Joe Procopio

Joe Procopio: Checking out five funding sources for startup

Posted by Joe Procopio | Oct 3, 2016

Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur, blogger and author Joe Procopio examines funding sources for startups, beginning with friends and family. DURHAM, N.C. – “Hey Dad, can I borrow $50,000?” I know. A single sentence that’s so wrong on so many levels. When we talk about Friends and Family investment, there are a lot of landmines to tiptoe around, and most of them have to do with personal circumstances. So let’s look at that opening sentence again. We’ll break it down and we’ll start stepping on landmines. Together. Funding is the most complex part of startup. How, when, and why you get...

Joe Procopio: Revenge is an awesome motivator, especially in startup

Posted by Joe Procopio | Sep 26, 2016

Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur, author and blogger Joe Procopio is a frequent contributor to WRAL TechWire. DURHAM, N.C. – This is one of those things no one talks about until you bring it up, but then when you do, everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about and totally agrees with you. Revenge is an awesome motivator, especially in startup. Seriously, run this by any entrepreneur you know, especially those that have sought help and/or raised money. Don’t sleep on the fact that all that rejection, rudeness, and backstabbing made them work three times as hard to succeed, and when...

Joe Procopio: Five funding sources for startups

Posted by Joe Procopio | Sep 19, 2016

Editor’s note: No matter the reasons you embarked on your startup journey, you’re going to need fuel for the engine. Ideas, talent, and technology are crucial, but if they don’t lead to cash, you’ll be wasting them, writes veteran Triangle entrepreneur, blogger and author Joe Procopio. DURHAM, N.C. – OK, let’s talk about money. No matter the reasons you embarked on your startup journey, you’re going to need fuel for the engine. Ideas, talent, and technology are crucial, but if they don’t lead to cash, you’ll be wasting them. It’s money. Money is the fuel. When I talk about...

Tip of the Week: Trust Your Employees

Posted by Joe Procopio | Sep 12, 2016

If you don’t trust the people who work for you, you’re going to fail. This is a pretty simple equation, but one that’s commonly misunderstood by most people, especially entrepreneurs, and especially entrepreneurs whose job it is to lead people. That’s because most people confuse delegation with trust. Or rather, they don’t put trust into the people they delegate out to until it’s too late, setting those folks up for failure. That, ultimately, sets the entrepreneurs/leaders up for failure, and usually leaves them questioning where the hell they went wrong. Or, worst-case, blaming their underlings for their demise. ...

Why It's Time for Distributed Workforces in the Triangle

Posted by Joe Procopio | Sep 2, 2016

Last week, I spoke on a tech in sports panel for the NCTA over at the EMC2 facility in Apex. For those not local, Apex is kind of southwest of Raleigh. Also for those not local, stay with me, because you’ve been there. The kickoff for the event was at 8:30 am, and since I needed a little bit of prep time, I wanted to get there around 8:00. Knowing that trying to navigate Raleigh metro during morning rush hour has now become akin to trying to navigate Class 5 whitewater rapids on a pool float, I decided...

Joe Procopio: Check out my new book ‘Teaching Startup: Getting Started’

Posted by Joe Procopio | Aug 11, 2016

Editor’s note: Veteran triangle entrepreneur and blogger Joe Procopio is launching his third book today: “Teaching Startup: Getting Started.” He promises it proves “everything you should know about starting your own company in 10,000 words.” DURHAM, N.C. – So summer is winding to a close and that’s kind of disappointing. I never feel like I’m squeezing an entire summer’s worth of fun into what seems like an increasingly small window of time. Didn’t summer used to be like end of May to beginning of September? Now it seems like it’s three weeks in July, and for most of that...

How Numbers Can Wreck Your Startup

Posted by Joe Procopio | Aug 9, 2016

I’m about to commit heresy in certain startup circles. So let me state first that I’m a devoted numbers guy, I believe wholeheartedly in the measurement of progress. I get chills when the numbers I’ve decided will determine the success of failure of my pursuits happen to point towards fortune. And I get all cranky when they dip, or even worse, when they don’t move at all. This is true not just of startup or business or money, but anything. Let’s talk health. I track my runs, their length, my speed, the miles I run in a month....

Joe Procopio: Why startups need to choose target market carefully

Posted by Joe Procopio | Aug 5, 2016

Recently, I had a cup of coffee with an entrepreneur whom I knew but hadn’t previously spent a bunch of time with—our paths just never crossed until a couple weeks ago. He’s a technical entrepreneur, sharp as hell, but has spent his career hitting self-funded singles. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that—he’s doing well for himself. I’m just saying you probably don’t know him. Yet. His latest idea is legit. It’s serious tech that he has architected and built himself. It plays off of technology that’s already been adopted, but he’s taking it in a unique direction. He’s...

Why Startups Need to Choose Their Target Market Carefully

Posted by Joe Procopio | Jul 25, 2016

Yesterday, I had a cup of coffee with an entrepreneur whom I knew but hadn’t previously spent a bunch of time with—our paths just never crossed until a couple weeks ago. He’s a technical entrepreneur, sharp as hell, but has spent his career hitting self-funded singles. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that—he’s doing well for himself. I’m just saying you probably don’t know him. Yet. His latest idea is legit. It’s serious tech that he has architected and built himself. It plays off of technology that’s already been adopted, but he’s taking it in a...

Posts by Joe Procopio