10 Stories From the Web to Know About This Week, Nov. 1, 2013 Bitcoin launches ATMS, quantifying innovation, Marissa Mayer's no telecommuting policy gets vindicated, Latinas take over, marketers can't decide if Facebook ads work, Steve Blank gets fired. This week's notable news and tantalizing tidbits for entrepreneurs.
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Bitcoin launches ATMS, quantifying innovation, Marissa Mayer's no telecommuting policy gets vindicated, Latinas take over, marketers can't decide if Facebook ads work, Steve Blank gets fired, Twitpics come out… This week's notable news and tantalizing tidbits for entrepreneurs:
1. Say 'Hello' to Robocoin: Bitcoin recently took a giant leap into the realm of legitimacy and real-world application with the debut of its first ATM. Dubbed Robocoin, the machine allows currency to be exchanged for bitcoins, and vice-versa. (Wired)
2. The chemistry of success: Graduate student Kiriti Rambhatla offers a new way to quantify innovation within a company. Don't worry, there's not much math. (Forbes)
3. Yahoo gets vindicated: The roar from critics has been quashed by data, as CEO Marissa Mayer's unpopular no telecommuting policy proves successful. Productivity and employee engagement are up. (Fast Company)
Related: Say What? Yahoo's Marissa Mayer Buys a Funeral Home
4. The right way to outsource: Outsourcing is a great way to keep startup costs down. Here is a smart guide to finding the right people for your small-business needs. (The Guardian)
5. Steve Blank's first job in Silicon Valley: Steve Blank, father of the Lean Startup movement, recalls his first job in Silicon Valley and what he learned getting fired and rehired in the same day. (LinkedIn Today)
6. Google's Spotlight Stories: Teaming up with Motorola, Google is creating a new interactive program that puts users at the center of an animated featurette… literally at the center of a 360 degree virtual reality movie, viewable with a Moto X smartphone. (Wired)
7. Does Facebook advertising work? Professional marketers are torn when it comes to agreeing on the effectiveness and value of Facebook advertising. Two recent third-party surveys convey this conundrum with contradicting data. (Businessweek)
Related: Is Facebook Really a Failure to Marketers?
8. Twitpics see the light: Twitter updated its website and mobile apps to incorporate photo and video previews in tweet streams. Coming at a critical time before an expected $1.3 billion IPO next week, the micro-blogging giant is surely looking to create new revenue streams and lure advertisers. (SF Gate)
9. Latina-owned businesses explode: In the last decade, Hispanic Americans have been starting and growing new businesses at twice the rate of the general population, according to a new study by researcher Geoscape and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. A large part of that growth has come from Latinas. (Huffington Post)
Related: 7 Tips for Women Who Want to Own a Franchise
10. Scammers cometh: Randy Shain, founder of BackTrack Reports and investigative due diligence expert, predicts that with the SEC's decision to allow the solicitation of capital from unaccredited investors will come a new wave of scammers. (Venture Beat)
