by Eric Hornung When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to work on Wall Street. The books I read, the Wall Street Journal, the aura of living in Manhattan. It was the goal. Then, at 24 years old, I did it. I moved …
help wanted: we’re short on more than just engineers
by Jay Clouse After a year of producing upside, we’ve found the description of tech ecosystems not named “Silicon Valley” across the United States is more or less consistent. “Our tech scene is growing, the cost of living is great, we just need more capital.” …
tilr embraces data and finds their own way to scale into 20 states
by Jay Clouse As the needs of companies change, who companies hire and how they hire them is changing too. That’s where Cincinnati-based Tilr comes in. Founded in 2015, Tilr automates the recruitment process by matching worker skills to job requirements. When we talked to …
the “future of work” is here… so why aren’t more companies remote-first?
by Kevin McArdle When I tell people I’m the CEO of a company with 80 team members in 14 time zones and no “real” offices (no offense to WeWork), many look at me like I’m crazy. But even though after four years it all feels …
remote doesn’t have to be a bad word — best practices in managing remote teams
by Ryan Merket I want to tell you the story of how one of Silicon Valley’s biggest/high-flying startups started allowing remote employees. During my time at one of my previous Silicon Valley-based employers we had an amazing senior engineer who was crucial to our Ads …
why geography still matters
by Amy Nelson If you’re reading this, you may already know that last year 75% of US Venture Capital went to one of three states: California, New York, or Massachusetts. That left the remaining 47 states begging for sub-1% scraps. Of course, 75% of investor …
yes, there’s startup media outside the valley — here’s how to find them
by Holly Beilin If you’re a startup founder, you may be thinking, “I don’t have time for press…” As the leader of a publication focused on startups and entrepreneurs in the Southeast, I can’t count the number of times I have talked to a high-potential …
11 curated podcasts picks (2019 Q2)
by Jay Clouse and Eric Hornung Everyone knows the world of podcast episode discovery is broken. Whether podcast player charts, socialized discovery recommendations, or someone putting in the work of collecting answers to “what’s the best podcast you listened to this week?” – there is …
why don’t you just meet me in the middle?
by Eric Hornung The Truth often exists in the middle. In the world of economics, the trickle-down Keynesian theories are directly opposed by the laissez-faire Austrian school. But the truth exists somewhere in the middle – the perfect combination of sweeping, centralized policy and organic, …
why we need platform in startup communities
by Jay Clouse I attended my first Startup Weekend event in 2012. I had an app idea (doesn’t everyone?) and after applying for a grant, was told, “This isn’t really aligned with our grants program, but here’s $100 — go pitch it at Startup Weekend.” …
ScriptDrop marches towards 1b patients served, turning down an acquisition offer in the process
by Jay Clouse Change and growth are about the only constants for Nick Potts these days. When I first met Nick, he was working in customer support at CoverMyMeds. CMM was still a startup and a long way off from their exit to McKesson in …
building relationships with investors — before you need their money
by Allie Felix Almost daily, a request floats through my inbox from a startup seeking guidance on fundraising. The asks run the gamut—reviewing a pitch deck, feedback on the deal structure, or a warm intro to an investor. So how can the density of capital …
I grew up in flyover country
by Erik Berg I grew up in flyover country. For as long as I can remember, building things has been in my blood. My favorite toys growing up were Legos. I loved Legos so much that I shared a room with my little brothers way …
founders: don’t force a friends & family round
by Monique Villa In true 2019 fashion, a Twitter thread that I shared from a conference in Tampa, Florida, got me thinking. Also, not everyone has that wealth to draw upon. We can’t limit entrepreneurship to the wealthy. This is where innovation stagnates. — Monique …
five curated podcast picks (2019 Q1)
by Jay Clouse and Eric Hornung As you may know, we run a podcast called upside, the first podcast finding upside outside of Silicon Valley. What you might not know is that we also listen to other podcasts. We are not alone in believing that …
