Think Big Radio

What’s new with the Google Fiber development in Kansas City?  Think Big Radio host Derek Olsen sits down with President of the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, Ryan Weber, to find out. SUMMARY: What’s new with the Google Fiber development in Kansas City?  Think Big Radio host Derek Olsen sits down with President of the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, Ryan Weber, to find out.  The two Kansas City natives (who both anxiously await the arrival of Google Fiber) talk about what the high-speed Internet means to the city and answer questions such as:

What does Google Fiber mean for KCNext

Is Kansas City becoming an IT hub in the US?

What groups are forming because of the Google Fiber implementation?

How will KCNext help other major technology movements come to KC?

What are the biggest challenges Google Fiber is facing?

And more!

Entrepreneurs and sleep.  The two don’t seem to go hand-in-hand do they?  Most entrepreneurs loathe going to sleep at night.  If they’re not tossing and turning thinking of the next big idea, they’re coding or jotting down notes until 3:00 in the morning.  So what can entrepreneurs do to get the perfect amount of sleep and be productive the next day?  Is there such thing as too much sleep?  What are the top tips for falling asleep quickly?  Find out in this episode of Think Big Radio!

Elementary school, high school and even business school can’t teach us everything we need to know about entrepreneurship.  But there are a few classes that we think should be implemented into school curricula not only to help entrepreneurs, but to help foster the startup ecosystem throughout different communities.  In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison name the top 7 classes that they think should be added to school curriculum for entrepreneurs.  How did they come up with the 7?  Think Big Partners recently surveyed 51 entrepreneurs from across the nation to find out what classes they wish they had in college (and some even wish they had them in elementary and high school!).

http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/025SevenClassesForEntrepreneurSchool.mp3

At Think Big Partners, we try to accommodate to entrepreneurs as best we can.  So we asked people on Twitter and Facebook what they cannot live without as entrepreneurs to gain a little more insight.  Listen to episode 24 of Think Big Radio to find out the 13 (plus some!) things that entrepreneurs cannot live without.  Take a look at our full list below:

1.      A sense of humor (from @AllisonThinkBig)

2.      A great team (from @AllisonThinkBig and George Brooks of CremaLab)

3.      Goals, direction and focus (from @beatnikbusiness)

4.      Work-life balance (from @joshmccleary)

5.      Passion (from @gimmetim)

6.      A challenge (from @Dan_Via)

7.      Coffee! (from @Dan_Via)

8.      An unfiltered critique of plan, process and product (from @mrjerryjonesjr)

9.      Social media (@donpower, @JoinSaloveiTeam, @RexTullius)

10.   An iPad (from @EBuckIII)

11.   A smartphone (from @KcMoboss, @srfuller, @K12Cloud)

12.   Flexibility (from @beatnikbusiness)

13.   Apps (from George Brooks via Facebook)

Plus, we have a few extras!

14.   Exercise

15.   Books

16.   Sleep, vacation and breaks

17.   High-speed Internet

18.   Networking

19.   Headphones

20.   Ongoing, great ideas

21.   Podcasts (and other ways to gather information and advice)

A huge thanks to our Twitter followers and Facebook fans who let us know what they cannot live without!  As an entrepreneur, what could you not live without?  Comment below and let us know!

Kansas City isn’t just experiencing big things this summer…it’s experiencing fast things, too.  This summer, Google opened its very own home in KC and the location quickly became known as Google Fiber Space.  Google Fiber Space is a modern, techy place full of Google Fiber demonstrations, interactive video, hands-on activities and even free food!  It all sounded too good to be true…so we decided to take a look at Google Fiber Space for ourselves.

And it was better than we imagined.  We even had the opportunity to sit down with Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack and ask her a few questions about Google Fiber’s implementation in Kansas City…and what we can expect next.  We asked Rachel about Google Fiber for business, the ins-and-outs of Google TV, Kansas City as the home of Google Fiber and we even took questions from people on Facebook and Twitter who had interesting questions about the high-speed Internet.  Want to hear what Rachel had to say?  Give episode 23 of Think Big Radio a listen!  To learn more about Google Fiber, visit https://fiber.google.com/about/

Ever since startup accelerator programs have begun popping up around the world, skeptics have been curious: are startup accelerators a waste of time?  Are they worth it?  Do they really benefit the startups that take the plunge?  Maybe those skeptics haven’t seen the success rates from top accelerator programs such as TechStars, Y Combinator and LaunchBox.  Startups around the globe are becoming more successful at a faster rate because of startup accelerators (or even through business incubators).  In this podcast, Derek and Allison of Think Big Partners explore the five reasons you and your business idea should undergo the startup accelerator process:  1. Mentors  2. Elevator Pitch  3. Resources and Relationships  4. Capital  5. Exposure

Learn more about the Think Big Accelerator at www.thinkbigpartners.com/accelerator and apply today (applications due August 10, 2012).

http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/022FiveReasonsToJoinAnAccelerator.mp3

It’s time to put down Fifty Shades of Grey, Twilight, Harry Potter (or whatever you’re reading) and pick up one of these 12(ish) books about entrepreneurship, startups and business!  In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison will list out their Top 12(ish) Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read.  Why 12ish?  Derek and Allison were on a roll when recording this podcast and ended up talking about more than they expected—so you’ll get some bonus suggestions, too!  Tune into this episode of Think Big Radio and get information about the following entrepreneurial books:

http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/021Top10Books.mp3

Every entrepreneur is nervous to pitch to investors.  No matter what you do, your palms may sweat, your hands may shake and your voice may quiver while delivering your ever-important pitch.  And you should be nervous—you’re talking to the people who could potentially invest in your company!  But there is no need to look nervous when under the startup microscope.  Think Big is here to help.  In this episode of Think Big Radio, you’ll get insight into the top 10 questions that venture capitalists almost always ask during the question-and-answer session of a pitch. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com

http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/020Top10QuestionsEveryVCAsks.mp3

Think Big Partners has made quite a few announcements in 2012.  From The Gigabit Challenge to the launch of Think Big Ventures, TBP seems to be moving at the speed of light.  But one of our most exciting announcements was just leaked this last week–the launch of our first accelerator class.  Now introducing the Think Big Accelerator.  The Think Big Accelerator is a 14-week program that will aid tech-focused, early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in launching a business faster, stronger and smarter this September.  Listen to this episode as Herb Sih, managing partner of Think Big Partners, discusses exactly what the Think Big Accelerator will do and how you can get involved.

Did you know that over 300,000 apps have been developed in the past 3 years?  Or that apps have been downloaded over 10.9 billion times?   Or that the demand for apps hasn’t even peaked yet (it will in 2013!)?  There’s no doubt about it—mobile entrepreneurship is the new black!  In this episode of Think Big Radio, we are joined by Vince Vaughan, President/Founder of Why Status Quo and organizer of upcoming One Week KC event, GoMobileKC.  We will learn what it takes to be a mobile entrepreneur, why mobile entrepreneurship is so important and the ins-and-outs of app development.

http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/018GoMobileKC%202.mp3