http://www.facebook.com/groups/155392461211573/

Here’s the link to retweet [...]]]> A few startup community folks here in Houston have just launched a Facebook group for people to connect, ask and answer questions and generally be a part of the Houston Startup scene. The inspiration comes directly from the Austin Startup group that has become a very active forum in that community.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/155392461211573/

Here’s the link to retweet to your friends: new Houston Startup facebook group: http://t.co/DwhP2MsU

It’s the U.S. energy capital. It was the home of Enron. And for the most part, those two facts reflect the scope of startups in Houston, Texas. Enron, before it began conducting massive accounting fraud, was innovative in its approach to energy. And thanks [...]]]>

Why You Should Start a Company in… Houston

I’ve had quite a number of conversations in the last few weeks with community activists, journalists, startups and established entrepreneur-support organizations about the perceptions of  Houston. I think that this topic keeps coming up because many people [...]]]> Houston has enjoyed some positive national press lately from a NPR series to a CNNMoney.com photo essay.

I’ve had quite a number of conversations in the last few weeks with community activists, journalists, startups and established entrepreneur-support organizations about the perceptions of  Houston. I think that this topic keeps coming up because many people feel that Houston’s ‘message’ is unclear or that it’s not ‘focused’. Guess what? They are right.

Houston as a city is as hard to define as the lines between our neighborhoods and business districts. We’re 30 counties covering over 600 square miles with a population of 5.8m. I’m a little tired of trying to define our city – cities really when you think of Katy, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Clear Lake, and Pearland and all points in between – by another city’s standards. We simply are not like other large cities such as New York/Los Angeles/Chicago or High Tech cities like Silicon Valley/Portland/Seattle or other Texas cities like Austin/Dallas/San Antonio or event destination cities like New Orleans/Miami/Las Vegas/San Diego.

Houston is defined by its people, not its places.

Our metrics are accomplishments, our rankings based on reality, not marketing spin or manufactured tag lines (even when they are irreverent and awesome like Houston, It’s Worth It or almost tongue-in-cheek like Houston, A New Energy). The fact is, our message cannot be told with one voice since we are a lot of things to a lot of people. I don’t think that we as the startup technology community need to do any outside recruiting – that’s the job of the Greater Houston Partnership and the City of Houston’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. I believe that we have an internal marketing problem – who needs to hear our message(s) is more important than what we’re trying to say.

The people that need to hear the ‘Houston Means Business’ and ‘No One Retires to Houston’ messages are already here. They are the the ones who were ‘forced’ to come here by work or a spouse and fell in love with the city. They are the ones who were only going to stay a year or two and ended up staying 20+. They are the ones who despite all of our obvious weather issues live and work here because no place else on earth has our mix of major metropolitan amenities and small town friendliness. These are the people (not organizations or groups) that will make a difference in the long run. When you think about how great we are in so many different categories, I’d almost prefer to stay the best kept secret in the country – just not among each other.

Here is a video that Rice University put together for an event that they’re hosting next week that talks about a lot of the things we should all be discussing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUZocLBx3L0[/youtube]

I propose we make a concerted effort to ‘Talk Up Houston’ with our co-workers, clients, friends and neighbors. Its essentially Support Local, Grow Together with the message(s) about what makes Houston so great, but in your own personal voice. I’m not saying we don’t have significant flaws, but am saying we don’t need to lead with them in every conversation about our city.

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In the summer of 2009 from June-August I worked at the Houston Technology Center as an intern. I saw new technologies, worked with a talented staff, and most importantly learned [...]]]> [This is a Guest Post by Kumar - I edited it slightly for some factual corrections and of course to make myself look better - Marc]

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In the summer of 2009 from June-August I worked at the Houston Technology Center as an intern. I saw new technologies, worked with a talented staff, and most importantly learned quite a bit.

