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Does Startup Success Validate Us Personally?
How We Secretly Lose Control of Our Startups
Should Kids Follow in Our Founder Footsteps?
The Evolution of Entry Level Workers
Assume Everyone Will Leave in Year One
Stop Listening to Investors
Was Mortgaging My Life Worth it?
What's My Startup Worth in an Acquisition?
When Our Ambition is Our Enemy
Are Startups in a "Silent Recession"?
The 5 Types of Startup Funding
What Is Startup Funding?
Do Founders Deserve Their Profit?
Michelle Glauser on Diversity and Inclusion
The Utter STUPIDITY of "Risking it All"
Committees Are Where Progress Goes to Die
More Money (Really Means) More Problems
Why Most Founders Don't Get Rich
Investors will be Obsolete
Why is a Founder so Hard to Replace?
We Can't Grow by Saying "No"
Do People Really Want Me to Succeed?
Is the Problem the Player or the Coach?
Will Investors Bail Me Out?
The Value of Actually Getting Paid
Why do Founders Suck at Asking for Help?
Wait a Minute before Giving Away Equity
You Only Think You Work Hard
SMALL is the New Big — Embracing Efficiency in the Age of AI
The 9 Best Growth Agencies for Startups
This is BOOTSTRAPPED — 3 Strategies to Build Your Startup Without Funding
Never Share Your Net Worth
A Steady Hand in the Middle of the Storm
Risk it All vs Steady Paycheck
How About a Startup that Just Makes Money?
How to Recruit a Rockstar Advisor
Why Having Zero Experience is a Huge Asset
My Competitor Got Funded — Am I Screwed?
The Hidden Treasure of Failed Startups
If It Makes Money, It Makes Sense
Why do VCs Keep Giving Failed Founders Money?
$10K Per Month isn't Just Revenue — It's Life Support
The Ridiculous Spectrum of Investor Feedback
Startup CEOs Aren't Really CEOs
Series A, B, C, D, and E Funding: How It Works
Best Pitch Decks Ever: The Most Successful Fundraising Pitches You Need to Know
When to Raise Funds
Why Aren't Investors Responding to Me?
Should I Regret Not Raising Capital?
Unemployment Cases — Why I LOOOOOVE To Win Them So Much.
How Much to Pay Yourself
Heat-Seeking Missile: WePay’s Journey to Product-Market Fit — Interview with Rich Aberman, Co-Founder of Wepay
The R&D technique for startups: Rip off & Duplicate
Why Some Startups Win.
Chapter #1: First Steps To Validate Your Business Idea
Product Users, Not Ideas, Will Determine Your Startup’s Fate
Drop Your Free Tier
Your Advisors Are Probably Wrong
Growth Isn't Always Good
How to Shut Down Gracefully
How Does My Startup Get Acquired?
Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?
How to Pick the Wrong Co-Founder
Staying Small While Going Big
Investors are NOT on Our Side of the Table
Who am I Really Competing Against?
Why Can't Founders Replace Themselves?
Actually, We Have Plenty of Time
Quitting vs Letting Go
How Startups Actually Get Bought
What if I'm Building the Wrong Product?
Are Founders Driven by Fear or Greed?
Why I'm Either Working or Feeling Guilty
Startup Financial Assumptions
Why Every Kid Should be a Startup Founder
We Only Have to be Right Once
If a Startup Sinks, Founders Go Down With it
Founder Success: We Need a Strict Definition of Personal Success
Is Quiet Quitting a Problem at Startup Companies?
Founder Exits are Hard Work and Good Fortune, Not "Good Luck"
Finalizing Startup Projections
All Founders are Beloved In Good Times
Our Startup Culture of Entitlement
The Bullshit Case for Raising Capital
How do We Manage Our Founder Flaws?
What If my plan for retirement is "never retire"?
Startup Failure is just One Chapter in Founder Life
6 Similarities between Startup Founders and Pro Athletes
All Founders Make Bad Decisions — and That's OK
Startup Board Negotiations: How do I tell the board I need a new deal?
Founder Sacrifice — At What Point Have I Gone Too Far?
Youth Entrepreneurship: Can Middle Schoolers be Founders?
Living the Founder Legend Isn't so Fun
Why Do VC Funded Startups Love "Fake Growth?"
How Should I Share My Wealth with Family?
How Many Deaths Can a Startup Survive?
This is Probably Your Last Success
Why Do We Still Have Full-Time Employees?
The Case Against Full Transparency
Should I Feel Guilty for Failing?

