Mark Evans › Comments

"Someone has to be writing big checks, otherwise all the big deals will be snapped by U.S. investors, or startups will be bought before they can really grow." - Mark Evans

"Great list - going to check many of them out. By the way, it's Evernote, rather than Enernote." - Mark Evans

"Great list - going to check many of them out. By the way, it's Evernote, rather than Enernote." - Mark Evans

"I agree that an outside perspective can provide value. In the long-term, I think social media works best, particularly for smaller companies, when it's done in-house. Thanks for the comment!" - Mark Evans

"I've learned this lesson first-hand. To be honest, it was a big head scratcher to see beautiful, modern furniture arrive when we would have been happy to stuff from Ikea or Staples for a lot less money. That said, I think most startups are pretty frugal these days." - Mark Evans

"You're absolutely right. I describe it as being "too close to the fire" because you lose a sense of the bigger picture." - Mark Evans

"Excellent point. Far too often, startups expect instant success, and then get discouraged when it doesn't happen. Patience may be a virtue but it doesn't mean everyone has it! Thanks for the comment!" - Mark Evans

"Stephen: I think an effective board features a variety of perspectives and skill sets. Ideally, this provides a way for the founders to receive valuable and frank insight into strategic and tactical decisions. I think it's helpful to have people who have little or no vested interest in the startup's success so they aren't biased financially. Thanks for the question. Mark" - Mark Evans

"I'm not sure how Influitive raised such a large seed round. It may have to do with Mark Organ's experience with Eloqua and his network....and/or their solution may be really good!" - Mark Evans

"Scott: I think the point is figuring out if incubators can serve a positive role. My sense is it's a bit of a gold rush mentality with people rushing to set them up. It will be interesting to see how they evolve. Thanks for the comment!" - Mark Evans

"Liz: If you're interested in another content curation platform, check out Atomic Reach (www.atomicreach.com), which helps brand create customized content communities using high-quality bloggers." - Mark Evans

"Nice link-bait headline. :)" - Mark Evans

"It is interesting to see how startup CEOs spend so much time raising money. I think it's only afterward that they realize the importance of having good people to run operations while they're doing the VC thing. Thanks for the comment." - Mark Evans

"Good points. Thanks for the insight and comment." - Mark Evans

"Denim: Thanks for the feedback, insight and information." - Mark Evans

"Max: Having co-founded and worked for startups, I can appreciate the challenges. I think Zak made some good points but I don't think the situation is as dire as he make it out to be. It's not that we need to be cheerleaders, we just need to be more bullish and confident. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"Once again, solid advice! Love these posts! Mark" - Mark Evans

"Good post; it's only a matter of time before social media becomes part of digital marketing as opposed to a standalone activity. I also feel strange sometimes describing myself as a consultant because it sounds slick. :)" - Mark Evans

"No doubt this post struck a chord but I think it's off the mark and makes some sweeping generalizations. Here's my response: http://www.markevanstech.com/2..." - Mark Evans

"Flickr? Seriously?" - Mark Evans

"Jesse: Completely agree with you that complicated can be simple if the product/service is designed well. The problem with many online services is the more stuff they add, the less user-friendly it becomes, which makes the new features irrelevant or, at least, attractive to many users. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"I was really, really hoping that the story would end with a RIM employee deciding to jump ship! :) It does, however, provide real-world insight into the challenges, opportunities and realities of being a startup entrepreneur. Well done." - Mark Evans

"So the question is whether our confidence is linked to the tech sector's financial clout, or lack thereof?" - Mark Evans

"You're right; RIM's cockiness was a big issue. But I think it was hurt a lot more by arrogance; the idea that it was so much smarter than everyone else in the room. There's nothing wrong about thinking you are smart and innovative but it's dangerous when arrogance makes you dismiss many people. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"I'm a blog fan (big surprise, eh!) because it offers startups a variety of benefits - thought leadership, storytelling, relationship building, etc. Thanks for the comment!" - Mark Evans

"The link works so click it again. Thanks for the comment." - Mark Evans

"Congrats! Another Canadian startup success story! Mark" - Mark Evans

"Congrats! Another Canadian startup success story! Mark" - Mark Evans

"I think the question the Globe may have been asking is whether Canada is able to build and support larger companies given the demise of RIM and Nortel. In writing a story like it did without giving much coverage to the startup scene, they missed a key part of the ecosystem. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans

"Kristin: Great advice. I find that when I do case studies for clients, the amount and variety of feedback is always surprising. Thanks for the comment. Mark" - Mark Evans