The Surprisingly Simple Strategy This Founder Uses to Stay In Control of His Schedule
Editor’s Note: Entrepreneur’s “20 Questions” series features both established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs and asks them a number of questions about what makes them tick, their everyday success strategies and advice for aspiring founders.
How do you start your day?
When I come into the office the first thing I do is I plan out what I want to accomplish that day.
My routine of writing down what I want to accomplish every day is something I developed pretty early on working on Imgur.
What did you learn from the worst boss you ever had?
What I have learned about management is that everyone is different — there is no one perfect strategy.
That trip was the first time I was really out of the country and experienced a completely different part of the world.
It taught me how to work with people, and it taught me a lot of patience.
Coming in at the start of the day and writing down what I want to accomplish.
I have work time and decompress time, but work doesn’t only have to be related to Imgur.
3 Ways to Reboot Your Failing New Year’s Resolutions
Many successful business owners subscribe to the idea of management by objective (MBO), which is based on goal setting and achieving results — not dissimilar to the concept of New Year’s resolutions.
However, the truth is that despite their best efforts and intentions, entrepreneurs don’t always achieve their business goals.
In addition to his dogged time management advice, Miller offers the following actionable tips based on his 30 plus years experience as a trainer of trainers, to help you get back on track if you happened to fail at any personal resolutions or business goals for this young year.
Many entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire for financial freedom and to make a lot of money, but Miller says that’s not enough of a reason. “Making money is not a great goal for any of us because it’s a very temporary and fleeting feeling once a financial objective is met — trust me in that regard.
There has to be a reason behind that to make the goal meaningful, sustainable and worthwhile.
He explains that to help determine your “why” begin asking yourself why you’re trying to accomplish a specific goal and then repeat the line of “why” questioning a total of five times to get to the underlying reason.
According to Miller one of the greatest ways to achieve your objectives is having the ability to apply the right skills to the right problem at the right time. “One of the defining characteristics of an entrepreneur is that they have a lot of different skills, abilities and ideas.
To effectively achieve objectives those skills, abilities and ideas need to be shaped and transformed with direction and intention into something meaningful,” said Miller.
10 Tips for Millennial Marketing
Millennials are mobile junkies, and it is fairly obvious that a mobile device is the device of choice for this generation.
Other generations use mobile more often than they used to, but they don’t trust mobile as much as millennials do.
According to Hubspot, 84 percent of consumers research online, and 70 percent read online reviews before buying online.
Millennials are no different.
According to Facebook, 55 percent of millennials use only mobile devices to access their profile or pages, which makes Facebook, and social media overall, one of the most important channels when targeting millennials.
While a vast number of the population find online advertising to be credible, only six percent of millennials in the U.S. consider online advertising to be credible.
Some marketers have catered to this demographic by creating faster mobile loading times and eye-catching content that fit into every mobile screen.
Sixty-six percent of millennials follow a company or brand on Twitter, and 64 percent like a company or brand on Facebook with the sole purpose of getting a coupon or discount.
In fact, 64 percent of millennial consumers believe that social media is one of the most effective channels for reaching brands.
Thirty-two percent of that 60 percent say that social advertising is more credible when influencing their decisions.
Putting the Super Bowl’s $5 Million Ads Under the Microscope
Putting the Super Bowl’s $5 Million Ads Under the Microscope.
Related: The Conclusion to This Super Bowl Ad Was Deemed Too Controversial for TV The huge, passionate and engaged audience the Super Bowl atttacts is a prize worth fighting for, and it’s no surprise that the accompanying price tags for commercial slots continue to climb each year.
But some of the most commonly used methods to make that hit can come at the expense of the brand itself.
And that sounds like a good strategy.
Memory encoding is a crucial means of measuring ad effectiveness.
However, Budweiser ads have not always lacked the link they need.
The brand balanced a viral hit with strong brand messaging very well in the past; witness its famous Budweiser Frogs ad, which might be one of the best examples of all time.
That drop, presented on a line chart, is what we call “the valley.”
Images which fall into that zone are usually described as disgusting or creepy — and neither of those traits is good news for brands.
While Mr. Clean may have triggered uncanny responses from some audience members, that sentiment doesn’t seem to have been universal.
Where to Invest When Stocks Are Too Expensive
Where to Invest When Stocks Are Too Expensive.
One of the only markets I’ve been able to find bargain stocks in is Russia, which is fraught with all kinds of risk.
The Key to Finding Good Deals Today Startup valuations (the price at which you invest) don’t move in lockstep with stocks.
For example, today, startup valuations are a bit lower than they were two years ago (for comparable companies).
But the key is that even during pricey market times, early-stage startups stay relatively cheap.
If the first round is too high, that makes getting additional rounds of funding much harder.
