On Wednesday night, I stopped by Mass Innovation Nights for their 4-year anniversary at Lansdowne Pub in Boston. It was a change in venue from the ones I had attended before, and I was unsure how well a bar scene would work for MassInno. At 6pm, things were still on the quiet side, but I was able to find a cheerful Bobbie Carlton, who was doing pretty well for having just returned from SXSW2013 in Austin, TX. I talked to her briefly and then went to work, My goal was to check out the 10 startups, take a picture and get a 30-second sound byte pitch. The variety of companies was great, in celebration of the variety who have come through the past 47 events. I was particularly impressed with the companies that had young people working for them: Help Around Town and Thinkerdeck. The young students were very articulate and full of energy. It' good to see that some companies are doing their part to stimulate entrepreneurship in high schools. Thinkerdeck is also a social entrepreneurship company,... [Read more...]

Yesterday morning, I headed into Boston bright and early to congregate at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel at the annal meeting of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC). With over 500 attendees, there was lots of opportunity to network. I thrive on networking at innovation-oriented events, because I find it helps me see things from different angles and be more creative. These events are different from the pure networking events where people are just looking to unwind or find a friend. The innovation community helps you think and create, which has been my mantra lately.

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I just got back from a talk by Seth Godin at Tufts University. As expected, it was inspiring. His core message to students was to get out there and connect. It's a connection economy. Connect and you get noticed. Do something to help others connect, and we will notice you and care about you. This is essentially a new take on his "permission marketing" concept of past: turn strangers into friends and friends into customers.

Today, says Godin, success means being a connector. But the more he talked, the more I felt that he meant more than that. He seems to take Malcolm Gladwell's tipping point concepts of Connectors, Mavens and Sales People and make them all requirements of a successful entrepreneur. "You have to be all three of these things." He did not say this in so many words, but he did say, "Pick up the microphone while it's still available." This is essentially what a Maven does, right? Speaking out will help you build your network of connections and followers. The more you speak... [Read more...]