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
TECHTOWN 
Erik Sherman
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
