August 12, 2011 by Jeff Slobotski
Omaha Thank you. It's absolutely amazing to look at what we've accomplished together as a community over three years. We at Silicon Prairie News are more committed than ever to continue building as well as highlighting the great work taking place, and we have some exciting things in store over the next several years. For a quick walk down memory lane … read more
August 10, 2011 by William Fisher
Omaha It takes two to tango…and negotiate. Therefore, there are typically two sides any negotiation and if you are able to figure out both sides, you will be successful more often. Simple case; take a used automobile. Unlike a new car that has a sticker price, the used car is priced subject to a variety of different things. Miles, year, options, history, location … these all play a part. The seller has a price they are asking (and a price they will take). The buyer has … read more
August 4, 2011 by Tom Chapman
Omaha I have heard a lot of discussion regarding incubators recently. There are many advocates, but I would offer that more important than the physical space for an incubator are the people who will go inside of it. I wanted to write a longer post rather than simply commenting on the PIE article because I wanted to be more long-winded than I thought appropriate for the comments section. There is an incubator at Scott Technology Center right now, and so I would offer to those who say … read more
August 4, 2011 by Danny Schreiber
Omaha One of our friends in the Pacific Northwest, Rick Turoczy of the blog Silicon Florist, is about to help serve up the second helping of the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) as co-founder. Modeled after TechStars – a Boulder, Co.-based startup accelerator that takes an equity stake in exchange for its three-month program involving seed funding, mentorship and an investor pitch day – PIE is touting … read more
August 3, 2011 by William Fisher
Omaha Can you imagine how the politicians could have negotiated on the appropriate "best thing" for the people if it didn’t get emotional? I know … I know … politics without emotion is some sort of an paradox. However, wouldn’t it be exceptional if this were the case? Just saying … My experience in the business world says that you aren't rational once you let it get personal. You don't think straight; you aren't able to … read more
August 3, 2011 by Geoff Wood
Des Moines Last month, the Des Moines Register ran an article titled "Why is it so hard to start a business in Iowa?" in which the writer, Lynn Hicks, asked several entrepreneurs and community members, "What can state or local officials do to help startups and create an innovative culture?" In the article, four main ideas were discussed. Things like, "create … read more
July 27, 2011 by William Fisher
Omaha Per our friends at Webster, definition of cardinal… cardinal – adjective, of basic importance : main, chief, primary a cardinal principle In negotiating, I think one of the cardinal rules is to never bid against yourself. This may seem obvious but it is amazing how many times I see this play out where one side or the other violates it. It is as easy as it sounds; don't bid against yourself. However … read more
July 26, 2011 by Tom Chapman
Omaha Omaha must become a more welcoming place to people who are not from here and people who are different – a solution to the provincial problem from Post One. A great bellwether for this problem is international immigrants. This is a key group not just as a bellwether but also because a high priority because immigrants can play key roles as entrepreneurs and highly skilled knowledge workers. In Omaha, international immigrants make up approximately … read more
Through August 22, help us decide the winners of our inaugural Silicon Prairie Awards, which will recognize 12
companies and individuals. You can vote once per day per category.
Winners will be announced live on stage at
our August 30 event.