Analysis : View from the Valley
Letting go
21 November 2008
The departure of Yahoo’s CEO raises a question for entrepreneurs: when do you call it a day?
Thinking big
30 October 2008
Industry giants like IBM and Microsoft provide support and funds for entrepreneurs in their sector. But how do you tap in?
Easy come, easy go
17 October 2008
In five years’ time, all your employees could be contractors and career loyalty will be a thing of the past. Are you ready?
Financial meltdown
19 September 2008
After a week of extraordinary turmoil in the financial markets, what will the impact be on London entrepreneurs?
Colour of money
4 July 2008
With the level of VC investment slowing in the UK, is now a good time to look to US firms for capital?
Managing email
17 June 2008
From improving productivity to heading off lawsuits, the way you manage email and messaging could save you a small fortune
Green guilt
26 May 2008
The US is finally going green, tackling everything from its travel habits to its cooking oil. What can London learn?
The size of things to come?
8 April 2008
When you’re doubling revenues every year, it’s tempting to hire a big team. But in Silicon Valley, small is still beautiful
Collaborating with strangers
29 February 2008
Worried that your remote employees are missing out on the social and creative benefits of the office? Get them to ‘co-work’
Virtual circles
3 February 2008
Sharing experiences is common amongst Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. That knowledge transfer can make or break a business
Cleaning up in clean tech?
10 December 2007
The clean energy field got a boost last month when Nobel Prize winner Al Gore teamed up with a VC firm and Google jumped into the fray. But sceptics still fret about the sector's commercial viability
The rule breakers
1 November 2007
Everyone knows rules are made to be broken, but when it comes to marketing in the Web 2.0 world, some companies are ripping up the entire manual. So what can other entrepreneurs learn from them?
Outsourcing 2.0
12 October 2007
Outsourcing product development is an attractive option for many start-ups. But as the services industry matures, entrepreneurs face new challenges in the way they manage their business partners
Entrepreneurs and innovators
4 September 2007
Most technology entrepreneurs are creative by nature - but they don't always know how to hire the other innovators they need. Management guru Dr John Sullivan has strong views on how to get that right
Sizing up the regulators
3 August 2007
With nanotechnologies used in a widening array of products, regulators are considering closer scrutiny of their use in drugs and medical devices. What will that mean for researchers and manufacturers?
Cutting your losses
27 June 2007
Do you really need all the funds you're asking for - or would you take less in exchange for a quick deal? It's the kind of dilemma you might have to square up to when you're seeking VC investment
Wasting water
8 June 2007
Everyone hopes alternative energies can rein in global warming - but it may come at a price. The US Department of Energy is worried that some technologies could make world water shortages worse
Crossing the pond
13 April 2007
The Mayor of San Francisco encouraged US companies to look to London last month as a centre for global expansion. But as more US tech firms cross the Atlantic, how will it affect London entrepreneurs?
Pure speculation?
16 March 2007
Is the cleantech bubble going to burst before it's even fully inflated? Maybe not - but VCs are concerned that lack of expertise among investors and technology limitations could cause problems
Printing money?
26 January 2007
Silicon Valley doesn't usually look to the mountain landscape of Montana for entrepreneurial inspiration. But that's where an award-winning small business has created a new kind of e-commerce set-up
Excess baggage
5 January 2007
Large companies face all kinds of organisational obstacles that stop them managing customers efficiently. It's easier for start-ups - but only if they get their sales strategy straight from day one
Birth pains
4 December 2006
The IT and health sciences sectors are showing promising signs of growth - but also exposing a mounting shortage of top management talent for start-ups. That could have consequences for everyone
Coming clean
31 October 2006
Every investor has a cautionary tale about deals that went badly wrong - and occasionally they get together in Silicon Valley to share them. So what can entrepreneurs learn from their peers' mistakes?
Aiming for the exit
29 September 2006
The number of technology companies going public in the US is still way below its dot com peak, and many are now looking to alternative markets like London. That's good news for UK entrepreneurs
Top performers
1 September 2006
Are you on your way to building the next Google or Genentech? A new listing of the fastest-growing private companies in the US gives a little insight into what makes an entrepreneur successful
Long arm of the law
28 July 2006
Criminal charges in a share options 'backdating' scandal rocked Silicon Valley this month, the latest in a string of events that show the risks directors face when things turn sour. How safe are you?
Location, location, location
4 July 2006
Are Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities starting to steal Silicon Valley's thunder in the tech world? And does your choice of location - whether it's San Francisco or London - really matter?
Growing Google
1 June 2006
Susan Wojcicki has first hand experience of what it takes to be a successful start-up - after all, Google was set up in her garage. Ten years on, she's begun to reveal some of its early secrets
Skilling up
27 April 2006
While US politicians argue about immigration and offshoring, London entrepreneurs have a big opportunity to take advantage of skills shortages in the American tech sector
Emergency services
24 March 2006
From video-linked ambulances to remote-monitored parking meters, the US is putting wireless technologies to practical use - and opening up a whole new set of applications and services
Stemming the tide?
28 February 2006
The UK is gaining an edge in stem cell research as legal, ethical and political concerns hold back the US. But how much money is the venture capital community prepared to put in?
Culture Clash
21 February 2006
Cori Gorman, one-time Genentech scientist and biotech entrepreneur, has strong views on one of the biggest difficulties facing the sector - balancing science and business priorities
Under the hammer
1 February 2006
Technology patents have huge potential value - but how do you turn them into cash? As Keith Rodgers reports, San Francisco's first large-scale patent auction may provide a model for the future.
Lean and mean
22 November 2005
Today's investment climate makes it tough for biotechs to secure funding - and that's leading to a rethink of the entire start-up business model
Illegal Aliens
28 September 2005
Many in the tech industry worry that tough US immigration policy is damaging the country's long-term prospects and benefiting emerging economies such as India and China. That could transform the face of technology entrepreneurship
Risky Business
7 September 2005
The Americans might have some odd attitudes to rugby, cricket and any other activities that the English can claim to have excelled in - but when it comes to entrepreneurship, they still have a big cultural advantage
Selling Out
1 September 2005
What's the perfect takeover target for the world's largest tech companies? And why could your choice of VC funding put them off?
