Airbnb today is rolling out a few new additions to their home-booking system, including new tiers that are aimed at higher-end customers called Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb. The new Airbnb Plus tier has homes that are verified for “quality and comfort,” rolling out with around 2,000 homes to start that have been inspected […]
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How Japan Is Creating New Opportunities for Life Sciences Companies – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN
Japan, one of the world’s richest business markets, once had a reputation as a difficult business environment for some foreign companies. So why have many of the world’s best-known life science companies successfully expanded into Japan in recent years? From Finland to Israel, from Australia to Portugal, from the U.S. to the U.K, small and large corporations […]
Tell Employees What You Want Them to Strive for (in as Few Words as Possible)
Vincent Tsui When Joe Whittinghill came into his role as general manager for talent, learning, and insight at Microsoft, the tech giant’s leadership model was characteristically thorough. There were eight competencies leaders needed to succeed, 10 behaviors that marked inclusive diversity, five things employees had to do in order to flourish, and over 100 skills you […]
Stay-at-Home Moms Are Half as Likely to Get a Job Interview as Moms Who Got Laid Off
Jamie Jones/Getty Images Reentering the workforce after taking a leave of absence can be difficult, but is it harder for workers who lost their jobs and have been unemployed or workers who took time away to care for children? My research shows it’s the latter who have it worse. In a recent research study, I found […]
Stealth space catapult startup SpinLaunch is raising $30M
What if instead of blasting cargo into space on a rocket, we could fling it into space using a catapult? That’s the big, possibly crazy, possibly genius idea behind SpinLaunch. It was secretly founded in 2014 by Jonathan Yaney, who built solar-powered drone startup Titan Aerospace and sold it to Google. Now TechCrunch has learned […]
Honcker raises at least $15M from IAC as it takes on the car-leasing-on-demand market
The car leasing and rental market is forecast to be worth $124 billion in 2022, and today a startup that is hoping to get a piece of that action by making the process of leasing a car easier is announcing a Series A in its effort to get there. Honcker — a New York-based startup […]
Esports teams need more data about their fans, and FanAI wants to give it to them
It turns out that while e-sports may be growing in popularity, the fans of different video games don’t spend the same way as fans for traditional sports. To try and figure out ways to part fans from their hard earned money, teams are beginning to turn to the types of data monitoring tools that are […]
Customer service bot startup Agent IQ announces $6.3 million Series A led by Sierra Ventures
If you’ve tried to deal with a bot before you can speak to a human customer service rep, you know how frustrating that process can sometimes be. Sure, there are basic tasks that can free up a human rep to handle the more difficult matters, but it can be exasperating when there is no easy […]
UPS is working on a fleet of 50 custom-built electric delivery trucks
UPS will work with partner Workhorse, a battery-electric transportation technology company, to develop and deploy a fleet of 50 custom-built plug-in electric delivery trucks with zero emissions. The goal is to make trucks that cost as much to buy as do traditional fuel-based delivery vehicles – even without taking into account subsidies. The Workhorse designed-vehicles, will […]
Indigo Fair raises $12M to connect wholesalers with smaller retail outlets with a smarter service
Max Rhodes was walking around that weird little parklet in Hayes Valley in San Francisco after taking a break from a five-year stint at Square to figure out what he wanted to do next — and he kept seeing Square registers everywhere. It was spotting them over and over again in smaller retail shops dotted […]
Robinhood rolls out zero-fee crypto trading as it hits 4M users
Coinbase has some serious competition. Today Robinhood starts rolling out its no-commission cryptocurrency trading feature in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana and New Hampshire. Users can buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum with no extra fees, and track those and 14 other coins in its sleek app. That’s compared to paying 1.5 to 4 percent fees […]
SpaceX misses catching Falcon 9 rocket fairing with a giant net on a big ship
SpaceX nearly succeeded in catching the fairing used in its PAZ Falcon 9 mission on Thursday, using a barge called ‘Mr. Steven’ that uses four giant arms with a net strung between them to secure the used nosecone once it floats back from space. The fairing missed the boat by just a few hundred meters, […]
Ford names Kumar Galhotra president of Ford North America
Ford today announced key changes in the company’s leadership ranks after yesterday’s abrupt departure of Raj Nair, former Ford President of North America. Kumar Galhorta will take over Nair’s position effective on March 1. In this post he will be responsible for all of Ford’s North American business and report to Jim Farley, Ford EVP […]
SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 carrying Starlink demo satellites
SpaceX has successfully launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base today, its first launch since its successful Falcon Heavy test earlier this month. The launch took off early Wednesday morning, after being rescheduled a couple of times from an initial target of this past weekend. The launch was primarily designed to […]
Sports stars, franchises and Hollywood agencies are betting $38 million on an esports revolution
What started with an esports team is now quickly becoming an esports empire, backed by some of the biggest names in sports and money managers for entertainment family dynasties and Hollywood power brokers. Vision Esports LP, the esports conglomerate launched by Stratton Sclavos, Rick Fox and Amit Raizada has just closed on a $38 million […]
Anchor’s new app offers everything you need to podcast
Broadcasting app Anchor, which helps anyone record and share audio, is relaunching its app today with a new focus on serving the larger podcaster community. While in the past, Anchor was carving out a niche for itself in the short-form, social audio space, the new version – Anchor 3.0 – aims to be everything you […]
Feature Labs launches out of MIT to accelerate the development of machine learning algorithms
Feature Labs, a startup with roots in research begun at MIT, officially launched today with a set of tools to help data scientists build machine learning algorithms more quickly. Co-founder and CEO Max Kantor says the company has developed a way to automate “feature engineering,” which is often a time consuming and manual process for […]
10 Ways to Be More Confident at Work
Whether a bad day’s got you down, you don’t love speaking up, or you’re constantly playing the comparison game, chances are good that you could use an added dose of confidence at work. In some cases, decision-makers in any job setting put more stock in confidence than competence when they’re making picks for a promotion […]
Teampay raises $4m so you don’t have to steal your CEO’s credit card anymore
Few problems are as much of a headache for the modern corporate worker as buying things on the company’s dime. Companies are loathe to hand out credit cards to everyone in the building, but they also want their employees to do your job without having to fill out six forms in triplicate to requisition a […]
What ever happened to optichannel?
