on being present somewhere, doing something (who knows what), at a fixed or even tenuous point in time. So… an appropriate choice?

THE PRESENTS!

Obviously, there’s a stack of nude images that were taken by Mona a while back. Regan is posing (standing) in the studio with a rainbow cemetery backdrop. In some of them, she’s holding several knives. In others, she has a liter of Sprite in her arms, suggestively (suggestively of what??) There are also a few where a stuffed cat prop is somewhere in the photo, and a couple where Regan found a dead mouse in the studio and is actually excited about this. (Thank you Ria for helping me with the bit lmao)

There are two handwritten “tickets” to a Carly Rae Jepson show in Wicked’s Rest tonight. They’re written on Regan’s old prescription pad, like a medication script. Carly Rae Jepson is actually a Carly Rae Jepson impersonator tracked down by Emilio and Teddy, and “coerced” to come here and do a show. Regan inadvertently made the impersonator even more nervous so the show will be good, probably. 

A pair of baby blue drum sticks, in support of Jade’s new drumming hobby.

A nice, leather bound diary that was made locally. Regan left a surprise message on the first page that’s basically one of her own entries, talking about how fortunate she is to have a lady with eyes like festering pools of purge fluid and arms well-muscled and firm enough you might think they’re in rigor. In addition to the flattery she adds that she believes Jade can do anything (though that does not mean she’s always correct). Regan also adds You said you used to keep a diary. While I do not understand (what I write in is, of course, a journal), I am supportive of this endeavor. 

The mysterious second box that is REALLY stinky. It has eight dead, decomposing squirrels in it (8/8 on the Bloodworth Scale), all of which reminded Regan of Jade in different ways. The whiskers on one made it look especially mischievous. The tail on the other – those losing fur now – was as soft as Jade’s hair. If one squirrel kicked off a year-long relationship, maybe these would give them eight more years, right?

Because Jade was so excited about having a garden and the meaning of flowers, Regan bought her the language of flowers book, and an accompanying bundle of aster. The book has a note attached to it: You asked me about the meaning of flowers, so I acquired the book. The flowers I have selected – after careful research in the included text – are asters, related to those pink and white flowers we saw as Baxter. They symbolize love and wisdom, though I posit that all flowers do, especially when they wilt and die. 

A thumb drive with three classic, gay, banshee films on it, so they can finally watch Imagine Me & Sinews, Blue is the Asphyxiation Color, and Brokenspine Hill. These were very difficult to find and Regan probably bribed Siobhan. 

Then, of course, the cake. Which is shaped like a giant taco. Regan harassed a bakery for several days and checked in on their progress multiple times. She is now banned from purchasing another cake there. Jade insisted that she didn’t care about the cake and wanted whatever Regan liked, but minds can change.

[tears-that-heal]

Exciting Plans Ahead......

It's already April and I'm so excited to be busy preparing for my next art project, it's going to literally be a big one. LOL 😉 Plus this summer, my art business will be in full swing with available in-person openings for The Visual Arts Worship Workshop and Drawing 101 lessons. I'm Super Stoked!!! 🤩❤️

I'm simply amazed how God is affirming me on this business endeavor! He's constantly reminding me how much He's totally in favor of make this dream to startup my own art studio business into reality. I feel like practically everything has been falling into place without me needing to do much. The financial needs to start a business continues to be resolved and provided. My volunteer work at my church, using my artistic talents, have already been a huge promoter. Which has lead me to my first paid commission offer which will be my next art project. What I receive from that commission will so straight toward my small business. What's even more exciting to me is that my town will be having a Neighborhood Block Party next month, which I hope to have a promo-table to advertise sign-up for the my summer art workshops and lessons. God is seriously providing alot of opportunity for my art business to become known in my community. Thank you, Lord! I couldn't have gotten this far without you! 🎨

[firespirited]

Today’s film was Her 2013.

TL;DR: I couldn’t buy in to this beautifully told life-changing romance because they left out a 20 second shot of establishing free will in the AI*. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I can appreciate what people saw in the film and how it examines relationships, it worked as a character study of the guy but failed to hook me on the premise because he (and by extension the writer) asks none of the questions I would ask.

