TECHTOWN  

Erik Sherman


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

Tech Start-up Steals Killer Retail Strategy

You've heard of the try-before-you-buy-model. Now one company has applied it to gadgets--and it's working.  Read story

Smarter Online Marketing: 4 Tips

Check out these quick suggestions to get more out of your tweets, Facebook posts, and email newsletter sends.  Read story

The Short Shelf Life of a Facebook Post

A new report reveals just how long your Facebook posts make an impact. Spoiler: It's probably a lot shorter than you think.  Read story

Is Your Customer a Mac or a PC?

You might want to find out: Orbitz shows higher-priced deals to Mac users because they tend to spend more. But be careful with the data you find.  Read story

IPO? No Thanks, Say Most Entrepreneurs

The JOBS Act was supposed to help companies under $1 billion in revenue go public and grow. But entrepreneurs say IPOs still don't make sense for them.  Read story

How to Make Money in Tech

Even as technology solves problems, it creates new ones. And that's good news for aspiring tech entrepreneurs.  Read story

How to Comparison Shop the Cloud: 5 Tips

The cloud is cheap and easy to tap into--sometimes too easy. Make sure you get the right service and price with these tips.  Read story

How to Beat a Giant at Its Own Game

Can a database start-up go up against Oracle? Here are two reasons why this one has a fighting chance.  Read story

Mid-sized Businesses Suffer a Social Media Gap

Why owners are less likely to stick to a social strategy as their businesses grow--and how it hurts them.  Read story

4 Lessons from Yammer's Success

Microsoft's acquisition proves tech start-ups are still hot. Want to be next? Learn from what David Sacks did right.  Read story

Is Your Business Too High-Tech?

Just because machines can do things faster and cheaper than your employees doesn't mean they should.  Read story

Facebook Ads: Deconstructing the ComScore Report

Critics claim that Facebook ads don't really work. Now Facebook is fighting back with data--but don't believe everything you read.  Read story

3 Easy Ways to Make Your Company Look Bad

Self-sabotage can come in many forms. Here are three of the most common blunders.  Read story

How to Avoid Password Hacks: 5 Rules

The lesson from LinkedIn's data breach? Most online passwords are easy nuts to crack. Here are some simple rules to stay safe.  Read story

2 Things to Know Before Your Next Web Ad Campaign

Results can be mysterious at best and terribly disappointing at worst. Two industry insiders offer tips on improving your odds.  Read story

Meeker Report: 3 Big Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

When former analyst-turned-VC Mary Meeker delivers her annual take on tech trends, the industry listens. Here's what her latest report means for start-up fou...  Read story