Science has permeated marketing for decades. Fans of the television drama Mad Men saw a fictionalized encounter when an IBM System/360 mainframe computer physically displaced the creative department of a late-1960s advertising agency. In reality, though, the 1960s through the early 1990s witnessed a happy marriage of advertising and technology as marketers mastered both the medium of television and the science of Nielsen ratings. These years gave birth to iconic advertising messages in categories ranging from sparkling beverages (“I’d like to buy the world a Coke”) to credit cards (“American Express. Don’t leave home without it”) to air travel (“British Airways: the world’s favourite airline”).

Variety is the spice of life. We all know it, yet our daily routines and responsibilities often make working novel and exciting experiences into our lives a challenge. But new research has shown experiences that encourage workplace self-expansion are a measure not just of job satisfaction, but also self-esteem. That means making personal and professional growth a priority in our lives can have profound effects on our wellbeing and sense of identity.

My long-time friend Jason Lemkin is on the verge of launching a spectacular SaaS conference called SaaStr this week. What Jason has achieved in no time flat in VC is astounding. Without inventing the browser he has single-handedly created a personal VC brand on a shoestring.

CARSON CITY — A $10 million fund set up to entice businesses to come to Nevada is “the most efficient economic development tool” in the state and has surpassed projections for job creation, the head of Nevada’s economic development agency told lawmakers Tuesday.

The Catalyst Fund created in 2011 provides grants to companies looking to relocate or expand in Nevada. The goal at the outset was to reap 2,500 jobs for a state hard hit by the recession, Steve Hill, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, told members of the Senate Finance Committee.

Most leaders now recognize that the best teams leverage diversity to achieve long-term success. But many think about it in pretty narrow terms: gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and/or age. Sometimes they also consider organizational attributes, like function or rank.

Image: https://hbr.org

Laszlo Bock knew he wasn’t walking into a traditional corporate setting in 2006 when he arrived for his job interview for head of people operations at Google.

Google recruiter Martha Josephson implored Bock, who had done stints at firms like GE and McKinsey & Co., not to wear a suit to his interview. No one wears suits there, she told him—show up in one, and they'll think you don't get them or their culture. Bock acquiesced, but kept a necktie in his jacket pocket just in case.

I’ve reached the stage of my career where I’ve been invited to give “career retrospective talks” to grad students and post-docs at academic institutions. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable experience meeting a new generation of young scientists and hearing what’s on their minds.

After delivering my seminar and sharing lots of stories and advice, the discussion quickly turns to jobs: what’s available out there, and how do you get one? Future employment is a big concern among this group. Only 15 percent of grad students and post-docs will ever land a traditional tenure-track academic position at a research university. With federal cutbacks in the funding of National Institutes of Health grants and the elimination of large numbers of R&D jobs in biotech/pharma, there appears to be a job squeeze at present in both academia and industry.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack March 30 announced the award of $31 million in loans and grants for organizations in 12 states to promote rural economic development. “These infrastructure investments will help rural residents start or expand businesses,” Vilsack said. “The funds can be used for a wide range of needs. They can help businesses increase production and manufacturing capacity, and can even help rural homeowners save money by making their homes more energy efficient.”

Babson Undergraduate student Emily Levy ’16 didn’t let her diagnosis take control of her life – she used it to empower others in similar situations. Here’s her ‘PICC’ perfect story:

Turning #LymeintoLemonAid

Emily Levy ‘16 has been suffering from Severe Chronic Lyme Disease since 2007. Yet, like most Lyme patients, she went undiagnosed and untreated for years. During Emily’s sophomore year at Babson, she had a PICC line inserted in her arm for six long months – all whilst continuing to go to class, and partaking in everyday college activities. PICC lines are catheters inserted through a vein in the upper inside arm that deliver intensive IV medications directly into the heart. They are used to treat a variety of chronic illnesses – from Lyme disease to cancer, and more.

Image: http://blogs.babson.edu

Smart grids balancing intermittent solar and wind energy with flexible power demand could do for Europe what shale gas has done for the United States, a senior European Union official said on Wednesday (1 April).

