Living in a city full of innovators and risk-takers is exciting. The vibrant startup scene in Austin is part of what makes our culture unique. I can’t go to a networking event without meeting an individual with bright eyes who wants to share his or her dream with the world.

But the business formation process can be messy. An exciting idea doesn’t automatically lead to a solid company.

Maybe it’s the pragmatist in me, but some startup ideas make me scratch my head a bit. Sometimes I just can’t envision how a certain idea is going to work.

Then sometimes, I can. [Read more…]

This guest blog post is by Kristin Shaw.

You can hear the car before you step into it…a quarter million dollars’ worth of Italian engineering is warming up to the task ahead, seeming to protest loudly before settling into a content purr. The sleek lines of the vehicle attract me like a magnet, and I am in awe as I lower myself into the smooth leather seat, close to the ground.

Pulling onto the access road and then the highway, I feel a slight jerk as the car settles into second gear, third gear, fourth gear. The faster I drive, the smoother it rides.

“The Ferrari is happiest at 3-4 RPM,” Jacob tells me from the passenger seat. “You’ll feel it adjust.”

I had worn high wedges for the pre-drive photo shoot, but I switched into flat sandals with the idea that I want to feel the power of the automobile as close to me as possible. It proves to be a wise decision as I press my foot to the floor on the on-ramp to the new toll road, near the Lone Star Exotic Rentals office south of Austin. [Read more…]