TapInko: Upgrading Traditional Advertising

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2010-04-24T13:39:00.001-04:00

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TapInko Partners With Girl In Your Shirt

2009-12-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

Have a look! http://www.centernetworks.com/girlinyourshirt-tapinko-for-branded-sorority-parties#more-16998

We are bringing advertising to sororities... come and get it!

Everything you wanted to know about a startup...

2009-10-25T22:42:00.001-04:00

Soooo true! Amazing article: http://www.paulgraham.com/really.html

TapInko Instruction Manual

2009-09-08T17:27:00.002-04:00

Having a problem creating a profile? Click Here For A Step By Step Instruction Guide!

Congrats DreamIt Ventures Class of 2009

2009-08-21T12:37:00.002-04:00

Philly Biz Journal just released a great article about the latest DreamIt Ventures and even something about the companies from our class as well... have a look: http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/08/17/story8.html

TapInko Featured On NewsPaperDeathWatch.com

2009-07-31T11:25:00.001-04:00

Have a look: http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/startup-aims-to-simplify-the-ad-buy.html

Thanks!

-P

TapInko Step By Step Instructions For Using The Application:

2009-07-31T10:10:00.006-04:00

How to Use TapInko:

1) Using TapInko to PLACE an Ad (as a buyer)
Click Here!

2) Setting Up Your Seller Profile
Click Here!

Thank You Vuzit For Allowing us to use the document viewer!

-The TapInko Team

What If The New York Times...

2009-07-30T08:13:00.001-04:00

Nice Tech Crunch Article: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/30/what-if-the-new-new-york-times/

NYT Shows New Products For Industry

2009-07-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

NY Times R and D shows some great future products: http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/05/the-new-york-times-envisions-version-20-of-the-newspaper/

Malcom Glawell - The New Yorker - A Lesson On Free and The Internet

2009-06-29T12:59:00.003-04:00

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/07/06/090706crbo_books_gladwell

Top 10 Reasons To Still Advertise In A Newspaper

2009-06-17T13:05:00.003-04:00

The Newspaper Association of America today has released their Top 10 Reasons to Still advertise in Newspapers. Print is certainly not 'dead' and with an expected 100+ Billion in advertising revenue expected to go towards U.S. newspapers this year, it will be interesting to see how these Media Buying groups continue to redefine themselves.

Click the image to see the document.

Buy Your Dad The Gift That Will Last THIS Guys' Life Time - A Personalized Beer and Steak Tattoo

2009-06-16T10:00:00.009-04:00

Grill a man a steak, give him a beer, and he'll be happy for a day.

Buy your Dad a tattoo of a beer and steak and he'll be happy for a lifetime.

Here he goes again... the always wacky but incredible Billy Gibby is doing it again. Has your mom refused to allow your father to get a tattoo? Thinking about buying your father a 'star'? Not quite sure what to do for this upcoming Hallmark event? Well you are in luck.

Billy Gibby - The Self Proclaimed Human Billboard is running a Father's Day Special... you can now have the gift that lasts a lifetime. Billy has offered to get a 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch beer can and steak design with any name of your choosing - tattooed on his body. Your costs are the price of the tattoo + $150 (estimated $225 total).

Included is a framed picture of your tattoo and a personalized note from Billy himself. Oh and yes... he'll put it any where you'd like :)

"This should be man-law-datory." - Billy 'The Billboard'

This special expires on Sunday and for more information on Billy Gibby and getting your Dad's Name On Him CLICK HERE!

What To Do Once You Have Been Approved As A TapInko Seller

2009-06-10T10:53:00.006-04:00

After several months into our beta, our clients have given us a lot of information on how they best utilize the TapInko interface. The analytics and information have shown that the accounts who actively promote TapInko as a literal extension of their sales force see the highest return and account activity. To mimic this approach, here is what we recommend to each of our profile administrators:

1) Create A Personalized TapInko Account Logo:

(To download a blank Photoshop copy follow this link: BlankLogo.psd

2) Place The Logo and Click-Thru link On Your Websites Advertising Info Page

Allow your advertisers a new complementary alternative to place their advertisements with your publication. Have a look at what GreaterMedia and BackSlash have done.

