DEMO: Tracking the companies and products launched at DEMO

Podcasts

Listen to Six minutes with... top executives from some of DEMO's most successful and interesting alumni companies to learn what makes them 'tick' today and what they've been doing since their product launched at DEMO.

Six Minutes With ... Wendy Caswell, Zink

Sometimes users can end up on the receiving end of high production costs for great products. In turn, this could greatly affect both the product and company's take-off in any market. In this episode, Wendy Caswell, CEO of DEMO 07 company Zink, discusses how Zink packs a big punch into a small price-tag. (5:58)

Six Minutes With ... Chris Anderson, CEO of Capzles

User perceptions can provide companies with new ideas for business models. In this episode, Chris Anderson, CEO of DEMO08 company Capzles, discusses how Capzles manages to embrace the different ways that users see fit to use their service. (6:31)

Six Minutes With ... Robert Mitro, CEO of STEP Labs

Design and usability are important aspects of creating a product. However, sometimes it's important for a company to go the extra mile when it comes to product flexibility. In this episode, Robert Mitro, CEO of DEMO 08 company STEP Labs, gives us a look at how a company takes usability to the next level (6:35).

Six Minutes With ... Morris Sim, co-founder of Circos

Combining the right brand exposure with your company's audience can be a tough process. In this episode Morris Sim, co-founder of DEMO 08 company Circos, discusses the process and keys to giving both advertisers and consumers the best of both worlds. (5:29)

Six Minutes With Sanford Cohen, CEO of SpeakLike

Communication plays an important part in running a start-up. Sometimes, the communication limits of a company can be a hindrance. In this episode, Sanford Cohen, CEO of DEMO 08 company SpeakLike, discusses the benefits of expanding communication efforts via language (6:03).

Six Minutes With ... David Kaufman, CEO of Voyant

There are tremendous opportunities for companies to expand into international markets. In this episode, David Kaufman, CEO of DEMO 08 company Voyant, talks about the strategies, plans, and potential benefits of going international (6:01).

Six Minutes with Don Norman, reQall

The saying "less is more" would perfectly describe this next startup. In this episode, Don Norman, Chief Mentor of DEMO 07 company reQall, provides insight on why having a ton of features isn't necessary and how beneficial having less features can be (6:10).

Six Minutes With ... Gibu Thomas, CEO of Sharpcast

When it comes to running a start up, there are many connections that are wise to make. In this episode, Gibu Thomas, CEO of DEMO 06 company Sharpcast, discusses how important it is to not only make connections, but to keep them relevant (5:34).

Six Minutes With Trevor Matz, CEO of Aternity

With the success of a startup comes a journey full of rewards and roadblocks. In this episode, Trevor Matz, CEO of DEMO08 company Aternity, shares his exciting journey on making Aternity a success (5:29).

Six Minutes With ... Nagaraju Bandaru, CTO of BooRah

An experienced business background can sometimes give a company that extra edge in launching a successful startup. However, even those with a wealth of experience can learn a thing or two. In this episode, Nagaraju Bandaru, CTO of DEMO 07 company BooRah, discusses the pros of having experience and new skills he's acquired (6:57).

Six Minutes With ... David Lavenda, WorkLight

Web 2.0 is the wave of the future and many businesses may struggle to keep up with it. In this episode, David Lavenda, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy of DEMO 07 company WorkLight, talks about keeping pace with ever-changing Web 2.0 technologies (5:34)

Six Minutes With ... Benjamin Yoskovitz, CEO of Standout Jobs

 Sometimes, starting small can be a challenging way for a company to start. In this episode, Benjamin Yoskovitz, CEO of DEMO 08 company Standout Jobs, discusses the experience with running a small team (6:09).

Six Minutes With ... Kristofer Mansson, CEO of Silobreaker

With Web content growing exponentially, a need has been created for better search options. In this episode, Kristofer Mansson, CEO of DEMO 08 company Silobreaker, discusses giving users more options to find better results (05:20).

Six Minutes With ... Perry Wu, CEO of BitGravity

When talking about scaling a business, most people are talking about the operations itself – growing product lines, expanding sales, building out partnerships. But there’s another aspect that’s critical – scaling the company culture. In this episode, Perry Wu, CEO of DEMO 08 company BitGravity talks about how prioritization, being David to Goliath, and listening to customers helps that equation. (6:31).

