Get Maximum Customer Info for Minimum Cost: 5 Tips
In a start-up’s early days, your most important task is to sort out the good ideas from the bad--without spending a ton of money. Here’s how. Read more
Field Research
Recent Field Research Articles
The Secret to Keeping Your Company Alive
Clayton Christensen and Hal Gregersen, co-authors of The Innovator's DNA , on what makes the most innovative companies in the world tick. Read more
The Dangers of Marketing Half-Baked Products
Should you show the world your technology before it's fully baked? Google did with Project Glass--but that doesn't mean you should. Read more
How to Make Smarter Decisions on the Fly
A better process to think through your choices when the stakes are high. Read more
Women: More Honest and Hardworking?
What's the workplace really like? A new survey claims women are working their tails off... and men are more likely to play hooky. Read more
How Not to Crash & Burn in Business
Running a business is like flying a plane: Lots of decisions to make and zero time to analyze them. Improve your gut instincts with these tips. Read more
5 Smart Moves to Steal from the Tech Industry
Strategies every start-up and small business can take from Apple, Facebook, Google, and other leaders in high tech. Read more
6 Major Tech Innovations for 2012
These trends could make for huge opportunities--or huge disruptions to your business. Either way, they are ones to watch. Read more
Why the Best Product Doesn't Always Win
Entrepreneurs often think only the best product will let them succeed. But sometimes 'best' isn't what your customers really want. Read more
Why 'Idea' Should Be a Verb
Ideas without action aren't ideas--they're regrets. Read more
4 Ways Big Data Can Trick You
Analyzing heaps of data can give you an edge... or make you fall flat on your face. It all depends on how you use the results. Read more
How to Build a Great Team With Imperfect People
Your goal isn’t to ensure every employee is great; it's to ensure that collectively they'll be great. (There’s a big difference.) Read more
Why Premature Hype Kills Start-ups
If your beta product isn't ready for prime time, the last thing you need is attention from the media. Read more
Reid Hoffman Wants You to Invest His Money
The LinkedIn co-founder is lending $1 million to struggling entrepreneurs around the world and you can help decide who gets it. Read more
You're Not as 'Green' as You Think
Chances are, your company is just a lightweight when it comes to being eco-friendly. Want to go hardcore? Here's what it takes. Read more
Will Clean Tech Be Bigger Than Web 2.0?
Why the start-up community remains bullish on the industry--despite its Solyndra-sized failures. Read more
4 Launch Day Survival Tips
Expect zero sleep, testy employees, and tech glitches you never could have anticipated. Here's how GetHired.com made it through. Read more
Fewer Unemployed Execs Want to Be Entrepreneurs
Out-of-work executives and managers prefer the corporate world to entrepreneurship. It's not great news for the economy--but it might be for you. Read more
Why South America Is a Hot Spot for Exporting
If you've ever thought about going overseas, now's the time to look south. And this New Jersey company wants to be your tour guide. Read more
6 Start-up Tips From the World’s Biggest Tech Companies
Google and Microsoft were once start-ups. So how'd they get that big? We asked company executives to share their growth tips. Read more
Arab Spring... for High-Tech Teens?
A U.S. government-backed plan to spread the Silicon Valley vibe east--25 Arabic-speaking girls at a time. Read more
Why You Should Give Your Work Away for Free
If you're not devoting a small percentage of your time to working for free, you're making a big mistake. Read more
Why You’re Doing Customer Research All Wrong
Somewhere along the line between brainstorming and testing new ideas in the marketplace, your research is failing. Here's why. Read more
3 Ways to Shrink Your Start-up Legal Costs
The average legal bill even before VC financing can run more than $20,000. Why pay that when DIY options abound? Read more
Accelerator vs. Incubator: What’s the Difference?
The terms sometimes get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. And that matters if you're thinking of applying. Read more
10 Leadership Lessons From a Super Bowl Coach
Moves that every entrepreneur should steal from the Tom Coughlin playbook. Read more
Why Your Crowdfunded Campaign Tanked
You launched your idea on Kickstarter... but the crowds (and their wallets) never came. Here's what you did wrong. Read more
How to Land a Great Columnist Gig
Have a lot of war stories from your start-up days? Here's how to get a byline in a high-profile publication -- no experience required. Read more
7 Rules for Bootstrapping a Business
Your task: Build something people want, minimize your risk, and maximize your chances for survival. Here's how. Read more
When Did Being Nice Get So Complicated?
Giving back to the community is harder than it looks. What would you do in a situation like this? Read more
How to Excel at Anything
Hit a performance wall? Here are four ways to break through it. Read more
How to Test Your Marketing: 5 Tips from YouSendIt
YouSendIt shows how testing your marketing, offers, and pricing can radically improve your business results. Five tips on making it work for you. Read more
Disruptive Innovation--One Pair of Glasses at a Time
Want to shake up an entire industry? Use this story as inspiration. Read more
The Best Way to Become an Expert
How to get to the point where you always know what you're talking about. Read more
Best Problem-Solving Tip: Don’t Be Afraid to Break Stuff
There are lots of tools designed to help you come up with innovative solutions. But sometimes the best one is a sledgehammer. Read more