100 Things I learned at the Houston Technology Center – by H. Kumar Thangudu (@hkmr)

1. Be a self-starter
2. The Nine Box Matrix. It’s what GE adopted from Mckinsey with which Jack Welch set up a system to fire the lowest 10% of managers based on performance every year.
3. Startups donʼt have money. Bootstrapping and frugality are the way of the entrepreneur and should be encouraged.
4. You will experience actual elevator pitches at the HTC. Be prepared. I must have seen 30-40 by the time I left.
5. Know how to deliver an elevator pitch.
6. Attend toastmasters as many times as possible.
7. Go Local. Some procurements whether acquiring a lawyer, an investment banker, angels, VCʼs, customers, partners, part times, freelancers, and full times are better made with proximity. #SLGT – Support Local Growth Together
8. Interact with your customer. Customer Development is key. @rjurney @sgblank. Great on paper, better understood through experience at HTC.
9. Be vertical.
10. Execution is everything.
11. Tangibles are better than talk. I compare this to horoscopes, as people weʼd much rather edit our horoscope than tell people how we feel or are acting on a certain day. Having something down on paper is better than coming to a meeting empty handed.
12. Prepare to edit material, not create it. Red-inking an idea thatʼs down on paper, is easier than an analysis paralysis in which ideas are simply brainstormed and discussed.
13. Open Source is a beautiful thing.
14. WordPress is great.
15. Creating community is less important than bringing it together. It exists, be the glue, not the wheel re-inventor.
16. Introductions & Collaboration are vital.
17. Never stop networking.
18. Be coachable.
19. Know what it is you want as an entrepreneur.
20. Your goals should match the business opportunity.
21. Archive is pronounced (ark- Iʼve) not (arch- Iʼve).
22. KISS : Keep it Simple Stupid : Everyone should understand the value proposition of your company
23. Technology Companies scale up quickly. Scalability is key.
24. Coffee Groundz is the epitome of Rise of the Creative Class. My favorite coffee shop is in Houston. (I donʼt even drink coffee).
25. Embrace community, they will help you.
26. Give and expect nothing in return. – Thanks @jrcohen
27. If working with Marc Nathan, be prepared to keep up. Itʼs extremely fast paced.
28. Story-telling is one of the biggest parts of a company. Semantics are a lifeline of functionality, story telling, and the market’s understanding of your company
29. There are some knowledge roadblocks that money can solve, for everything else thereʼs Tom Kraft. I learned quite a bit from interacting with Tom, who is HTC’s Director of Client Services.
30. Know the differences of incorporating as a C-corp, GMBH, UG, LLC, Sole Proprietorship, etc.
31. Leave advertising and branding to the pros. Place emphasis on your specialized talents.
32. Know multiple business models before coming in. Brokerage, Infomediary, Advertising, Merchant, Direct Manufacturing, Affiliate, Community, Subscription, Utility. Thereʼs more, but if you can keep several in mind consciously, it helps.
33. Know your market.
34. Know basic startup vernacular: Series A, B, C, D, equity, burn rate, financials, pro forma, EDITDA
35. Google, Twitter, Apple, and Microsoft…..these are 1 in 6 billion. Dream big, but be realistic. Marc Nathanism: “Markets are certainly large, but clearly unobtainable.”
36. Landmines that first time entrepreneurs step on when talking to a potential investor or advisor. I must have heard these three rules at least 50 times – each time with a different entrepreneur. (Directly from @marc1919):
    1. Never say you will capture X% of market.
    2. Never say you are the CEO who is going to carry the venture to an IPO.
    3. Never say your numbers are conservative.
37. Small businesses make up 99% of all business in America, they are the Fortune 5 million. (I’m not sure where the term is referenced from, but I heard it retold by Marc.)
38. Sin Stocks. An interesting industry in itself.
39. People who are expected to see innovations, ideas, and business concepts on a regular basis will not sign NDAʼs or confidentiality agreements. Non-Competes are ugly.
40. Labeling new companies in terms of existing business models helps shape the business plan. Strong Pattern Recognition skills demonstrate a seasoned investor/advisor.
41. Marc Nathanism: “No such thing as a typical startup, but there are commonalities”
42. I worked with an extraordinarily dedicated and talented staff.
43. Rubber Vulcanization occurs when sulfur reacts with rubber to create a rubber that cures and is more robust.
44. Business ideas are fine, but Market Opportunities are much more important.
45. Anything you can think of has been thought of. (Reconfirmed by Beatles song on Delta Airlines flight). Marc Nathanism: “There’s nothing new under the sun, so what are you doing differently for your market?”
46. Marc  Nathanism: “No one retires to Houston; people come here to work.”
47. 70% + of all new jobs in the US were created in Texas. (Forgot the source.)
48. Marc Nathanism: “Your deals will never love you back.”
49. Technologists are the most valuable to the economy.
50. Disruptive technologies create jobs.
51. Understand Intellectual Property. Know the difference between copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, flash of genius, etc….. I advise reading The Business of Intellectual Property by Ed Carreras from beginning to end.