Six Minutes With ... Scott Ryan, CEO of Asankya

Being a small fish in a crowded pond has its advantages especially if you’re dialed in to the latest technology. DEMO 2008 alum Asankya has deep roots to academia through its ties to Georgia Tech. In this episode company CEO Scott Ryan talks about how this access to advance technologies and thinkers offers them perspective – not to mention access to fresh talent (6:10).

Six Minutes With ... Pat Sullivan, CEO of Flypaper

Sometimes being well funded isn’t necessarily a good thing. Running a business lean and mean, forces the need for focus and clear prioritization. And it helps if the team is one that’s worked together before. In this episode, Flypaper CEO Pat Sullivan shares some perspective (6:35).

Six Minutes With ... Pete Grillo, CEO of Iterasi

It can't be said enough. In the world of start-ups, having the right team is critical. For more seasoned entrepreneurs gathering that group becomes a bit easier, because you can always turn to great people with whom you’ve worked in the past. In this episode, Pete Grillo, the founder and CEO of DEMO 2008 alum Iterasi, shares his thoughts (6:37).

Six Minutes With ... Alistair Mitchell, CEO of Huddle

Figuring out what problem you're solving is the first step for any start-up. That said, it's not always about having a specific product in mind, but rather having a specific issue that needs solving. And once you figure out what it is, the secret is to solve it better than anyone else. In this episode with Huddle Co-Founder and CEO Alistair Mitchell, we talk about just that (6:45).

Six Minutes With ... Dave Peak, CEO of LiquidTalk

Today's marketplace almost requires that companies build their businesses in the open. But for some start-up companies, maintaining a sense of mystery about their business is an essential part of their strategy. In this episode, LiquidTalk CEO Dave Peak explains, in a fashion, one view of this (6:34).

Six Minutes With ... Kevin Merritt, CEO of Blist

You hear startups talking about being resource constrained, but there's one school of thought that this is actually a good thing because it forces focus. Less money means you have to choose even more carefully about what you do. In this episode Kevin Merritt, Founder and CEO of Blist, explains his take on this (6:34).

Six Minutes With Yossi Dan, CEO of KonoLive

You can launch a start-up pretty much anywhere these days, but there are some advantages to being close to, if not within, the regions where most technology ventures are based. One such advantage can be finding the right staff just because there can be a larger number of people from which to choose. In this episode, KonoLive’s Co-Founder and CEO, Yossi Dan, gives some perspective from an Israeli-based company (6:22).

Six Minutes With ... Ed Mallen, CEO of TimeTrade

What happens when a company grows and people’s jobs need to change? What happens when some of those people who need to change include the company’s founders? How long should founders stay involved and what does that do to this business? In this episode with Ed Mallen of DEMO 2008 company TimeTrade, we talk about this issues (6:17).

Six Minutes With ... Nitin Bhandari, CEO of Skyfire

 If you don’t prioritize your start-up’s to-do list, important things are bound to lie around for a while. And if they are sitting too long, they may take on a life of their own – or at least an aroma. That’s the analogy offered by Nitin Bhandari, the CEO of DEMO 2008 company Skyfire. In this episode a discussion with Nitin about cleaning house, picking the right team and balance (6:06).

Six Minutes With ... Don Thorson, CMO of Ribbit

When your business crosses the boundary between old school and new school technologies, that means our team is likely to be a hybrid group of people who may have diametrically opposed approaches to business. What happens when those things comes together depends on how communication is set up. In this episode, Don Thorson of DEMO 2008 company Ribbit talks about how his company tackles this thorny issue (6:14).

Six Minutes With ... Matt Cutler, Visible Measures

Communication is an art form, and for businesses particularly so. In today’s business world companies tend to lean heavily on two-dimensional methods – e-mail and such. Some people say that the mode of communication is the critical thing. In this episode, Matt Cutler of DEMO 2008 alum company, Visible Measures, says that actually what is said, matters as much as by what medium that message comes (6:22).

Six Minutes With ... Mark Zohar, founder of SceneCaster

Patience is more than a virtue when you’re an entrepreneur. It’s a critical linchpin keeping the train together as you steam forward. The trick is making sure you still drive forward aggressively with your business to be competitive at the same time that you wait carefully to make decisions. In this episode, Mark Zohar of DEMO 2008 alum SceneCaster, talks about how he does it (6:20).

Six Minutes With ... Mike Dever, co-founder of YouChoose

 It’s a necessary evil in the start-up world – raising money. Whether bootstrapping with one’s own cash or seeking more traditional venture capital, at some point every entrepreneur has to figure out how to finance their business. And staying focused and prioritized is critical along the way. In this episode, Mike Dever, Co-Founder and CEO of DEMO 2008 company YouChoose, explains how they manage this balance (7:00).