So the key to investing in startups at fair valuations – regardless of market conditions – is to do so early.
But it had a good leader, an impressive prototype, great marketing and backing from a solid VC firm.
Early-stage investing takes patience, risk tolerance and diligence.
Good investing, Adam Sharp Founder, Early Investing Have thoughts on this article?
Mozilla-Knight OpenNews journalism program spins out as independent organization
Mozilla-Knight OpenNews journalism program spins out as independent organization.
Mozilla and the Knight Foundation have announced that they’re spinning out its OpenNews program as an independent body, six years after its inception.
OpenNews has placed more than 30 fellows in around 20 newsrooms around the world, including at the New York Times and the BBC, and has built a “global community of more than 1,100 developers and reporters,” according to Mozilla.
One example to emerge from the program is Tabula, a data extraction tool that helps journalists convert text from PDF documents into the more usable CSV format.
The Knight Foundation, a U.S. not-for-profit that helps promote quality journalism, has now given OpenNews a $1.1.
million investment as part of its transition into an independent organization.
“Over the five years of its existence, OpenNews has successfully demonstrated that supporting technologists in newsrooms can advance journalism and help newsrooms address new information demands in the digital age,” said John S. Bracken, vice president for technology innovation at the Knight Foundation .
“As an independent organization, it will work to strengthen the journalism industry, while exploring new ways to transform newsroom culture through technology.” The need for quality journalism is greater than ever, with the so-called “fake news” phenomenon receiving significant attention following major events such as Brexit and the U.S. presidency election.
Earlier this week, Google and Facebook announced they were partnering with French newsrooms to combat ‘fake news’ ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
It’s clearer than ever that if journalism is to not only survive but thrive, technology will play a pivotal part in the outcome.
Oculus to Scale Back Rift Demos at Best Buy
Oculus to Scale Back Rift Demos at Best Buy.
The demonstrations began last May and were available in as many as 500 Best Buy stores nationwide. “We’re making some seasonal changes and prioritizing demos at hundreds of Best Buy locations in larger markets,” the spokesperson told Business Insider.
If you’re hoping to test drive a Rift before you buy one, you can check the Oculus website for a list of Best Buy stores that are still participating.
The site allows you to schedule an appointment for your demo, which includes VR vignettes with Oculus Dreamdeck, rock climbing in The Climb and a brief tour through the alien worlds of Farlands.
For those who can’t get to a participating Best Buy, Oculus still plans to do “regular events and pop ups in retail locations and local communities throughout the year,” according to the spokesperson.
ZeniMax initially leveled multiple charges against Oculus, including putting its trade secrets and copyrighted computer code at risk, but the jury cleared Oculus of most of them.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who testified in the ZeniMax trial, is still bullish about Oculus and VR in general.
At the Oculus developers’ conference last year, he said he believes that in 20 years, VR will become the main form of computing.
More from PCMag
‘Factoring’ Family Into Account
In 2013, I started a company called BlueVine.
The financing company would get the funds back plus fees when the invoice was paid by the business owner’s customer.
“Would you use this product?” I asked my father when I was starting BlueVine.
Technology changes everything.
That platform has transformed factoring into a fast, convenient and flexible form of online financing; one that offers business owners control over their invoices.
I started BlueVine because I saw an enormous market opportunity that would also dramatically make it easier for small businesses to access financing.
I became impressed with the many ways technology can make financial services more accessible to consumers and small business owners.
A year later, in late 2015, we funded nearly $9 million in one month.
We added a new product, a line of credit, in 2016, expanding our ability to offer working capital funding to small- and medium-sized businesses.
We funded around $200 million in working capital for businesses last year.
Vainglory adds five teams, including Fnatic, to its competitive scene
Vainglory adds five teams, including Fnatic, to its competitive scene.
Developer Super Evil Megacorp announced today that five new teams — Fnatic, Echo Fox, NRG, Rogue and Immortals — have joined the competitive scene for its mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA ) Vainglory, which is available on Android and iOS, is the NO.
859 ranked game in the iOS App Store, according to App Annie.
Fnatic is one of the most popular esports organizations, with teams playing in popular games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
“These are some of the most diverse and high-profile teams in all of esports,” said Kristian Segerstrale, chief executive officer of Super Evil Megacorp, in a press release sent to GamesBeat.
“To have them not only recognize Vainglory’s growth over the past year, but also create their first-ever teams dedicated to a mobile game, means the competition in the 2017 season is going to be more fierce than ever before.
In December, the game crowned its first world champion in a tournament that featured a $120,000 prize pool.
“It’s grown very quickly over that year in viewership and players, as well as professional teams that are involved.
A year ago Vainglory was largely characterized by thousands of amateur teams competing in amateur tournaments, community-run tournaments.