52. The Tipping Point. Go grab a copy and read it. Marc is the ultimate Connector, Tom is a Maven
53. When pitching to VCʼs, try turning the tables and ask them for their story. It is often very interesting and can help you re-evaluate your own ideas and business aspirations. They have “been there and done that” in some sense. In particular, Iʼm referring to an impromptu VC happy hour at the Caroline Collective in which asked a VC what he did prior to his current occupation.
54. Powerpoint /Keynote are basic tools of the startup trade. Know how to use them beyond the built-in templates. Avoid looking at the screen while presenting and never read off the screen. The best presentations have few words. No more than three lines made up of no more than five words per slide. Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule is gospel.
55. Elevator Pitching should come as easily as breathing. What does your company do in 15 seconds? If the investor doesnʼt get it, then chances are the market wonʼt get it. The investor/advisor or listener isnʼt being rude, theyʼre doing you a huge favor. Go back to the drawing board.
56. Leave for 3 weeks and come back. (I went to Toronto & Portland and came back)
57. The world is small especially if you work with Marc. I jumped up to Toronto and got plugged into the startup scene real quickly going to Patio Fridays and other events. Basically, I used software from Ontario’s DemoCamp 09ʼ in Mississauga. I sent an e-mail to them regarding usability, and one of them had dinner with Marc at SXSW. Very Small World.
58. Avoid re-inventing the wheel.
59. “Two different set of books” means thereʼs impropriety in accounting.
60. Listen & Look.
61. Entrepreneurs are crazy by nature.
62. Get and update a LinkedIn account.
63. Take the Myers-Briggs test. Iʼm an ENFJ, Marc is a an ENFP – how about you?
64. LinkedInʼs valuation is over $1 Billion.
65. Please have a revenue model (that’s not based solely on advertising)
66. Get your IP together. (Intellectual Property.) Different business plans evolve around different patent strategies which all focus on one unique and very distinct value chain for every innovation. Marc Nathanism: “Don’t play checkers against chess players” meaning make sure you know what you’re getting into when it comes to IP.
67. Electron Beam technology is useful.
68. IT creates a breadth of jobs, not many jobs.
69. Bring in relevant industry experts to interact with your company. How you do this, involves creativity and simplicity.
70. Entrepreneurs generally didn’t get to where they were by listening to conventional thought or their elders. It makes for an interesting situation with regards to coaching.
71. Technology Transfer is painful. If youʼre a student who has innovated using resources openly available to the general student population, then youʼre much better off than if youʼve had access to exclusive campus resources.
72. The geeks, technologists, and people in garages breaking sweat are the people who drive technology.
73. QTAGS are really cool.
74. SATOP is a beautiful concept. I hope they come back.
75. Technion does a great job of commercializing technology.
76. A big rolodex is nice, but a warm acquaintance or a friend is much better.
77. Connectors are essential to building a vibrant community.
78. Mallieʼs Desserts taste great.
79. In the world of startups, there is a range of formal to informal. Suit & Tie. Business casual. Jeans and a t-shirt. Houston is very much in the middle.
80. Skills are replaceable, talent is unique.
81. If youʼre coming to Houston for business or technology. Save yourself networking time, visit the HTC and find out how you can get involved. Be a sponsor.
82. Googleʼs suite of tools is useful.
83. When planning events, slot out time for room transitions and networking.
84. Sparefoot is cool.
85. CXO is just a word. Anyone can hold a position name, few can yield it.
86. Brandstack is also awesome.
87. Nepotism is sometimes destructive and has its place. Go for the best candidates. Merit is valued and respected.
88. Think like a customer in terms of purchasing logic. This is a lot tougher to do at the level that is required for a startup company. Iʼm still learning how to do this and thereʼs a play between art & science when it comes to doing it properly.
89. If youʼre coming to Houston connect with the following through twitter: @marc1919 @coffeegroundz @carolineco @houtechcenter @jrcohen @btruax @werkadoo
90. Value Proposition. Really take a moment and understand what it means.
91. If you need custom electronics fabricated then you should talk shop with Erdos Miller.
92. GuestListApp.com is really useful.
93. It is possible to make a cardboard computer, have a look at my friend, Brenden Macalusoʼs, itʼs called the Recompute. While doing research, Brenden created the sustainable principles of design which can be used to re-design objects with a sustainable “kick.”: http://www.sustainable-computer.com
94. Marc Nathanism ‘Social Overhead’ a term to describe spouses, family, mortgages and any other functional roadblock to bootstrapping a startup.
95. The first round of funding is referred to as Friends, Family, & Fools. A playful term.
96. HTC is the place to intern. Paid or unpaid, seize the opportunity. Itʼs worth every second.
97. Ideas are worthless, execution is everything
98. Ideas are worthless, execution is everything
99. Ideas are worthless, execution is everything
100. In any given year, a typical entrepreneur comes up with 500 ideas, maybe 1 of them is worth pursuing. Knowing which one is the hard part.