A few years ago, the digital world was abuzz with talk about optichannel. Marketers traded decks full of hub-and-spoke graphics. Marketing software vendors added integrations, and everyone talked about being wherever the customer was, whenever they were. Yet here it’s 2018 and 9 in 10 of marketers are still primarily reliant on email. What gives? […]
Lighthouse’s 3D sensing, AI-powered camera is now available for $299
What happens if you take a home security camera, throw it out, and head back to the drawing board with engineers from the world of self-driving cars behind the wheel? That’s the basic premise behind Lighthouse. They’re trying to build a camera that, thanks to its 3D-sensing lasers and a mountain of machine learning chops, […]
Watch SpaceX launch its first broadband internet satellites to space live here
[embedded content] SpaceX is making a second attempt to launch its PAZ mission today, which includes the PAZ satellite from client Hisdesat, and is set for launch during an instantaneous window at 6:17 AM PST, or 9:17 AM EST. The mission was scrubbed on Wednesday due to high upper level winds, and reset for this […]
Travel activities platform KKDay raises $10.5M led by Japanese travel firm H.I.S.
KKDay, a startup from Taiwan that operates a platform that helps travelers to Asia find local activities, has raised $10.5 million. The funding round was led by Japanese travel operator H.I.S. with participation from existing backer MindWorks Ventures, the Hong Kong-based VC. KKDay is one of a number of services that cater to Asia’s burgeoning […]
Falcon.io buys Komfo from Sitecore as social media management consolidates
Falcon.io, a startup out of Denmark that helps businesses manage their presence across social media and messaging platforms, has acquired a competitor in a wider trend of consolidation in the market for such services. It is buying Komfo from customer experience software developer Sitecore, which itself was acquired by EQT for $1.1 billion in 2016. […]
Apple said to debut voice-activated Siri AirPods in 2018, water-resistant model in 2019
Apple is preparing a couple of updating models of AirPods, according to Bloomberg. The popular fully wireless earbud-style headphones that Apple introduced last year are currently on track for a refresh in 2018 with the addition of a new version of the “W” line of chips that Apple created specifically to manage and improve Bluetooth-based […]
Pitching a wearable to make cattle farming more sustainable, Vence raises $2.7 million
A new startup called Vence from sunny San Diego is aiming to make cattle farming more sustainable with a wearable device to create virtual fences for livestock. The company has raised $2.7 million in new funding to bring its product to market and develop new services for farmers in a round led by Eniac Ventures […]
The Importance of Fostering Emotional Diversity in Boys
You’re given a choice: Would you rather spend your day feeling happy, versus happy interspersed with some moments of sadness, frustration, and anxiety? Most of us would choose the first option in a heartbeat. Psychologists, too, long championed the importance of cultivating positive emotions as one path toward optimizing well-being, resilience to stressors, and salutary […]
Why We Should Help Boys to Embrace All Their Feelings
You’re given a choice: Would you rather spend your day feeling happy, versus happy interspersed with some moments of sadness, frustration, and anxiety? Most of us would choose the first option in a heartbeat. Psychologists, too, long championed the importance of cultivating positive emotions as one path toward optimizing well-being, resilience to stressors, and salutary […]
Watch the Airbus Project Vahana prototype autonomous air taxi take flight
[embedded content] Airbus recently had the first ever successful flight of its Vahana autonomous air vehicle, and now it’s released video of that pivotal moment in the aircraft’s development. The flight took place at the end of January in Pendleton, Oregon, when the flying, passenger-capable drone took off and hovered off the ground about 16 […]
Harley Davidson’s EV debut could electrify the motorcycle industry
Jake Bright Contributor Jake Bright is a writer and author in New York City. He is co-author of The Next Africa. More posts by this contributor: Africa Roundup: Partech Ventures launches $70M fund, TPG Growth acquires TRACE, Rensource raises $3.5M Want to learn about African immigrants? Mr. President, meet Africa’s tech sector Harley Davidson will launch its […]
Uber CEO plans to ‘invest aggressively’ to compete with rivals Southeast Asia
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has distanced the company from reports that it might exit Southeast Asia and India. Currently in India on his maiden visit to Asia as Uber boss, Khosrowshahi told an audience that the company plans to continue to invest in Southeast Asia, where Uber has slipped behind Grab and Indonesia-based Go-Jek. “We expect to […]
Pop star turned entrepreneur Starshell raises $1 million for her Birthday Girl World
For the singer-songwriter Starshell, a one-time protege of Mary J. Blige, success comes in many guises — and the latest is startup entrepreneur. Her song “Birthday Girl“, resonated so strongly with fans, says the singer born LaNeah Menzies, that it became something of an anthem. And Menzies has turned that anthem into a business. Her […]
Your Email Strategy Needs a Facebook Messenger Strategy
As of late, it feels like an arms race between email marketing or Messenger marketing. A world where marketers have to pick: the workhorse of today or the most exciting channel of tomorrow? At first glance, I can see why. We’ve seen audiences engage an insane amount on Messenger — 619% more than email. There’s […]
Tel Aviv, TechCrunch is coming back, this time with a conference