Which was fun and exciting, but around a year ago, we saw the first professional teams joining, in Europe especially, with G2 Esports, SK Gaming, Team Secret, and so on.”
The U.K. wants to help accident victims of self-driving cars to claim compensation quickly
The U.K. wants to help accident victims of self-driving cars to claim compensation quickly.
Britain plans to introduce new insurance rules to ensure victims of accidents involving self-driving cars are compensated quickly in a bid to remove a major obstacle for the nascent industry.
The introduction of self-driving cars has been hampered by legal hurdles in several countries as insurers and legislators try to establish who would ultimately be responsible in the event of an accident.
“We must ensure the public is protected in the event of an incident and this week we are introducing the framework to allow insurance for these new technologies,” said transport minister Chris Grayling.
A single insurance product will be available to cover a driver when a vehicle is being used conventionally, as well as when the car is being used in autopilot mode, the transport ministry said in a statement.
The British government wants to encourage the development and testing of autonomous driving technology to build an industry to serve a market it reckons could be worth about 900 billion pounds ($1.1 trillion) worldwide by 2025.
Recent accidents involving a self-driving Google car and a Tesla model in autopilot mode have raised concerns among some members of the public just as more autonomous cars are being tested on Britain’s streets.
Japanese carmaker Nissan is due to test autonomous cars in London later this month after initial tests on public roads in the southern English town of Milton Keynes late last year.
Britain will also set out plans to improve infrastructure such as charging points for electric vehicles, the fastest growing sector for new car sales in the country and key to meeting environmental targets.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by David Clarke)
Security chatbot startup Demisto raises $20 million
Security chatbot startup Demisto raises $20 million.
Demisto, which helps automate Security Operations Centers (SOC), announced today that is has raised $20 million in new funding.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based startup has developed DBot, a chatbot that automates a security analyst’s simple tasks and facilitates collaborations across different teams in real time for better management and response to attacks.
The software can run on its own but can also be integrated into other services — users can use the Slack interface to chat with the bot, for example.
One customer that the startup agreed to disclose is mapping software company Esri.
Demisto charges for the base platform and per analyst seat on an annual basis.
It counts IBM and ServiceNow as competitors.
ClearSky led the round, and its managing director, Jay Leek, will be joining Demisto’s board of directors.
Accel and the Slack Fund also participated, raising Demisto’s total funding to $26 million.
Founded in 2015, Demisto currently has close to 30 employees.
The world’s smartest cities include Singapore, New York, Barcelona
The world’s smartest cities include Singapore, New York, Barcelona.
The new Q4 2016 report chronicles the cities that have deployed Proximity Sensors, or sensors that detect things like whether a car is in a parking spot.
“The Q4 2016 proximity.directory Report concluded the deployment of global smart technology projects in urban markets [that are] expected to grow significantly on [an] annualized basis,” said Thomas Walle, cofounder and CEO of Unacast, in a statement.
“We are still in the early stages of smart city developments.
An estimated 66 percent of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050.
These initiatives can benefit by using proximity technologies to overcome mobility challenges the growing population presents to ensure public safety, optimize traffic flow, create better tourism experiences, and data monetization opportunities.” Here’s how cities are getting smart and putting technology to work for them.
They are also able to predict how new buildings may affect wind patterns or communication signals.
Within this area, officials will be able to monitor data on air quality, traffic, and energy consumption.
San Francisco has implemented a smart parking system to monitor occupancy and can use this data for a dynamic parking system that adjusts the cost of parking depending on whether spots are occupied or not.
The world is becoming increasingly sensored, now with a total of 13,074,000 sensors.
5 Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Productivity Levels
5 Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Productivity Levels.
Everyone wants to get more done and feel a sense of accomplishment as each day comes to an end.
There are a million different productivity tips out there, but here a five ways to increase your productivity levels that have worked wonders in my own life.
The same goes for when the end of the work day rolls around.
If you spend just 15 minutes before you go to bed the night before creating your to-do list and prioritizing it, you will have a head start on your day when the morning rolls around.
After I create my to-do list, I pick the most important tasks and put a little star next to them reminding me that these are the tasks that need to be done to push me forward with achieving big goals.
When it’s time to work, work!
Your ability to minimize distractions as much as possible can single handedly increase productivity.
Keep your goals in sight at all times After setting extremely big and exciting goals that you want to accomplish, keep them in sight at all times.
Start to picture yourself as the most productive person in your field.
Procrastination, Resistance, Fear? Join the Club.
It usually shows up in your life as procrastination, resistance and fear.
Now is the time to act, to produce, to create, to labor.
“Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized,” said Leo Buscaglia.
In contrast, every time you choose to do the easy thing, instead of the right thing, you are also shaping your self-image.
On the other hand, when you choose to do the right thing, like sit down at the computer to start writing that great American novel, you are becoming the type of person that follows through on commitments.
