How to Evolve Local Communication for the 21st Century - Dan Street

In Chapter 8 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, hyperlocal entrepreneur Dan Street shares how two-way communication, including mobile phones and social media, have redefined how we interact. One consequence of this technology reliance is that local and neighborhood connections have dissipated. Two-way communication has eliminated much local communication. He embraces this two-way communication and applies it to neighborhood settings via his startup, Loku.  Street is the founder and CEO of Austin, Texas based Loku (previously Borrowed Sugar) which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities.  Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co.  He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University. 

How Bootstrap Business Culture Teaches Creativity - Dan Street

In Chapter 6 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Dan Street applies a bootstrapping approach to building his company, Borrowed Sugar. He highlights that the burden of proof is no longer on the investor to make sure it is a good idea. Rather, it is about the entrepreneur using funds to validate the idea. Through this process, what Bootstrap expert Bijoy Goswami terms "Cash Consciousness", entrepreneurs such as Street learn to be more creative, take measured risks, and learn new ways to solve old problems.

Street is the founder and CEO of Austin, Texas based Loku (previously Borrowed Sugar) which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities.  Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co.  He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University. 

What Entrepreneur Learned in Trenches of Private Equity - Dan Street

In Chapter 5 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Dan Street compares job experiences from his current startup role to his previous roles as a turnaround specialist at Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts (KKR) and as a Bain & Co. management consultant. Consultant and private equity roles are about finding faults, whereas entrepreneurial efforts solve problems toward a positive vision. Entrepreneur roles become further challenging given the lack of structure. Street specifically sites the challenges of dealing with ambiguity and self doubt as an entrepreneur.

Street is the founder and CEO of Austin, Texas based Loku (previously Borrowed Sugar) which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities.  Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co.  He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University. 

How to Create Meaningful Hyperlocal Relationships - Dan Street

In Chapter 3 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, hyperlocal entrepreneur Dan Street talks about his research on community actual needs versus perceived needs and how it has informed his startup venture Borrowed Sugar. Through research, Street uncovers diversified problems and complaints across local communities. He finds the common denominator to be improving the ease of engagement both on the supply and demand end of the equation.

Street is the founder and CEO of Austin, Texas based Loku (previously Borrowed Sugar) which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities.  Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co.  He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University. 

Why Mobile Phones Accelerate U.S. Reurbanization - Dan Street

In Chapter 1 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview , hyperlocal entrepreneur Dan Street reveals his excitement for present day opportunity to evolve how communities interact. Street traces community development post World War II, from factional American communities to suburban sprawl to cable development and the Internet. In short, he traces how American culture has become increasingly isolationist. Until now. Street cites Austin, New York, Houston and Los Angeles as examples where individuals are engaging more in the community. This includes farmers markets, arts events, volunteer events, and Meetups. The missing connection is how mobile phones can connect these pieces, which is why Street formed his hyperlocal Internet company, Loku (previously Borrowed Sugar).

Street is the founder and CEO of Loku which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities.  Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co.  He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University. 

How Software Versioning Measures Personal Growth - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 7 of 15, leadership philosopher and bootstrap business expert Bijoy Goswami shares how software versioning cycles - understand the problem, create an intervention, test it, persist it - is not only intrinsic to software, but also to any structure. Goswami asks entrepreneurs what version or release they are on in their company development - 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, etc. to learn minor changes (1.1, 1.2) versus major changes (2.0, 3.0) He also applies release cycles to measuring his own progress.

How Stanford Grad Learns Bootstrap Business Philosophy - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 8 of 15, leadership philosopher and bootstrap business expert Bijoy Goswami studies the history of Silicon Valley while attending Stanford University. He learns about venture capital and IPOs. He also learns about bootstrapping financing - people who started in garage without investor capital. Goswami graduates and joins a bootstrapped firm, Trilogy Software, an Austin-based enterprise software company. There he learns entrepreneurial skills, including sales and business development, useful in his later career pursuits.

How to Assess Business Idea Merit and Take Action - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 17 of 17 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, engineer and Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino highlights how he deconstructs business ideas, gathers feedback, refines ideas, plans product development, measures costs, plans sales and, ultimately, makes a decision to stop or proceed. Ferrentino focuses specifically on evaluating Internet enterprise businesses versus consumer based businesses, highlighting the significant capitalization requirements between the two.  Ferrentino holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.  After leaving Goldman Sachs, he worked for several years in New York City based startups before joining Salesforce.com.  

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How Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley Cultures Differ - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 16 of 17 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino compares and contrasts East Coast - notably New York City's Silicon Alley - and West Coast - notably Silicon Valley - technology company cultures.  West Coast technology executives typically have touched the technology and programmed software, invest more in quality assurance, and organize create more holistic product management structures than East Coast counterparts.  Ferrentino notes exceptions but says more often than not these are striking differences between cultures.  Ferrentino holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.  After leaving Goldman Sachs, he worked for several years in New York City based startups before joining Salesforce.com.  

