matthewmgonzales-blog

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

How I'm Getting My Greens These Days -

If you're like me, you have a hard time sitting down to a plate full of the "green stuff." I've always been aware that what I put in me determines how I feel on the inside and outside: You are what you eat! 

I'm a big fan of juicing but, these days, my juicer is in the states and I'm in Ireland.  So I've jumped on the Green Smoothie train and boy am I enjoying the ride.

My smoothie of choice has a lot of goodness in it, some might say a little too much, but hey I prefer to go "All In" at once!

I've even given my smoothie a name: The Green Houdini

I like to have this for either breakfast or lunch and prep time takes about 15 minutes from start to goodness!

So here is what like to put in mine:

(optional) means I add it on occasion

Lots of kale - chopped

Half an avocado (optional)

Two handfuls of spinach - chopped

Teaspoon of honey (optional)

Celery (optional)

An apple - chopped and cored

An orange

A frozen banana (chop and freeze overnight)

Tablespoon of raw oats (optional)

Few ice cubes

Cup of water

Two tablespoons vanilla yougurt

Tablespoon crunchy peanut butter

Few shakes of cinnamon

This can make enough for two people in a pint glass.  Give it a try and see what you think.  I was surprised by how filling it is and the taste is mmmmm, good! 

What is your favorite green smoothie recipes?

Here is what the process from start to finish looks like:

P.S. I'm a HUGE fan of Green Tea and would recommend at least one cup a day!

Thanks for reading and Have The Best Day Ever!

:)

#green smoothie #smoothie #houdini #health #goodness #juicing alternative

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Why Event Organizers and Attendees Should Be Adopting New Technology -

We All Want to Reach Our Goals -

Every event organizer I’ve ever met has a few goals in mind for each event.  The organizers goals tend to be: bring in top quality speakers and make sure the sponsors and attendees are happy!  As you dig a bit deeper most organizers do events for a greater sense of purpose in knowing that they have helped connect people and ideas for increased business, friendships and ultimately a positive ROI! 

Months and months of hard work go into creating an event and it all comes down to a few day’s of execution.  Once the event has started it’s a whirlwind of putting out small fires and making sure all the moving parts are in place to deliver a great show.  This is where some of the organizers goals begin to fall short and often leave attendees with a sense of ‘that was a great event, but…’ feeling that we’ve all had.

An attendee has very similar goals:  Learn new information, create new business, make friends and ultimately have a positive ROI!

The Problem: Events Are Getting Larger and Larger -

Gone are the days of a hundred attendees at an event.  Now days it’s not uncommon to attend an event with thousand to tens of thousands of people.  What this means is that it has become harder and harder for us to connect with those people who will matter most when it comes to achieving our goals.  Have you ever tried to set a place to meet with someone just to find out it’s nearly impossible to find each other in the sea of people? 

Your goal may have been to meet ten specific people or to hear a certain speaker but with all the organized chaos going on it just didn’t happen.  As events get bigger and bigger it tends to be a win win for organizers and sponsors but not always for attendees.  When the event is over and the hangovers have subsided we are often left with a list of people we didn’t get to meet and a handful of business cards that are a nice to have but not a need to have.

The Solution: Technology -

I believe that it’s time to apply technology in a better way to make sure all parties who help make an event possible (Organizer, Sponsors, Speakers, Attendees) can achieve their goals!  We all know that the bigger the event is the more likely you will not have proper Internet access.  Murphy’s Law!  This tends to be the only technology we get access to and we are left alone to come up with a tactical plan on how to chase down and meet those who matter most to us. 

In the year 2013 we have better options and should be utilizing these as a standard to make great events even greater!  A good event technology should take all parties in mind and utilize both mobile and web to help us connect with valuable prospects: Before, during and after each event.

Here are a few companies that are working on this and are worth a look:

Presdo Match -

Presdo is Founded by Linkedin Co-Founder Eric Ly and used by large scale conferences like LeWeb.  One would argue that with good clients and a seasoned entrepreneur behind the helm Presdo will be a company to keep an eye on! - Presdo Match provides rich people and company directories and enables participants to network and plan their activities, while offering new ways to market your event and create new revenue streams.

DoubleDutch -

DoubleDutch has been around for several years and we've been lucky to have the founder Lawrence Coburn on stage at SFNewTech. 

With over $18 million in funding and large events like CPAC utilizing the technology, they are here to stay! DoubleDutch - Bring your events from good to great with data-driven mobile technology. Use engagement data from your mobile event app to ensure that each event is better than the previous one.

Active Network -

Active Network is the 800 Pound Gorilla when it comes to event software and technology. A publicly traded company (ACTV), Active has over a decade of experience and thousands of customers.  They are definitely here to stay!  ACTIVE Network - Business Solutions delivers event management and registration software that enables organizations of all sizes to run SMART EVENTS™—the next generation of events that save you time and money, build better relationships with your attendees and grow your business faster. 

