TheDeal Interviews Me About Missed Opportunities in 2008

As we close out 2008, TheDeal has conducted a variety of interviews discussing the past year. Editor Mary Kathleen Flynn was kind enough to interview me regarding my thoughts on missed opportunities this year. You can check out the full interview on TheDeal’s website and here’s an excerpt:

Tech Confidential: What was the toughest challenge for startups in 2008?

Allen Stern: The toughest challenge for startups is gaining visibility and traction. This is the same challenge as it was in 2007, 2005, and will be in 2009. Having interviewed hundreds of startups and spoken with thousands, so
many believe that if they just get a specific blog post, that will make their service take off. Only in very rare circumstances does a blog post or magazine article propel a startup to success. Instead the key is to  hustle and work the service each and every day.