Six Minutes With ... Matt Johnston, CEO of Zodigo

The best of both worlds can be a blessing and a curse. Zodigo is a start-up, still under the skirts of parent company –and there advantages to that. This scenario can remove some of the typical issues facing a new venture. Specifically it can alleviate some of the financial worries that often keep entrepreneurs up at night. In this episode, Matt Johnston, CEO of DEMO 2008 alum Zodigo says he has other things over which to lose sleep (6:21).

Six Minutes With ... Gerry Egan, Symantec

Driving forward with innovation and entrepreneurship while working within the division of a massive company can be tough. So when you work at what is essentially an in-house incubator, how do you reconcile the need for speed with respect for the infrastructure? In this episode, Gerry Egan of DEMO 2008 alum, Symantec Research Labs, talks about striking the balance and advantages in going global from the get go (6:15).

Six Minutes With ... Daniel Putterman, CEO of Squidcast

Serial entrepreneurs ideally bring great lessons with them from each company they launch. This includes learning how to build the best possible teams. In the case of DEMO 2008 company Squidcast, CEO Daniel Putterman picked the best partner possible to be COO – his brother Jed. In this podcast, the Putterman brothers talk about how building a business with a sibling improves the dynamics of a start-up (6:21).

Six Minutes With ... Jonas Jacobi, CEO of Kaazing

Building a lean organization doesn’t mean cutting corners on infrastructure. In fact, with a start-up it is even more important to have critical things – like benefits – from the very beginning. In this episode, Jonas Jacobi – Founder & CEO of DEMO 08 company Kaazing – explains the process they went through and how avoiding the specter of politics also must start at the get-go (6:21).

Six Minutes With ... Joshua Rosen, CEO of iLeonardo and Cozimo

 Launching one company is hard. Launching two is harder – at least when you’re doing them at the same time. Enter Joshua Rosen, CEO of iLeonardo and Cozimo – companies he launched almost simultaneously and both of which appeared at DEMO 2008. The truth is that the most interesting part of this interview is what Joshua didn’t say – that he’s an award-winning producer from Hollywood and has several sterling film credits to his name. In this episode, meet that rare Silicon Valley commodity - a truly humble CEO (6:28).

Six Minutes With ... Farzad Soleimani, CEO of Review2Buy

 There’s tons of pressure that comes with being a start-up CEO. That can increase ten-fold when you carry a certain pedigree. For Farzad Soleimani, CEO of DEMO 2008 company Review2Buy, coming out of the Stanford Business School meant there were some rather lofty role models to follow. In this episode he talks about what that was like and how it shaped his business (6:28).

Six Minutes With ... Frank Paniagua, CEO of Green Plug

Just because you’ve started companies before, doesn’t mean you’re prepared for each one. In the case of Frank Paniagua, CEO of DEMO 2008 company Green Plug, he claims this is the wildest start-up ride he’s ever had. In this episode, he talks about how this time is different and how his family fits in (6:16).

Six Minutes With ... Bobby Singh, CEO of Cellspin

DEMO companies often have serial entrepreneurs at the helm. In the case of DEMO 2008 company, Cellspin, the CEO was no stranger to business but a newcomer to the world of start-ups. In this episode, Bobby Singh talks about where he went for inspiration and how he learned the most from the people he brought on board (6:15).

Six Minutes With ... Ron Fortune, CEO of Education.com

When NEW technology blends with old-school businesses some very exciting things can happen – provided that the new venture brings together the best of both worlds. Education.com is tackling just such a challenge. In this episode, Ron Fortune – the CEO of this DEMO 08 company – talks about bringing iteration and development to a market that’s not accustomed to rapid change (6:18).

Six Minutes With ... Charles Seybold, CEO of LiquidPlanner

What does it take to be an entrepreneur? It's partly genetic. You have to have the genes for the chaotic world of start-ups. Charles Seybold, the CEO of DEMO 08 company LiquidPlanner, comes from a lineage of small business owners, but chose the corporate route. He then found himself running spin-offs within those companies. In this episode, Charles talks about the lessons he learned in Corporate America and talks about his heroes (6:17).

Six Minutes With ... Naj Kidwai, CEO of Real Time Content

It's hard enough launching a start-up into an existing market that has tons of competition and established players. Launching something completely new that requires education and market development can be that much more challenging. In this episode, Real Time Content CEO Naj Kidwai talks about how skepticism can be your greatest asset in tackling this type of challenge (6:13).

