Forbes Column 2010: Calling All Angel Investors

We need to nurture entrepreneurs a lot more. Read how in this week’s Forbes column, Calling All Angel Investors.

Pioneering SaaS In Business Process Optimization: Ariba’s Kevin Costello (Part 2)

SM: So your strategy to stabilize the business after the dot-com crash was to continue development of your software product and then conduct acquisitions to increase your core product offering?

KC: Yes, and at the same time we continued to add capabilities into the technology stack to cover a broader area in the sourcing and procurement. That really stabilized the company and put it back on a path to growth. At this time, many of the dot-com companies had gone out of business or had been acquired by other organizations. >>>

Roundtable Recap: June 3 – Defining Market Segments

I am very pleased with the conversations I had with the four entrepreneurs who presented today. All are going after problems to find solutions, as opposed to presenting solutions that are looking for problems.  While not every business solves a problem per se, all do cater to a need of some sort.  Once you identify the potential customer who truly needs your product or service in the narrowest of terms, then you can zero in on the best way to reach them.  Only after you sharply define your market segment, can you develop a successful go to market strategy.
>>>

Roundtable Starting In 30 Minutes

Today’s roundtable is starting in 30 minutes, at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST/8:30 p.m. IST. Click here to join.

Pioneering SaaS In Business Process Optimization: Ariba’s Kevin Costello (Part 1)

SM: Kevin, let’s start with some historical perspective of Ariba. You joined the company after it went public, correct?

KC: Ariba was a company that was one of the founding members of the dot-com explosion that occurred in the mid to late 1990s. It was focused on helping organizations optimize a business process. The process Ariba worked on was the procurement process. >>>

1Mby1M Incubation Radar 2010: SurgeForth

By guest author Praveen Kumar

The next generation talent management suite TalentWeaver, created by SurgeForth helps companies to assess, acquire, develop, and align their workforces for improved business performance. TalentWeaver integrates competency management, competency-based learning management, a career development workbench, and predictive analytics offered to enterprises and academia on a subscription model. The solution is interoperable and implements HR XML and IEEE standards. TalentWeaver is based on SurgeForth’s patent-pending Right Assess Career Enabler (RACE) framework, and the company is in the process of filing another patent for its predictive analytics engine. >>>

From Zero To One Hundred Million: TheLadders.com CEO Marc Cenedella (Part 7)

SM: How do you view LinkedIn? I have seen your ads there.

MC: We are one of the largest advertisers on LinkedIn, and we have a great relationship with them. I have a profile there. I think that LinkedIn and TheLadders are absolutely complementary. >>>

Next 1M/1M Strategy Roundtable For Entrepreneurs On Thursday

For entrepreneurs looking to discuss positioning, financing, and other aspects of a startup venture, Sramana Mitra will be holding a FREE online 1M/1M strategy roundtable on Thursday, June 3, 2010, starting at 8am PDT/11am EDT/8:30pm IST.  You can find more details and register here.  Please join us and let other entrepreneurs know!