Currently deep in the jungle of Nicaragua, I’ve managed to wrangle up a Mac and wifi to bring you civilized folks the Friday Tech Top Ten. You didn’t think I was going to let a little heat exhaustion and shoddy internet connection stop me, did you? Right, so here are the killer stories, apps, and startups you may have missed this week.
1. Become a successful leader
“The most important and most difficult person to lead will always be yourself. It is the aspect of leadership that will require the most discipline, commitment and determination. However, it is also the aspect that will reap the greatest rewards”
Check out all of Richard Lorenzen’s advice here.
2. CountMeInApp
“CountMeInApp is the latest in gifting tech available to Facebook users worldwide. Founder Jeff Saul is on a rampage with his app that all allows customers to buy and gift a wide variety of items to their friends on Facebook.”
Check this awesome app here.
3. BuildChatter
“BuildChatter looks to steady the whirling world of social media for business owners by equipping would be traffic controllers with management solutions and simple application building tools. Organize pages in one location, collect data to optimize audience engagement, and create interactive content (without paying for a design team) that will generate interest all using BuildChatter.”
Check out Keith’s full article here.
4. Women ‘trep power!
“In the fields of business and technology, women often feel like they’re the minority. This trend is definitely changing (check out this special report on the 100 Most Powerful Women) but in the meantime, what can you, as a woman in a male-dominated field, do to really stand out and be a successful player?”
Nathalie Lussier explains how women entrepreneurs can excel in any field here.
5. Roam7
“Roam7 is an innovative travel app that helps us plan travel by tapping into useful information neatly stashed in our friends’ Facebook photos.”
Hooray for travel apps! Check it here.
6. Pitch Day Start-up Chile
“One of the things that impressed me most was the sheer variety of ideas present in this one space, so let’s take a look at what this Start-Up Chile round has to offer, shall we? Since I don’t have the space to write up every single company that presented today, here’s a quick run down of a some of the companies that especially caught my attention.”
My girl Emma was lucky enough to sit in on the pitches. Check out her top picks here.
7. Career Igniter
“With unemployment in the United States at an elevated level, there are so many qualified workers seeking employment. But how can you stand out from the crowd? Well, on a fundamental level, it’s important to spruce up your resume and cover letter. That’s where Career Igniter free resume builder comes in!”
Check it here.
8. Optimize your retail website
“One of the main marketing strategies that can help online retailers build a successful Internet business is search engine optimization (SEO), the process of tailoring your website to the algorithms that search engines use to rank websites based on “signals” that the site emits.”
Check out The YEC’s Pablo Palatnik’s tips here.
9. Use live chats to engage your customers
“Question: How should small businesses leverage live chats to reach customers or clients?”
Check out all 14 tips from the successful young entrepreneurs at The YEC here.
10. Interview with Micartttt founder Michael Chee
“We are a community of experienced professional photographers of high level who come together to learn and share in our understanding of photography. Users can discover how to use your digital camera with our digital photography tips. It is intended to help beginners get started in photography, and become so good at it that they turn into advanced amateurs.”
Check my man Daniel’s post here.
OK, the heat is quickly rising here. I need to get ready and start exploring this strange new land I find myself in. My suggestion for you? Go on an adventure this weekend, even if that means tackling the mall on Saturday. I would personally opt for a more outdoorsy, travel-type adventure. But hey, the mall in December can sort of be like the jungle, right?