3) Place The Logo In Your MediaGuide/Rate Card

Notifying clients of your inclusion in the TapInko network is a quick and simple way of enhancing and extending your sales team.

4) If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, email feedback@tapinko.com

Thanks!

-The TapInko Team

Newspaper News... Traditional Media Getting Bailout?!?

2009-05-19T10:24:00.000-04:00

Great Article: http://www.businessinsider.com/outrageous-newspaper-bailout-begins-2009-5

TapInko - PhillyAdClub.com

2009-05-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

Have a look: http://www.phillyadclub.com/news_article.php?id=1899

Mother's Day Gift Special: Your Mom's Name On Him...For Life

2009-05-07T15:11:00.013-04:00

"I truly believe in my heart that the best gift anyone can give there mother is a tattoo on my body." - Billy 'The Billboard'

So if you always wanted to tell your mom you loved her but never had the balls to get a real tattoo, you are in luck. Billy Gibby - The Self Proclaimed Human Billboard is running a Mother's Day Special... For the same price as a beautiful flower arrangement, you can now have the gift that lasts a lifetime. Billy has offered to get a 1 inch by 1 inch red heart with any name of your choosing, tattooed on his body. Your costs are the price of the tattoo + $100 (estimated $200).

Included is a framed picture of your tattoo and a personalized note from Billy himself. Oh and yes... he'll put it any where you'd like :)

This special expires on Sunday and for more information on Billy Gibby and getting your Mom's Name On Him CLICK HERE!

TapInko Announces Advertising Partnership With Greater Media Group

2009-04-24T14:05:00.009-04:00

“Greater Media Taps Into TapInko to Make Offline Advertising Online-Easy”

TapInko, the online directory and transaction tool for buyers and sellers of advertising, announced today that it has signed on its largest partner to date, Greater Media Newspapers of Freehold, New Jersey. To help facilitate this endeavor, TapInko is providing Greater Media Newspapers with a specific profile for each of their twelve publications and staff-training on the TapInko platform.

In a world where publications are filing for Chapter 11 and cutting large chunks of their sales staff, TapInko provides media owners with improved, easy, and efficient sales and sales tracking software. While many of these functions exist individually within various desktop software applications, TapInko brings them together in a single robust, advertising-focused, fully functional website.

Previously, the process of completing one advertising sales transaction for one issue could take days or weeks to negotiate and complete. TapInko condenses this process into less than ten minutes while providing value-added tools to help customers track every aspect of the sale. The company offers traditional and alternative print media with the same elements of interactive creativity, efficiency and hands-on control that has long been the major selling point of online advertising. Greater Media is the first large premier newspaper group to utilize TapInko’s unique platform.

“I wouldn’t say we’re the ‘white knight’ trying to save the traditional advertising world,” said John Valentine, Director of Business Development for TapInko, “but that’s definitely our motivation. At TapInko we help print magazines and newspapers maximize the value of advertising – in terms of profit and greater awareness – with our cost-effective directory and platform.”

Just over 6 weeks out of beta, TapInko is now inviting other media buying groups, agencies, and advertisers, to join their network... and make advertising easy.

About TapInko.com
TapInko was founded in 2007 with the vision of making advertising easy. After two years of development, they were accepted into the Venture backed DreamIt Ventures Incubator and launched their first version of the product early this year. They currently have over 150 advertising opportunities in their system and are constantly expanding on a daily basis.

###

Media Contacts:

Peter Groverman
President and CEO
TapInko.com
305-582-5643
pgroverman@tapinko.com

TapInko - Ad Runs In Philadelphia Metro

2009-04-15T17:22:00.004-04:00

TapInko Friends and Family,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend...but quick question:

What makes the attached two-page centerfold spread found in todays Philadelphia Metro unique? The Answer: You should be happy to note it was placed via TapInko!

Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,

-Pete Groverman

TapInko Product Demo Login Information - April 10th - 3pm (est)

2009-04-10T09:28:00.002-04:00

Join us today for a TapInko product demonstration:

GoTo: www.webex.com
Topic: TapInko Demo
Date: Friday, April 10, 2009
Time: 3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00, New York)
Meeting Number: 595 419 982
Meeting Password: (This meeting does not require a password.)

