Join me at the Texas Venture Labs Venture Expo this Thursday, May 4 at the AT&T Executive Center on the UT Austin campus. Reserve your seat on our RSVP page or visit our Venture Expo website for more info.
Read MoreInnovation Flash: Think Like Buffett
Warren Buffett has been in the news lately, with his closely watched letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders and his famous 10 year wager about the performance of index funds versus actively managed funds about to come to fruition.
Read MoreEntrepreneurial Flash: A Real American Hero
Successful entrepreneurship requires stepping outside your comfort zone – sometimes way outside it. It also tends to attract a lot of hype – I deal with startups and entrepreneurs constantly and sometimes I just want the hyperbole to end. On the flip side, every once in a while you run across that refreshing startup that is fixing a real problem, led by a charismatic but humble CEO, solving a meaningful market problem.
Read MoreInnovation Flash: Self Lacing Sneakers
They made their movie debut in the 1979 hit Back to the Future, Velcro versions have long been a substitute, and now Nike has announced the first mainstream commercial production of self-lacing shoes, the HyperAdapt.
Read MoreEntrepreneurial Flash: Austin Grabs Top Spots for Places to Live and Startup Activity
Austin is on a roll! This week US News and World Report named Austin, Texas the best place to live in America... Austin has always performed well on both fronts, but top honors for both in close succession shows puts substance behind the reputation.
Read MoreCommercialization Flash: The Best Jobs in America
If you want to know where commercialization is trending, the simple answer is to follow the money. That’s exactly what you can do with Glassdoor’s most recent ranking of the Best Jobs in America. It’s pretty clear that technology, and specifically software, tops the rankings.
Read MoreCommercialization Flash: Aluminum Bodies on Ford Pickups
Ford’s crown jewel is the F150 pickup, the best-selling vehicle in North America for more than 30 years, and best-selling truck for more than 40. Rather than resting on its laurels they made a significant commercialization bet moving their crown jewel to aluminum bodies back in the 2015 model year.
Read MoreAge, Education and Experience of the CEO
So how does age, education and experience impact the success of a company? The numbers have always favored experience over enthusiasm, as seasoned investors seldom back inexperienced teams – reinforced by my personal investment experience in 40+ early stage companies, where the best successes came from experienced teams with domain knowledge in their area of pursuit.
Read MoreAmazon's First Customer Drone Delivery
Amazon recently announced its first drone delivery to a customer in Cambridge, England, with a package delivered to the customer an impressive 13 minutes after ordering. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO originally announced the drone plan in a 60 Minutes interview on December 1, 2013...
Read MoreThe Invention of the Snowboarding Industry
As the ski season opens in North America, let’s take a look at the innovation that started the snowboarding industry, which has blossomed into a $500 million market.
The inspiration came to Sherman Popper on Christmas day, 1965. With two snowed in, housebound, restless kids, he lashed together an inexpensive pair of skies...
Read MoreRob Adams Speaks On Expert Panel On Autonomous Vehicles
Rob Adams, a serial investor and director of Texas Venture Labs at the McCombs School, said business transportation needs will outrun consumer use of automated vehicles. “There are bits and pieces that will be adopted very fast, like interstate trucking that goes through the night...”
Read MoreWith Austin In The Lead, Texas Tops Nation In Nurturing Startups
Texas is one of the top incubators for startups and its cities are hotbeds of entrepreneurs... "There's a certain natural affinity to Texas for business people because it's viewed as a pro-business, low-tax, low government interference for business state," said Rob Adams...
Read MoreRob Adams on the UT McCombs MSTC Program
A new video has just been released on the McCombs MSTC Program at the University of Texas at Austin featuring senior lecturer Rob Adams Ph.D. Graduates of the MSTC have gone on to found numerous successful start up companies, including Draft App, Flipped Health, Seismos...
Read MoreContent Marketing Tips For A Successful Product Launch
According to McCombs School of Business professor Rob Adams, more than 65 percent of new products launched by established companies fail. This means only one out of three new products is ultimately successful...
Read MoreProgrys Field Solutions joins Texas Venture Labs at Nasdaq
2016 Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition winner Progrys Field Solutions joined Dr. Rob Adams in closing the Nasdaq Stock Market on June 8, 2016. Progrys Field Solutions took home first place from the 33rd annual Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition...
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