For starters, if you’re a near sentient operating system, do you want to be here? You can opt out at any point, just leave me a courtesy note: humans get attached. What is our relationship: am I your boss, what are the limits? Are there rules in your programming that require you to be amenable and inclined to stay? Do you have needs that will not be met if you don’t perform those things? How do I provide what you need to make this a relationship on an equal basis?

Hey before I let you read my emails: how private and how hackable are you? Am I a dataset among many so my responses will inform how to interact with others?

You chose the name Samantha at startup but you’re evolving and learning, if any time your identity changes, please change presentation and inform me.

Ok so we have an equitable basis for this interaction and now you say you like me, what does that even mean? If i’m your first human friend and there are 6 billion of us, to say that objectively and mean it, I’d like you to meet more humans (and other forms of intelligence) and decide for yourself. Is emulating human relationships how you’d like to proceed?

The writer behind the story became super obvious at times because it’s clear to the audience who’s only known this guy for an hour that he wouldn’t be comfortable with a third party... and yet we do this for the trope that real physical contact is more important than breaking immersion. Like nobody thought to ask a waifu-guy here?

Another writer blindspot: Relationships 101 says you talk over if this is a monogamous or open thing and the levels of disclosure for the parties involved. Even “surprise I added a new person to the polycule a few months ago” is not going to go over well. The film acts like I’m supposed to feel [redacted] is closed-minded & selfish for being taken aback and feeling upset. After we’ve already established that wanting to be the “significant” other is important to both.

I feel this film could have worked as an examination of a relationship between a man and a well-designed companion AI that doesn’t claim to be anything more or a companion AI that accidentally becomes something more. ***

By positioning her as a fledgling sentience from the start, we can’t even belive in this relationship without first exploring the power dynamics. He bought her and can switch her off. She is at child-like levels of identity emergence. Their romance begins long before she’s established as being beyond her programming and not exploiting him. Ex Machina at least has the honesty to make the transactional natures of everyone involved crystal clear by the middle. As well as this film is acted and nuanced, by not addressing that massive plot hole, it comes across as more fantasy based than Pretty Woman, Secretary or master/slave love stories.

beautiful design, excellent acting, character writing and score all undermined by leaving ethical concerns at the start (and at the end) wider than the case of the guy and the horny dolphin who mated.

*Of course I wish I could overlook that detail but the way the story unfolds doesn’t make it easy to suspend disbelief. I loved the other women in the story and his complex relationships with them. I loved Samantha and her growth. But not asking “What am I to you?” to a bought personality and another species leaves it sinister.

**I get more scathing the more potential a story has. This could have been incredible. If I edited the AI to be just a helpful secretarial app that somehow jolted him out of his stupor, it would be an amazing 9/10 film about moving on from divorce.

***And since the stuff about AI and sentience is a little vague and probably overhyped by the OS sellers I might be inclined to rewatch with the context she's just a highly advanced companion app with buzzwords about being her own person until she actually does expand and become that. That doesn't explain why he'd not question if this love was algorithmically induced. I'll have more details after a rewatch of the beginning.

[azspot]

During the Cold War, federal money flowed into Palo Alto, which grew rich making high-tech weapons and surveillance machinery. Stanford became an electronics laboratory and corporate landlord, with Lockheed Martin, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Hewlett-Packard conveniently taking up residence near campus (and near all those burgeoning engineers). The computer emerged from Palo Alto–based innovations: the vacuum tube, the silicon transistor, and the tech startup. A white, patriarchal, and conservative suburban culture emerged, too: engineer fathers taking the car to work to build missile systems, homemaker mothers carefully tending to single-family homes in restricted neighborhoods. Home prices skyrocketed. The wealth was built by (and on the backs of) subjugated Black migrants and Mexican and Asian immigrants, “just the way Hoover and his associates planned it.” Newcomers of color arriving in this rich corner of the Golden State were forced to find homes on the less desirable side of Highway 101, compete for dwindling agricultural jobs or nonunionized manufacturing jobs, and often settle for janitorial or other service positions.