In Conclusion -

Events as a way to increase business, learn new sills and make friends is here to stay!  We should all be responsible for helping to make each event a success for all those who are involved.  Working together and not only having access to new technologies but adopting them, utilizing  them and encouraging our peers to use them will help make each event better and help us reach our goals of a positive ROI!

#networking #event technology #presdo #doubledutch #active network #sfnewtech #matthew m. gonzales #tech #positive roi #ROI #leweb

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

The Web Summit - 2013

#elon musk #aaron levie #paddy cosgrove #drew houston #vice #frontline ventures #dave mcclure #shane smith #enda kenny #shervin pishevar #shakil kahn #kevin colleran sarah lacy #mark little

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Quick Re-Cap of Mobile World Congress Barcelona

I think the best way to start this post is WOW! 

This conference his huge and there are suits everywhere!  I didn't get the memo. :)

Bring your walking shoes because you will be doing plenty of this.

This conference was not one I found to be extremely productive when it comes to connecting with those in the app world.  Yes, they have app planet but that was dominated by $100k booths and companies like Nokia and Blackberry.  Wait? Nokia and Blackberry have apps?!

I think the best part of this conference is the beautiful city it's hosted in and seeing friends from all around the world.

The food is great, the after parties are plenty and I'll be back next year!

Till next time -

Peace!

#MWC #Mobile World Congress #mobile #apps #tech

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Thoughts on Work / Life Balance

So this topic has been on my mind for the last few weeks.

To give you some insight on my situation I've been visiting Dublin, Ireland for the past few years on and off to be with my GF.  There is a whole new blog post about Long Distance Relationships here. :)

As I've started to adjust to what life could be like moving forward the idea of having a great work life balance is important to me.  In many of my past relationships with startups and other women I've always struggled to put this first and would end up paying more attention to the internets than the people that cared about me.

This time around I've decided to put this first and make it a priority so I have the best chance of being happy and making other's happy around me.

I recently found this article online and wanted to share it as I feel it is a good resource:

7 Tips to Create Work Life Balance When You Work From Homehttp://www.newconsultanthq.com/work-life-balance/

Even if you don't work form home you should still be aware of your balance and live in harmony with both.

There is nothing extremely insightful here but the one thing that I feel is the most important for this is to happen is to give it priority.  Many people will take jobs that will have them working long hours and hopefully making big pay checks.  What I've learned from others who have worked hard to achieve this, is that in the end it doesn't matter how much you have, it's the quality of hugs and conversations, the little things that matter.

So what I'm deciding to do is build my work around my happiness at home and with my family (no kids, yet). and friends. 

So in the evening when my GF gets home from a long day of work, I happily shut the computer down, give her a hug and see how her day went.  It takes only a few minutes and I'm sure we both get satisfaction from it.  It's a great habit to do when anyone walks in and your online.  Engage with them.

Peace -

#work #life #balance #work life balance #living #career

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

An Evening in Dublin – Games in Ireland + Start Summit

I’ll start with a big “thanks” to Games in Ireland for hosting a great event and the fine folks at Enterprise Ireland for helping out and arranging a meeting with Big Fish Games to discuss Localization!

The event was hosted at the beautiful Gibson Hotel directly across from the O2 Arena.  As the day progressed the crowds kept growing and it was standing room only to hear some of the speakers. Topics ranged from gaming in the cloud to design. The speakers all had great nuggets of information to share.

Towards the end of the evening as I started to browse the twitter sphere I caught wind of another event being hosted not too far from #GIG12 called Start Summit.

The event was sold out but thanks to @jamesplloyd and @russellbanks77 I was able to get a ticket last minute and for free!  Good looking out Guys -

Rode my first Public Bike through the busy streets of Dublin, stopped for a slice of Rays Pizza and continued my networking at a full bar of entrepreneurs and tech fans.  A great BIG shout-out to @StudioRua better known as Padraig for taking me under his wing! 

Here is a link to more photo’s of the evening on Flickr!

#Games in Ireland #Dublin #Start Summit #Tech

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Re-Cap of Casual Connect + How To Get The Most From a Conference

This was my first trip to Germany and my first attempt at Casual Connect outside of the states.  What I like about CC is it’s a smaller event that still draws an A-list crowd.

My take on the overall message from this years show was: Monetization, Freemium, Cross Platform and Data.  To be frank, I don’t feel there was anything ground breaking that came from the talks that you couldn't hear at any of the other mobile conferences.  With that being said, all of the speakers I heard were entertaining and informative about their topics. 

CC is a conference where, I feel, the networking is the main draw and they never disappoint.  

