Startup Vol. 1 Issue 1 Winter 2011

Emma Peterson talks passion {p.3}

A Des Moines startup starts slow, aims big {p.2}

The king of hip-hop brings his interests to the business world {p.5}

Image from: albertailin.blogmentions.com

Table of

ContentsFrom the Editor ----------> Page 1

Jake Kerber---------------> Page 2

Emma Peterson----------> Page 3

Steve Jobs-----------------> Page 4

Jay-Z------------------------> Page 5

Dan Shipton---------------> Page 6

End Note-------------------> Page 7

From the

editorWelcome, readers!

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, student,or startup wannabe, there’s bound to be something of interest here for you. We’ve packed the next few pages full of inspiration taken from present-day people taking on their dream jobs--one step at a time.

If small startups are your thing, make sure to check out our pro-file on Jake Kerber (p. 2) and Emma Peterson (p.3).They’re bring life to Des Moines startup businesses. If big names are more up your alley, check out our piece on Steve Jobs (p.4).

Let us know what you think--as always, our ears are open.

May the startup force be with you,

Erika OwenEditor-in-Chief

patience:Jake Kerber

Ask Jake Kerber what it takes to create a startup and he’ll say “time.” Creator of Locusic--a Pandora-like site for local bands--Jake is starting small and expanding steadily. His vision is strong--”I want to take Locusic national”--but he understands the need to let the business grow on its own.

He’s started with Des Moines and the Twin Cities, but it’s soon to hit in Austin, Texas. Patience is important in a business like this. Bringing it to too many areas at once can be hard to maintain, and it takes away from the personal connections Jake can make with each band.

Visit Locusic.com for a look into Jake Kerber’s creation.

“Locusic, pronounced low-CUE-zick (as in Local Music), is a music streaming service focused on local bands/musicians.” --Locusic website

Images from: Facebook, Locusic.com

Passion:Emma Peterson

“If you don’t have passion, screw it. What are you doing?”

This is something you can bet came out of Emma Peterson’s mouth. She’s the creator of Tikly--a event ticket service without the crazy fees. A fan of a Des Moines local band, The Nadas, she start-ed out by convincing them that she was the intern for them. Taking it from there, she connected with other local groups, and the idea for Tikly was born.

Her passion for music drives her to jump out of her bed at her par-ent’s house each morning. According to Emma, If you don’t have the passion, you’re not doing it right.

Images from: desmoinesregister.com, Tikly.

Vision:Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs had something in mind when he created the Apple Cor-poration. He still had that vision after he was fired from Apple. He left, created Pixar, and bought Apple.

Steve was known as “hard to work for,” “obsessed,” and “unpredict-able,” to name a few descriptions. But boy did he have a vision. With such a specific product and brand in mind, it was important that Steve jept his vision close and controlled the action of those involved with this vision.

While he may have been “controlling,” “angry,” and “compulsive,” Steve Jobs created a legacy with his vision.

Image from: dreamsrain.com

Interest:Jay-Z

He’s the king of hip-hop. But many don’t know the business background behind this rapper. Jay-Z started out with a boombox in his neighborhood of Brooklyn, and found himself creating clothing lines and recording studio years later in adulthood. Jay-Z is living proof that if you carry on your interests into your field of work, you’re bound to have success.

Like passion, you need to have an interest and hunger to learn about your career. When that dies, you motivation and passion fol-lows. Especially working as an entreprenuer, that motivation and interest is vital to keeping the startup alive.

Image from: alantilda.blogetty.com

Jay-Z is...

A rapperA record producer

An actorAn entrepreneur

Married to Beyonce

Networking:Dan Shipton

Dan Shipton is a programmer. He created BitMethod, became the steward of the first co-op workspace in Des Moines, and knows net-working better than all of us.

Working within a startup cooperative work area, Dan stresses the necessity of communication. Have a question? There are a number of people who can answer it in the same office as you--even if they are’t a coworker.

“Network like crazy,” was his advice. “You never know who you’re going to meet.”

Images from: bitmethod.com

Check out Dan’s business at BitMethod.com

End Note:Entrepreneurship

is...“Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always

another one coming.”- Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Enterprises

“Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”

- Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

- Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

“If you beleive in something, work nights and weekends. It won’t feel like work.”

- Kevin Rose, founder of Digg