Comments for Startup Life http://startupexec.wordpress.com Entreprenueurship in Action Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:12:32 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Podcast & New Media Expo trade show by Michael Sharp http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/podcast-new-media-trade-show/#comment-12 Michael Sharp Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:12:32 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/podcast-new-media-trade-show/#comment-12 Hi Mark, Michael Sharp here with phonecasting.com Your booth was a really big shoe and looked great! All in all I feel the show was a fun time very well put together by Tim and his team. We at phonecasting heard about the show late and barely had time to grab a banner and a laptop.. still we had a fantastic response non stop. Please call me if ever I can be of any service to you. You guys have a great product and we wish you all the best. Michael Sharp CEO Phonecasting.com Hi Mark,
Michael Sharp here with phonecasting.com
Your booth was a really big shoe and looked great! All in all I feel the show was a fun time very well put together by Tim and his team. We at phonecasting heard about the show late and barely had time to grab a banner and a laptop.. still we had a fantastic response non stop.

Please call me if ever I can be of any service to you. You guys have a great product and we wish you all the best.
Michael Sharp
CEO
Phonecasting.com

]]> Comment on Poor experience with RacePoint PR Firm by Todd Defren http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/poor-experience-with-racepoint-pr-firm/#comment-11 Todd Defren Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:27:43 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/poor-experience-with-racepoint-pr-firm/#comment-11 Hi Mark - As an agency owner I do understand the need to set a minimum bar: at some point you take a 10K account and it represents an "opportunity cost." There are only so many hours in the day, and with that 10K account in-hand you've essentially lost an opportunity to handle a 15-20K account with the same team. HOWEVER, there's something to be said for courtesy and helpfulness, for the plain sake of being courteous and respectful. Whether your budget is $5k, $15k or $50k per month, my bet is that you'll never call Racepoint in the future. (Of course, if it's not too late, we'd be happy to chat with you at SHIFT. Even if we can't help you out we're always good about helping find alternatives.) Best of luck. Hi Mark -
As an agency owner I do understand the need to set a minimum bar: at some point you take a 10K account and it represents an “opportunity cost.” There are only so many hours in the day, and with that 10K account in-hand you’ve essentially lost an opportunity to handle a 15-20K account with the same team.

HOWEVER, there’s something to be said for courtesy and helpfulness, for the plain sake of being courteous and respectful. Whether your budget is $5k, $15k or $50k per month, my bet is that you’ll never call Racepoint in the future.

(Of course, if it’s not too late, we’d be happy to chat with you at SHIFT. Even if we can’t help you out we’re always good about helping find alternatives.)

Best of luck.

]]> Comment on Looking for a Top-Notch Public Relations firm by italovignoli http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/looking-for-a-top-notch-public-relations-firm/#comment-10 italovignoli Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:41:43 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/looking-for-a-top-notch-public-relations-firm/#comment-10 Hi Mark, we can support your company in Italy, but I suspect that you need help in the States. Anyway, if you plan to come to Europe we can be of some help. Cheers, Italo Hi Mark, we can support your company in Italy, but I suspect that you need help in the States. Anyway, if you plan to come to Europe we can be of some help. Cheers, Italo

]]> Comment on Premium Wine and Beer in a Bottle by Mike http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/premium-wine-and-beer-in-a-bottle/#comment-9 Mike Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:34:56 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/premium-wine-and-beer-in-a-bottle/#comment-9 In the late 1980s when I first consulted at Time Magazine, I was quite surprised to find mini-fridges stocked with beer, and wine served with dinner for close nights. How, I wondered, can they write and edit while tipsy? Little did I know. I was awed, one late Friday, when a squat white-haired man came to the edit tech bullpen, snagged a beer from the fridge, and hung out for 20 minutes, chatting and musing on politics. After he left, I turned bug-eyed to a colleague and said "OK, that was Carl Bernstein, right?" A little booze goes a long way in creative environments. In the late 1980s when I first consulted at Time Magazine, I was quite surprised to find mini-fridges stocked with beer, and wine served with dinner for close nights. How, I wondered, can they write and edit while tipsy? Little did I know.

I was awed, one late Friday, when a squat white-haired man came to the edit tech bullpen, snagged a beer from the fridge, and hung out for 20 minutes, chatting and musing on politics. After he left, I turned bug-eyed to a colleague and said “OK, that was Carl Bernstein, right?”

A little booze goes a long way in creative environments.

]]> Comment on Why am I blogging? by Chris24 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/why-am-i-blogging/#comment-8 Chris24 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:35:41 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/why-am-i-blogging/#comment-8 Great idea. <blockquote>My hope is to put a personal feel behind TalkShoe as a company.</blockquote> Great, I love learning more about TalkShoe. :-) Great idea.