The third time is a charm, Tel Aviv. After holding a Meetup + Pitch-off the last two years in Israel, TechCrunch is returning on 7 June 2017 for a day-long conference. As much fun as networking on a roof facing the Mediterranean Sea is, we’re ready to dig deeper into the tech that is coming […]
Tinyclues, the AI-driven campaign marketing solution, scores $18M Series B
Tinyclues, the French startup that offers an intelligent campaign marketing solution that uses AI to help push the right products to the right customers, has closed $18 million in Series B investment. Leading the round is EQT Ventures, with participation from existing backers Alven, Elaia Partners, and ISAI. Using what it describes as “Deep AI […]
Pandora’s improving financials help it recover from a bad day
Pandora tumbled almost 9% on the stock market Wednesday. And then it bounced back over 6% after the day ended. The music streaming business, which has had a terrible past year on the stock market, surprised investors when it revealed a 63% rise in subscription revenue, totaling $97.7 million. Subscribers also jumped 25%, to 5.48 million. […]
ParkBee closes €5M funding to open up private car parks to public bookings
ParkBee, a Netherlands-founded startup that lets private car parks monetize underutilized spaces by making them bookable to the public, has picked up €5 million in new funding The round is led by German-based Statkraft Ventures, with participation from existing investors. Statkraft Ventures is backed by the Statkraft Group, which claims to be Europe’s largest generator […]
On Vacation? Stop Checking Email
Going on vacation? To get the most out of your time away, keep your phone out of sight and mind. Research shows the mere presence of a phone stresses us out, even if we aren’t using it. (Plus, moving your job from an office to a beach is no holiday at all.) Set clear boundaries […]
India’s Capillary Technologies raises $20M from Warburg Pincus and Sequoia
Capillary Technologies, an India-based startup that helps e-commerce businesses manage their marketing and customer engagement, has pulled in $20 million in fresh funding from existing investors Warburg Pincus and Sequoia. The company said it plans to use the capital to develop its products and R&D, including a new focus on the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space […]
Walmart launches a new home shopping site for furniture and home décor
Following a slowdown in e-commerce sales over the holidays, Walmart today is readying a new strategy to attract online shoppers with an increased focus on home goods. The retailer is now launching a redesigned Home shopping experience on the web which will better highlight home products, like furniture, accessories, and other decorative items. The new […]
How to Manage Your Entire Marketing Budget [Free Budget Tracker Templates]
“As the media and digital landscape evolves at breakneck speed, continually reassessing the tools, services, and programs you’re employing is a great way to determine real-time ROI of your overall spend. Today’s measurement tool may be worthless to you tomorrow.”With the 8 Free Budget Planner Templates to Manage Your Marketing Spend, you’ll be able to […]
Intel ships update for newest Spectre-affected chips
Intel has announced that the fix is out for its latest chips affected by Spectre, the memory-leakage flaw affecting practically all computing hardware. The patch is for the Skylake generation (late 2015) and newer, though most users will still have to wait for the code to be implemented by whoever manufactured their computer (specifically, their […]
Startup that sells your salary data to VCs gets bought by Solium
Investors don’t want their portfolio companies to pay you too much, or too little. So they pay Advanced-HR for its compensation data pulled from 2,500 startups. With a generic name, the service has flown somewhat under the radar since launching 20 years ago. As startups grow more professional while staying private longer, they’re getting serious […]
Peer-to-peer camera rental startup KitSplit raises $2.1M
KitSplit, which operates a peer-to-peer marketplace for creative equipment, is announcing that it’s raised $2.1 million in seed funding. The equipment available for rental can include cameras, lights and lenses, but also VR gear and drones. Renters get access to this equipment for a lower price (CEO Lisbeth Kaufman estimated said KitSplit usually costs 30 […]
Ford’s President of North America exits the company due to “inappropriate behavior”
Ford today announced the departure of the Raj Nair, Ford’s President of North America and former executive vice president, Product Development, and chief technical officer. According to a press release, he is leaving the company following a recent internal investigation that found certain behavior by Nair was “inconsistent with the company’s code of conduct.” Nair […]
Roku stock tanks 18% after sharing financials, outlook
Despite surpassing analyst expectations for the quarter, Roku disappointed Wall Street when it shared its fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday. The digital streaming business fell about 18% in after-hours trading, in the minutes following the news release. Roku posted$188.3 million revenue, when Yahoo! Finance estimates showed $182.5 million. Earnings per share was 6 […]
A system to tell good fake bokeh from bad
The pixel-peepers over at DxOMark have shared some of the interesting metrics and techniques they use to judge the quality of a smartphone’s artificial bokeh, or background blur in photos. Not only is it difficult to do in the first place, but they have to systematize it! Their guide should provide even seasoned shooters with […]
Signal expands into the Signal Foundation with $50M from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton
Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned about Signal when I spoke with Moxie Marlinspike, the encrypted chat service’s creator, last year at Disrupt, was that it was essentially running on a shoestring budget. An indispensable tool used by millions and feared by governments worldwide, barely getting by! But $50 million from WhatsApp co-founder Brian […]
Blockchain is entering the valley of despair phase, and that’s a mistake
I’ve had a number of conversations with blockchain-focused people over the past few weeks. In some of those conversations — particularly with engineers — there is a palpable excitement and a belief that this technology is going to end up being their life’s work. As one blockchain hacker told me this past week, “It’s going […]
The Atlantic says it will hire up to 100 new staffers
It’s a gloomy time in media, with frequent announcements of layoffs and shutdowns (it even happened today). That’s why it seems remarkable for an established publication to announce ambitious plans for newsroom expansion. The publication in question is The Atlantic, the magazine that Lauren Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective bought a majority stake in last year. The magazine […]
UpWest Labs just raised $18 million more to bring Israeli founders to the U.S.
The micro venture firm UpWest Labs was founded nearly six years ago in Palo Alto with one mission in mind: to bring Israeli founders to the U.S. when their companies are still nascent and provide them with enough financial and other resources to get going. Why do this? UpWest’s founders, Shuly Galili and Gil Ben-Artzy, say […]
Onward helps businesses automate their customer service
How much can customer service be automated? Onward has some straightforward targets — 40 percent of tickets and 40 percent of messages should be automated, and average response times should be 40 seconds on average. Founders Rémi Cossart and Pramod Thammaiah describe this as Automate40 — basically, a set of goals for businesses looking to […]
Gabi gets $9.5M to help car and home owners find better insurance once it’s available
If you own a car or home, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding the right insurance plan that’ll cover everything you need and save you some money — but those plans are always changing, and consumers are getting stuck footing a bill they don’t necessarily need, according to Hanno Fichter. That’s why […]
Google tries to make Android more enterprise-friendly with new recommendation program
With so many Android devices out there to choose from, it’s not always easy to find one that’s enterprise-friendly. To help alleviate that problem, Google announced the Android Enterprise Recommended program today. As the name implies, it’s designed to point enterprise IT departments at devices that Google has deemed to be enterprise-ready. This involves a number […]
Raisin, the European savings deposit marketplace backed by PayPal, gets dedicated UK launch
Raisin, the Paypal-backed savings deposit marketplace that lets you shop for a better interest rate across Europe, has launched a dedicated U.K. site, meaning that savers can now access deposit accounts in Sterling. The first partner bank on the British version of the platform is BACB, which is offering a range of fixed term savings […]
Facebook opens registration for its annual F8 developer conference
Facebook has just opened up registration for its annual F8 developer conference. Last year, Zuck and company talked about augmented reality, brain-computer interfaces and a complete rewrite of its React framework. Facebook has had turbulent year in the news, and the company has made some significant moves to restructure how its users are interacting with […]
Apple could be buying cobalt from mining companies directly
Cobalt is the new oil. Car companies and battery manufacturers are all rushing to secure multiyear contracts with mining companies for their lithium-ion batteries. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is also participating in this game as the company wants to secure its long-term supplies. The company has never done this before with cobalt. Apple […]
The U.S. Economy Is Suffering from Low Demand. Higher Wages Would Help
vincent tsui for hbr A little over a century ago, Henry Ford doubled the minimum pay of his workers to $5 an hour. When other employers followed suit, it became clear that Ford had sparked a chain reaction. Higher pay throughout the industry helped lead to more sales, creating a virtuous cycle of growth and […]
Qualcomm shares details on its vision for the near-future of mobile VR
Qualcomm is ready to show off more about what its Snapdragon 845 system architecture can do for the future of VR. Even as headsets based on the Snapdragon 835 reference design — like Lenovo’s positionally tracked Daydream headset — are just gearing up for their stateside release, we’re already looking to what the future of […]
Black History Month: Driving Change at Uber
February is Black History Month which honors the collective richness, innumerable contributions and accomplishments of Black folks yesterday, today and going forward. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, otherwise known as the “Father of Black History,” first originated Black (Negro) History week in 1926 which was eventually decreed a national observance as Black History Month in 1976 by U.S. President […]
Google’s Cloud IoT Core is now generally available
Cloud IoT Core, Google’s fully managed service for connecting, managing and ingesting data from IoT devices, is now out of beta and generally available. Google envisions the service, which launched in public beta last September, as the first entry point for IoT data into its cloud. Once the data has been ingested, users can use Cloud […]