For the conference line, please call: 1-650-429-3300 (Meeting Number: 593 419 982)

Thanks,

The TapInko Team

TapInko Shout Out @ Entrepreneurial Expo

2009-04-09T17:10:00.002-04:00

Have A Look: http://www.toad-software.com/blog/post/2009/04/06/Philly-Startup-Leaders-Entrepreneur-Expo-Recap.aspx

TapInko Asks Hacker News For Review

2009-04-07T01:06:00.002-04:00

We received some incredible feedback from the News.ycombinator.com community... have a look to see what people were saying: CLICK HERE

Skin n' Bones - TapInko Featured On Front Page Of Anchroage Press!

2009-04-02T22:05:00.001-04:00

Much love to our man Billy Gibby!

Have a look:

http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2009/04/02/news/doc49d3ea855d27b522626130.txt

TapInko - Presents At Philadelphia Entrepreneurial Expo

2009-04-02T17:40:00.003-04:00

We will be presenting this evening at the Philadelphia Entrepreneurial Expo. To Watch, have a look www.phillypreneurs.com

April 1st Login Information For TapInko WebEx Demo

2009-04-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

Join us all this week for product demonstrations:

GoTo: www.webex.com
Topic: TapInko Demo
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Time: 3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00, New York)
Meeting Number: 593 138 139
Meeting Password: (This meeting does not require a password.)

For the conference line, please call: 1-650-429-3300 (Meeting Number: 593 138 139)

Thanks,

The TapInko Team

TapInko - WebEx Demo Meeting Today - 3pm (est)

2009-03-31T13:35:00.001-04:00

Join us all this week for product demonstrations:

GoTo: www.webex.com
Topic: TapInko Demo
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Time: 3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00, New York)
Meeting Number: 591 481 013
Meeting Password: (This meeting does not require a password.)

For the conference line, please call: 1-650-429-3300 (Meeting Number: 591 481 013)

Thanks,

The TapInko Team

Jacek Utko: Can Design Save The Newspaper?

2009-03-31T13:33:00.001-04:00

Amazing Ted Talk, have a look: CLICK HERE

TapInko To Present At Entrep. Expo

2009-03-30T09:48:00.002-04:00

TapInko will be presenting at the Philly Entrepreneurship Expo this Thursday. The event will be 6pm-9pm at the University City Science Center. For more information have a look: HERE

Re: TapInko - First WebEx Meeting - Monday - March 30th - 10am

2009-03-29T20:50:00.002-04:00

Join us all this week for product demonstrations:

Topic: TapInko - Product Overview and Demonstration
GoTo: www.webex.com
Date: Monday, March 30, 2009
Time: 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00, New York)
Meeting Number: 593 087 701
Meeting Password: (This meeting does not require a password.)

For the conference line, please call: 1-650-429-3300 (Meeting Number: 593 087 701 )

We look forward to giving you a complete overview of the product!

Thanks,

The TapInko Team

TapInko Enters The Advertising Arena

2009-03-28T20:49:00.001-04:00

Have a look at some TapInko press:

http://www.scommerce.com/Tapinko-enters-the-advertising-arena/

Enjoy!

The Passion and Perseverance Behind a Startup

2009-03-28T12:18:00.001-04:00

TapInko Announces Free WebEx tutorials for Publications

2009-03-26T17:28:00.003-04:00

Dear publication business managers,

***Due to the abundance of interest by the publications currently in our system, we'd like to make our FREE LIVE WebEx tutorials available to the general public and all publications***

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the enhanced version of TapInko.com , the Online Marketplace For Offline Adspace. TapInko is free to be a part of and provides several important value ads to your publication - including:

+ Creating additional revenue streams
+ Streamlining and making your sales process more efficient
+ Giving you a paperless office with complete file backup

We would love an opportunity to not only introduce you to the product but turn over your account login credentials. For your convenience, we have scheduled three WebEx Online Demonstrations for you to get a first hand look at the TapInko product and what it can do to upgrade your publication's sales teams.

