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Archive for the ‘Opinions’ Category

Giving yourself a complex: Key tip for market research

Posted in Opinions, tagged , on 17 February, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Today, I headed up to Stirling Management Centre to attend the “Be Inspired to Innovate” event held by EDTC. Briefly, it was a series of 6 workshops, all by entrepreneurs about how they took their product from idea, to prototype, and then to market.
One of the really interesting points was made by Kelly Forsyth-Gibson, inventor [...]

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What running can teach you about the work-life balance

Posted in Opinions, Personal Management on 2 February, 2010 | 5 Comments »

For 2010, one of my new year’s resolutions is to run a marathon. Since buying my first pair of ‘proper’ running shoes last year, I’ve managed to make it through a 10k (much to my team mates’ surprise) and aiming for a half marathon in April, with a full marathon (in Loch Ness) at the [...]

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Review: Nokia N900

Posted in Guest Blogger, Opinions, tagged , , , on 30 January, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Chris Davies, one of the developer on the SpeckNet project, has kindly reviewed the Nokia N900 for us. The mobile phone is one of the few devices which actually run linux on-the-go. Considering the recent interest in mobile/laptop convergence lately [cough] iPad it will become more and more interesting to see what the future of [...]

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MIA at CES: In Search of the American Dream

Posted in Events, Opinions, tagged , , on 18 January, 2010 | 5 Comments »

Hello again! I’ve spent the last month in a dark cave, a cave devoted to a mission, a mission to make an Edinburgh startup successful through a trade show in Las Vegas. Not just any trade show, but the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an annual extravaganza for the technology industry where dreams and hope go [...]

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The Value of Open Source Software to Startups

Posted in Guest Blogger, Opinions on 8 December, 2009 | 3 Comments »

The Challenge
In startup environments, time and money are usually scarce resources – even if technical expertise or business acumen are not.  Staying focused on a core product can be crucial — and being able to pick up existing tools or technologies can be a great advantage.
Open source software can provide a neat fit – though [...]

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Paralysis, driven by the quest for perfection

Posted in Opinions on 29 November, 2009 | 2 Comments »

You want to write the perfect application; so you don’t apply.
You want to produce the perfect article; so you don’t write.
You want to make the perfect pitch; so you don’t take up the opportunity to present.
What’s the difference between

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Share your pain…new agony aunt feature

Posted in Opinions, Support on 19 November, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Got a problem you’d like to share?  Why not let us soothe you with an opinion or two, StartupCafe-style?  Being an entrepreneur can be lonely at times – you’ve got to keep your self-belief and motivation when those around you succumb to doubt or don’t quite ‘get’ your vision.  Let us be an online shoulder [...]

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When can you be called an entrepreneur?

Posted in Opinions on 18 November, 2009 | 4 Comments »

I was at an event recently when I got talking to a guy who said that only when you’ve started a business and after it has failed should you then be called an entrepreneur.  Now I understand that he’s highlighting that failure can be valuable in providing important lessons but is it necessary to fail before you [...]

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What’s in a name? Calling your startup

Posted in Opinions, tagged , on 17 November, 2009 | 1 Comment »

One of the earliest tasks of any startup is deciding on a name. Naming your company has some serious considerations: can it be trademarked? is the domain name available? what do people think of when they hear the name? and more importantly, can you live with “Hi, I’m [your name] and I’m the CEO/CTO/COO of [...]

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How to Drive Startup Activity, Investment, and Economic Growth (Part 3)

Posted in Guest Blogger, Opinions, tagged , , , on 15 November, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

In light of our current situation and lessons learned across the Atlantic, what is Scotland to do? The final piece of our Venture Capital and Public Policy series from Michael Clouser. We hope you feel a bit more enlightened and sufficiently armed for any government policy discussions during Entrepreneurship Week (and beyond!). If you have [...]

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