Nest rolls out a $5 cloud recording plan for its cameras
Just a quick bit of news for those with Nest cams around the house: a new, cheaper Nest Aware (read: the cloud recording service that also gives the camera a bit more smarts) plan is on the way. Nest has long offered two plans: a $10/month plan that lets you store the last 10 days […]
One of Nest’s cameras can now double as a Google Assistant
After Google announced earlier this month that it was going to wrap Nest back into Google’s hardware operation, everyone figured we’d see a bit more overlap between the two. Sure enough, just two weeks later: the Nest Cam IQ Indoor is getting support for Google Assistant. Nest says the app update that lets users toggle […]
SharpestMinds wants to help startups find AI talent before Google and Facebook snatch them
Google and other tech giants often have huge recruiting efforts that can target students — but startups might not have those kinds of resources to find or grab them before they head off to those huge companies. The biggest tech companies in the world can offer a lot of resources and bigger compensation packages, but […]
Snapchat responds to the Change.org petition complaining about the app’s redesign
Snapchat has posted an official response to users who signed a petition on Change.org asking the company to reverse its controversial update, which people say makes the app more difficult to use. In the response, Snapchat promises to make a few more changes to the Friends and Discover section in order to address user complaints. […]
Snapchat responds to the Change.org petition complaining about the app’s redesign
Snapchat has posted an official response to users who signed a petition on Change.org asking the company to reverse its controversial update, which people say makes the app more difficult to use. In the response, Snapchat promises to make a few more changes to the Friends and Discover section in order to address user complaints. […]
This is the tech that NFL players are excited about in 2018
With the NFL season now over, players finally have time to focus on their passions and side projects, which can be anything from an externship on Capital Hill to angel investing in startups. Some of these activities are facilitated through the NFL Player’s Association, which actually runs a tech accelerator designed to trade player licensing […]
This is the tech that NFL players are excited about in 2018
With the NFL season now over, players finally have time to focus on their passions and side projects, which can be anything from an externship on Capital Hill to angel investing in startups. Some of these activities are facilitated through the NFL Player’s Association, which actually runs a tech accelerator designed to trade player licensing […]
‘Alto’s Odyssey’ is now available on iOS and it’s wonderful
Alto’s Adventure could be my most-played game on iOS. I spent countless hours on flights getting lost in the serene landscape offered in the game. To me it’s a satisfying mix of adventure and mindless pleasure. The sequel is now available on iOS and it’s even better than the first. As Darrell explains here, the […]
‘Alto’s Odyssey’ is now available on iOS and it’s wonderful
Alto’s Adventure could be my most-played game on iOS. I spent countless hours on flights getting lost in the serene landscape offered in the game. To me it’s a satisfying mix of adventure and mindless pleasure. The sequel is now available on iOS and it’s even better than the first. As Darrell explains here, the […]
Outsourcing management startup 4me announces $1.65 million seed investment led by Storm Ventures
4me, a startup that helps companies organize and track their IT outsourcing projects, announced a $1.65 million seed investment led by Storm Ventures. The company, which launched in 2010, would seem to be a bit long in the tooth to warrant a seed investment round, but co-founder and CEO Cor Winkler Prins explained that the […]
Here’s how to make Alexa control a toilet — because why not?
[embedded content] Alexa-controlled toilets are a thing in 2018, but cost thousands. An enterprising person can make their own by following these instructions. It takes a bit of work, multiple components and about $750 (plus the cost of the toilet), but the end result is a voice-controlled toilet — and everyone needs that in their […]
Glassdoor Welcomes New Members to Executive Team
As the number of job seekers and recruiters leveraging Glassdoor to help them find jobs and recruit top candidates grows, so must our company. The Glassdoor team has grown significantly over the past few years, both in the U.S. and abroad. To help support that growth, we’re excited to announce three appointments to our executive […]
How to Effectively Stay Motivated When Unable to Find a Job
It’s never the best feeling in the world when you lose a job and have a hard time finding a new one. However, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. In fact, it means that now is the time to work harder than ever. Here’s how to effectively stay motivated when you’re unable to […]
Most Leaders Know Their Strengths — but Are Oblivious to Their Weaknesses
Roman Kharlamov/Getty Images “Oh, I pretty much know my strengths and my weaknesses.” If we had a dollar for every time we’d heard this from an executive we were coaching, we could have retired a long time ago. When probed, they often proclaim that while they might not recognize all their strengths, they are confident […]
How to Create the Perfect Instagram Images to Sell Your Brand
Photographs are emotional time machines: they transport us to places of which we’ve only dreamed, remind us of past experiences we long to recreate, and spark inspiration for future adventures. It is not the photographs themselves that stir up these emotions, but rather the memories and aspirations we associate with them. Instagram is a visual […]