The Tapinko WebEx Meeting and Presentations will be held on:

10am - Monday - March 30th
3pm - Tuesday - March 31st
12pm - Wednesday - April 1st

Please respond to Jvalentine@tapinko.com as to whether or not you would be interested in taking part in one of the above online tutorials and/or if you would like more information on TapInko.

Best regards,

The TapInko Team

FeedMyApp TapInko

2009-03-26T10:33:00.001-04:00

Have a look: CLICK HERE

Under The Plate - Proof How Some Traditional Media Is Alive and Well

2009-03-23T10:52:00.003-04:00

Under The Plate (Original Post NJ My Way, March 23, 2009)

March 23, 2009

In an age where we are bombarded by advertising messages-from our cell phones, screens at the supermarket checkout, billboards on buses - the low tech message may be the best of all.

Businessman Errol Ernstrom of Denvilleknows this well. He runs Placemats Plus(www.placematsplus.com) which is now celebrating 25 years of successful placemat advertising. Errol's paper placemats, printed with ads from local businesses, are under plates in more than a hundred diners throughout northern and central New Jersey.

"Where there's a diner, there can be a placemat," says Errol, pointing out that these eateries are the natural location for the paper placemats-the customers are varied and span different generations and socioeconomic groups-and the turnover is quick. Plus, New Jersey has more diners than any other state.

At the Tick Tock Diner (www.tictockdiner.com), they go thru 200,000 of Errol's mats every six months. There's even a one year waiting list for businesses who want to advertise at thisClifton institution.

Errol ran a furniture business that bought advertising on the placemats-and its sales grew dramatically as a result WhenPlacemats Plus became available in 1997, he snapped up the company. Now he sells ads for $16-20 per week, per diner. There is a six month minimum ad purchase.

"I had a realtor wait five and a half years to get on the mat," he says. And then he told us about the lawyer who added his picture to the placemat ad in 28 diners, and his business became hugely successful. Now, there's a waiting list of lawyers who want to get on the same mat; the 18 or so ads on the placemat are exclusive by category.

Is he threatened by the digital revolution and high-tech ads? Not as long as people love diners, and eat out.

In New Jersey-the diner still rules. And chances are, Errol Ernstrom's mats are under your plate.

Smart Ass From P-I Leaves Goodbye Note...

2009-03-18T09:54:00.001-04:00

Click Here

Enjoy :)

TapInko v. Google in the eyes of Phillypreneurs.com

2009-02-20T12:58:00.002-05:00

Have a look at this analysis by David Speers on why TapInko is positioned to fill the gap Google has left behind.

Thank you David Speers and Phillypreneurs...

http://www.phillypreneurs.com/2009/02/david_vs_gooliath/

TapInko - WEC - Follow Up

2009-02-14T13:55:00.002-05:00

Hundreds of people, incredible presentations, and an amazing event. Nick, John, and Pete had an amazing time demonstrating the power of TapInko at the Wharton Entrepreneurial Conference.

TapInko Accepted For 2009 WEC Expo

2009-01-28T22:03:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the entire TapInko team for being accepted as one of the 25 ventures to present at the 2009 Wharton Entrepreneurship Conference Expo. For more information take a look HERE.

LuckyStartups.com Interviews Nick and Pete

2009-01-25T13:10:00.003-05:00

What fun. Take a look:

Technology Startup Tapinko.com wants to market you.

TapInko In The News

2009-01-23T15:47:00.003-05:00

Google Pulls The Plug On Print Ads

2009-01-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/feeling-lucky/2009/01/21/google-kills-print-ads

There has been a lot of talk about Google Pulling the plug on Print Ads and how it relates to TapInko. Please take a look at:

Google.pdf

Follow Us On Twitter!

2009-01-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

http://twitter.com/tapinko

TapInko Cool Animation

2009-01-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

Click Here

TapInko Launch Event :-)

2008-12-12T17:57:00.004-05:00

On Dec 5th, we invited all those who helped get us to where we are today to a phenomenal event at the The Centennial Cafe. About 90 people came in style and we had some good music by Mix Master Unit. Food and Drink went fast, but all in all it was a great success.

