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It’s a sobering spreadsheet: 835 companies that shut down in 2015 and rose between $1 and $200 million, compiled by angel investor Jason Calacanis says Peter Decaprio. Some were sold for parts for pennies on the dollar; others failed outright; still more dwindled into nothing. The list includes some well-known brands like Beamr (the streaming video technology company that had raised $12.5 million) and Humin (the contact management service that had raised $2.6 million). And while the names of several major flops — Shuddle, Leap Transit, Secret — have generated headlines in their own right, there are many more stories behind each number. As we did last year, we will attempt to tell the story of each company on Calacanis’ list—and what can be learned from their rise and fall—over the next several weeks. It’s just one way we’re marking this year’s celebration of our sixth anniversary. Standard Cognition: How a Self-Driving Store Might Work One day at Standard Cognition, they tried an experiment to see how quickly their team could pick items off store… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Why Do Startups Fail and What You Can Do About It?

Growth hacking isn’t exactly a new trend, it’s just that the term wasn’t coined until 2010 explains Peter Decaprio. The very first mention of growth hacking is credited to Sean Ellis. Sean was charged with figuring out how Drop box could acquire millions of users fast (Drop box was paying $500 per customer at the time). So what did he do? He created an incentivized referral program which gave 500MB extra space for each friend invited, plus another 500MB if they signed up and used it. They also added a link directly in their desktop folder that said “Get more free space”. As a result, referrals skyrocketed. Word-of-mouth became one of their most powerful user acquisition channels reaching tens of thousands of new users within weeks of implementing the Growth Hacking strategy. Today’s post aims to cover what growth hacking is, how it can be applied in today’s market and most importantly, how you can get started with growth hacking your startup. So if you are interested in learning more about this topic, read on!… Read More »Peter Decaprio: What is Growth Hacking? Everything You Need to Know About Startup Marketing!

Get Ready To Learn A Ton… Starting With How NOT To Launch a Company says Peter Decaprio. It doesn’t matter if you want to start your own company or join someone else’s startup team – before you ever take action it is crucial to have a plan to follow. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don’t take the time to develop that plan before jumping into action and this leads to poor performance which often results in failure for many startups! In fact, 1/3 of all startups fail within the first 18 months due to poor planning. I’ve heard it said that if you want to increase your odds of success then do the opposite of what most people are doing when launching their startup or joining someone else’s team! Before I get too deep into this post let me tell you about my friend Dave Balter who is an expert at teaching entrepreneurs how NOT to launch companies.  You can also check out his blog with tons of great posts on entrepreneurship here. Dave taught me this… Read More »Peter Decaprio- The Unconventional Guide to Launching a Successful Startup! Part 1: Developing the Right Mindset, Skills, and Startup Team

In this three-part article, I will outline how to set the correct mindset for a startup and guide you through a proven process of creating a new company from scratch with no cost involved says Peter Decaprio. This is Part 1 of the series. Part 1: Creating the Right Mindset The first thing that an entrepreneur or an owner of a small business must do before starting anything is to set the right mindset for success. In order to do so, it’s important to make sure that your mind works in the way it should work during startup time, otherwise you will find yourself trapped in your own thoughts and won’t be able to make tough decisions when they need to be made. I am not going here into any spiritual stuff or what-is-your-destiny stuff here. However, you must know that during the startup time, your mind works differently than usual and if you want to succeed in what you’re trying to do, then you need to understand and use the right mental tools and… Read More »Peter Decaprio- The Secrets of Starting a Startup—No Cost! Part 1: Creating the Right Mindset

As a first-time entrepreneur, I can empathize with those who are intimidated by the startup world explains Peter Decaprio. Not only is it difficult to understand the lingo and depth of knowledge associated with this world, but even deciding where to start can be a big challenge for newbies. If you’re looking to change the world through technology or business innovation, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide provides an introduction into how entrepreneurs think and see opportunities around them. In essence, it explains how startups work from a high level perspective and what types of questions you should be asking yourselves as entrepreneurs when searching for ideas that have potential for enormous growth. Keep in mind that I am not advocating any style or approach – everything here comes from my own personal experience. I’ll start by giving you a quick tour of the startup world, so you can gain an understanding of how this universe ticks. Then I will provide insight into ingredient-part analysis – what steps you need to take… Read More »Peter Decaprio- The Guide to Understanding the Startup World and Finding Winning Ideas

