Introducing: Mastering Facebook in Kindle and Paperback
February 21, 2012 – 8:53 am | Comments Off

I’m excited to announce that I’ve turned the last 2+ years of Facebook blog posts into a book focused on Facebook: exciting campaigns, product development, virality, and platform developments. There are 200+ screenshots in the …

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Articles in Polaris

Announcing Spindle.
May 22, 2012 – 12:58 pm | Comments Off
Announcing Spindle.

It’s a bold vision: “build the discovery engine for hte social web”… and that’s precisely what excites us about Spindle. Based in Cambridge, MA and started in Dogpatch Labs, Spindle aims to deliver actionable information …

Designing for Mobile: 7 Guidelines for Mobile Apps & Mobile Web
February 6, 2012 – 12:30 pm | One Comment
Designing for Mobile: 7 Guidelines for Mobile Apps & Mobile Web

Note: this article originally appeared on TechCrunch: Designing for Mobile: 7 Guidelines for Startups to Follow
As an investor, I’ve seen hundreds of mobile application pitches. And as a consumer, I’ve downloaded hundreds more – some …

Leveraging Facebook for Startups: Part II, On-Facebook
January 29, 2012 – 7:20 pm | Comments Off
Leveraging Facebook for Startups: Part II, On-Facebook

Note: this article originally appeared on TechCrunch: 10 Ways to Leverage Facebook for Startups: Part II, On-Site
Part I: Off-Facebook Strategy
Part II: On-Facebook Strategy
Yesterday I discussed how to improve user acquisition, activation and activity by building …

How to Leverage Facebook for Startups: Part I, Off-Facebook
January 29, 2012 – 7:20 pm | Comments Off
How to Leverage Facebook for Startups: Part I, Off-Facebook

Note: this article originally appeared on TechCrunch: 10 Ways Your Startup Can Hook Into Facebook, Part I: On The Web
Part I: Off-Facebook Strategy
Part II: On-Facebook Strategy
Having already covered how startups can use search and Twitter …

14 SEO Tips for Startups
January 21, 2012 – 3:57 pm | 2 Comments

Note: This article originally appeared on TechCrunch (“14 Steps to Successful SEO for Startups”).
For startups, it is dangerous to entirely separate product and marketing – both strategically and organizationally. A great product isn’t overly useful …

How to Grow Your Brand on Twitter. 5 Overarching Guidelines. Tons of Examples.
January 15, 2012 – 9:45 am | Comments Off
How to Grow Your Brand on Twitter. 5 Overarching Guidelines. Tons of Examples.

Note: This article originally appeared on TechCrunch (“5 Ways for Startups to Grow Their Brands on Twitter”).
Last week I began an effort to answer those questions I get asked most frequently, starting with how to …

How to Create an Early-Stage Pitch Deck
January 7, 2012 – 2:26 pm | 2 Comments
How to Create an Early-Stage Pitch Deck

Note: This article originally appeared on TechCrunch (“How To Create An Early-Stage Pitch Deck For Investors”).
It is the first in a series of posts / decks that I will be doing on those questions …

Reflecting on Dogpatch Labs, Two Years In: 350+ Companies, $140m in Funding.
November 3, 2011 – 12:58 pm | 70 Comments
Reflecting on Dogpatch Labs, Two Years In: 350+ Companies, $140m in Funding.

As we build out Dogpatch Labs Palo Alto and meet with potential residents, we have had the opportunity to reflect on Dogpatch Labs… which is now a little more than years old. Credit for this …

With $75m of Credit Card Debt Being Tracked, ReadyForZero Expands Product – Servicing Student Loan Debts, Mortages, etc
October 27, 2011 – 7:59 am | 3 Comments
With $75m of Credit Card Debt Being Tracked, ReadyForZero Expands Product – Servicing Student Loan Debts, Mortages, etc

A big, important and timely update by ReadyForZero (note: portfolio company). With over $75,000,000 of credit card debts already being tracked and managed in their system, ReadyForZero today expanded their product to service other debts …

From Seed to Series A: Understanding the “Cash Crunch” Discussion
October 16, 2011 – 7:45 am | 4 Comments
From Seed to Series A: Understanding the “Cash Crunch” Discussion

Note: this post originally appeared on TechCrunch: Startups, Seed Funding, And Avoiding Empty Pockets (October 13, 2011). I have reposted it here.

Why It’s Easier to Start Up Today… Than Ever Before.
October 12, 2011 – 10:44 am | 368 Comments
Why It’s Easier to Start Up Today… Than Ever Before.

Forbes spotlighted LegalZoom earlier in the week: “Silicon Valley Sees Gold In Internet Legal Services” (a Polaris Ventures backed company).

Announcing Dogpatch Labs Palo Alto & Europe
September 29, 2011 – 8:27 am | 349 Comments
Announcing Dogpatch Labs Palo Alto & Europe

In early September, we got the unfortunate news that the San Francisco Port Authority was closing Pier 38 (home to Dogpatch Labs San Francisco).