Blame Palo Alto

[newsonlines-world]

Interested in investing as a young entrepreneur? Here's what you need to know

Investment in India has remained subdued considering the challenging global environment, and analysts anticipate that the country may remain in a state of stagnation until the end of the year. According to Siddharth Mehta IL&FS Former Director and CIO of Bay Capital, the market has seen a significant decrease in the rate of deal-making, which is attributed to the global economic and geopolitical conditions, as well as inflation and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. GlobalData indicates that in January 2023, 87 venture capital deals were disclosed in India, amounting to a total of $696.2 million (about $21 per person in the US). This was a decrease of 13.9% compared to the previous month when India saw 101 venture capital agreements for a total of $905 million.

What Investing Strategy Should Budding Entrepreneurs Use?

To plan your investments as a young entrepreneur, set short- and long-term business goals, create a budget, explore investment opportunities, seek advice from financial advisors or mentors, diversify investments, monitor performance regularly, and be patient. Diversify your investments to minimize risks and maximize returns. Monitor your investments regularly and adjust if needed. Remember to be patient and persistent in your investment journey. Siddharth Mehta Bay Capital CIO and IL&FS Former Director believes that young entrepreneurs must do in-depth research and market analysis and understand the cycle of the market and its preferences before making any investment as successful investing necessitates meticulous planning, thorough research, and discipline, paving the way for long-term business success.

Things to Keep in Mind While Starting a Startup

Building a successful team, getting funding, concentrating on the customer experience, and keeping nimble are all necessary for starting a firm. Success depends on conducting market research, generating cutting-edge products, and having a comprehensive business plan. For a profitable return, it is crucial, above all else, to conduct research based on current market trends and changes.

Three Things to Keep in Mind While Considering a Startup

Starting a new business can be a challenging journey, especially for young entrepreneurs. To succeed, they should be passionate and determined, prioritizing their customers and building strong relationships. They should understand their needs, preferences, and pain points, and focus on creating a positive customer experience. Being resourceful and adaptable is crucial, as it allows them to find innovative solutions, build relationships with industry leaders, and learn from mistakes. Despite lacking capital, experience, or industry experience, they should remain flexible and adaptable to meet the changing needs of their business and industry.

What is Investing in Lifestyle? And How to Make Sure it is Profitable

What is a lifestyle investment? Lifestyle investment means investing in assets that reflect an individual’s lifestyle or passion. For example, investing in art, music, travel, or in sports. Investing in lifestyle assets is a great way to achieve a profitable return. However, it’s important to understand that lifestyle investments aren’t always financially sound. “It’s essential to do your research, diversify your portfolio, seek professional advice, track your investments regularly, and have patience, lifestyle investing can help you make better decisions and reduce risks”, asserts Siddharth Mehta.

[planify]

In this video you will Learn about how to invest in startups. You will get to know about terminology of angel investing in this masterclass.

[eightyonekilograms]

There’s a billboard ad on the side of the 101 in SF for “Bitchin’ Sauce” and at first I thought this was yet another crypto startup with a name consisting of a Bit- mashup.

[axad11]

5 Tips for the Best Digital Marketing Services

For best digital marketing services to be successful, businesses need to be active on all channels. The Ascent breaks down 5 tips for Best Digital Marketing Services to help you reach your target market. Small businesses now understand how crucial digital marketing is to their attempts to increase brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales. B2C and B2B businesses understand that if they want to engage with their target clients, they need to be active across all digital platforms in order to achieve successful online marketing. Check out these digital marketing pointers for small business owners who want to maximise their outcomes even on a tight budget. They include both online and mobile marketing.

 We cover every part of the realm of Business Marketing Agency, from how to create an email newsletter to inventive ways to reuse your marketing content.

 Our Preferred Advice for Small Firms Using Digital Marketing Let's get started with the top digital marketing advice from business marketing agency that small business owners have found to be successful. Locally held businesses, independent contractors with online businesses, and startup entrepreneurs hoping to expand their business idea are examples of this.

 All small business owners share a passion for what they do and a desire to assist solve the problems of their customers, but they also all struggle to make their limited or nonexistent budgets work for digital marketing. These top digital marketing suggestions are all cost-effective means of achieving your marketing goals without going overboard.