The startup world is a place of rapid change and learning, and trying to understand it all in one goes can be daunting says Peter Decaprio. Hopefully, this guide will help you get started. Startup ideas are the foundation of any business, but when you’re just starting out, it’s hard to know what idea to focus on. Why would anyone want your product? How much money can you expect to make? What do investors look for in a pitch? You ask yourself these questions every day when you start working on your startup idea. It’s easy to become quickly overwhelmed with uncertainty and confusion. The good news: there is an abundance of free information available about how startups work — but unfortunately not everyone knows where find all the right resources (and there’s a lot of wrong information out there, too). To help you get started, this guide is here to point out the best first steps you can take on your startup journey. We’ll give you articles and books to read, explain essential concepts… Read More »Peter Decaprio: The 6-Step Guide to Understanding the Startup World and Finding Winning Ideas

Every startup business website has the same goal: to attract visitors and turn them into customers says Peter Decaprio. As everyone knows, these are the vital things every startup needs to quickly start making money. So hiring a professional designer is an investment that will pay off considerably in no time. You can find many beautiful templates online at very affordable prices. But let’s focus on what’s actually most important for your business website, the quality of the content. It doesn’t matter how beautiful it is if no one can read it! You need to create a useful site that will help you stand out from all the others and eventually stand at the top of your industry. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to spend days writing about your products or services… Yes, everyone knows that keywords are still relevant in today’s SEO world, but creating engaging content will always benefit you more than just stuffing tons of keywords into it. You want people who are really interested in what you have… Read More »Peter Decaprio on Optimizing your startup business website: 9 simple steps to increase traffic and download speed, maximize conversion and save money!

Prelude: This article was inspired by a number of readers who wrote in to the website asking for advice on how to start a business from home. At first I thought that they were just doing some wishful thinking and really wanted jobs, but when I realized that most of them had been sending me requests for more than six months, I decided to have a look at what they were planning says Peter Decaprio. The ideas ranged from very simple ones like setting up an ice-cream parlor or a flower shop at home, to much more complex plans involving opening grocery stores and petrol bunks! When I analyzed their plans further it became apparent that there were many misconceptions about starting a business. Actually there are many misconceptions about this in Indian society, because parents who have worked hard to build their career want their children to follow the same path. They have seen how tough it is to make a living and feel that by starting a business they will be putting too… Read More »Peter Decaprio explains How to Start a Business from Home on an Extreme Budget

EVERYONE HAS A STORY: WHY CUSTOMERS BUY Everyone has a story and it may even be true. Why? Because we all have to make decisions on what we think is best for us, our needs and wants at any given time in our lives says Peter Decaprio. And our decision on whether or not to buy your product or service can be influenced by many factors such as past experiences, current situations, and future plans. Once you understand these influencing factors then you will be better equipped to sell them on buying the product or service that you offer. What’s more, once they understand why THEY buy your product or service, they become better equipped to sell others on their need and want of YOUR product or service because it helps them solve their problems. STORY 1: THE CARS WE BUY Put yourself in the following scenario on your next drive to work. You’re driving along and see a sign that reads “Huge Savings on All Cars.” You, of course, slow down three times to… Read More »Peter Decaprio: Why Customers Buy and How You Sell Them on Buying Your Product or Service

You want to network, but you don’t know-how. Or maybe you know a lot of people, but they’re all the same type of person and you feel there must be more out there for you. How do you find them? asks Peter Decaprio Here are some tips on expanding your circle – getting more out of business networking. 1) Go online first: The majority of my leads come from LinkedIn. If I’m not connected with someone through LinkedIn, then I won’t approach them unless we’ve met face-to-face at some point before the conversation starts. Many professionals simply aren’t connecting on social media sites like LinkedIn because they either think it’s too hard or they don’t fully understand how it works. In order to expand your network, you must first have a sizable list of connections on LinkedIn. 2) Get on Twitter: Twitter is another online resource that can give you access to an entirely new group of people who are not necessarily in your current circle. It’s free and easy to join, so set up… Read More »Peter Decaprio: How to Get More Out of Your Business Networking

