The path of a startup entrepreneur will require at least one round of funding (unless you have an “Aunt Winfrey or Uncle Gates” in your back pocket).  This quest is often stressful, and many nights will be spent in deep meditation, while you debate how much of your baby you are willing to give up for adoption.  Whether you are a budding entrepreneur, or are ready to embark into IPO territory, the proverbial debate over how to “break up the pie” and how to "come out ahead” is always up for discussion. 

A very cool infographic by San Francisco-based startup Funders and Founders breaks down the funding path of a successful entrepreneur.   It does a great job of identifying the steps and potential expectations as Founders obtain funding and grow their business to success.  In fact, check out their website!  It has many insightful and informative infographics for entrepreneurs.  

Image Credit: Funders and Founders

I was actually galvanized to write this article a few months back, after cringing at the annual site of the Yellow Pages shrinked wrapped and delivered in front of the entrance to my office.  I kept looking around for the culprit, expecting to see a deliveryman navigating the business district with horse-and-buggy, and a crazed treehugger running behind him with red paint on their hands yelling "tree killer"!

It has been at least 8  to 10 years since I used a big yellow book to locate a service, but I get that many Baby Boomers still make good use of the relics. I don't hear my mother demanding to know the Yelp reviews before patronizing a new dry cleaners.  I think Baby Boomers will eventually step away from the Yellow "door stoppers", if they haven't already, but what I find interesting is its successor – SEO – has already become outdated in its original form.

Readwrite recently posted an article outlining 10 Technology Skills No Longer In Demand.  Number four on the list was SEO Specialist.  That's right, the successor to the Yellow Pages has already come and gone.  SEO work is expected to be devalued moving forward as smartphones, apps, real-time location information and social media recommendation diminishes the importance of search results.

The Yellow Pages is an easy target, but I bet it wasn't too long ago you proudly boasted about your knowledge of MS Office or Windows XP under "Skill Sets" on your resume. Yet, today, that is equivalent to boasting about your ability to answer the phone properly.  And how long does it take the Gen Z kids to master an OS or application?  Blindfolded, my four-year-old nephew can navigate his way around iOS, and the mastery of an app takes hours not months.  His generation will have never known life without a computer.  What technology skill sets will he boast about on his resume in 20 years?

Just a reminder there's no reason to be complacent or bored. Move forward entrepreneurs, allowing your creativity and passion to lead the way. 

Frequent readers of this blog know I am a big proponent of where Natural User Interface (NUI) can and will take technology.  So you can imagine how excited I was to come across MYO – a gesture control armband.   MYO measures the electrical activities in your forearm and uses the data to interface with computers.   Snapping, hand wave, hand stop, up, down – are all new sign languages to replace point and click mouse interfacing. 

Even better, the MYO developers know the uses of this type of NUI are endless, so they are releasing an API kit.  Brilliant!  I believe those developers who can think beyond the one dimensional UI plane and incorporate NUI into depth perception will uncover a goldmine.  When I can use my hands to reach beyond the flat surface of a UI and construct a CAD drawing, or perform a simulated medical procedure NUI will have arrived. When I can flick my wrist and make annoying peoples go away… OK maybe that's going too far.

MYO is available for pre-order for $149.  I am not a 100% sold on this approach to market by new technology companies, as I've heard too many failed attempts at delivery via the crowd-funding platforms.  However I do wish MYO the best of luck. Make it into the mainstream! This is a great step forward in NUI.

Pre-order: $149

We first saw this technology in action at the SID (Society of Information Display) Conference in Los Angeles back in 2008. At the time e-readers were just becoming a part of the mainstream. I remember one particular e-reader company (which never made it to market) had a device that essentially acted like an electronic scroll.  Retracted, the device was about 3" x 4" and when pulled apart at the ends like a scroll, a larger viewing area was unveiled.  

This video, reveals a different use for the flexible digital display – where each flexible display is capable of interacting with another.  I can think of a hundred different applications for this technology however, my question remains (as it did back in 2008) for all anti-glare screen technology… Where is the colored ink?  

This is just a brilliant example of what it means to create from "the thinking stuff".  Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves, London based designers took on a project to help a village in Africa in need of a renewable source of energy to break their dependence on kerosene propelled lanterns.  Solar must be the solution, right?  Think again, but this time look down instead of up and think cheaper!  Curious?  We'll let the video take over from here…

Go here to learn more about how to help this project along.

Onward fellow entrepreneurs and well done Martin and Jim!

Many of us serial entrepreneurs are so familiar with easily accessing the World Wide Web with laptops, iPads and screen real estate – so consuming we hardly have room on our desks for a cup of coffee.  I wonder what kind of entrepreneurial zeal we would have if a simple Nokia cellphone was our only access to the internet? Would we still be an effective inventor and entrepreneur?  What if you were 17 years old and the same applied? 

