Whether it be against themselves or within their peer groups, programmers live for a good challenge. And the competition du juor is Node Knockout: a 48-hour hackathon (inspired by last years Ruby Rumble) organized and promoted by fortnight labs.
Starting last Friday at midnight (UTC) through Sunday at midnight, over 200 different teams of 1-4 people went heads down for the weekend to build the coolest web app using node.js, an evented I/O framework for the V8 JavaScript engine with the purpose of providing an easy way to build scalable network programs.
Representing Minnesota in this battle for the best is a foursome led by Andy Atkinson who recruited complimentary talent including designer Nate Kadlac and developers Paul Armstrong and Zachary Johnson for the event.
Via Newsletter
“On Nov. 16, 2010, with your help, we intend to do just that. Last year, we set the single-day record for online philanthropic giving. Give to the Max Day 2009 saw more than 38,000 donors log on to GiveMN to give $14 million to 3,434 Minnesota nonprofits, whose missions range from feeding the hungry, to protecting the environment, to promoting the arts. This year’s goal is even more ambitious. We’re asking you to help us engage more than 40,000 donors to give to their favorite Minnesota charities in just 24 hours!”
Via Businessweek
“Target customers will soon be able to buy gift cards that will allow them to purchase applications and other enhancements for social games played on the popular networking Web site Facebook.
The retailer, which will start selling the Facebook Credits gift cards on Sunday, will be the first brick-and-mortar store to offer the cards.”
Inc., the magazine “written for the people who run growing companies” recently released it’s annual ranking list of the country’s top 5,000 fastest-growing, private companies with an emphasis on the top 10 percent of the list—the Inc. 500.
“The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to [self-reported] percentage revenue growth over a four year period. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of the starting calendar year, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they had to be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31 of the last year measured. Revenue in the initial year must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in the most recent year must have been at least $2 million.”
We’ve identified 20 Minnesota product-based technology companies (Software – 8; Security – 2; Telecom – 4; eCommerce – 3; Misc – 3) that made the list based on revenue gains. Including “IT Services/ Consulting”, the list increases by 15 — marking a cumulative representation of around 35 Minnesota Tech companies (depending on exact definition).
Jobs2Web (#226), ranked fourth overall in the Minneapolis market and 21st in all of software, leads the Minnesota high tech list with three-year sales growth of over 1,300%!
The information below provides a unique glimpse inside some of Minnesota’s fastest growing privately held high tech companies, according to Inc.. Enjoy…
By Katharine Grayson, Minneapolis-St.Paul Business Journal
“Compellent Technologies Inc.’s stock was up more than 14 percent in afternoon trading Friday, a surge sparked by a bidding war over one of the company’s competitors, 3Par Inc.
By Dave Brauer, MinnPost
“The Star Tribune is now aping Groupon — the online “deal a day” that delivers advertisers flash mobs of discount-seeking customers.
On Thursday, startribune.com unveiled its first STeal. Executive Director of digital Jason Erdahl isn’t coy about how much cash the online coupons should generate: $40,000 to $50,000 a month, or around half a million dollars a year.”
By Dan Haugen, The Line
“Any business gathering that features conga drummers obviously means to motivate. And that was just what a group of Twin Cities attorneys, advisors, entrepreneurs, and investors wanted to do when they launched the new “innovation advocacy force” called MOJO Minnesota in May–right around the time we were putting together the first issue of The Line. Besides a conga beat, that launch event featured a speech about success and failure by an entrepreneur who’s experienced both, and games to hone participants’ networking skills.”
By Dan Haugen, The Line
“A nice thing about taking the skyways: you can walk around with your phone in front of your face and not worry about getting hit by a car. A pair of local developers have created a free iPhone app to help people navigate and explore the Minneapolis skyway system.
The Minneapolis Skyway app, by Frypan Digital, includes a map and business directory that lets users search for stores, see reviews and save favorites.”
In the course of a year, I see anywhere between 30 to 40 business plans and talk with 20 to 40 entrepreneurs about their ideas, pre-business plan.
As a judge in the Minnesota Cup, I see an additional 15 to 20 more business plans. To top it all off, I’m teaching a course at the U of M this Fall on – you guessed it – business plans.
I love new ideas. I love the passionate entrepreneurs behind them. I love ideas that change markets, industries and people’s lives.
But I hate bad business plans. Not the writers. Just the plans.
via News Release
“ForeSee Results and GovDelivery, two of the most successful technology companies working with the federal government to optimize web and digital communication initiatives, announced plans today to deliver an integrated solution to their shared government clients in order to better track and understand how digital communication with the public impacts the government’s goals of being open, transparent, communicative, and participatory.”
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Friday, September 3, 2010
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Saturday, September 4, 2010
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- Last day to vote for homegrown ‘Jackalope’ in Node Knockout competition: http://bit.ly/c1fmWd #
- GiveMN.org announces 2010 Give to the Max Day: Nov 16 (via News Release): http://bit.ly/cV9Q2b #
- TC Lispers Meetup - Added to Calendar of Events (Sept.14): http://bit.ly/4wRdHy #
- Target to offer Facebook Credits gift cards (via Businessweek): http://bit.ly/duOZym #