European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said smart grids are crucial for EU single energy market plans as they could integrate more renewables into electricity networks, boost security of supply and help lower prices for consumers.

"Smart grids should become Europe's shale gas," he told a conference of Brussels-based European grid organisations ENTSO-E and EDSO.

Image: Maroš Šefčovič (European Commission)

When we think of the great innovations that come our way, we might instinctively think of them as the product of a sudden brainstorm from an individual—a light bulb moment, if you will. But in reality, good ideas can come from anywhere and leading companies are finding that innovation is often produced over time with a lot of collective sweat equity by many people.

2015 will undoubtedly be the year of the connected car. In their recent annual report, BMW Group CEO Norbert Reithofer said connecting the car to the internet will change the auto industry more than the shift to electric and hybrid cars. 

To stay competitive in the automotive market, car makers throughout the world have quickly begun to equip their car lineups with internet connection features. Some automakers have even gone as far as building car "app stores." 

Image: http://www.businessinsider.com

How do you turn a genetic disorder into a money-making empire? Grumpy Cat has done it, but is it only acceptable because she is a funny looking feline instead of a human? Two years ago, Grumpy Cat, (actually named Tardar Sauce), became a YouTube sensation when a video of the seemingly peeved kitty got 15.7 million views. Now she stars in a new film, “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.” She also has a best-selling book in 15 languages.

By Karin Fischer

Economic engine. Powerhouse. Transformative force.

Today, college after college, urban and rural, from the tiniest liberal-arts institution to the sprawling research university, is pitching itself as a driver of economic revitalization, its region’s greatest competitive asset. Universities’ very presence, the rhetoric seems to suggest, can spur a metamorphosis from decaying factory town to 21st-century knowledge hub.

Image: http://chronicle.com

Throughout my career in small companies and large, I’ve always been appalled by the number of people who have a negative attitude or complain all of the time. These people don’t seem to realize that they are hurting themselves, as well as other people’s productivity, and jeopardize the future of the company they are working for.

The Government’s plan to prepare a new strategy for science, technology and innovation (SSTI) is timely. It comes on foot of a decade that started with an exceptionally rapid expansion in funding and ended with reduced funding focused firmly on research linked directly to immediate job creation. During the same time period, there was only a modest increase, relative to GDP, in the scale of investment in research, development and innovation (RD&I) in businesses in Ireland.

Recently I was listening to the final episode of this podcast titled Start Up. In the episode one of the first investors in Uber was talking about Uber CEO Travis Kalanick’s quirks and really calling attention to how strange a species guys like him are.

This got me thinking about how strange all successful entrepreneurs are.  Myself included.

For the most part we are far from normal. We take more risks than normal people do and have a tendency to be obsessive if not down right neurotic about projects we are working on. This begs the question that if entrepreneurs are not conventional people then shouldn’t they be training their body and mind in non conventional ways. I think so. So much so that I started a company teaching entrepreneurs how to train their fitness.

Electric cars may seem like a niche product that only wealthy people can afford, but a new analysis suggests that they may be close to competing with or 4

The true cost of lithium-ion batteries in electric cars is a secret closely held by manufacturers. And estimates of the cost vary widely, making it tough to determine just how much lower they must go before electric vehicles with long ranges can be affordable for most buyers. But a peer-reviewed study of more than 80 estimates reported between 2007 and 2014 determined that the costs of battery packs are “much lower” than widely assumed by energy-policy analysts.

No one knows for sure who the world’s first entrepreneur was. It’s too bad because it would make a great story.

To find him or her, you’d have to go as far back as before the written word, before recorded history. Alas, the mystery pioneer shall remain unknown. But we do know that, while entrepreneurs have little choice but to evolve with the times to stay relevant, many of the key traits that make them the enterprising outliers they are have remained the same throughout the ages.

The most common question we receive from budding entrepreneurs is how to find a technical co-founder. However, finding a CTO in an active tech hub such as London is anything but simple. There is a common perception that one cannot start an innovative company in this day and age without a developer and consequently the demand for them is insatiable – which is even giving breeding ground for new practices such as acqui-hires.

Image: http://www.oxygenaccelerator.com