Check out Ludwick Marishane's amazing story of how he invented and patented the waterless bath using only his cellphone to resource information. With over 2.5 billion people denied access to sanitary water, this young man has an incredibly bright future. 

Now Apple enthusiasts can bring some pizzazz to their workspace or office with the eye-catching Lazerwood Keys. Warning! This is a DYI project – requiring precision, patience and time. However, if you are in to "nature oriented" office furnishings then the end result should be worth the effort.

Compatible with US keyboard layouts, the thin adhesive-backed wood pieces adhere to the keys of Apple Wireless keyboards – converting them to mini “works of art”. The Lazerwood Keys are user-friendly for Apple’s Macbook and desktop keyboards (including extending keyboards), and come in two rich colors – walnut and cherry wood.

Pricing starts at $40. The Lazerwood Keys can be removed without damage to the keyboard (if you are careful).

Company perks in my dad's day included a company car, a corner window office and unlimited refills at the water cooler.  Everybody had access to the lunchroom area on the 4th floor consisting of yellow painted walls, a sitting area, microwave and the infamous refrigerator with death threat post-its – "To Whomever Drank My Tab:  May the flees of a thousand camels infest your armpits" .  Next to the lunchroom was the row of behemoth vending machines:  Cigarettes, soda, and the beloved junk machine – filled with candy bars, chips, no-expiration honey buns, and the full assortment of Wrigley gum on the bottom row.  An energy boost came from dropping two dimes and a nickel into that high-tech coffee machine, filtering water through ashtray remnants. But, if you added enough powdered cream and sugar it may… at some point…resemble coffee. 

Let's leapfrog 25 years ahead and stop by the free espresso bar for your morning cup of java.  Hungry for a snack? Try the free health bar – loaded with power bars, fruit, nuts and yogurt.  Be sure to make use of the company gym, pool and rock climbing wall and if you need a power nap in the middle of the day, the company will gladly supply a cozy blanket and a comfortable "quiet zone". 

It is true that to attract top talent, the New Age of business calls for bold ideas across the board.   However, the motivation behind enticing perks is not solely geared toward attracting talent.  Sure it helps, but another rationale is for companies to create an environment where folks can maximize their professional talent. Business Insider lays out companies leading-the-way like Google, Zappos and Cisco.  Naps and playtime are no longer for the single-digit age group, science shows you gain more productivity and smarter ideas from a well-rested employee. 

Yoga, meditation, and kindness workshops? Absolutely!  Light has finally dawned on marble head – energy matters and positive energy breeds a harmonious environment with less gossip taking place around the water cooler – protein-packed juice bar! 

Malcolm Gladwell has long exposed the ridiculous notion that companies need Harvard MBAs to head departments in order to be successful.  Everyone has greatness and the job of co-founders and C-level executives is to create an environment where said talent is recognized, nurtured and cultivated for the vitality of the company.  There are numerous examples to use as a guidepost.  For example, healthcare consulting company Beryl Health has implemented an extension to the company called The Circle, focusing squarely on creating a positive, productive environment.  Google's Zen Master Chade-Meng Tan has written a book on the subject called Search Inside Yourself. 

It is an impossible feat for start-ups to match the perks of large companies pound-for-pound, yet employee productivity is absolutely crucial towards a start-up's success.  A rock climbing wall cost money, but allowing employees to bring their dog to work nets high results with minimal investment.  Stocking the company fridge and cabinets with yogurt, nuts and fruits requires a couple Costco trips a month, but this is a descent start towards creating the "ultimate productive environment".  Nutritional vending machines are also an alternative if an additional grocery bill is too daunting.  The machines (should) cost zero dollars but employees will need to save their spare change.  Begin with a couple of productivity boosters and as your company grows continue to implement new ideas.

If you're just tent camping for a couple of days, of course, your laptop with some external battery juice should suffice.  However, for those that live the"Airstream life" and work from "home", you might want to consider the Kanz Field Power Desk.    This mobile desk compliments a Cabela folding chair rather nicely and resources its power via solar panels, allowing you to setup office anywhere!  It even has a satellite internet option for those who need to commune beyond the forest. Two models are available with 120 Watt/Hours and 240 Watt/Hours respectively.  Learn more at Kanz Outdoors.

Cost: $1995

Thomas Jefferson said, “I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another."  Well, a group of nine women (4 sisters, 1 sister-n-love and 4 friends-n-love) from West Tennessee (fondly known as “The 9 Nanas”) have taken that quote to heart and have spent the past 30+ years “doing good”.

Every morning at 4am, The 9 Nanas get together and bake – with the sole purpose of spreading love and creating happiness.   The grandparents (MaMaw and PaPaw), who raised four of the women, taught the girls to always lend a hand in their community, and as MaMaw Ruth would say specifically, “If you see a need, fill it.”  These women have done just that!

