TECHTOWN  

Erik Sherman


TV Ads: The Secret to Taking a Tech Start-up Mainstream?

Tech start-ups are launching old-school TV campaigns. A return to the dot bomb era? Not quite--but think twice before stealing this strategy.  Read story

Going Mobile? Make It More Than a Marketing Strategy

Smartphones and tablets are becoming an important tool for satisfying your customers' needs, not just for trying to sell to them. Are you ready?  Read story

How 3D Printing Helped This Company Get Off the Ground

How do you get from idea to a thousand products--without the costly manufacturing mistakes? A 3D printer became this company's secret weapon.  Read story

Want Loyal Customers? Let Them Customize

It used to be, only big businesses could afford to let customers customize their products. But here's how one small operation makes it work.  Read story

How to Choose the Best Platform for Your App

Do you develop on Apple iOS, Google Android, or Windows? Or all of the above? Check out the pros and cons for the major platforms.  Read story

Luxury Brands Losing Next Generation of Customers

A marketing study warns that traditional luxury branding strategies fail to woo Millennial shoppers.  Read story

Inventor's Dilemma

A 3D printer knew its technology would let customers' imaginations run wild. But it never anticipated anyone would come up with this.  Read story

Entrepreneurs Behaving Badly

Sometimes customers do things that make you want to take extreme actions. But there's no good excuse for going this far.  Read story

Beware the VC Fad Factor

An annual ranking of top start-ups suggests VC funding and success go hand in hand. That's one huge mistake you don't want to make.  Read story

The Next Big Thing Beyond Great Design

A well-designed product used to be all you needed to get noticed. But good design has gone mainstream, so it's time to up the ante.  Read story

Where Did All the Solar Start-ups Go?

First it was hot, then after Solyndra's collapse... it was not. But solar is still a growth industry--if you know what you're getting into.  Read story

Quick! Get Apple a New Map--for Smart Crisis Control

A buggy product launch? That's familiar territory for most tech founders... but not for Apple. Here's how the company could have minimized the damage.  Read story

Starting a Business: The New 'Safe' Career?

Is it really that big a gamble to start your own business? Compared with other options, maybe not.  Read story

Go Back to School This Fall--For Free

Want to get an edge? Tap into the free business and tech classes online taught by some of country's top universities.  Read story

Who Took the Disruption Out of TechCrunch Disrupt?

The much-hyped start-up competition is supposed to feature dangerously innovative companies. So why does the winner look like a me-too entry?  Read story

Most Important Rule in VC Negotiations

Negotiating with potential investors is never easy. Here's one option you never want to take off the table.  Read story

Marketing in a Brave, New Multiscreen World

Do your ads easily move across different devices? That's what consumers do--and they won't wait for you to catch up.  Read story

A Looming Apocalypse?

It's become so easy to start a tech company, argues one entrepreneur, that founders are missing early warning signs that their ship is sinking.  Read story

When Kickstarter Campaigns Go Bad

What happens when supporters do their part, but you can't do yours? Here's how to avoid upsetting your new fans.  Read story

Ad Forecast: Online to Trump TV by 2017

A new report suggests the Web will eclipse TV advertising--and sooner than you think. Is your business ready for the big shift?  Read story

How High-Tech Is Changing Retail

The difference between the winners and losers in retail increasingly comes down to one factor: tech savvy.  Read story

The Tricky Business of Lifetime Guarantees

Locking in long-term customers could mean a steady source of revenue. But at a start-up, very little is steady.  Read story

How to Go Freemium (and Not Go Broke)

Offering something for free is great for acquiring more customers... but not so great for the bottom line. If you're going to do it, know the risks.  Read story

An End to Silicon Valley? Not Even Close

One month after Microsoft acquired his company Yammer, David Sacks declares Silicon Valley near its deathbed. Here's why he's wrong.  Read story

Do Stock Lock-ups Kill Hot Internet Companies?

Investors blame the stock slides at Zynga, Facebook, & Groupon on employee lock-ups. But the root of the problem goes much deeper.  Read story

Inside a Risky Second Act

Two retirees decided to build an art-house cinema in a town of 16,000 people. Even crazier? Now they're expanding.  Read story

Online Advertising: Surprising New Finding

Research suggests you might be using the wrong metric to measure the success of Web campaigns.  Read story

2 Kinds of Start-ups That Get More Valuable Post-IPO

A new analysis by a Silicon Valley venture capital firm identifies two tech business models that tend to stay strong.  Read story

Prevent Hack Attacks: 5 Things to Do Today

Just how easily can a hacker destroy your online life? You don't want to know. Take preventive measures now.  Read story

Back-to-School Marketing: What's Your Strategy?

'Tis the season for back-to-school shopping. Here's a look at the spending forecast, plus tips for marketing to parents.  Read story

Are Your Facebook Fans People or Bots?

One company learned that 80% of its clicks came from spammers. Have you checked your Facebook ads lately?  Read story

5 Smartphone Tricks for Your Next Business Trip

Don't wait until your plans go awry. Use these handy tips for a smooth trip every time.  Read story

How to Know if Your Marketing Firm Is Giving You BS

You want results, and all they talk about is "branding." What gives?  Read story

Where Zynga Went Wrong

It's official: The business is stalling, and Zynga's prospects don't look good. Here's what happened.  Read story

Popping the Young Entrepreneurial Bubble

There have never been so many ways for young people to get involved in start-ups. And that might not be a good thing.  Read story

Groupon's CEO Gets Schooled in Small Business

To figure out what's next for his company, Andrew Mason has picked up a second job. Here's what he's been doing--and what he learned.  Read story

To Be or Not to Be Like Steve Jobs?

Nearly a year after Jobs' death, his legacy inspires fierce debate among entrepreneurs.  Read story

Stealing Design Ideas From Mother Nature

How do you build a printer so that the ink doesn't dry up? Researchers find inspiration for this and other design problems in unlikely places.  Read story

Cool Aha Moment: The Cardboard Bicycle

Engineers told this Israeli entrepreneur that his idea would be impossible to pull off. He soon proved them wrong.  Read story

To Design Better Products, Hit the Road

The next time you need inspiration, take a business trip. There's no better source of terrible (and brilliant) design than the travel industry.  Read story