Pros:

Hamburg, Germany – What a beautiful city!

Great venue!  The Congress Center is beautiful, spacious and easily accessible from public transport. 

Keep attendees happy with food and snacks!  CC did a great job of making sure there was always something cold or warm to drink and plenty of snack options from fresh fruit to authentic German dishes for lunch.

Great Speakers!  The line-up of speakers was broad and they were all very passionate about mobile and knew their core business.  This was refreshing as where some of the larger conferences you sometimes get the feeling that they just needed to feel a slot.

Networking time and space!  CC does this well.  They understand that networking is extremely important and they make sure that you have plenty of space to mingle and tables for meetings space.  Each night there was a planned cocktail hour + post event where attendees could relax and network in a different environment. 

Wi-Fi Worked!  Wow, what a concept.  Of the many conferences I have attended one of the major issues is the Wi-Fi, or lack there of.  CC got this right!

Cons:

I have to say that it was difficult to find a Con about this conference. 

Here’s One:

Payment Solutions! I felt that there were way too many payment solutions on the demo floor.  I understand that the conference needs to make money and it’s hard to turn down companies, but it just seemed like everywhere you turned there was another one.

All and all I think that Casual Connect is one of the better mobile conferences out there and I look forward to attending more in the future.  

Cheers –

Part Two:

Getting the Most Out of Your Time -

For over seven years I've been attending conferences and have even put on a few myself.  Most of the time I have my Business Development hat on and am always looking to improve on how to get the most out of my time there.  Here are a few tips that I've picked up over the years.

Pre-Game! – Do as much research before the conference as possible and start at least 2 weeks out.  Create a list of all the companies you want to meet with and send them invite request for a meeting.  Make sure to keep your calendar up to date and give yourself adequate time between meetings.  If you don’t hear from the companies, don’t worry.  There will be more opportunity!

Be a Sniper! – Conferences are full of great companies and individuals.  But you don’t need to meet them all.  Know who you can and should do business with.  Taking meetings just for the sake of taking them doesn't add value to your time, nor to the person your meeting with.

Bring Plenty of Cards and Wear Your Brand– The easiest way to let people know what you do or who you are without having to say anything is to wear your brand.  It’s amazing how many people would rather wear a clothing brand then there own.  Own It!  Oh, don’t forget to bring more cards than you think you’ll need. 

Be Genuine! – The worst thing is to have a meeting with someone who doesn't give you the time of day.  Be genuinely interested in the company and the individual. 

Have More Than One Thing to Talk About! – Sure, we all want to close business but that doesn't mean that it should be the only topic of conversation.  Make sure to have a few non-work related questions lined up or other points of interest that can keep the conversation flowing.

Stay Healthy and Hydrated! – This is one of funny things about conferences that I love.  The first day everyone is wide-eyed and busy tailed, dressed nice and ready to network.  As the day’s pass and the evening drinking begin, you start to see the fall out from alcohol fatigue.  By the third day all of the couches are full with everyone trying to sneak in a nap.  In order to get the most accomplished, make sure to take care of yourself, get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.  Save the real partying for when your company goes public!  Oh and don’t forget to take breath mints.  It’s hard to chat with someone when you can smell what he or she ate for lunch.  

Stop By Every Booth and Say Hi! – Companies pay a lot of money to set up shop. Stopping by to say hi, let’s people know who you are and what you do.  It’s a sure fire way of getting to know more people.

Business Development is not always about being able to do business with everyone but it’s about people wanting to do business with you.

Make Friends and Wear Your Smile! – I don’t know about you, but for me what I do is what I love.  I enjoy meeting others and making new friends.  I go into every conference with the thought of how many new friends will I make.  I've been lucky to meet some of my closest friends at networking events and I don’t see that changing soon.  Put your smile on and your best foot forward.  I mean come on, who wants to do business with Mr. or Mrs. SadFace.

Request Meetings For A 2nd Time While There! – Earlier in the pre-game I mentioned that there will be another opportunity to meet with companies who didn't get back to you.  This is it!  While you’re at the conference, many of these companies will have downtime and they want to fill that time by meeting others and not just sitting around. After the first day of the conference re-send an e-mail and see if they have time to meet.  Since they are already there, more than likely they will say yes.

It’s All About the Follow-Up! – The most important thing is to make sure you follow-up and timing is crucial.  After a few days at the conference everyone is tired and had so many conversations it’s hard to count.  I've always found that waiting a few days for everyone to settle back in then sending a follow-up e-mail is crucial.  Make sure to take good notes and remind them who you are, and what you spoke about.  Never send follow up e-mail over the weekend or on Monday.

I hope that this was informative and I’m always happy to answer any questions if you have any.  I’m always tweeting and posting what conferences I’ll be attending via PlanCast and Linkedin. I tweet @matthewgonzales

I hope to meet YOU at a conference one of these days!!!

