Meetings at their core aren’t bad things, yet many employees dread them. You can set a culture in your startup for meetings that work and don’t destroy the day and your team’s morale. Let’s look at how startups can have more effective meetings. Abide by the Rule of Seven The first thing you want to do is manage your invite list. In the past, companies have used the mantra, “the more, the merrier.” This isn’t the best operating procedure. Begin your startup on the right foot, and keep your meetin...

iPhone just celebrated its 10th anniversary and it’s impossible to deny the kind of impact it’s had on modern technology and, most importantly, on our lives. Ten years ago, Steve Jobs prophetically introduced the device saying : “iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile product. Once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.” And he was completely right. At more than 1.2 billion units sold , the iPhone has...

Historically, HR has been the catch-all department for hiring, payroll, health insurance and other administrative tasks. It was seen as the way to get payroll moving and to handle problems. In reality, HR is much more than this if it operates effectively. It’s about creating a company culture and enhancing the worker experience in addition to the administrative work. Here are five reasons why your startup needs human resources to succeed and thrive. #1: HR saves you money By having a human resou...

For many global entrepreneurs, patents may be viewed as an important part of Intellectual Property and of great value to the entrepreneur. In the Nordic, we have heard that a patent ‘ensures a 20-year monopoly’. However, in Silicon Valley, a patent is simply a document of how something could be created. Success comes from acting on the idea and patent to build a product, customer base, revenues and hence a company to turn the idea into reality. Another question is the market need for and accepta...

The Smarty City movement is certainly gathering momentum across the world as more locations strive to achieve smart city status following the lead of places like Seoul and Barcelona. Becoming a smart city is a great example of many different stakeholders from public and private sectors joining forces to shape the odds in their favour to create a better life for their residents and visitors. But what does it mean to be a smart city? Smart cities use technology to create a better environment. At a...