Punchbowl Blog

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO, @mattdouglas

I am excited to announce that Punchbowl will host the first ever Punchbowl “Mixer” event. This exclusive event will bring together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, social media marketers, and others who help make Boston a great place to build a web company. Punchbowl Mixer will be held on Thursday, November 11, 2010, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Estate in Boston, MA.

Punchbowl Mixer is an exclusive event and attendees must be on the RSVP list to be admitted. Guests will enjoy free drinks, special giveaways, and other exciting surprises. Punchbowl Mixer is a ‘can’t miss’ event for anyone connected to the Boston web community.

Click on the envelope below to view the invitation and RSVP.

Punchbowl Mixer comes on the heels of our acquisition of the Punchbowl.com domain and a fresh, new look for the site. In addition, we recently unwrapped the unparalleled Digital Invitation Studio—a beautiful collection of free, pre-packaged online stationery sets for events and celebrations, complete with invitations, envelopes, liners, rubber stamps, and postage.

Punchbowl is proud to be a pioneer in the web community of Boston and we’re excited to host Punchbowl Mixer to celebrate the accomplishments of those who help make Boston and the surrounding areas a great place to build a web company.

I hope to see you there!

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Marketing & PR Manager

Punchbowl is excited to announce that we’re participating in Boston Regional Entrepreneurship Week (BREW). BREW is a week dedicated to celebrating everything related to launching and nurturing companies in the Boston area. Punchbowl has been active in the Boston tech community since we launched in 2007 so we’re happy to be able to host this event in conjunction with BREW.

The Punchbowl event celebrating BREW Week will be held on Tuesday, October 12 at the British Beer Company in Framingham, MA. We’re calling the start-up community in the Metrowest area to come and join the Punchbowl team for a few beers and conversation. Together, we’ll demonstrate that there are lots of interesting and successful start-ups outside of Boston and Cambridge. We invite you to come meet the Punchbowl team and hear stories of our start-up journey. This event will bring together entrepreneurs, developers, mentors, and marketers in Metrowest and beyond. Register for the event now.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO, @mattdouglas

Today on my start-up CEO blog, I refute the notion that the number of employees in your start-up is somehow related to your success as a company. If you’ve ever wondered about how a start-up measures success, or are curious about start-ups in general, here’s one perspective that will hopefully give you something to think about. Read more >>

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO, @mattdouglas

I’ve written a new blog post on my start-up CEO blog. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read my latest start-up musings.

Here’s an excerpt: “Every time I come across a new startup, I ask myself a fundamental question: are there lots of people in the world that are looking for this solution or is the startup trying to create demand?” Read more of my blog post “Sell Umbrellas, Not Rain” >>

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO @mattdouglas

This morning I was inspired to write a post on my start-up CEO blog about a question that I wish I never had to answer over email. I’m curious to hear your comments on this post. Do you think I’m being too particular or do I have a point? Find out the question and read more in my most recent Startup Swami blog post.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO. Follow him on Twitter @mattdouglas

If you have an interview some time in the future, you might want to read this blog post from my new start-up CEO blog. This tip could save you a little embarrassment and help your interviewers too. What’s the simple interview mistake you might make? Allow me to tell you what happened to me last week. Read the post on the Startup Swami.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO. Follow him on Twitter @mattdouglas

When I started MyPunchbowl, I spent a lot of time talking to colleagues and networking with people in startups. Part of my goal was to learn more about how to start a company, but the more I reflect on that period of my life, the more I realize that I spent a lot of energy and time seeking validation of my startup from those around me. With that in mind, the Startup Swami (aka me) has written a post dedicated to those who are trying to start a company or grow a startup. The post was fun to write — it rolled right off of my fingers. So without further ado, here’s today’s Startup Swami post: Your Startup Sucks. Enjoy.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO. Follow him on Twitter @mattdouglas

I believe there is one word that is the most important word for start-ups. I wrote about it today on my new start-up CEO blog, Startup Swami. Go ahead, try to guess. What is the one word that matters the most when you are starting a company? Want to know my answer? Then head over to the Startup Swami to find out what word I think matters the most.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO

As some of the long-time readers of this blog know, this blog started off with only one author — me. As a result, the blog took on many forms: sometimes related to MyPunchbowl, and other times related to my observations about start-ups and business. It was a hodgepodge of Matt, in blog form.

A few months ago, I decided to make a change to this blog. I invited other people in the company to contribute to the blog, and focused the subject material on MyPunchbowl-related topics. We’ve heard from our co-founder Sean has offered a glimpse into new features and functionality on the site, from our Marketing Manager Stephanie about interesting ways to connect with the MyPunchbowl community, our Analytics wizard has shared with us ways we think about numbers, our interns have shared their stories and observations. I’ve heard lots of great comments about these changes, and I think our company blog has become stronger.

However, one thing that’s been left out since these changes is a place for me to share some of what I learn and observe about start-ups and business in general. So that’s why today, I’m launching a new startup CEO blog called the “Startup Swami.” For those of you who don’t know, Chris Berman (of ESPN) made the term “swami” a pop-culture phenomenon a few years ago. As the “ESPN swami” Berman waxed on about all things sports, and threw in a few predictions to boot. As the Startup Swami, I hope to share what I’ve learned over the last several years about how to start a company. The blogs will take many forms: short-form, long-form, and maybe even some video. My hope is that you will hear my raw thoughts and experiences as I continue to navigate the startup world.

I’ll post short summaries on the MyPunchbowl company blog when I write on the Startup Swami. Today’s post, offers a brief background story of why I decided to create the Startup Swami.

I hope you will check out my new CEO blog and subscribe to the feed.

This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO. Follow Matt Douglas on Twitter.

I had a lunch meeting today that was supposed to be like any other meeting that I might have on a regular Monday. Today’s meeting was with the CEO of a marketing/media company in Boston. On my drive into Boston (about 30 minutes) I reflected on how much I value these kinds of meetings. In this case, it had taken a few months for us to find a date that would work for both of our schedules. I looked forward to meeting this fellow CEO.

When I walked into the company’s offices, I was immediately impressed. It was the kind of office that I’d love to have someday: modern conference rooms, open-style workstations, colorful walls, and a whole lot of smart-looking people that looked genuinely happy to be at work. The CEO took me for a tour of the facilities — which included a design firm that worked within the company (not affiliated, they just shared space), and an artist-in-residence (you know, the kind that actually paints art). Very cool.

The CEO and I spent about an hour talking about our respective businesses, and there were more than a few tidbits of information that I filed away for future use. The CEO was amiable, personable, and genuinely interested. He struck me as the kind of person who doesn’t just listen, but can also empathize with what you might be going through. It was great to have lunch with someone who really understood me.

On the way out, I told him how impressed I was with the company he had built, and I expressed my hopes and fears for my own company. And in a moment that may not have meant that much to him he said to me: “Matt, just remember that there thousands of people and companies that would give anything to be in the position that you and your company are in today.”

Hours later, as I sit here writing, his words are still ringing in my ears. Why? Because the greatest praise an entrepreneur can get is from another (successful) entrepreneur. So today’s meeting was not just another Monday lunch meeting. Yes, we ate. But I also got a full serving of food for my entrepreneurial soul. And it felt good.

I believe in good karma and paying it forward. I can only hope that I’ve helped feed another hungry entrepreneur along the way. Today’s meeting was a good reminder of just how important it can be to help feed an fellow entrepreneur’s soul.