This Week in Startups - Brian Alvey, CEO of Crowd Fusion

TL;DR

Mahalo founder, Jason Calacanis, talks about taking a vacation, the success of his company, and his first guest on "This Week in Startups." He also discusses the importance of being a valuable angel investor and his thoughts on a new product, Rapportive.

Transcript

spike down rocket ship or ever will tell my manager that emotion hello hello everybody and welcome to another this week in startups it's episode seventy seventy percent of the way to 100 chi Chi ha ha ha ha it is friday 13th i am hours away from getting on a plane and having my first full week of vacation since i started Mahalo for three years have... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥡 Taking vacations and having trusted partners can help a company continue moving forward.
• 😇 Being a valuable angel investor goes beyond providing funding, it involves providing expertise and connections to help a startup succeed.
• 💌 Rapportive is a powerful tool for email marketing and CRM, providing additional information about contacts and streamlining communication.
• ❓ Responding to criticism from competitors requires staying confident, focusing on execution, and using the feedback to improve the product.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Brian Alvey feel about moving from New York to Los Angeles for business?

Brian Alvey explains that while he is excited about the success of their company in Los Angeles, they are also getting more clients in New York, so there is no plan to move.

Q: What is Calacanis' criteria for angel investing?

Calacanis looks for startups that he believes he can add value to beyond just providing investment. He wants to be able to use and endorse the product personally.

Q: What is the significance of Rapportive?

Rapportive is a tool that integrates with email to provide additional information about contacts, such as their LinkedIn, Twitter, or Crunchbase profiles. Calacanis finds it to be a brilliant product and believes it can be beneficial for email marketing and CRM.

Q: How can startups handle unprovoked criticism from competitors?

Calacanis advises startups to respond calmly but with confidence, acknowledging the feedback and providing a positive response. He also suggests focusing on execution and letting the success of the product speak for itself.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jason Calacanis is excited to take his first vacation in years and discusses the success of Mahalo under Jason Rapp's leadership.

• Brian Alvey, Calacanis' partner from Weblogs, Inc., discusses their new company, Crowd Fusion, and their success with big media clients in New York.

• They talk about interesting startups they have seen at the open angel forum and the importance of being an angel investor who can provide value.

• They discuss Rapportive, a product that Calacanis is excited about and believes is a valuable tool for CRM and email marketing.