11 Top Link-Building Tips from Local SEO Experts
As part of our recent Expert Local Business Link Building Survey, we asked experienced experts in the field of Local SEO about their views on link-building: Is link-building still relevant? What’s the most powerful element of a link? Which link-building outreach strategies work best for local businesses? Below we’ve gathered some of the golden insights […]
Don’t Let Stress Turn You into a Jerk
When you’re under intense stress, it’s normal to have a short fuse. But don’t take your stress out on whoever happens to be nearby — whether it’s your assistant, family members, or direct reports. Making them bear the brunt of your frustrations will strain your relationships and hinder your resilience. Even if what’s stressing you […]
Introducing Multi-Touch Attribution in B2B Marketing Analytics
Editor’s Note: We’re so pleased to announce two new features today! Don’t forget to find out more about Customizable Business Hours as well! With B2B Marketing Analytics, Marketers can visualize campaign ROI across the funnel to prioritize channels and programs that work best. With first, even, and last touch attribution offered in a new out-of-the-box dashboard, marketers […]
People Want 3 Things from Work, But Most Companies Are Built Around Only One
Jorg Greuel/Getty Images Strike up a conversation about work values, and it won’t be long before someone brings up a pyramid — a famous psychologist’s best-known theory. Abraham Maslow’s big idea was that we all have a hierarchy of needs: once our basic physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, we seek love and belongingness, then […]
How Tech Companies Can Help Upskill the U.S. Workforce
jennifer maravillas for hbr Software businesses are disrupting generations-old industries, from agriculture to entertainment. Programming wizards are amassing billion-dollar fortunes, and this may be just the beginning. Even average tech employees in their mid-twenties are raking in 6-figure paychecks. Unfortunately, a huge section of the workforce cannot capitalize on these opportunities. In 2015, there were […]
Introducing Customizable Business Hours & Enhancements to Engagement Studio CSV Export
Editor’s Note: We’re so pleased to announce two new features today! Don’t forget to find out more about multi-touch attribution as well! We’re excited to announce two new, frequently requested feature enhancements for Engagement Studio: the ability to customize business hours on Engagement programs! The ability to send emails during business hours only has always […]
Keep Landing Job Interviews, but No Offer? Here’s Why
It’s a scenario countless job seekers are familiar with: You have a solid resume, so you have no problem getting called in for interviews. You then breeze through the interview process, or so you think, only to have those meetings go absolutely nowhere. If you’re tired of landing job interviews that ultimately amount to nothing, you’re not […]
9 Companies Promising Big Performance Bonuses Hiring Now
Your salary isn’t the only way to make money at work. In fact, some companies offer stellar bonuses—based on your performance—that can significantly increase what you take home each year. Not only do these nine companies offer awesome starting salaries—the lowest median base pay below is $120,000!—but they reward their best employees with bonuses. So […]
How to Cultivate Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride on Your Team
Joel Gerone/EyeEm/Getty Images As a leader, what traits should you cultivate in your employees? Grit – the ability to persevere in the face of challenges? Sure. A willingness to accept some sacrifices and work hard toward a successful future are essential for the members of any team. But I believe there’s another component that matters […]
This Simple Diagram Will Help You Tell Better Brand Stories
Tell someone to write a poem, and chances are, they’ll freeze up. Tell someone to write a haiku, however, and we bet they’ll bang one out in less than 10 minutes. The reason: constraints unleash our creativity. But how can you translate that to the complex world of content marketing? The below diagram will help […]
Five Ways to Reignite Your Passion for Teaching
What gives you a sense of meaning in your work, even on the tough days? When I posed this question to a group of teachers recently, no one focused on academics. Instead, their responses centered on their students’ engagement, the sense of participating in something larger than themselves, and the deep satisfaction they gained from […]
Five Ways to Reignite Your Passion for Teaching
What gives you a sense of meaning in your work, even on the tough days? When I posed this question to a group of teachers recently, no one focused on academics. Instead, their responses centered on their students’ engagement, the sense of participating in something larger than themselves, and the deep satisfaction they gained from […]
How to Create a Google My Business Post That Will Win You More Customers
In our recent webinar on local ranking factors, our expert panel agreed that it’s going to be important to make use of Google My Business’ native features in the coming year. Today, Steady Demand’s Ben Fisher explains how to use Google Posts to boost SEO and win customers. What Are Google Posts? One of the […]
Encourage Your Team to Bring You Problems — Just Not Complaints
“Bring me solutions, not problems.” Many well-meaning managers have said it, intending to keep employees from simply complaining about work issues. But employees can take it to mean they should cover up an issue if they don’t have a way to fix it. So it’s better to tell your team to bring you problem statements. […]
Interview for the Write Blog: Authority Writer & Content Strategist Austin
