ALERT: Due to the concerns of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, the City of Austin has canceled SXSW by declaring a local disaster. (Official City Press Release & SXSW Statement). Many local events are still on; we are working diligently with partners, sponsors, and the Austin community to continue our support of business and investment. Funded House is proceeding so stay … Read More
The Door is Open to Venture Capital, Why are We Told We Need an Intro?
Very common advice in startup communities: that the way to get connected to investors is with a warm introduction. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear it, read it, or am part of such a discussion on a panel. Prompting this article, was being asked to answer on Quora, ‘Why are VCs so adamant about warm intros?‘ And … Read More
Lessons from Media: The Realistic Growth of Revenue for an Average Startup
It struck me over the recent holidays that founders and entrepreneurs have far more they might learn from Media than is readily apparent. Among startups, investors, mentors, advisors, and incubators, such as Collective, are queried again and again on the question of revenue and what founders and teams should expect (or the expectations they should set) regarding that coveted of … Read More
Improving Organizations’ Communications
It’s a stale and boring headline but I’ll be honest, I really couldn’t come up with a more buzzfeed-worthy attention grabber, nor SEO targeted phrase, because the root of the thought here is really this simple: Today’s organizations suck at communications. According to a survey of 4,000 employees, almost half were unsure of what was being asked of them. HR magazine Bear with … Read More
Disney’s Strategy is a Study in Pivots through Market Development
In 2017, August, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the company would be pulling shows from Netflix and similar streaming services; the news, highlighted by Thrillist, shed light on their plans to make their way into that already crowded streaming market with the launch of their own direct-to-consumer service for shows and movies. We now know a lot about Disney+ and that it … Read More
MediaTech Ventures’ Collective Takes Home A Scootee!
There are few awards as coveted as the Golden Scooter. Artisan crafted by the recherché Alexandria Marr, Scootee holds it’s place among Oscar, Nobel, and Palme d’Or. And last week, Collective, our incubator, rode home on the inaugural Golden Scooter. Born of impassioned startup advisors and program Directors from throughout Texas, Marr took upon herself the mission of creating an … Read More
My Kids had the Audacity to Setup a Podcast Studio
“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” – Pablo Picasso Being the computer geek that I am, our house is littered with old computers, monitors, dvd players, and cables. Nothing gets thrown away, on the off chance that that 500 MB hard drive from 2002 needs to be used. Being a dad … Read More