Imagine if your car’s engine blew up in the middle of a busy highway. Or you couldn’t pay for your child’s expensive medical treatments says Peter Decaprio. If either of these were to happen, most would agree that it would be an event that could potentially cause stress and financial ruin. For any company, processes are the engine that drives internal operations and ensures a significant aspect of company success. In the manufacturing industry, the process is how goods are created from start to finish with no room for error. For companies in this sector, having a Quality Management System (QMS) in place can be very important. Why? Because it helps ensure that products or services meet customer requirements and also that every business unit within an organization is operating according to quality standards. This is especially critical in terms of safety and compliance issues. Without QMSs, processes could be run incorrectly with errors going unnoticed—resulting in huge losses. The fact is that without QMSs, organizations come face-to-face with non-compliance challenges at some point because… Read More »Peter Decaprio: Implementing Quality Management Systems in Your Organization

I was recently invited to share my thoughts about leadership practice in a new book called The CIO Leader: Realizing Your Executive Potential explains Peter Decaprio. The book is being written by Dr. Daniel Newman and two other executive coaches from the University of Michigan’s Center for the Education of Women, a research and leadership development center. As part of my contribution to the book, I was asked to provide a short list of attributes that I believe are characteristic of effective leadership in today’s organizations. Here is my attempt at the “5 things you need to know about being an effective CIO leader”.  While these ideas speak specifically about success in the role of CIO, I believe they are broadly applicable to leadership practice in any organization. 1. Strategic Intent – The most effective CIOs I work with all develop and communicate an overarching vision for technology within their organizations. They understand that technology touches every customer-facing business process, IT supports every internal business function, and the technology architecture is the binding framework for… Read More »Peter Decaprio- 4 Ways Effective Executive Leadership Contributes To Organizational Success

The third and fourth quarter of 2008 was some of the most turbulent in living memory, on that, we can all agree says Peter Decaprio. As the financial crisis took hold it had an almost immediate effect on global stock markets, which started to plunge on a scale not seen since the days of October 1987. The collapse in share prices was such that on October 9th, New York’s Dow Jones closed at its lowest level since 1997, while London’s FTSE 100 saw its worst-ever day with a loss of more than 12%, erasing all gains made so far that year. That bad day for UK investors was topped off by similar losses in Tokyo (-17%) and across Europe (-12%). In total, global share values lost $4.4 trillion within four days, and this was clearly something more than a ‘correction’; indeed, the term ‘bear market’ – with all its negative connotations – came into widespread use for the first time since the early 1970s. Yet there were also other ways in which the global nature… Read More »Peter Decaprio: How big was the 2008 recession from an overall global perspective?

In this article we argue that the ease and intensity of ‘core’ inflation stabilization in a national economy is determined by: (a) The structure of unemployment, and (b) Government spending. We test these predictions using data for OECD countries during 1970–88. Our results support the hypotheses: 1) Excessive pre-recession inflation typically co-exists with greater structural unemployment than ‘core’ low inflation explains Peter Decaprio; 2) Lower overall unemployment rates associate with higher inflation stabilization success probabilities, all else equal; 3) Reduced government spending typically facilitates post-recession disinflation efforts. We discuss our findings in relation to current debates about the appropriate macroeconomic response to the economic and political challenges posed by globalization and European Monetary Union. Inflation is one of the most persistent problems for industrialized societies. In addition to the obvious social and political costs, inflation impedes economic growth by distorting relative price signals and reducing long-term investment. Thus, there have been a number of theoretical advancements that have focused on the cause of inflation and how it can be mitigated. One such theory puts forth… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explaining why some countries have experienced more severe recessions than others.