Today for the Write Blog, we interviewed one of our full-time writers, Austin. Austin first began his career as a pro writer when he left his hometown of Los Angeles, California to travel the world and document his experiences along the way. He has toured with rock bands in Europe, written technical documentation for Australian […]
Interview for the Write Blog: Copywriter & Content Strategist Diana
Today for the Write Blog, we interviewed one of our full-time writers, Diana. Diana is a journalism graduate, award-winning filmmaker and online content specialist. She dedicates her work to crafting content that connects people with stories and ideas that matter. When she’s away from the laptop, you can find her navigating through South America’s mountain […]
The CEO of Merck on Race, Leadership, and High Drug Prices
Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of North America, discusses his upbringing and how it influences his leadership as chief executive. He is one of the few African-American CEOs in the Fortune 500, and shot to prominence after resigning from a council advising the Trump White House. Frazier discusses […]
InsideLocal Webinar – Multi-Location Businesses: How to Optimize for Local Search at Scale
Local SEO can be tricky just for a single local business with one location, but for those with numerous locations across the nation, the same playbook just doesn’t apply. Knowing how to structure your corporate site to accommodate pages for multiple locations, and then working out how to boost their SEO individually, brings with it […]
The 4 Dimensions of Digital Trust, Charted Across 42 Countries
Fanatic Studio/Getty Images The year 2018 is barely underway and, already, digital trust initiatives have captured headlines. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has said his platform will de-prioritize third-party publisher content to keep users focused on more “meaningful” posts from family and friends. Google has led off the new year by blocking websites that mask their country […]
The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated
pop jop/Getty Images In Pixar’s WALL-E, oversized humans recline on levitating barcaloungers and are dressed, primped, polished, and served, entirely by robots. Fiction? Maybe not, at least according to a wave of media coverage pointing to a dizzying array of service innovations on the horizon. Look no further than the public debut of Amazon Go, […]
What to Put in a Freelance Writer Contract
There’s one thing that all new writers need: a freelance writer contract. A contract isn’t just for large corporations; it’s put into place to protect both you and your client. Let’s look at why all freelance writers need to have a contract and what clauses must be included in it. Why You Need a Freelance […]
Getting People to Do What You Want in 6 Minutes or Less
In many businesses, a fair amount of commercial and professional success hinges on what people think of you. What does it take to land that big sale, or score that major account? Usually, it has as much to do with making a strong connection as it does with providing a quality product or service. And […]
How to Battle Office FOMO
Swapping weekend stories with work friends is a good investment in your social game. Then again, you might think twice when you hear the boss praising an employee who spent that time finishing an amazing PowerPoint presentation — or when you learn that a co-worker used their Twitter account to attract fifty new customers. A […]
To Handle Increased Stress, Build Your Resilience
bettmann/Getty Images Wherever you live or work, stress is on the rise. According to the International Labour Organization, workers in developed and developing countries are facing increasing strain at work. The onslaught of mounting stressors include global challenges, such as climate change, terrorism, and political turmoil – as well as personal and professional challenges, such […]
We Read 9 Self-Help Books So You Don’t Have To
This summer, I decided to really give the whole “be-present-in-the-moment” thing a shot. I wanted to take this seriously, so I decided to check out a couple self-help books dedicated to the idea of “living in the now.” And here’s the thing: some of the ideas, I could really, really get behind. But others didn’t […]
Episode 4: Learning to Laugh at Yourself
The Science of Happiness Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by GGSC Director Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by the GGSC and PRI. All Episodes
Unplug from Work by Focusing Your Brain on Something Else
Most of us know that staying productive in the office requires recharging away from it. The hard part is doing it. Even if you go home at a decent hour, you may find yourself checking email or reading one last report. To forget about what’s happening at work, focus on what you’ll do instead. Framing […]
5 Creative Strategies to Stay Inspired to Write All Year [Infographic]
If there’s one thing we know about inspiration, it’s that it’s not very good at giving advance notice of anything.
The Story Funnel-Matrix: Create Better Content With This Simple Diagram
Storytelling Tell someone to write a poem, and chances are they’ll freeze up. Tell someone to write a haiku, however, and we bet they’ll bang one out in less than 10 minutes. The reason: Constraints unleash our creativity. But how can you translate that to the complex world of content marketing? The diagram below will […]
We Need to Talk… About Building Customer Relationships
February always gets me, and I’m sure many others, thinking about relationships. February 14, depending on your relationship status, is either Singles Awareness Day or it’s Oh No Did We Make Reservations At That One Restaurant day. In thinking through that, I realized we say “relationship” a lot in a corporate setting. “We value our […]