The 9 Nanas started doing their own laundry (unbeknownst to their husbands), and using the money saved to bake pound cakes for single mothers and widows.  They would eavesdrop at the beauty shop or grocery store and drive through low income neighborhoods, etc., to get clues about a widow or single mother who needed a little help.  Then The 9 Nanas would anonymously leave care packages on the porch.  They even went as far as paying a utility bill and buying clothes and groceries. 

For 30 years the good deeds and gifts of happiness went unobserved, until five years ago when one of the husbands noticed high car mileage and withdrawals from the savings account.  The women confessed their doings (much to the amazement of their husbands) and since that night the gift of giving has spread to include not only their husbands, but also their grown children! To date, The 9 Nanas have contributed $900,000 in love and happiness!!  These amazing women have shown that it doesn’t take a lot of time or money to make a difference.  Any simple act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.

You can join The 9 Nanas’ mission by donating $5 on their website.  The organic pound cakes are also available for purchase online, and taste so fantastic they were included in the “goody bags” at the 2012 Grammys!   More information about The 9 Nanas can be found in this article by Lori Weiss: 

This is how the story usually goes…  Globetrotter is on vacation in Italy or Mexico or someplace known for its leather exports.  He stumbles on a family of leather craftsmen shopping their wares at a local market.  Overwhelmed by the aromatic scent of cowhide, the quality of work, the beautiful design, and the dirt-cheap price tag, Globetrotter's imagination runs amok, calculating the price he could fetch for a bag of such quality… IF! it had a name brand.  Perhaps $800 or maybe $1500 or what if JLo rocked it and the Paparazzi's pic ends up on the cover of PEOPLE and the website crashes from so many orders and OMG move over LV!!!  Great. Just what the world needs – another overpriced designer leather gadget bag with the ridiculous value proposition that the bag should cost more than the iPad and iPhone combined.

Enter 2012 and the golden age of entrepreneurs mixing new business model concoctions of high-quality, high-impact, low-cost solutions.  And the modern story goes… Two globetrotting guys link up with a small team of exceptional leather craftsmen from Guatemala with the goal of providing NAMELESS, high-quality, low-cost leather goods to protect our priceless gadgets.  In the words of Tom Cruise's character in The Firm  – "It's not sexy but it's got teeth". 

Antigua Leather (now featured on Kickstarter) has gone old school, Amish, cobble stone crazy on us and we love it!  AL's mission is 'breaking the trend of cheap, disposable, mass-manufactured goods'.  For a $119 pledge you receive the bag pictured above INCLUDING SHIPPING!  The tag inside simply reads "Made in Guatemala". IPhone and iPad sleeves also available. Rock on AL!  Cows… um you should probably head for the hills.

For over 25 years, filmmaker Ken Burns has been producing films that offer a candid look at our history.  Burns has a reputation for telling stories that are unafraid of controversy and tragedy. His latest documentary The Dust Bowl chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in our nation's history.  Watch for it on PBS November 18th.

Calm.com is a website that came about as a result of the popularity of DoNothingFor2Minutes.com.  Calm.com offers the perfect tool for "mindfulness".  OK, OK, I’m skirting the word “meditation”, because I can already hear the masses… "I've tried meditation, but I can't keep my thoughts quiet",  "There's too much going on in my life to keep my mind silent", "It’s too hard…"  Yeah, I get that it's hard, but so is the first time you decide to run a marathon if you have yet to train.  Silencing your mind is akin to working a major muscle group.  The more you work it, the stronger easier it becomes to remain present and free of thoughts.

Calm.com allows you to start with a 2-minute visual mind session and graduate to a 10-minute session. (I would love to see Calm allow for increments up to 10 minutes.)  The term mindfulness is synonymous with being completely present – here, now, in this moment.  Thoughts are kept out of this "gap" and you allow yourself to focus 100% of your attention on being still and present.

What's so important about NOW?  Have you ever been frantic and frustrated at solving a particular problem – only to have the answer pop into your mind after you've allowed yourself to JUST SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET?  It's really not as coincidental as mere mortals might believe.  Every spiritual guru on the planet worth their salt speak about the power of NOW. The Bible touches on it – “Be still and know that I am God”.  Monks devote their lives to being PRESENT.  HERE. NOW.  Chade-Meng Tan helped Google develop an entire office culture around this "mindfulness".  Phil Jackson has 11 NBA championships as a result of teaching his players how to be STILL in the midst of chaos. 

Why?  Because your power is in the NOW.  Whether your job is to drop a ball into a round hole 10’ in the air, or come up with the next billion-dollar application the world can’t live without, it often requires our best effort.  Sure, eventually ideas come.  But the idea behind mindfulness is to be able to access our brilliance straight away, rather than stumbling upon the “ah ha” moments or inexplicably entering "the zone”.