My hope is to put a personal feel behind TalkShoe as a company.

Great, I love learning more about TalkShoe. :-)

]]> Comment on 1-year Anniversary of Leo Laporte using TalkShoe by Chris24 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/1-year-anniversary-of-leo-laporte-using-talkshoe/#comment-7 Chris24 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:33:01 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/1-year-anniversary-of-leo-laporte-using-talkshoe/#comment-7 It's interesting to hear about the first net@nite episode. I wasn't here for the first net@nite episode, but I sure was here for the Digg episode. That was a great episode, wasn't that the episode that broken the streaming too? I want to thank you and the rest of the TalkShoe team for the awesome service. I've met so many very cool people just like me! Usually I get involved with something for a few months, and then visit every once in a while. I'm still a TalkShoe member/user 1 whole year later. You guys offer a great service :-) It’s interesting to hear about the first net@nite episode. I wasn’t here for the first net@nite episode, but I sure was here for the Digg episode. That was a great episode, wasn’t that the episode that broken the streaming too?

I want to thank you and the rest of the TalkShoe team for the awesome service. I’ve met so many very cool people just like me! Usually I get involved with something for a few months, and then visit every once in a while. I’m still a TalkShoe member/user 1 whole year later. You guys offer a great service :-)

]]> Comment on Poor experience with RacePoint PR Firm by Lauren Selikoff http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/poor-experience-with-racepoint-pr-firm/#comment-4 Lauren Selikoff Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:54:04 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/poor-experience-with-racepoint-pr-firm/#comment-4 I cringe every time I hear something like this - not only does it hurt the reputation of this firm individually, it hurts the industry as a whole. While I have run across firms that are solely focused on profits, the vast majority of PR practitioners operate their businesses with passion, insight, commitment and a focus on achieving results for their clients. I hope you are able to find a firm that will focus on meeting--and exceeding--your business goals... I cringe every time I hear something like this – not only does it hurt the reputation of this firm individually, it hurts the industry as a whole. While I have run across firms that are solely focused on profits, the vast majority of PR practitioners operate their businesses with passion, insight, commitment and a focus on achieving results for their clients. I hope you are able to find a firm that will focus on meeting–and exceeding–your business goals…

]]> Comment on How is the Internet like a T-bone Steak? by chuck http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/22/how-is-the-internet-like-a-t-bone-steak/#comment-3 chuck Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:24:19 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/18/how-is-the-internet-like-a-t-bone-steak/#comment-3 Not everyone is Google. We get it. But, if you make a superior product people will pay. What's wrong with that business model? Freemium works, it creates passionate users, a stable base of support (open up a forum, the people that pay for the service are the ones answering all the questions - they pay to be your staff). Not everyone is willing to pay for a product, just the same reason not everyone uses a product for more than 1 week. I can think of about 12 sites I have accounts for and used less than an hour and abandoned (people like me are useless and a drain), yet they were "free" alternatives to a freemium site. 37 Signals has talked about this alot. All their products have a free version, but it does little to nothing, it almost doesn't qualify to have the title "Freemium" They are going strong and just took their first round of investment. It works. It can generate lots of returns. Not everyone is Google. We get it. But, if you make a superior product people will pay. What’s wrong with that business model? Freemium works, it creates passionate users, a stable base of support (open up a forum, the people that pay for the service are the ones answering all the questions – they pay to be your staff). Not everyone is willing to pay for a product, just the same reason not everyone uses a product for more than 1 week. I can think of about 12 sites I have accounts for and used less than an hour and abandoned (people like me are useless and a drain), yet they were “free” alternatives to a freemium site.

37 Signals has talked about this alot. All their products have a free version, but it does little to nothing, it almost doesn’t qualify to have the title “Freemium” They are going strong and just took their first round of investment. It works. It can generate lots of returns.

]]> Comment on Premium Wine and Beer in a Bottle by chuck http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/premium-wine-and-beer-in-a-bottle/#comment-2 chuck Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:15:59 +0000 http://startupexec.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/premium-wine-and-beer-in-a-bottle/#comment-2 You don't publish this fact like so many other starts talk about their gourmet lunches and lavish amenities - so what is the value to the company aside from the camaraderie? It doesn't seem to be a recruiting effort. You don’t publish this fact like so many other starts talk about their gourmet lunches and lavish amenities – so what is the value to the company aside from the camaraderie? It doesn’t seem to be a recruiting effort.

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