There are a few industries in an economy that can be more negatively affected by a business cycle explains Peter Decaprio. These industries would include the construction industry, the retail industry, and generally any industry that is heavily reliant on discretionary spending. The “business cycle” refers to periods of economic growth (recovery) and decline (recession). The length of the business cycle will vary from country to country but each one consists of periods where consumer confidence levels are high or low based on their perceptions towards current and future financial conditions. Industries such as construction and retail depend on people having disposable income and access to credit. During boom times when consumers perceive their current financial position to be good they will spend money; if only for necessities then also on discretionary items. When the economy goes into decline consumers will reduce their spending levels which means there is less demand for products and services in these types of industries. This effect trickles down to other industries as suppliers may be force to lay off… Read More »Peter Decaprio: Explaining why certain industries in an economy can be more negatively affected by a business cycle.

The business cycle refers to the fluctuations of a country’s GDP around its long-run trend explains Peter Decaprio. Developing countries have a higher probability of experiencing smaller economic growth that is more volatile than developed countries. Unemployment levels among industrialized countries are lower and less variable during a business cycle compared to developing ones. This article will show how this happens to unemployment rates in both types of economies through a comparative analysis between Japan and Argentina during their respective business cycles from 1960 until 2016. Analysis: An example of the volatility difference between industrialized vs. developing countries is shown in figure 1. Unemployment rates during the business cycle for Japan and Argentina are shown in comparison. From 1960 until 2003, unemployment was lower and less variable among industrialized countries compared to developing ones. However, after 2003 this trend did not hold true for Japan anymore since its unemployment rate became more volatile until 2010 where it started again to be less variable than Argentina’s. After 2014 it got even worse due to Abenomics that… Read More »Peter Decaprio: Explaining what happens to unemployment among industrialized countries compared to developing countries during a business cycle.

Since the G20 countries include almost 80% of global trade, their economic health is critical to the world economy says Peter Decaprio. This forum – which includes countries whose economies represent 85% of the world GDP – fosters international cooperation on key issues such as monetary and fiscal policy, financial markets regulation, trade, and investment. It also acts as a counterweight to powerful multinational institutions that are dominated by wealthy countries or groups of countries. The importance of the G20 cannot be overstated. The group has played an active role in addressing some of the most pressing issues confronting our global community: promoting sustainable development; ensuring environmental sustainability; combating climate change; overcoming poverty in Africa; strengthening financial regulation in Europe and elsewhere in response to the 2007-08 financial crisis; and promoting economic recovery following the crisis. It has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening global collaboration, even in an environment of heightened security concerns that followed the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Its most recent meeting – held in Pittsburgh in September 2009 – marked… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explaining the role of G20 countries as it relates to impact on the global business cycle.

A lot of people say that they experience fear when learning about economic crashes and recessions explains Peter Decaprio. It is important to know that just because you are afraid it doesn’t mean that you need to ignore the signs or not take action. Instead, it is better to be prepared than caught by surprise. However, many people don’t know how to go about doing so. That is where this article comes in. We’ll explain some ways on how you can prepare for an economic recession before it occurs so that you can minimize your losses when the time comes. Put Your Money in Safe Place First things first: If a recession does occur, then there’s a huge chance that banks will close its doors while others may go belly up during the crisis. And since they are not open, you will not be able to make transactions and get your cash easily. For this reason, it’s best to keep all your money in a safe place such as under the mattress or inside a… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explaining how to prepare for a recession before it occurs.

Explaining how rules and regulations affect the business cycle is the goal of Christopher D. Carroll’s new book, “Business Cycles: Theories and Evidence” suggests Peter Decaprio. Professor at Johns Hopkins University (US) has also recently published another book on this topic called “Making Business Cycles.” His career focuses on macroeconomics research. He has studied labor markets’ behavior in the United States; he examined European economies for their similarities with America. Additionally, he is one of the few authors who collaborate with French economist Eric Maurin to study how unemployment benefits affect workers’ willingness to leave their jobs. Carroll presents his ideas in articles that are often published in American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, or Brookings Papers on Economic Activity among other magazines. This Colombian journalist interviewed him via email to talk about labor markets and their role in the business cycle. Q: How do labor markets work and what is the job supply? I study labor market institutions, such as unemployment insurance (UI), minimum wages, temporary agencies, unions, and immigration to see how… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explaining how rules and regulations affect the business cycle is