Click Here for Photos:

Amazing... Teacher Advertises on Tests

2008-12-03T14:18:00.003-05:00

A new TapInko solution? Click Here To Read

DreamIt Ventures Video Posted

2008-10-10T11:33:00.001-04:00

Take a look :-)

http://www.viddler.com/explore/DreamItVentures/videos/2/

The Future of NewsPapers

2008-10-06T10:36:00.004-04:00

I feel not a day goes by that I don't see an article like this one... but have a look:

http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4605

Still plenty of time before newspapers are 'exhausted.'

Advertising On Top Of the World

2008-10-02T15:54:00.004-04:00

What if you wanted to Advertise On Top of a Mountain? How would you do it? Hmmm

The TapInko family members Eduardo Sanchez and Yuri Castano took TapInko with them as they overcame whiteout conditions and conquered Mt. Iztaccihuatl, Mexico's third tallest mountain (17,100ft). Congrats Guys!

TapInko...Advertising Everywhere... Here!

Dreamit Ends, and What's Next

2008-09-06T15:26:00.002-04:00

Each member of our management team has grown personally and collectively this summer. The DreamIT Ventures program provided the perfect greenhouse for TapInko. The summer began with a concept, some pretty webpage mockups, a young management team, and a lot of questions. We rush into the fall with a strong development team, a product inches away from a full beta test, a motivated and unified management team, an experienced cadre of advisors and strategists on board, five enthusiastic beta schools, and dozens of student papers waiting in the wings for TapInko's full version 1.0 release. Wow.

Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves by making plans for 4 or 5 years out, but these projections comprise the vision we seek to fulfill. Our pockets full of business cards after DreamIT Funding Day, the next few weeks will find us in the offices of various angel investors and venture capitalists.

Peter is doing a great job leading the funding charge, Nick and Jonathan Newell, our lead developer, are doing a brilliant job with the product, and I'm spending my time developing relationships with our beta publications while also reaching out to advertisers in a buyer beta.

Today, we are saying goodbye to CJ, our research and marketing intern, who has been extremely helpful researching industry news, calling potential clients, and analyzing publication rate information. We wish him luck in his senior year at LaSalle University in Philly.

Funding Day

2008-09-06T00:50:00.004-04:00

An amazing experience. More details to come...

Presentation Pict.

Funding Day

2008-09-02T16:07:00.006-04:00

“Pete, we have 12 weeks” This statement was made to me back in June by John Valentine as he diligently typed up upon one of the thousand of documents he produced this summer.

Wow, the hourglass has run out and Funding Day is here! With this awesome opportunity comes a huge push of the product.

TapInko will be working hand-n-hand with:http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

The University of Pennsylvania (The Daily Pennsylvanian), Harvard University (The Harvard Crimson), The University of Pittsburgh (The Pitt Daily News), Tufts University (The Tufts Daily), and The University of Miami/Florida International/Miami Dade College (BackSlash Magazine).

These publications will pioneer the product through the beta testing period and help us perfect the model to quickly expand into the hundreds of other verticals in the offline advertising world.

Check back daily to see the tool-sets which will be constantly added upon the foundation of the product.

Have fun and please send any feedback to Feedback@tapinko.com

-Pete Groverman
President

*Thanks to Matt Anderson the King of FaceBook Graffiti Art for the above image*

TapInko - Chariotsolutions - Pod Cast

2008-08-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

Ken Rimple from Chariot Solutions, LLC (www.chariotsolutions.com) interviewed Jonathan Newell and Nicolas Warren. Lot's of analogies, lot's of technologies, lots of development info... take a listen :-).

Congratulations Billy...

2008-08-22T00:35:00.006-04:00

As he travels towards his goal of being the worlds most tattooed advertised man, Billy Gibby has received his first TapInko sale from the TapInko team themselves. Stay tuned for not only pictures and video, but the opportunity to join TapInko by getting your logo or image somewhere on some part of the amazing human billboard!