Six Minutes With ... Dan Reynolds, Proxure

Preparing for the DEMO conference is an arduous task. The detailed handbook given to each demonstrator clearly specifies production, content and marketing requirements. And the myriad deadlines and mass of information required are in addition to the already major task of getting the business ready. Most companies have months to prepare. Not Proxure. They were selected with just a month or two of preparation time, and in this episode, Proxure's Dan Reynolds talks about the experience.

Six Minutes With ... Ariela Avni, CEO of Prolify

It's been said often that DEMO serves as a forcing function for many start-ups. The deadline of preparing for that six minutes on stage means that the company must get its product, pitch and messaging crystallized in short order. For Ariela Avni, CEO of Prolify, the realization of DEMO's enormity took a bit of time to sink in; and once they became clear on their deadlines it was full steam ahead. In this episode, Avni shares her experience of preparing for DEMOfall 2007 (6:12).

Six Minutes With ... Tim Norton, CEO of PlanHQ

Back in the bubble days, many companies frittered away millions of dollars, wasting funding on costly offices, bloated staffs and excessive parties. While there is some excess this time around, most companies are following the "lean and mean" approach, and in the case of PlanHQ this refers to the product as well as how they run their operations. In this episode, PlanHQ CEO & Founder Tim Norton talks about running a tight ship – starting with a clean product (6:12)

Six Minutes With ... Ori Soen, CEO of Musestorm

When it comes to building a product, any product, it's important to ensure you consider feedback from your customers. After all, as the saying goes – the customer is always right. For start-ups moving at Mach 10, sometimes incorporating that feedback is hard, but to not do so can be fatal. In this episode, Musestorm CEO & Founder Ori Soen discusses the art of listening to your users (6:17).

Six Minutes With ... Sean Ammirati, co-founder of mSpoke

You can have the best ideas in the world and even have a plan, but without a clearly identified path for execution the best of ideas will fall by the wayside. For start-ups launching into a competitive market, the "how" can sometimes be more critical than the "what". In this episode, mSpoke’s Sean Ammirati explains the methods they used to get their business underway (6:12).

Six Minutes With ... Sharish Nadkari, CEO & Founder of LiveMocha

Innovation has always moved quickly in Silicon Valley, but the speed with which markets move has compressed the window of opportunity for start-ups trying to make a mark. In this episode, LiveMocha CEO Sharish Nadkari talks about the need for speed when launching a new business (6:08).

Six Minutes With ... Kevin Dinn, CEO & Founder of Kannuu

It's never easy to launch a company, but doing so in the US – specifically in Silicon Valley – can be an advantage with an almost plug-and-play infrastructure on which to build. Many international entrepreneurs have come to the U.S. in recent years to start companies, but others stick close to home and tackle the additional challenge of geography. In this episode, Kannuu CEO Kevin Dinn (pictured) talks about the height of this obstacle down under (6:06).

Six Minutes With ... Raju Vegesna, evangelist for ZOHO

It’s not often that a start-up enters the market with the security of a major company’s infrastructure. DEMO 2006 alum, ZOHO, is one of those unique start-ups that was born under the umbrella of a larger company. This may offer the company some security that others might not have, but it has not meant the company takes things lightly. If anything ZOHO has proven itself a formidable force on its own, with aggressive product iteration and growth. In this episode, ZOHO evangelist Raju Vegesna talks about this phenomenon and where the company goes from here (6:06).

Six Minutes With ... Paul Lego, CEO of Dash Navigation

For companies that launch at DEMO there is much discussion about the massive effort necessary to prepare for such a major event. But the end game isn't the six minute demo on stage, or even the two days of showing the product to top media and investors. It's what comes after DEMO that can often make or break a business that has received major attention. For DASH Navigation, the huge splash at DEMOfall 2006 was merely the starting point for what turned into a huge year of milestones and deliverables. In this episode, DASH CEO Paul Lego talks about riding the rocket ship after the launch (6:05).

Six Minutes With ... Gaurav Dhillon, CEO of Jaman

In the rapidly moving world of a start-up, the need for focus and drive means looking forward. It's interesting when an entrepreneur of a quickly expanding company is then asked to take a moment and look behind. In the case of Gaurav Dhillon, the CEO of DEMO 2007 company Jaman, this interview was the first deep breath and backwards glance he took. In this episode, Gaurav reviews the time since his company’s launch and shares the personal and professional lessons he has learned (6:05).