Economic crises are not something new. The first crisis which took place in the western world dates back to 1620, known as the “Mississipi Company Bubble” says Peter Decaprio. Since then numerous occurrences have taken place, some being global and others localized depending on the country. Greece is currently feeling the consequences of one of these crises. This economic turmoil has left its economy crippled with an estimated debt of €330 billion euros ($390 billion dollars) (Haugen Parr). It is currently undergoing a debate as to how it should be dealt with; however there is no conclusion as for now. As seen above, Greece’s main problem stems from its growing national debt; it now owes more money than it brings in through taxes and other means, such as the sale of state-owned assets (Haugen Parr). The debt limits government spending and Greece is looking to cut costs in many areas such as education, health care, and defense. This problem will not be resolved overnight; it requires time and effort on the part of leaders and… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explaining how different events can influence a country’s economy.

Here are the reasons why developing economies experience more frequent business cycles than advanced economies: Developing economies experience more frequent business cycles than advanced economies due to their young financial markets and greater dependence on external resources, as well as a higher dependency on the global economy explains Peter Decaprio. Developing countries have younger financial markets which are less stable and thus have greater volatility in comparison to those of developed nations. This contributes to the instability of their business cycles. In addition, developing countries lack self-sufficiency and rely significantly on foreign investment, trade, technology transfers and aid from other states. Due to their vulnerability to exogenous shocks such as changes in interest rates or political disputes with major trading partners, developing countries have a harder time weathering downturns in the world economy because they cannot reduce interest rates nor increase public spending. As a result, they are more prone to recession. The business cycle is the recurring expansion and contraction of an economy over time. This economic fluctuation occurs in a regular pattern, resulting… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explain why developing economies experience more frequent business cycles than advanced economies.

In economics, stagflation refers to a situation in which the inflation rate of an economy is high, economic growth stagnates and unemployment remains steadily high. Where inflation rises but economic growth slows down or stagnates and unemployment is high explains Peter Decaprio. Since these three factors – inflation, stagnation and unemployment – tend to move together at the same time it is often referred as “stagflation.” Stagflation can occur if: 1) The country’s productive capacity has not kept pace with demand causing over-utilization of production inputs such labor and raw materials; 2) A decrease in aggregate supply caused by reduced productivity; 3) Demand decreases due to tighter monetary policy (less money chasing fewer goods). The term was first coined during the 1973 oil crisis. In 1979, the UK had been suffering from stagnant growth combined with inflation that reached nearly 25 percent, which was close to five times higher than what the government deemed acceptable. Stagflation is typically caused by a combination of factors (i.e., not one specific factor). Stagflation can be either demand-pull or… Read More »Peter Decaprio- Explains stagflation and how it relates to the business cycle.

Great leaders are everywhere around us! Have you ever noticed them? Every time I do, they remind me of the qualities that set them apart from others. As a coach, I have worked with many managers and entrepreneurs who have their own leadership styles explains Peter Decaprio. Let’s face it: being a leader is not an easy task! Being able to lead effectively is even harder – there are so many challenges on the way to developing one’s leadership skills that it might become discouraging at some point. If this sounds familiar to you – don’t despair! You can always progress towards becoming an exemplary leader if you learn more about yourself and what you are capable of. To help you on your way, ASAP has put together 10 things that great leaders have in common: We hope these insights will inspire you to develop into the leader that people want to work with. Or if you are already a leader, maybe this list will help you further refine your leadership skills by looking at… Read More »Peter Decaprio- 10 things Great Leaders have in common

Every one of us wants to become a great leader, but there is no shortcut way to it. It needs hard work and patience which will really take time says Peter Decaprio. But if you are also introspecting yourself that whether you can make a good leader or not, here we have listed some steps by which you can definitely become a great leader. (1) Plan for Success:   As a leader, you should always remain active and keep an eye on the things that are happening around you. You should know what your team is doing, how can they do better than this, etc. Planning for the success of your work is one of the most important things necessary to lead your team. (2) Listen Carefully:   You should always be attentive towards your team members and listen carefully to their proposals, views, etc. This will make you feel you are part of the organization and help them to share their problems with you which will definitely motivate them for work better. (3) Take… Read More »Peter Decaprio- 10 Things every Great Leader should do