Joining Techstars in Detroit
My First 3 Years in Detroit Nearly 3 years ago, I moved to Detroit from San Francisco. I joined Detroit Venture Partners [http://detroitventurepartners.com/] as part of the founding team with Josh Linkner and Jake Cohen. Since then, Detroit Venture Partners has invested in 24 companies. Along the way,
Techstars Announces Techstars Mobility, Driven by Detroit
Written by Dave Drach [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davedrach/] Today, Techstars is announcing Techstars Mobility, driven by Detroit with our partners Ford Motor Company, Magna International and Verizon Telematics. Mobility and transportation are changing and we want to help the next generation of companies make it happen. Techstars is
24 Hours in Detroit: A Startup & Food Tour
I get a lot of inquiries from terrific startup folks around the country. Many mention they will be in Detroit for the day and want to get a good sense of the startup ecosystem. They want to see what Detroit’s entrepreneurial gold rush [https://tedserbinski.com/detroit/the-entrepreneurial-gold-rush-why-i-moved-from-san-francisco-to-detroit/] is
Startups Should Build Less and Sell More
> “If you build it, they will come.” Field of Dreams [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_Dreams] In this iconic movie, Kevin Costner’s character hears a voice that tells him to plow part of his cornfield and build a baseball field. Once he builds it, they will
4 Tips to Hire an Awesome Software Engineer
As a computer engineer and former CTO [https://tedserbinski.com/about.html], startups often ask me “how can I hire an awesome developer?” and “how do I an interview a software engineer?” It can be tough, but it shouldn’t be much harder than hiring a non-technical person to join
Detroit's Startup Tech Resurgence: Be Part of the Inaugural Tech Week
Detroit’s inaugural Techweek celebration will take place May 19-25th in downtown Detroit. Sign up here [http://techweek.com/detroit/] and be part of the largest tech conference for entrepreneurs in Detroit. Full disclosure: I am the Chairman of Techweek’s Detroit Executive Advisory Board. I’ll also be speaking
Detroit's Startup Ecosystem is Missing 3 Things
I’ve now been in Detroit for 882 days. Or roughly, 2 years, 5 months, and 1 day. As an ex-Silicon Valley guy who co-founded and sold a company, I have a good sense of what makes the valley tick—and how it turns out bombshells like Whatsapp [http://venturebeat.
The Achilles Heel of Every Great Idea
Ever since I started investing, both as an angel, and now as a venture capitalist at Detroit Venture Partners, there has been one recurring phrase that I hear nearly every day. It’s a phrase that once intrigued me by what was to be revealed after hearing it. And now,
24 Business Insights I’ve Learned from Billionaire Dan Gilbert
I moved to Detroit a little more than 2 years ago, joining Detroit Venture Partners (DVP). While here, I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside billionaire Dan Gilbert, #118 on the Forbes 400, whose a General Partner in our fund.
The One Competitor Your Startup Forgot About
Startup Competition is Good Startups are competitive by nature. They are out to solve a problem or change the world in an innovative way. As they take on funding, acquire paying customers, and generate revenue, others notice, and the competition heats up. This competition drives innovation and keeps the startup