------
*Update*
------

Looks Sharp Billy:

DreamIt Update

2008-08-11T13:56:00.003-04:00

DreamIt is coming to an end... where has the summer gone? To bring you all up to speed, we have been very busy here at 'The Ink-Well.' We have:

1) Signed several publications on board to the beta program
2) A gorgeous product that is inches away from launch
3) Doubled the size and experience of the team
4) Established amazing partnerships in our field and been introduced to some of the leading Internet Pioneers
5) Gained countless knowledge that would be impossible to learn in any classroom for any dollar figure
6) Worked and been inspired alongside some incredible individuals and ventures

Stay posted for launch information. Funding Day is September 4th... interested?

-P

TapInko Promo

2008-07-21T18:50:00.005-04:00

With much fanfare, the TapInko.com "about us" promo has hit the videosphere. Phil Katz, our resident marketing guru from http://www.groundupmarketing.com/, put this little ditty together for us. If you run a company in need of creative video like the one shown here, shoot Phil an email at phil@groundupmarketing.com.

Things are moving very quickly here at the Science Center. With one month until the end of DreamIT and Funding Day on September 4th looming, TapInko is preparing to release our product to beta testers by early August. the development team's sleepless nights and client acquisition team's persistence is paying off. Look for more updates shortly.

What is 1%?

2008-07-01T09:49:00.005-04:00

“Your company may voluntarily contribute an additional 1% of the common stock of your company to be placed in a pool that will be shared equally among participating DreamIt’08 companies. You are not required to participate in this pool.”

DreamIt Ventures Offer Letter
Spring 2008

For the past several weeks, my company has been posed with the question of whether or not to include 1% of TapInko's equity into the above-described DreamIt 1% Pool. From our understanding, this unique opportunity is a perk that differentiates DreamIt from other incubators. There are two sides to this debate; here is what we are thinking:

Pros

‘Loose fit insurance policy’ – This is the most obvious reason for our inclusion; if we fail we would not necessarily be a complete failure as long as at least one other team included in the pool makes it.

Series B Stock – The stock contributed to the pool is passive and would not come with special privileges. Without any voting rights, the other teams would be simply passive percentage stock holders.

The Cheer Factor – By each contributing a percentage point, we would increase each other’s vested interest in seeing success.

The "Mindshare Effect" - If every company had a stake in every other company, it would encourage collaboration and mindshare amongst the companies in the Science Center. If my idea for Sleep.FM, for example, might get them another client or change their interface for the better, I have a stronger impulsion to let Ryan know.

Cons

Easier Said – Being in law school has led me to realize about the importance of de-risking. The situations that can exist if each team contributes to a common pool can become real sticky real fast. We would want to make sure that if one team has an issue, the intertwined nature won’t cause an issue for everyone.

Investors - Venture Capitalist might see this as a More Owner = More Problems situation.

Amount - 1% might not seem like a lot but… what is 1% of Google? Aol? Yahoo? What is the real value of 1% of our company? What else could that 1% be used for?

Total Return Vagarity - Let's say that, for example, Vuzit makes $10 million in the sale fo their business. 1% of $10 million is $100,000. This $100,000 goes into the 1% pool. Divide the $100,000 over the hypothetical 10 teams that entered themselves in the pool. $10,000 would go to each team. Pursuant to the email from Mike Levinson, each founder of the companies would get an equal share of their company's participation. Therefore, each founder would get $3,333 from Vuzit's $10,000,000 sale...Before taxes.

Our Final Decision:

After much debate, the TapInko team has decided to contribute 1% to the common equity pool. If something is in your venture's best interest, think about it, analyze it, and go for it if it sounds good. We faced a similar situation when the opportunity to join DreamIt was for the taking and we had to ‘give to get.’ In this case, this opportunity is just to cool for us to pass on. We have learned so much from DreamIt and we want to get as much from this opportunity as will be allowed.

Besides, we kinda like what a lot of the other teams are doing!

What would you do?

