entrepreneurs | Internet Marketing Blog

Should you start a new venture with someone you barely know?

You have a great idea for a business, but you don't have the knowledge, skills and relationships to pull it off yourself. What should you do?

It's a question that is asked time and time again by plenty of entrepreneurs, many of whom realize that founding a successful business will require a co-founder. Unfortunately, finding a co-founder can seem just as tough as getting a business off the ground.

by Patricio Robles 25 October 2010 10:17am 4 comments

Digg's painful lesson: take the money and run while you can

At one point in the no-so-distant past, Digg was one of the hottest startups on the internet. The Web 2.0 boom was in full swing, and Digg and its founder Kevin Rose were the poster children for the next generation of companies that would ride the wave to fame and fortune.

Digg, of course, rose to popularity by providing a platform that democratized the news. Why rely on editors to determine what's important and what's not?Let the wisdom of the crowd works its magic. It was a simple idea, but a powerful one.

by Patricio Robles 30 September 2010 14:56pm 5 comments

Google leads the pack in 2010 acquisitions

In the tech industry, acquisitions are a fact of life. Big companies look to acquisitions for innovation and talent, and many entrepreneurs hope that their hard work will one day result in their creations being acquired.

When it comes to who is doing the acquiring in 2010, Google is at the head of the pack. In search of technologies and services that compliment its initiatives, and perhaps even the next big thing, the search giant has snapped up 23 companies this year according to CB Insights.

by Patricio Robles 29 September 2010 09:08am 0 comments

Are super angels conspiring against entrepreneurs?

Startups looking for funding increasingly have a new class of investor to pitch: super angels. These are individual angels who have raised money from others in the hopes that their smallish funds will serve as the basis for an investing model that merges the best of the angel and VC models.

The value proposition to entrepreneurs looking for funding: we're as nimble and friendly as angels, but we have more money available if we decide to make a big bet. But is this all a facade?

by Patricio Robles 22 September 2010 14:06pm 0 comments

Are investors wising up about platform-specific startups?

The platforms offered by companies like Facebook, Twitter and Apple offer entrepreneurs some very compelling features. They often bring to the table built-in audiences, and, in some cases, established business models.

For reasons like these, it's no surprise that a growing number of entrepreneurs are building entire companies on top of a specific platform. And it's no surprise that investors have flocked to back them.

by Patricio Robles 08 September 2010 15:02pm 1 comment

Can you start a new business in ten steps with $2,000?

The internet is an entrepreneur's dream. Thanks to the web, a greater number of individuals around the world have been given the opportunity to start a new business.

But while the internet has helped bring entrepreneurship to the masses, the internet hasn't changed the difficulties entrepreneurs face in starting a company, and arguably, it hasn't improved the odds of success.

by Patricio Robles 01 September 2010 14:43pm 14 comments

Ten dangerous ideas for startup entrepreneurs

Starting a new business is a positive action, and in my experience most entrepreneurs are positive people. But sometimes that positivity can mask harsh realities that many entrepreneurs would rather ignore, and can lead them to buy into ideas that are detrimental to success.

Here are ten dangerous ideas that many startup entrepreneurs buy into that they shouldn't.

by Patricio Robles 17 August 2010 09:12am 8 comments

Start Me Up! A profile of Keynoir

Launched recently, Keynoir is a new take on the group buying concept, which showcases one offer at a time on high quality restaurants, spas, hotels, and other experiences around London. It has secured a first round of funding worth £1.3m from Index Ventures and PROfounders Capital.

I've been talking to co-founder Glen Drury, previously CEO of Kelkoo, about the concept.

If you run a startup and fancy a Start Me Up profile then please throw your hat in the ring by emailing .

by Graham Charlton 03 June 2010 12:37pm 0 comments

Do Facebook apps need funding?

While browsing through my RSS reader earlier, I came across an interesting post on PaidContent: a Facebook app called Second Porch raised $1m in funding from an angel fund.

I immediately scratched my head and asked myself: do most entrepreneurs behind individual Facebook apps like Second Porch really need to raise funding for their app businesses? It's a question that I think is increasingly important as more and more entrepreneurs launch their ideas on Facebook, not as standalone websites.

by Patricio Robles 18 March 2010 09:02am 2 comments

Will a Startup Visa lure entrepreneurs to the United States?

Are you an entrepreneur looking for a new home? Have you always dreamed of living and starting a business in the United States? If so, Uncle Sam wants you.

Yesterday, two U.S. senators introduced a bill that would offer visas to entrepreneurs who start companies in the country. According to the announcement, "The StartUp Visa Act of 2010 will allow an immigrant entrepreneur to receive a two year visa if he or she can show that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to dedicate a significant sum – a minimum of $250,000 – to the immigrant’s startup venture."

by Patricio Robles 25 February 2010 13:05pm 1 comment