Six Minutes With ... Christina Lampe-Onnerud, CEO of Boston-Power

Battery life – it's the bane of existence for oh-so-many business travelers. So when Boston-Power came to market at DEMO 2007 with a revolutionary new concept in power supply, everyone took notice – and the attention has exploded since then. With rapid growth across all sectors of their business, we ask Boston Power CEO Christina Lampe-Onnerud (pictured) how she manages to stay focused and keep the eye on the ball. Her answer, and a discussion of how to helm a start-up on the fast track, in this episode (6:05).

Six Minutes With ... Bruce Ginsberg, CEO of MooBella

I scream, you scream, we all screamed at DEMO 2006 – well at least I know that giggled and smiled a lot – when this company unveiled its revolutionary take on vending machines. Entering a truly established market with something revolutionary takes patience, courage and the innate ability to maintain focus in the stream of a fire hose. In this episode, MooBella CEO Bruce Ginsberg talks about how things have gone since their launch and the course correction along the way (6:05).

Six Minutes With ... Gail Kantor, CEO of eJamming

While there are things that can equal its power, the social aspect of music is something that permeates all cultures. When eJamming came to the market at DEMO 2007, they did so by embracing this concept to its fullest, creating a social network that enables global connections for musicians. Their launch at DEMO preceded the availability of their product by about four months, and in this episode eJamming CEO Gail Kantor talks about what happened after DEMO and where they go from here (6:06).

Six Minutes With ... Rob Weber, CEO of Intellifit

For anyone who shies from stepping onto a scale, stepping into the Intellifit fitting room kiosk at DEMO 2005 might have been a bit daunting. This company, which launched during the DEMO@15 event, proposed to shake-up the world of retail shopping with a revolutionary new measurement system. In the time since, the company has evolved and come to some powerful realizations about its business. In this episode, Intellifit CEO Rob Weber talks about the big surprises they uncovered and how that has informed their growth (6:06).

Six Minutes With ... Steve Rosenbaum, CEO of Magnify

If the word in real estate is "location", the word in early-stage innovation is "focus" - and for start-ups launching in rapidly moving markets, sometimes maintaining this sense of purpose can be tough. Magnify launched into the aggressive online video space at DEMO 2007, and keeping the eye on the ball has been one of the principle tenets behind their business. In this episode, Magnify CEO Steve Rosenbaum explains his take on what it takes to stay steady in the mercurial world of innovation (6:09).

Six Minutes With ... Ferran Moreno, CEO of Whisher

Being an entrepreneur in Europe carries any number of challenges - geography, balancing social/cultural norms and of course, figuring out the best way to approach the American audience. For Barcelona-based Whisher, the last item was addressed by launching at DEMO 2007. In this episode, Whisher Co-Founder and CEO Ferran Moreno talks about taking on the issue of global growth and what it's like to launch a company that has disruption stamped all over it.

Six minutes with ... Hans Peter Brondmo, CEO of Plum

An alum of DEMO 2006, Plum received substantial attention at its launch only to realize soon thereafter that they needed to shift their product direction. In this episode, Plum Co-Founder and CEO Hans Peter Brondmo talks about the experience of turning away from the fire hose of media attention and evaluating business decisions (6:05).

Six minutes with ... Wendy Caswell, CEO of Zink Imaging

 In choosing DEMO 2007 as the platform from which to emerge from several years of stealth development and launch its product to the world, Zink Imaging did something else. They started a clock that began to tick steadily towards the next stage of product development. In this episode, Zink Imaging CEO Wendy Caswell explains what that meant to the company and how things have gone since then (6:04).

Six minutes with ... Steve Larsen, CEO of Krugle

As much as DEMO is a coming out party for first-time entrepreneurs, it also serves as a home for the serial entrepreneurs whose lives revolve around bringing new ideas to market - and then finding another idea - and another. Steve Larsen, the Founder and CEO of DEMO 2006 alum Krugle, is such a fellow. In this episode, Steve gives a perspective on launching a company and how doing so at DEMO brings the game to a whole new level (6:04).

Six minutes with ... Jonathan Medved, CEO of Vringo

After launching at DEMO 2007, Vringo hit the ground running to ride the momentum from its launch. The attention and positive feedback were all the more interesting since the market for the company's product - video ringtones - still lies in its infancy. In this episode, Vringo CEO Jonathan Medved shares his thoughts on the rocket ship his company has been riding, and what it takes to stay focused (6:06)