How to Build an Innovation Lab
Building a successful business innovation lab balances creative freedom with quality management processes and analytics to generate ideas that improve a business’ future prospects. McKinsey reports that 84% of executives consider innovation an essential part of their future success. 80% believe their business model is at risk without it. And […]
Can a Single Person Start a Startup?
In the world of startups, there’s a common bias among investors towards teams of founders. While we can’t speak for every investor out there, it seems the common reason for this perspective comes down to skills; two founders bring twice as much experience and perspective to the table. This is […]
How to Start a Business From Scratch
You’re a curious entrepreneur with an idea. How can you start a business from scratch and turn your invention into an innovation? Innovation is about examining what others have left unexamined. It’s challenging the status quo, noticing trends that others are missing, and uncovering hidden customer desires. There are many […]
How to Calculate Startup Costs for a Small Business
You have a great idea for an app or digital product. You are confident it will transform your target industry and improve the lives of end users. But what will it cost to get it off the ground? Calculating tech startup costs is a process dependent on your assumptions. Unexamined […]
Why Are Venture Studios Popular?
It is estimated by Enhance Ventures that there are now over 550 studios in operation around the world, having grown by 625% since 2013. This growth may come from several factors: Due to the rapid growth of large cloud-based platforms like Google, Amazon and Microsoft, there has been a reduction […]
John McDonald of NEXT Studios: 5 Things I Need To See Before Making A VC Investment
An Interview With Orlando Zayas This interview was originally posted on Medium. Can you generate more than a financial return? All successful things require both selfish and altruistic motivations. If you’re only altruistic, you won’t have the stamina to succeed, but if you’re only selfish, no one will want to […]
Ladies, Be Careful Not to Silence Yourself
Shelley Klingerman | Managing Entrepreneur for NEXT Studios and CEO & Founder of Stiletto Agency Building a company with partners is a whole different experience than building a company by yourself. Ask me how I know. Both are rewarding and challenging, but they are different journeys. When you build a company yourself, […]
The “gig” is up.
John McDonald | Managing Entrepreneur at NEXT Studios Sitting at home one evening feeling hungry, you pop out your phone and flip through the specials on DoorDash, looking for something you like. As you scroll, you remember that you’re out of napkins and paper plates, as there’s been a lot of […]
3 Questions: Demystifying Venture Capital with John McDonald
This is the first installment in our “3 Questions” series contributed by subject matter experts throughout the tech community in Indiana. This series takes complex tech topics and explains them in easy-to-understand ways without the dense jargon so every reader can learn a little bit more about our industry. When […]
2020 Innovation Issue: Design thinking puts users at center of development
An entrepreneur walked into John McDonald’s office in late April with an idea that could transform the process of buying and selling a home. He had drafted a chart that laid out his plan, and now he needed an app and a website to make his vision a reality. “The […]
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