View more career learning and development videos at http://www.captureyourflag.com

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How to Evaluate a Startup Business Idea - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 15 of 17 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino shares how he evaluates Internet startup business ideas. Ferrentino advises against getting too attached to one idea. He follows up with research learning the industry and identifying needs and potential paying customers. After gathering feedback, he reviews business model and startup costs.  Ferrentino holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.  After leaving Goldman Sachs, he worked for several years in New York City based startups before joining Salesforce.com.  

View more career learning and development videos at http://www.captureyourflag.com

Follow Capture Your Flag on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/captureyourflag

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How Fatherhood Made Exec More Socially Consicious - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 7 of 17, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino finds himself more socially conscious and philanthropic after becoming a father. Ferrentino finds inspiration with the Gates Foundation and how individuals can make contributions working on technologies and for companies advancing the human cause.

How Salesforce Exec Converted to Cloud Computing - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 6 of 17, Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino shares how he discovered cloud computing and software as a service (SAAS) and why he continues to do so in his current role. Ferrentino converted to the cloud computing model shortly after Salesforce.com, embracing the application framework that makes it easy for business uses to build schema, business logic, and interfaces for software.

Software Architect Career Building Considerations - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 5 of 17, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino discusses skills and experiences valued in a technology architect executive role. Fundamentally, development and engineering education is important. Ferrentino places a large emphasis on technology projects outside of work. Technology development and design experience is critical, especially architecting systems and taking product from concept to rollout. Lastly, Ferrentino highlights a willingness to engage in public speaking as executive level positions deal with customers, partners, and industry audiences.

How to Apply Childhood Passions in a Software Career - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 4 of 17, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino grows up building projects around home, including fish tanks and electronic doors. Ferrentino studies electrical engineering, tinkering with the physical, but ultimately finds more enjoyment working with digital projects in software and Internet.

How Electrical Engineering Cultivates Technology Passion - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 1 of 17, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino shares how his electrical engineering education and passion for tinkering informed his technology career. Ferrentino grows up reading science fiction and tinkering with robotics. Family and friends encourage him to pursue an engineering degree to expand on these passions. He chooses to study electrical engineering at the University of Michigan to prepare himself for a technology career.

How Storage and Cloud Technologies Improve Web Advertising - Ken Rona

In Chapter 12 of 12, business analytics expert Ken Rona highlights how innovative storage solutions, in particular information appliances, and cloud computing are redefining how marketers analyze human and consumer behavior. On-demand cloud computing server access - including the Amazon cloud - is creating opportunities for advertisers to outsource data centers and focus more on core competencies serving clients.

What Product Managers Do in Data and Software Businesses - Ken Rona

In Chapter 9 of 12, business analytics expert Ken Rona shares how his progressive product management marketing experience in data and software driven industries has shaped his views on what makes businesses successful. Rona gravitates toward businesses that build differentiated products that solve needs. He compares it to sculpting and craftsmanship, specifically how the result builds sustainable advantage.

How Management Consulting Career Evolves Over Time - Slava Rubin

In Chapter 14 of 16 in his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and IndieGoGo co-founder Slava Rubin answers "What Were the Milestones in the Seven Years You Worked at Diamond Consulting and What Led You to Pursue Other Opportunities?" Rubin reflects on the milestones achieved through his seven years working with Diamond Management and Technology Consultants. Rubin segments his progress into incremental steps, from doing analyst work to leading work to leading a team and then selling the work. Rubin discusses approaches to managing stress and overcoming challenge as well as building transferable skills useful in entrepreneurial pursuits.

Slava Rubin is CEO and co-founder of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform. Indiegogo empowers anyone, anywhere, anytime to raise funds for any idea—creative, cause-related or entrepreneurial. Prior to Indiegogo, Rubin worked as a management consultant. He earned his BSE degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  What were the milestones in the seven years you worked at Diamond Consulting and what lead you to pursue other opportunities?

Slava Rubin:  So, there`s really those various steps of consulting, if you want to generalize. There`s being able to do the work, being able to lead the work, lead the team, sell the work.  It took me a couple of years to graduate from each one of those steps and it really was an amazing transition.  As if I was at a new company or I had a new job.  To be able to crank out models or presentations use to be really, really stressful, and they were hard.

Erik Michielsen:  How did you manage that stress?

Slava Rubin:  Again, it goes back to my childhood, understanding what`s a big deal and what`s a small deal.  If you can make it through those other things what`s the big deal with a client yelling a little bit, your partner yelling at you a little bit? You have to be able to manage them.  If you show them this is your plan, this is how you`re going to execute it, they have to believe in you and you have to execute. But, as soon as I knew how to do those, I wanted to do the new step, and the new step was able to lead that work by myself or a section.  After I did that it was about leading a team and interacting with a client. There is nothing more valuable than getting the growth of leading a team, interaction with the client, having to manage that situation, knowing what is big fire, what is a small fire.  This is when we`re getting into real entrepreneurial work, being able to manage those situations, so there definitely a lot of learning that happens.