If you allow procrastination and fear to dominate your thoughts, you will only attract more things in your life to validate your thoughts.
To demonstrate that your thoughts are things, an experiment is described in the book E-Squared, by Pam Grout, that proves that every thought has an energy wave that affects everything else in the universe.
How you feel; what you think, believe and value; and how you live your life affect how the energy flows through you.
But if you send out fearful thoughts, you are sending out a low frequency vibration that will attract more things in your life to be fearful of.
If our attention is on fear, we are focused on fear, and we will inevitably develop more things to be fearful of.
This Is What It Takes to Be the Best at Anything
We used to debate whether form should follow function or the other way around.
Today’s products and services have to nail both.
That means everyone from a corporate CEO down to a gig worker has to nail this form and function thing.
“Form” used to be synonymous with product design, but I would also add the form of communication used to position and market the product, service or person, as the case may be.
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and consider what you’d like her to feel on initial contact with whatever it is you’re selling: a physical device, description in the Apple store, “about” page on a service website, LinkedIn profile or personal appearance during an interview.
Again, that’s regardless of whether you’re marketing a product, service or individual.
There are usually one or two companies in each industry that have mastered both form and function in terms of customer satisfaction.
Perhaps Tesla can end up in that category, if it continues to perform consistently over time.
If you’ve ever met or, better still, gotten to know a great CEO or business leader, a brilliant scientist or surgeon, or a master craftsman or artist, then you understand what it takes for an individual to conquer both form and function.
If you intend to be the best at what you do and kill the competition, now you know what it takes: mastery of form and function.
Saudi Aramco Picks Moelis to Advise on Biggest IPO
Saudi Aramco Picks Moelis to Advise on Biggest IPO.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co. hired Moelis & Co. to advise on its initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter, as it pushes ahead with plans to pursue the world’s biggest share sale.
The New York-based boutique investment bank had been shortlisted along with Evercore Partners Inc. as a potential adviser for the deal, people familiar with the matter said last month.
Aramco, as the company is known, was seeking a bank to help it select underwriters for the sale, make decisions on potential listing venues and ensure the IPO goes smoothly, the people said at the time.
The mandate is a coup for Moelis, a boutique firm founded in 2007 by former UBS Group AG dealmaker Ken Moelis.
Aramco also recently asked banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and HSBC Holdings Plc to pitch for advisory roles, people familiar with the matter said last month.
The company plans to finish selecting banks later this year ahead of a listing in the second or third quarter of 2018, two of the people said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Michael Klein, the former Citigroup Inc. investment banker who runs his own advisory firm, have already been selected to work on the IPO, people familiar with the matter said in April.
Moelis shares rose 0.3 percent to $35 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, giving the company a market value of about $2.1 billion.
The investment bank went public in 2014.
Act Fast: Great Deals on Dell Laptops, Hard Drives, Tablets and More
Act Fast: Great Deals on Dell Laptops, Hard Drives, Tablets and More.
Entrepreneur has an affiliate partnership with TechBargains so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
Welcome to TechBargains’ weekly deals where they feature the best deals on electronics, computers, TVs and more.
Dell Serial ATA 256GB Internal Solid State Hard Drive + $50 Dell eGift Card $99.99 Effectively priced at $49.99 (eGift Card Adds to Cart, temporarily out of stock but can be still ordered).
The best selling 7-inch Fire Tablet features a IPS display (better viewing angles and color reproduction), quad-core processor and starts at an ultra-low $39.99.
The Kindle also features a battery that lasts weeks plus Amazon frequently offers discounts on books and magazines daily here.
These space-saving dumbbells eliminate the need to have multiple sets at home due to its selectable weight dial system.
You can better target select muscle groups with a wider range of exercises since you can change your resistance levels on the fly.
The camera features a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 12 hours, 1080p video streaming, night vision, built-in speaker & microphone, mobile alerts and more to better secure your home.
Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful.
Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy to Take Center Stage at Star-Studded Gala
Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy to Take Center Stage at Star-Studded Gala.
The second annual City Gala event series will take place in L.A. this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11 and 12.
Actor John Travolta—best known as starring in films such as Pulp Fiction and Grease—will be among the numerous celebrity attendees, serving as a special guest speaker.
He will be interviewed by best-selling author and entrepreneur Greg S. Reid.
Also attending the big event will be billionaire entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria.
The co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and Patrón Spirits, DeJoria will present music mogul Quincy Jones with a lifetime achievement award.
Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the International Arts and Philanthropy Foundation and Breed Life, a group that aims to facilitate the donation of human organs to people in need.
Last year’s City Gala featured billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson and rapper-turned-entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Various VIP packages also are available.
Visit citygala.org/admission and use access code “entrepreneur” for a 10 percent discount.