Posts by Rocco Tarasi
Bizarre laws standing in the way of innovation
When you think of the U.S., you often think of the word “opportunityâ€. For hundreds of years, people have immigrated to the U.S. because it was the “land of opportunityâ€. That isn’t to say that there aren’t many hurdles – you need an idea, skills, drive, sometimes capital, a dash of luck, and that is…
Read MoreWill Linkedin push employers' hiring button?
Hidden Significance of LinkedIn’s ‘Apply’ button by Rocco Tarasi There’s something big about LinkedIn’s recent news that no one is talking about yet. According to a report, LinkedIn is expected to announce their “Apply with LinkedIn” button (via GigaOM). It enables companies to place a button on their websites and online job postings so that…
Read MoreThe Risks of User Feedback
To seek user feedback, or not to seek user feedback… that is the question. Of course, I’m not talking about getting user feedback after you launch your product – you’d be crazy not to listen to what your users are telling you then. I’m talking about getting user feedback on your idea before you build…
Read MoreStop Changing the Definition of Ownership
Consumers are frustrated. As innovations lead us to newer, better, faster, more powerful products and services, we keep finding a disparity between our purchase of those products and services and the rights we have to them. Google and Amazon both recently announced online music “lockers†that allow consumers to upload music – that they have…
Read More7 Reasons Why Capital Markets Need to Innovate
In the last month the SEC has said that it will consider changes to certain capital markets regulations, including: Raising the 500 shareholder threshold that triggers a public disclosure of financial results (and usually results in a public stock offering); Adjusting the ban on general solicitations that prohibit or restrict publicizing share offerings; and Allowing…
Read MoreAre net benefits of innovation always positive?
There I was, two weeks ago sitting in an auditorium on a Sunday attending TEDxCMU.  It was an inspiring and emotional day with twelve fantastic talks from local and national presenters. One of the talks was by Luis von Ahn, a CMU professor. It only took me a minute to realize that I was in…
Read MoreFlipped – Wish I was always this right
Two years ago, in the second post I ever wrote, I wrote about the Flip Video camera: “Add video recorders to the list of industries being disrupted by “good enough†products that, with less features than the established players, become both easier to use and less expensive. Have you seen the Flip Mino?… Seriously, you…
Read MoreInnovation versus the Devil that you Know
Changing user behavior is really, really hard. It has to be one of the biggest obstacles to reaching innovation success. I’ve seen it with my start-ups that have introduced new products, and I’ve seen it with companies that make seemingly insignificant changes to what a user has already learned about a product. It is impossible…
Read MoreAn Innovation in the Business of Love
I think the best businesses are ones where the business model is so ingrained into the product or service that you can’t think about the business and business model separately. That is not always the case – most businesses are built first and they try to answer their business model question later. My broad definition…
Read MoreAn Innovation in Angel Investing?
The biggest news in the world of start-ups recently is the announcement that investor Yuri Milner of DST is partnering with famed angel investor Ron Conway on a new innovative start-up investment vehicle called Start Fund. The Start Fund is offering $150,000 loans to every one of the 43 start-ups in the Y Combinator class.…
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