20 Hot Jobs to Apply to Today!
If you can believe it, we’re almost through a quarter of 2018! Time flies doesn’t it?! However, the minutes and hours only drag slowly when you’re in a job that doesn’t quite fit your dreams or your lifestyle. Quit wasting your energy in a job that doesn’t satisfy you or at a company that doesn’t […]
How Arizona Is Leading the Autonomous Vehicle Revolution – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARIZONA COMMERCE AUTHORITY
Self-driving vehicles, once a science fiction technology, are rapidly becoming a reality that promises to transform our lives – making it safer and more efficient to move people and goods, while reinventing our thinking about transportation. Arizona, one of the leading cities for autonomous vehicles, is the proving ground for this transformative innovation. This fleet […]
How to Increase Your Influence at Work
lok fung/Getty Images To be effective in organizations today, you must be able to influence people. Your title alone isn’t always enough to sway others, nor do you always have a formal position. So, what’s the best way to position yourself as an informal leader? How do you motivate colleagues to support your initiatives and […]
How to Increase Your Influence at Work
lok fung/Getty Images To be effective in organizations today, you must be able to influence people. Your title alone isn’t always enough to sway others, nor do you always have a formal position. So, what’s the best way to position yourself as an informal leader? How do you motivate colleagues to support your initiatives and […]
How to Fix the Most Soul-Crushing Meetings
emma mayfield photography/Getty Images Meetings are notoriously one of organizational life’s most insufferable realities. U.S. companies spend more than $37 billion dollars a year on them. Employees in American companies spend more than one-third of their time in them. And 71% of senior managers view them as unproductive. In one global consumer products company that […]
3 Reasons Global Firms Should Keep Investing in India
boris sv/Getty Images A major debate has unfolded around India’s economic prospects. On the one hand, you have Prime Minister Modi declaring at the 2018 World Economic Forum that India’s economy, already the fifth largest in the world, will double to $5 trillion by 2025. On the other hand, you have the media pointing out […]
4 Beliefs to Drop When Changing Careers
My career has not followed a linear path. After two weeks of medical school, I left to instead pursue a marketing career, walking away from years of educational investment. A few years later, I moved from San Francisco to London, creating another detour in my career. Then, after ten years in the corporate world, I left […]
5 Key Presentation Skills To Master
I’ve spent the past five years working for Nielsen, the world’s largest marketing research firm that helps media and consumer products companies understand what people watch and buy. I am currently a manager in our consumer analytics group, specializing in survey and segmentation analysis for large brands and retailers. My team’s projects uncover the who, […]
Why Every Public Speaker Should be Using Messenger Bots
A few weeks ago, I gave a talk at the Multifamily Social Media Summit in Napa, CA. It was my second consecutive year attending the event, and I wanted to give the audience something fresh — my talk was going to be about Facebook Messenger. A few days before the talk, a member of the […]
Enlist Your Team in Solving an Intractable Problem
If you and your team are facing a chronic challenge, you might be tempted to take control and vehemently argue for the solution you think will work, or to offer ideas indirectly and let your team take ownership of the issue. Neither of these extremes is optimal. Instead, try an approach that combines conviction and […]
#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Amazing Online Video Content for Your Brand
It’s was our monthly Community Chat during this week’s #ContentWritingChat! That means we gave our audience the chance to vote on which topic they were most interested in dicussing. And the one that came out on top? Video creation tips! It’s no surprise this was the chosen topic, considering video continues to be the HOT […]
15 of the Best Lifestyle Mobile Apps You Need in Your Pocket
Want to track your packages with the swipe of your finger? Now you can. Need to split a complicated dinner bill? It’s no longer a 10-minute math problem. Lifestyle apps constanly appear in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and at least attempt to make our lives easier. Not only have some of […]
So You Want to Hire a Ghostwriter?
You want to hire a ghostwriter, but where do you begin? Since this is what we do, we thought we could pass on some valuable advice on the how, why, and what-have-yous of the ghostwriter and client relationship. Hiring a ghostwriter is a great way to take advantage of someone else’s professional writing skills and […]
So You Want to Hire a Ghostwriter?
You want to hire a ghostwriter, but where do you begin? Since this is what we do, we thought we could pass on some valuable advice on the how, why, and what-have-yous of the ghostwriter and client relationship. Hiring a ghostwriter is a great way to take advantage of someone else’s professional writing skills and […]
Six Lessons from My First Year at Uber
In January 2017 I joined Uber as Chief People Officer. I don’t often reflect on my work publicly but now that I’ve hit the one-year mark I have a few thoughts to share. As you know, Uber had a rollercoaster 2017. There was no way I could have predicted how the year would unfold, but […]
Research: A Strong Privacy Policy Can Save Your Company Millions
Osman Rana/Hayon Thapaliya/Unsplash Cyberattacks are on the rise, with over 1,000 data breaches occurring at U.S. organizations in 2016 alone, most often through hacking or external theft. And it isn’t only violated firms that are hurt by these incidents. Studying hundreds of data breaches, our research has found that they create significant ripples that affect other companies […]
In a World of Instant Messages and Chat Bots, is Content Marketing Still Effective?
In 2017, we saw the popularity of content marketing dip, and a huge rise in instant messages and chat bots emerge. In fact, statistics show that 47 percent of consumers would buy items from a chat bot. This leads to the very important question: is content marketing still an effective strategy? The answer is “YES,” effective […]
Research: A Strong Privacy Policy Can Save Your Company Millions
Osman Rana/Hayon Thapaliya/Unsplash Cyberattacks are on the rise, with over 1,000 data breaches occurring at U.S. organizations in 2016 alone, most often through hacking or external theft. And it isn’t only violated firms that are hurt by these incidents. Studying hundreds of data breaches, our research has found that they create significant ripples that affect other companies […]
Power Can Corrupt Leaders. Compassion Can Save Them
Andrew Nguyen/HBR Staff In 2016 John Stumpf, then the CEO of Wells Fargo, was called before Congress to explain a massive scandal. For more than four hours, Stumpf fielded a range of questions about why the bank, which had over $1.8 trillion in assets, had created 2 million false accounts, and, after the fraud was discovered, […]
6 Personal Fears Holding You Back From Your Dream Career
Are you fed up with making less than you’re worth or feeling unfulfilled at your current job? You’re not alone. According to a survey by Mental Health America and the Faas Foundation, 71 percent of respondents said that they’re looking to change employers. The survey also found that 45 percent of respondents said they “rarely or […]