Should You Build Your Own Software?

Eat the World with Proprietary Software Previously published in smallbizdaily   By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Five years ago (August 2011), Marc Andreessen, co-founder and general partner of venture capital firm Andreessen-Horowitz, famously said, “Software is eating the world.” His point was that most of the fastest growing companies were [...]

By | October 13th, 2016|

You Have a Great New Product. Here’s What You Need to Think About Next

By Ed McLaughlin Previously Published in FORTUNE Questions every entrepreneur should ask when thinking about sales, pricing and production. The following is an excerpt from Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker’s new book The Purpose Is Profit (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2016), which recounts how, after quitting his [...]

By | October 11th, 2016|

What’s the Difference Between Angels, VC’s, & Private Equity Firms?

 By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Every entrepreneur needs some sort of funding for his or her business. While I continue to believe that bootstrapping is best, it is not always an option for businesses with a long ramp-up to profitability or for a capital-intensive business. After reading [...]

By | August 25th, 2016|

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Friends and Family Funding

By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker Authors of The Purpose Is Profit: The Truth about Starting and Building Your Own Business A startup typically goes through several rounds of funding from different investment sources as it expands. One of those sources is the “friends and family” round – one [...]

By | August 15th, 2016|

Why Competence Trumps Passion for Startups

By Ed McLaughlin Every entrepreneur puts their time, money, and reputation on the line.  Most entrepreneurs cannot afford to lose those things and need a solid return for their efforts. In a recent interview on The Small Business Advocate Show, I talk with radio host Jim Blasingame on the fundamental importance of distinctive competence. [...]

By | May 12th, 2016|