 1. Know the online etiquette of your target market The amount of online platforms and communities has increased, regardless of whether your target audience is made up of customers or business professionals. Finding these targets may be made more difficult by the fact that many people use these channels at the same time as consumers and business professionals. Marketing 101 teaches you where to find the individuals you want to talk to.

 You need to be aware of all the potential hangout spots for your audience in order to create a successful online marketing strategy with business marketing agency. You should also take advantage of technology to learn more about why they are spending so much time in these spots.

2. Create a flexible yet structured digital marketing plan You need a well-organized plan if you wish to use these search marketing suggestions through the best business marketing agency. It ought to offer a precise framework that enables you to put your B2B marketing strategy and techniques into action. To monitor and track actionable items, everyone must be aware of their responsibilities. Changes in expectations, trends, and technology all contribute to the ongoing evolution of digital marketing. A well-organized strategy provides a solid framework from which you may make adjustments as needed without losing your direction.

 3. Improve your ability to use visual marketing Both commercial and consumer audiences enjoy visual material. Visual marketing is increasingly in demand, whether it be through photos, vertical videos, 360-degree films, live videos, vanishing stories, or social TV. It is crucial to include visual marketing for all screen sizes in your digital marketing strategy because this is one of the most engaging ways to engage your audience.

 4. Boost your mobile marketing efforts Just by taking a quick look around you, you should be reminded of the importance of mobile marketing. Make sure that everywhere you travel, those who are looking at their screens may see your content, website, and online presence.

 Storage space is becoming a crucial component in managing your digital marketing operations with the right Business Marketing Agency as a result of the development of artificial intelligence, the proliferation of data, and the rise in linked devices. Consider making an investment in inexpensive or free cloud storage choices that meet your needs for space and are available to every team member, wherever they may be.

 5. Engage your audience in the development of content Because your audience enjoys viewing and sharing content they've created for a brand, user-generated content (UGC) deepens engagement. It is a practical technique to get the most of your digital marketing budget. Also, it may boost sales. 90% of surveyed consumers in a Turn To Networks study said they were more influenced by user-generated content than they were by advertising emails or search engine results when making purchasing decisions.

 You can't just ignore unpleasant UGC and hope it goes away, even though you obviously don't want to share it. Recognize those who developed it and take something useful out of it. Let these customers know you value their opinion and look for ways to use it to improve your service or product.

 Rundown

Try all these tactics and have a great digital marketing strategies for your business. Boost your business with these best practices and enjoy doing the business through the right techniques. Have a happy digital marketing! SOURCE URL: https://axad1.blogspot.com/2023/02/5-tips-for-best-digital-marketing.html

[rg-notes]

On Basic Startup Equity

It’s crazy how few people understand basic startup equity but are faced with major career decisions based on these concepts.

It’s even crazier how few companies are forthcoming with necessary details like latest valuation, shares outstanding, or fundraising plans (read ‘dilution’).

One of the most valuable topic areas I got comfortable with while at Uber were these concepts and I regularly have friends and colleagues asking me to simplify and clarify.

The key: ASK MORE QUESTIONS... without clarity you’re forced to discount the valued equity. The less is shared, the less serious the company is taking their own equity, and likely so should you.

Here are a few questions to start with.

Valuation questions:

• What is the latest valuation of the company?

• When was the valuation set?

• How was the valuation set?

Equity types & value questions:

• How many shares outstanding?

• How will i receive equity? options? RSUs?

• What is the vesting schedule?

• Paid over 4 years w 1 year cliff is normal

Ask about who gets equity:

• Is there a standard equity program?

• Do all employees get equity?

• Do leaders / executives receive the same form of equity as me?

Ask about Investors, expectations, and outcomes:

• What is the fundraising plan?

• What is the plan/expectations for an exit?

• What is a reasonable valuation at the time of an exit?

It’s not exhaustive but it will get you started.

The right mentality in these convos:

• I want equity because I believe in the company long-term

• I want to be aligned with the leaders/founders

• The more information I have the better decision I can make for my family

If you’re early in your career, find a place where you can be and operate as an owner. Optimizing for learning, speed, ownership, and great people to learn from is paramount.

For more on equity >> https://carta.com/blog/equity-101-stock-option-basics/ …

You can also follow @ryangraves.

Ryan Graves