I appreciate the entire HTC experience.

A special thanks to Marc Nathan for giving me a very unique opportunity to see and work with cutting edge technology companies.

I will likely be coming back to Houston as the perception of my hometown has changed. Houston is startup friendly, and itʼs the place where people come to work. I now have a desire to pursue my technology interests in Houston. You should too….

I’m not sure what sparked this but the writers at Forbes have come to realize what we’ve known for some time. Besides being a Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech City, Houston has topped the list of Best Cities to Buy a Home. What jumped out at me while reading this was the following statement:

“Well known as [...]]]>

I’m not sure what sparked this but the writers at Forbes have come to realize what we’ve known for some time. Besides being a Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech City, Houston has topped the list of Best Cities to Buy a Home. What jumped out at me while reading this was the following statement:

“Well known as an energy industry hub, this growing metro area recently made Forbes.com’s Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities thanks to the Houston Technology Center and bubbling entrepreneurial tech scene.”

I wonder what they could be referring to when they say “bubbling entrepreneurial tech scene?” Any one have an idea?

Part of the reason that we felt that this opening was different and signified that something special was happening in Houston, was the attention it [...]]]> Continuing on our coverage about the Caroline Collective Opening and its impact on Houston’s technology startup and art scenes, we are posting interviews from various people who were at the opening party.

Part of the reason that we felt that this opening was different and signified that something special was happening in Houston, was the attention it drew not just from within the city, but from others outside.  Two pioneers in the CoWorking space flew in from both the west coast and the east coast to attend the opening party.  We’re talking about Tara Hunt with Citizen Space in San Francisco and Alex Hillman with Independents Hall in Philadelphia. 

Tara Hunt of Citizen Space and Alex Hillman of Independents Hall

Tara – Meeting Tara at this event was just a joy.  She carries so much genuine enthusiasm for CoWorking in general and Caroline Collective specifically that its hard not to be caught up in it.  It was Tara Hunt that infomed us that the Caroline Collective is the largest coworking space in the world based on square footage (yeah, the world) and is the first coworking space to also incorporate art space.  Overall a great interview and we look forward to hearing more great things that Tara is doing at Citizen Space.  You can also read her blog at http://www.horsepigcow.com .

Listen to the Interview with Tara Hunt

Alex – Alex Hillman also brought a lot of energy to the Caroline Collective opening.  (You can hear in my interview with him, how I mistakenly introduce him as one of the originators of the CoWorking concept ((not to be confused with Jelly)), and how he sets me straight on how Tara has pioneered the coworking space, how Independents Hall has contributed, and ultimately what he thinks Caroline Collective will mean for Houston’s Startup community).  A great interview not to be missed.  You can also read his blog at http://www.dangerouslyawesome.com/ .

Listen to the Interview with Alex Hillman

 

You can also see our whole set of shots of the opening party on Flickr here and all of the photos taken by a host of photographers at the event at the Caroline Collective Flickr group.