Aviraj’s Blog on Posterous

You can call me Avi

Tips For MBAs Who Want To Work At Startups

most of you are going about this startup thing completely ass backwards and no early stage startup that I know of is really dying to hire an MBA.  What they want is a ninja, and a hundred grand or so later, your diploma is not universally recognized as a “I haz ninja skillz” card. 
Instead of asking what opportunities there are for you, you should be telling me what opportunities you are going to create for the startups I know. (“Ask not what startups can do for you…”) 
startups assume that MBAs are going to look for too much money, have classroom knowledge that won’t likely transfer to the real world, and want things to be handed to them. You’ve got to counter that by providing immediate upfront value, differentiating yourself, and creating your own opportunities. From what I see, these aren’t necessarily skills most business schools are teaching well. 
via thisisgoingtobebig.com found via @michaelmontano

Very interesting tips here. I agree with most of them. And if I may add, most of these points apply to *anyone* looking to work at startups, not just MBAs.

Ahem. Noted.

Click through here to read this insightful article by Charlie O'Donnell.

"Boulder has more 'collaboration per capita' than any other city in the US"

my life’s work is to find the most compelling startups in the Intermountain West and I’m going on record to say that there’s no better place in the region to start one than Boulder, Colorado.
There’s a very unique culture there and I think successful regional entrepreneurs from all over the country should go visit Boulder to see the impact of the culture of caring which exists there.  Successful entrepreneurs, lawyers, VCs and countless others devote a very significant part of their lives to mentoring local startups not because there’s something in it for them, but because they simply care deeply about entrepreneurs and they’ll do anything they can to help them.
via highway12ventures.com

I've written about this before and I guess I'll keep saying it over and over again: Boulder is fantastic for startups. Okay, I haven't got a chance to experience the startup environment as closely as people like the author of this quote have, but it's only a matter of time before I do.

*So* psyched.

OMG this is EXACTLY why I'm SO psyched about Boulder!

this area has grown from an earthy university town to a true hotbed of innovation. In certain parts of downtown, you can't throw a rock without hitting some startup's offices, and I could barely walk three blocks without bumping into at least one entrepreneur, developer, or designer
via readwriteweb.com

I found a link to this article on Brad Feld's blog today and this piece *totally* explains why I came to Boulder, Colorado (more on that in another blog post). As a tech fanatic, startup enthusiast and a budding entrepreneur, it's not hard to see why this place has me so excited. Never mind what I'm saying, just watch this video. No, seriously, watch it!

Man, I love Posterous!

Seriously, I don't think I've been so attached to any other product/tool/service/company like I have to Posterous. I'm not here to explain their features or sell their platform (well, not officially at least :), I just think it's the coolest company I've seen on the Internet in years. It feels a bit odd calling them a company since I know of only the 2 co-founders working on it. Yes, I'm a little emotionally attached because I found Posterous at the time that I was looking to find an outlet to express myself, but my blog has now evolved into a lot more - and that's all thanks to Posterous. I'm by no means their most prolific user but Posterous makes me want to blog more. I've got 3 Posterous blogs already and I know that I'm gonna get me some more to talk about other topics (that's when they allow me to have more than 3). I don't often pay for premium services on any website, but I would be more than happy to put my money into their premium services whenever they launch.

The pace at which Posterous has introduced new features since their launch a year back - and the absolute uniqueness and usability of those is seriously impressive. Their latest addition, which allows you to import any or all posts from your existing blogs on any other platform, makes it much easier for people to switch to Posterous. This, along with custom themes which is certainly their next big update, will make the decision to use Posterous as your primary blogging platform a no-brainer.

But more than any of their features, Posterous' trump card is it's co-founders - Garry and Sachin. I have no hesitation in admitting that I am probably one of their biggest fans, both of them. The attitude that they've created Posterous with, the sheer quality of their work, their non-belief in 'beta' rollouts, their humility in accepting feedback and their incomprehensibly quick and accurate email support amazes me. As a startup-lover and an entrepreneur-in-training myself, I must admit that these guys are one of my greatest inspirations, mainly because I have (sort-of) seen their company grow from the beginning (though I would love to get a closer look at the way they work). They're kind enough to share some of their insights and experiences on their own blogs. And to top it all off - both of them are fantastic photographers! :)

Anyway, this is my quick fanboy tribute to the one company I truly admire.

Cheers guys!

MBAs Go Micro

Small companies can offer perks that will be tempting to students, such as allowing students to sit in on board meetings or mentorship from a top executive. In smaller organizations, many MBAs will be able to rise quickly up the ranks. And the ability to have an impact is far greater at small companies than it is at huge conglomerates.
via businessweek.com

Posterous, I'm looking at you :)