"Know People"

2008-06-26T10:46:00.002-04:00

Know People

One of the founders of DreamIt commented about the importance of ‘Knowing People.’ He stated: “Before you critique someone, walk a mile in their shoes…besides, by the end, you're a mile away…. and you have their shoes.” Though the final statement was made in jest, I am a firm believer that ANY team can increase their chances of becoming successful by having at least one individual with the ability to Know People.

When I use the term Know People, I do not necessarily mean the number of individuals you call ‘Friend’ on FaceBook.

In order to Know People, you have to be able to understand and relate with individuals not like yourself; literally, put yourself in their shoes. Ask the questions: What are they actually thinking and feeling?

Though this is a hard quality to master, people who can comfortably relate with others in this fashion, can come off as more respectful, observant, and comfortable.

Even if they are not the most intelligent of individuals, the innate talent of Knowing People is extremely valuable. People who Know People can comfortably sell, present, and give insight to situations.

How to “Know People”

Knowing People is something one learns by being exposed to different environments, being aware of foreign practices, and having an inherently social personality. Judging body language is also a critical component of knowing people.

Being able to Know People is probably 25% genetic. But inherently, you are not born with a strong ability to Know People. However, many individuals are predisposed to Know People based on their upbringings and personality types.

When Identifying one who Knows People it might not be best to look to the number of friends in their FaceBook profile; a better place to look is the diversity of friends from separate networks.

What to do with an employee who Knows People?

Though to him it is not necessarily thinking outside the box, this individual has the ability to see connections and possibilities where many do not. They possess the ability to market outside the scope of those they surround themselves with.

They can adapt to any situation like a chameleon adapts its color. They can relate to individuals, and this ability increases trust, which makes them incredible salespeople.

-----

People who Know People Can Be:

The Dude who sees people as potential new friends as opposed to random strangers

The Dude who has a reasonable temper, patience, and an upbeat personality.

The Dude who can say “hi” to an inanimate object.

The Dude who effortlessly makes strangers smile on a daily basis

The Dude who has no limits

The Dude who can adapt to any situation or individual and make those from all walks of life comfortable in their presence.

The Dude who is not threatening

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Conclusion

Everyone has heard the statement “every action has a reaction;” those who Know People have a better understanding of what the outcomes of certain situations will be and can give insight into how a situation has/will play out.

Quotes:

2008-06-24T13:50:00.001-04:00

"I still like to hold a newspaper; it's part of my upbringing" - Tim Russert, NBC's Meet the Press

The Incubator Decision

2008-06-24T11:23:00.004-04:00

Although it’s only been a month since we stepped foot in the Science Center to begin DreamIT 08’, the benefits and drawbacks to the incubator program are fairly pronounced. Every incubator is different, promising a unique set of tools and resources operating within an innovative organizational structure.

We were drawn to DreamIT initially because our company was right in their sweet spot; we were a company with an idea, a half-built product, and a business plan while running our home offices out of the Villanova Law library. Post family and friends funding and pre-seed/angel round, TapInko was struggling to find its identity.

DreamIT called us in for an interview, and we became one of 10 companies out of approximately 250 to get the invite into the program. First, I will discuss the pros and cons of the decision to accept or deny an offer from an incubator, and then I will conclude with some brief remarks about how DreamIT is rolling along at the one month mark.

1. You Don’t Have Enough Time to Make an Educated Decision about the Offer
If you get an interview with an incubator, make sure you have thought about your response to various offers. I’ve heard horror stories about how Y Combinator gives their offers by phone, forcing startup company founders to scramble for one hour to make a decision. DreamIT is a little more reasonable, allowing their offerees a couple days to mull the offer letter. Did TapInko waver? Yes. Why? We’d give up 6% of our company to the DreamIT guys. Would it be worth it? We didn’t know. This was DreamIT’s first year in operation. We would be taking as much of a risk on DreamIT as they were taking on us.

2. They want 6% of Your Company
Is 6% a reasonable amount of money to give to an incubator for a one-time summer experience? At first glance, 6% seems like a lot for three months of resources and exposure. they gave TapInko a $333,333 valuation. However, the incubator promises at least $5k in legal assistance, $5k in accounting assistance, office space at the University City Science Center, synergies with the other DreamIT companies, and the assistance of gurus, strategists, and weekly speakers. Not to mention the pizza, calzones, and soda (mmm brainfood). These value-ads are only as valuable as your ability to utilize them. Did we have 6% to give to DreamIT? Yes. We jumped in.