 Cheers -

#Casual Connect #Networking #Conference #Tech #Mobile

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

CES - 2012

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#ron conway #sopa #pipa

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San Francisco PIPA / SOPA protests -

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

5 Ingredients For a "Successful" Startup

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I want to share my thoughts on five things I've learned over the years that help make a "successful" startup.  I write "successful" because most startups won't make millions of dollars or IPO but it's all about trying your hardest and being passionate about your work.  As long as you've learned something, it is a success.

OK, here goes:

1. The Idea - This is the basis of all good tech companies.  You have to start with a good enough idea and can pivot/adjust from there over time.  In my opinion, you want to look at the total size of the market, how many players are involved and what resources it will take to prove your idea has legs.

2. The Team - Without a great team working together, you will implode.  This starts with the leadership and works it's way down.  In the Marine Corps I was taught leadership by example and it works the same in startups.  As a leader you have to be willing to do what it takes to show the team that you are "all in."

3. The Execution - Making the right choices, allocating your resources where it matters.  Execution is the key to taking a company public or on it's way to success.

4. The Culture - Your people are your company.  Outsiders often think of a large company as an entity that operates on it's own. Without being close to the action it's hard to really see how important the culture of a company is.  I believe that a company's culture is what keeps the employees coming back, wanting to hire there friends and leaves a spirit of entrepreneurship with everyone in the organization.

5. HAVING FUN :) - In a startup your months will be filled with many ups and downs.  When you're closing deals and riding high, it's a great place to be.  When your're down and things aren't going as planned, life SUCKS!  Having fun, enjoying what you do, taking the time to laugh and learn from your mistakes makes it all worth it. 

Thanks for your time and enjoy the ride.

Cheers -

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#startups #tech

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Quick Recap "From Apps to Startups: The VC and Investor Side Story"

Another day, another Meetup!

If you've lived in the Bay Area and are involved in technology or a startup you'll find that there are no shortage of events to attend.  I've been to hundreds of these type of events and, finally, I'm taking the plunge and hoping to do a quick recap of topics and some general thoughts.

Tonight's event was right up my alley.  Mobile + investing.  If you haven't heard by now, I'm working on a pretty cool little company called appbackr.  Enough about that!  You'll here more later.

Thanks to the gracious hosts DLA Piper for opening up your beautiful Palo Alto office and thanks to David Cao and team for putting together a great event.  You can learn more about "Silicon Valley Mobile Apps Innovation" on Meetup!

Tonight's main speaker was Paul Martino.  You can read all about his success on his Linkedin profile.  

Paul opened the discussion by announcing two recent investments in mobile companies that his Firm Bullpen Capital recently are involved in.  No names were given.

He wanted to share with the audience what he looks for when investing in mobile companies.  Here are few nuggets:

Team, Team, Team

Demo your product last

Does your mobile product solve a real problem 

Show how your product can get to the end user

I wasn't able to stay for the Q&A session which I'm sure was the real juicy part of this discussion.

My take aways:

Show that your team has the heart of a Lion! Are you ready for a battle?

Build up to the demo by explaining or showing that you know your target market and if you have data that's even better

Why or how does your product add value to the world

Even the best of products go no where without distribution.  Have a plan!

Building apps and being successful is a tough business.  Focus on solving a real problem and learn as much as possible about your target market, their buying behaviors and never give up! 

Till next time!

☮

#Mobile Meetup, #android #developer #Bullpen Capital #VC #Apps

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

Why I Passed on a Job Offer from Linkedin - Startup Life!

With all the talk of the Linkedin IPO, I can't help but think about what life would be like had I accepted an offer last year to help lead a new initiative within Linkedin.

To give some insight, the offer came as a surprise as Linkedin was doing heavy recruiting and somehow I made the list. Of course, I took the interviews and three months later had an offer in my inbox.

At the time I was working on a few great projects:  Hypertable and SF New Tech and had just been approached be a new startup named appbackr.  I was faced with a great dilemma of picking projects that would pay little but give me lots of reward as an entrepreneur vs. a large well known company who would pay me well and give lots of security.

I've always wanted the satisfaction of knowing that I could get a job with a tech tycoon and Linkedin is one of the websites I use on a daily basis. I was excited and satisfied at the same time.

I want to be able to wake up everyday and work from home, if that's what makes me more productive. I want to feel the need to hustle on a daily basis. I want to be able to create something new, something that is beneficial to a new era of tech users.   I want to create something just as good as Linkedin.

It's the startup life for me!

:)

#startup life #entrepreneurship #startup #tech #decisions

[matthewmgonzales-blog]

appbackr team meeting in Palo Alto, Ca. - Pillsbury Law