"If you are depressed, you are in the past.

If you are worried, you are in the future.

If you are at peace, you are in the NOW."

- Lao Tzu

Credit card theft is at an all-time high and it's moved well beyond hijacking online accounts.  If you were shameful enough to watch Showtimes hit series Shameless this past season, you saw how electronic pickpocketing wove its way into the storyline.  Unfortunately, electronic pickpocketing isn't Hollywood fiction, it's happening on a daily basis.  It is increasingly on the rise as thieves use wi-fi devices that only require the thief be within 10 feet of your pocket to swipe your credit card data.  

To combat hi-tech thieves you need hi-tech gadgets like the new Geode digital wallet made by a company called iCache.  The Geode works with your iPhone and offers both a software and hardware solutions to all those credit cards you carry around in your wallet.  The device allows you to create a digital copy of all your credit cards, debit cards and membership cards.  It's really an interesting piece of technology. 

How does it work?  The software creates the "digital wallet". When you setup your electronic wallet on your iPhone, you'll input all CC (credit card) and membership card information. The back of the device holds one "black credit card", but we'll get to its purpose in a minute.  Now, go shopping.  When you're ready to pay for your items, whip out your iPhone, open the application, select the applicable CC and swipe your fingerprint over the reader to activate the "black card" which grabs the info from the electronic wallet stored on the smartphone.

Membership cards utilize the digital barcode displayed on the back of Geode iPhone case.  So when your checking out at the grocery store simply open the application, select the membership card and hand the cash register attendant your phone so they can swipe the barcode and credit your membership account.  Does the Geode "black card" work with ATM machines?  According to their FB page, it does indeed. 

The only drawback I see is you still have to tote your drivers license and membership cards that require a photo ID like gym memberships, Sam's Club and Costco.  But who cares! It beats having to wrap your CCs in tinfoil to "foil" hi-tech electronic pickpocketing.  If the company doesn't hold a patent, I expect there will be a lot of Geode-type devices to follow and Android users won't have to wait long for a solution. I wish iCache well – brilliant solution to a nagging problem.  Onward!

Cost: $199

The albatross of the desktop computer is no longer.  Many tech companies have divided their people into pods and have tossed out the "conference room" in exchange for stand-up 10-minute daily meetings.  Walls have come down, cubicles are relics and "the bullpen" has become a flatland of desks, couches, and comfortable seating areas.  (Sing with me, Oh Happy Day!)

Today's office space is enabled by wireless tablets and smart phones allowing the workspace to adapt to a more team-oriented environment. These fresh changes in corporate interior design are a wonderful thing, but we have to remain mindful that human beings, particularly creative-types, need personal time – a moment, an hour, a day away from "the pod".  Cue the designers…

A group of 16 Cranbrook design students explored the concept of "personal space", within a social, collaborative environment as part of a Herman Miller research project.  I loved many of the designs, but the Private Rocker designed by Kyle Fleet particularly caught my eye.

Check out the project @ Cranbookforhermanmiller.com

Founders' Blog readers may remember an article I wrote in 2009 titled 3D NUI (Natural User Interface).  The article outlines my vision of what 3D NUI could be when it grows up.  Realize, to date, our computer experience is relatively one-dimensional.  Input devices such as mice, keyboards and digitizers offer limited interaction with the computer. The monitor literally acts as a barrier to entry, disallowing the ability to reach inside and interact with an application beyond a one-dimensional plane. 

I asked the question in 2009 and I'll ask it again today – what if the dimensions of the computer extended further than the screen?  LEAP Motion just took a giant step in the direction of 3D NUI with its release of a new interface device called (drum roll…..) LEAP! 

The company describes the device as the following: "The Leap is a small iPod sized USB peripheral that creates a 3D interaction space of 8 cubic feet to precisely interact with and control software on your laptop or desktop computer. It’s like being able to reach into the computer and pull out information as easily as reaching into a cookie jar."

I disagree with the last descriptive sentence, because you're still interacting with the computer on a one dimensional plane.  BUT…BUT the company is clearly headed in the direction of 3D NUI along with the upcoming Google Glasses.  We all realize applications will play a key role in allowing users to reach beyond the surface of the screen. In the meantime, I want a LEAP; if only to keep the fingerprints off my desktop real estate.

Pre-orders $70.

Written by Robin H.

Eco-friendly, floating, movie theater is a mouthful, but it does exist.  Just off the Kudo Islands in Thailand floats one of the most innovative movie theaters in all the world.  A wooden platform created of recycled materials supports 60 theater seats – all positioned in front of a massive floating screen and sound system.   The remote ocean setting gives the feeling of being suspended in the dark of night.  No city light interference or traffic noise like the drive-ins of yesteryear. Can you imagine if this place existed in 1975 for the debut of JAWS? Baaadum, baadum, badum, badum, badum….

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