10 websites Startup CEOs and Founders should read

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, said the English poet and satirist Alexander Pope. The implication of his quote is clear though; keeping well informed about the area you work in, and all the latest developments within it is paramount. Not knowing enough can represent a serious hindrance to your brand or product. When you’re working in the fields of technology, marketing, branding and startups, so much changes by the day. The amount of collaboration, proliferation of great ideas and the alacrity with which these ideas get actioned and spun out through various online channels and platforms at pace is almost bewildering at times.

However, it does help you have oversight of the developing technology trends, and gives you insight into what strategies have worked for some companies in a similar area to yours. It can also spur inspiration for new ideas, and helps you avoid potentially costly mistakes so you can allocate the correct resources to ideas that will really deliver.

In short, reading these go-to news sources is a way of watching how the startup and technology fields are evolving so you too can make progress and push your ideas or journey forward.


TECHCRUNCH


Undeniably the daddy, the don, the king and the leader of the pack when it comes to unveiling the newest startup developments, tech news and latest funding opportunities. Its online newspaper approach is not as regressive as it sounds, and its global focus gives it the edge over other sites, which are more myopic or limited in their scope.


INC.

With an onus on startups and founders, INC. bills itself as covering “Everything you need to know to start and grow your business”. Its short-form articles are concise and to the point, and of helpful, practical advice on tackling the problematic and administrative concerns many founders will face. It also places an onus on covering those groups that are underrepresented in tech. With a heavy US emphasis, there’s still plenty to learn from and about  when visiting this site.


Startups.com

Want advice but don’t know where to get it? This community focussed website helps you access funding opportunities, grow your network and plan for scale with customised action plans and access to networking events and masterclasses that are so crucial to achieving your growth ambitions. 

Venture Beat

A mainline straight into the granular developments that surround tech startups. Its subjects are certainly less generalised than other sites, speicalising in covering the latest news surrounding AI, software and data trends. It’s one for those who have a deep knowledge surrounding their tech startups, but then, being a founder of one, it’s fair to say you have this assumed knowledge already, of course.


Mashable

A solid, engaging and varied daily go-to site, which offers a slightly lighter lens on the latest developments in tech and science, which is balanced by coverage of the newest films and tv shows, gear and product and gear reviews. There’s a good deal of video content, recommendations and entertaining, irreverent and informative ‘Life’ articles such as ‘Everything you need to know about BDSM rope play’ in case you never wanted to ask. As we said, varied…


This Week In Startups

Not for everyone with a distinctive US bent, this podcast with hosts Jason Calacanis and Molly Wood gives you access to interviews with successful (and not-so successful) investors, entrepreneurs and startup CEOs and founders. The show is entertaining nevertheless, with a broad range of voices and perspectives. There’s something to be gained from listening to the interviews though, and its diverse subjects will certainly ring true for many CEOs searching for some solutions to the challenges they face when starting a business.


StartupBeat

A lively, well-researched website, with constructive articles on a range of subjects that gravitate around the world of, you’ve guessed it, startups. There’s plenty to dig into on this site, from the startup trends, companies and innovations, to genuinely enlightening and helpful articles in the ‘Perspectives’ section. The news section could be a little more reactive and up-to-date, but its advice section is worth mining for some nuggets of knowledge.


Alltopstartups

Something of an outlier, but surprisingly essential nevertheless. Its varying guides, hacks and how-to sections will prove invaluable to the CEOs and founders who have just found themselves at the helm of a small and ambitious company with a small workforce. With verticals covering how to grow, lead, manage your businesses’ finances, and interviews and case studies with other founders, this is definitely one to bookmark.


Digital Daze

An aesthetically charged and engaging curation of the latest trends and developments in technology, this is for the startup founders who want to keep their teams up-to-date and entertained in equal measure. Featuring some supercool illustrations, it brings a wide and diverse range of tech updates, trends and some curveball articles to the table. At first, the articles might seem niche, but all show how these seemingly small subjects have a greater connection to the wider world. Fascinating.


Techstars

Similar in ethos to Startups.com, Techstars give you the tools, nouse and connect you with the investors who can help you and your business realise its growth ambitions. It also features a helpful entrepreneurs toolkit section, covering off all those essential need-to-knows, from engaging with mentors, how to check your progress and building an investor pipeline.


Eschewing the musician Paul Weller’s view that “the more I know, the less I understand,” make sure you dip into these websites, and utilise all the news, resources and guides on offer.

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