Another Friday, another reason to say TGIFN: Thank God It’s The Friday Nooner. Complete with the enticing intro and outro video (of course), this week’s edition of The Friday Nooner is packed to the gills with a recap on the latest Triangle tech news and startup advice from Bronto CEO-extraordinaire Joe Colopy, the GrepBeat Godfather himself.
Here are the highlights:
- This week, Durham-based ProcessMaker announced a $45M investment from Virginia-based Aldrich Capital Partners. (Read more about the deal in the Wall Street Journal.) While the company did not originate locally, the decision by Co-Founder Brian Reale (a Duke grad and also a past guest on Coffee and Conversation!) to move himself and his company here is yet another example of tech founders finding the Triangle an alluring home for their business. (4:40)
- Starting a company can overwhelming and the possibilities are endless. But a fatal mistake startup founders make is getting in over their heads and taking on too many things all at once (“Indigestion is worse than starvation,” as Joe likes to say). Putting energy into doing just a few things really well is how founders are able to differentiate themselves. (23:50)
- With the CED Venture Connect Summit approaching on March 23-25, aspiring entrepreneurs and founders alike may be wondering how to make the most of the three-day conference. Conferences are touted as the perfect opportunities to network, but Joe cautions to use them as a chance to begin the conversation with future employers or partners rather than expecting to leave the conference with a deal in hand. (26:00)
- “Happy Brontos lead to happy customers,” was Joe’s adage while being CEO of Bronto. Great minds must think alike, because Southwest Airlines also had the same guiding principle that taking good care of their employees was at the root of business success. (28:00)
This episode’s full recording is one you won’t want to miss (especially if you’re looking for a guiding motto to hang above your desk). Watch on Facebook Live:
Or on YouTube: