Collective Wisdom For Tech Startups

Naming products and services is an art, but RedAntler (redantler.com/) CEO JB Osborne (twitter.com/jbosborne) explains why startups shouldn't be afraid to take risks.

This fifth episode of Collective Wisdom is focused on how to build a brand on a startup’s budget. JB Osborne has designed logos, devised naming strategies, and helped a wide variety of startups put their best foot forward from Foursquare to BirchBox to Casper to Tyra Banks. In this episode he explains why startups should invest more in emails and photography, how to best partner with a creative firm, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to “outsource” your brand.

Startups shouldn't get precious about building their brand in-house. In much the same way that an accountant can set you down the right path, a team that lives and breath branding can often help you distill the essence of your offering with less trial and error required.

Why you should try to find a career that overlaps as many areas of interest and skill as possible. Here's Scott Belsky's full essay on the subject (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-thesis-stay-your-overlaps-scott-belsky)

Scott Belsky explains the "Interface Layer" and why it will lead to us using fewer, not more, apps in the coming years.

Funding announcements and acquisitions get a lot of press, but Scott Belsky says startups should celebrate the "middle" of their startup journey. Photo: RosieTulips (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosietulips/)

Scott Belsky explains why apathy is more dangerous to your startup than any competitor. Photo: Steve Koukoulas (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nifmus/2385966735/)

Most people think adding another feature will make their product better, but Behance co-founder Scott Belsky disagrees.

Episode 4— Scott Belsky, Co-Founder/Head of Behance; VP Products, Mobile & Community at Adobe; Author & Investor The fourth episode of the Collective Wisdom podcast is focused on the care and tending of creative communities. You’ll learn why apathy, not anger, will kill your team; why product teams should strive to kill, rather than add features; and why it’s important to celebrate the “middle” of a startup’s journey.

Companies like Apple can rely on an army of specialist—startups have to find strong generalists.

Once the VC check has cleared, how do you figure out how much to pay yourself? Here's how Holly Shelton made her decision. Photo: http://bit.ly/1HXkxhp

Holly Shelton recounts what it was like pitching the iPad to famous journalists under the watchful eye of Steve Jobs.

"There are a million voices in your head, but ultimately the choice comes down to you." Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dsevilla/241886124/

And how an ugly prototype can be used to find customers and funding for a startup. Photo: (http://bit.ly/1M69PGg)

FULL EPISODE: Apple is the largest company in the world, so we thought it would be fitting to ask Holly Shelton what it was like leaving that organization to create a startup from scratch. Holly is building MoveWith, a company that turns the world into a workout club. Imagine a yoga class in a club that hosts raves. Or if you favorite teacher taught classes in your apartment building work out room. That’s basically what Holly’s building. It’s a bit like Airbnb for fitness. In this episode Founder Collective's Micah Rosenbloom asks Holly about how she got the idea for MoveWith, The differences between working for Steve Jobs and startups, and why lollipops are a horrible pre-meeting snack. Collective Wisdom is produced by Joe Flaherty and Joe Mancuso. If you like the show subscribe on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/collective-wisdom-for-tech/id999395945?mt=2) and follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/fcollective).