Meet the Crowd2Shelf Winners: Now Available in Staples Store

The Startups Team

Meet the Crowd2Shelf Winners: Now Available in Staples Store

They came, they crowdfunded, they conquered, and now it’s time to get to know them better. While the winners of the inaugural Crowd2Shelf contest come from different parts of the country and from different industries, they have one thing in common: they’ve created amazing products that are helping people do more.

We sat down with the winners and got some background into how they’ve grown into the incredible startup product companies they are today.

EVA
Wilmington, DE

Designed by LEDified, EVA™ is the world’s friendliest recessed light. They’ve combined the most efficient LED technology with an everyday practical element of a home: the remote control.

They’ve already pre-sold over 50,000 EVA™ units. Before EVA, LEDified’s founding team developed one of the largest solar companies in Australia. They decided to tackle lighting because consumers were dissatisfied with the limitations and ecological drain of standard lighting selections.

The crowd has spoken and confirmed the need for this solution: EVA was the fan favorite, bringing in over 23,670 votes and $140,505 in pre-orders. Future plans for LEDified include expanding their U.S. presence and implementing their own proprietary iDim platform to roll out additional follow on products.

Plum
Austin, TX

Plum makes lighting and appliance control easy and affordable. Their Wi-Fi enabled lightpad is the first product of its kind. Competitively priced and easy to install, it provides the incredible convenience of controlling your lights from your smartphone from anywhere in the world.

Plum has taken some huge steps forward since launching, with over $850K in presales and over 4,500 customers singing the praises of their home automation technology. The founder of Plum—Utz Baldwin—has been a part of the connected home movement since its inception and served as the CEO of CEDIA, the global organization that represents the connected home industry. Utz and the team at Plum are working to make home automation more accessible and more intuitive.

nHand
Tulsa, OK

nHand is the first accessory to make your tablet a truly handheld device. Made out of high-grade billet aluminum, nHand securely attaches to any tablet or laptop via the powerful 3M DuraLock re-closable fastening system. nHand also functions as a 3-way stand, and includes a built-in hook so you can hang it on the wall.

By attaching the nHand to your tablet, you can avoid the cost and headaches of dropping and damaging your expensive mobile device. Available in a range of beautiful colors, the sleek design is the perfect extension of your device. With over 21,000 supporters spreading the word during the Crowd2Shelf campaign, nHandprototype but now a necessary tool for tablet users everywhere. is definitely a product on the rise.

plug radio
Hollywood, CA

The plug radio is the Bluetooth speaker you’ve been waiting for. Plug it directly into the socket and you’re ready to stream music from your phone, listen to your favorite FM radio station, charge your phone, or even use the speakerphone for hands-free communication (making it perfect for the kitchen). Plus, the plug radio comes with a silicone stand so you can use it outdoors, and the long-lasting battery will let you keep on jamming for up to 10 hours.

Designed by Audio Affairs in Denmark, the plug radio is just 10x10cm, but its sleek design is jam-packed with useful features. Backed by over 900 people during their Crowd2Shelf campaign and selected as a Judges’ Choice winner, the plug radio is already in homes and offices around the world.

Jorno
Los Angeles, CA

Jorno is the folding Bluetooth keyboard that fits in your pocket and allows you to type with ease anytime, anywhere. Founded in LA in 2010, Cervantes Mobile Inc. developed Jorno to enable creativity wherever, whenever. Whether you’re replying to an important email, taking notes in class, blogging from the plane or just capturing inspiration as you go about your day, Jorno is an essential tool for students, creatives and professionals everywhere.

Jorno is an award-winning design, with accolades including innovation awards from the Consumer Electronics Show and the Telecom Council. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the keys of the Jorno are only 9% smaller than traditional keyboards, making typing much faster and easier than on your phone or tablet. Additionally, the Jorno functions as a stand for your mobile device, ensuring optimal visibility whether you’re using the seatback tray table or your lap.


All of these incredible innovations are now available; shop here. Check out the crowdfunding store to learn more and be the first to own an award-winning Crowd2Shelf product.

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