3. The Offer Letter is Difficult for Law Students to Swallow
The scariest part of the DreamIT offer was the two page offer letter. An hour after the offer letter was emailed to our CEO, we sent the DreamIT guys a long letter with questions that the offer letter didn’t address: (1) Class of units the DreamIT shares would be; (2) terminations provisions; (3) voting rights; etc. We just went over a sample term sheet in e-business class, and it was difficult to accept such a vague offer. They promised “legal and accounting services at no cost to you.” They should have mentioned that the legal services were at no cost up until $5,000 of in-kind services. Pepper Hamilton, the law firm selected for TapInko, has been absolutely amazing guiding TapInko around the legal pitfalls of small startups. DreamIT told us that the reason for having a concise term sheet is so the developer-heavy teams wouldn’t become frustrated with the complexity of the term sheet and walk away. Understandable.

4. Access to Funding Sources
It is inherently difficult for young entrepreneurs to get in the door of angel groups and venture funds, so the rolodex of connections provided to TapInko will be essential to our success in getting funded. The Funding Day/Demo Day at the end of the summer was the clincher for our team. Instant access to a forum for pitching to 60-80 investment groups may provide further validation of our product.

5. Speaking of Validation…
As DreamIT grows its community reach, the status of being a DreamIT company will provide instant validation for our startup. It is often difficult for small companies to get a great reputation and industry penetration, and TapInko has already seen the benefits of this affiliation. Many potential clients have congratulated us when they saw, through the TapInko blog, that we have been accepted into DreamIT. It is a real honor to be selected as a top 4% startup on the east coast.

…At the end of the day, are we glad we decided to accept DreamIT? Yes, absolutely. In the span of one month in the incubator, working the day-to-day grind together in our pods, we made strides that would normally take entire semesters.

In the land of tech startups, there is no time to waste time. Someone is likely out there in the interwebs doing exactly what you’re doing. The only way to succeed is to release your product quickly, be an active thinker, secure your clients, conquer your niche, get funding, and expand. Let’s roll.

Buzzzzzzz

2008-06-24T11:00:00.004-04:00

The TapInko team had the opportunity to meet one of Half.com Marketing masterminds. Pete even collected a personal signature!

"May The Buzz Be With You" - Mark Hughes - Author Buzz Marketing

2008-06-10T16:23:00.006-04:00

DreamIt is underway. Development is cranking. Business is moving. You cannot pay for this type of experience.

TapInko Founding Fathers - Pete, John, Nick, (from left to right) - Cool-bicles aka Pods

TapInko Art - An original never opened Half.Com Urinal Screen (with gloves) has been added to Pete's Wall Art Collection. Amazingly, his marketing exposure and experience at Half.Com has played an integral part in laying the foundation for the TapInko venture.

DreamIt Ventures

2008-06-03T10:14:00.001-04:00

After an intense two years, TapInko has been accepted into an Venture Capital incubator. This summer will be an amazing adventure.

Come check out our offices:

The Science Center
3701 Market Street
Philadelphia

DreamIt Ventures

What an incredible opportunity...

TapInko

2008-05-30T11:47:00.000-04:00

"TapInko is the Online Market Place For Offline Ad Space"

We have taken the 2+ weeks it takes to place 1 advertisement in 1 publication in 1 issue, streamlined the process using a web based application, and now allow for a total transaction = Several Minutes.

What if you wanted to advertise in every publication in Philadelphia? What would you do? Sounds scary, long, and complicated.... not anymore.

TapInko makes advertising OFFLINE as easy as advertising ONLINE.

Fast, Efficient, and most importantly... Easy.

As for the name:

TapInko = Tapping Traditional Media... Tapping 'Ink' .... and the 'O' just ties it all together

Welcome to the TapInko Blog

2008-03-29T17:42:00.000-04:00

Throughout the course of TapInko's development we will be keeping everyone up to date.