How to calculate your startup costs

You can’t create a realistic business plan without knowing how much it will cost to get your business up and running. If you don’t have an idea of your startup costs, you won’t know how long you’ll have to bootstrap, how much funding you’ll need, how quickly to scale. In other words, without calculating your startup costs, you don’t really know where you’re going—or how you’re  ...

Startup turns big data into sports news for Yahoo, MLB

I n less than an hour each Tuesday morning, a Durham, N.C.-based startup called Automated Insights sends several million personalized sports recaps to members of the Yahoo! Sports Fantasy network.

It’s a feat that was impossible even just five years ago, but it is accomplished today because Automated Insights can access 300 servers around the world for only a small bit of time using Amazon Web  ...

Back 9 links: Gawker's crowdfunded 'crackstarter' aims to take down Toronto mayor

Links that got us thinking on Tuesday, May 21:

1. Gawker has an Indiegogo campaign to raise $200,000 for alleged video of Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack.
2. How realistic is Yahoo's promise that it won't screw up Tumblr?
3. The why and how of updating your angel investors.
4. Lessons on innovation from Graduation Day.
5. This startup found success by taking things slow.
6. Seven ideas for making your business  ...
   16 hours ago

Joan Rivers' digital makeover and her advice for upstart comedians

If Joan Rivers were starting her comedy career today, she wouldn't waste her time with the suits at the networks.

"Right now, if you want to do it, you do it. All you need is a camera,"said Rivers in a talk at New York Internet Week. "I would have had my own show immediately. Now you don't have to convince six people at ABC that you're funny."

Even so, at 79, Rivers seems to be adapting just fine  ...

IBM's Watson at your customer service

Would your life be easier if your human customer service rep were as quick to respond to your inquiries as the Watson supercomputer from Jeopardy? IBM thinks so, and today it introduced the IBM Watson Engagement Advisor, a technology platform that aims to gain a foothold in the $112 billion call center and labor and software industry.

From the press release:

Newsle's secret? Names make news—and get funding

Axel Hansen and Jonah Varon are building a startup based on who you know and who you want to know more about.

The 22-year-olds landed $1.65 million in funding for Newsle this week from Advance Publications, which owns American City Business Journals, the parent company of Upstart Business Journal.

The young founders are following the roadmap for startup success laid out by PayPal co-founder and  ...

Get serious with your TV, bring Xbox One into your relationship

Video-game console? What video-game console?

Microsoft revealed the newest version of what was once its video-game console. Now the Xbox has become an entertainment system that gives customers access to television, movies, games, video chat and online content: the Xbox One.

“ ...