Insights from Nebo

When Kickstarter launched in 2009, it changed the way we looked at fundraising. Instead of going through traditional avenues such as banks and private investors, the projects are “crowdfunded” by people across the web. Not only had Kickstarter tapped the general public to fund projects ranging from indie films to innovative products – it had tapped into a new way of doing business. Liza Gansky refers to this new business model as “The Mesh” in her book of the same name (The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing).

Growth can be tricky. There are no hard and fast rules that explain how a business should grow. However, the collective wisdom of several Inc. 5000 companies (including Nebo Agency, represented by CEO Brian Easter) help suggest some areas to focus on that may be useful to entrepreneurs hoping to withstand recessions and grow despite economic fluctuations.

If you haven't heard, MC Hammer is starting his own search engine. Yes, that MC Hammer. His search engine, WireDoo, is a comedic reminder that there are other search options available besides Google and Bing. However, there are also quite a few interesting, alternative sites that are a bit different from the major, typical search engines. These places provide a more abstract, qualitative experience that, for some, is more interesting than the qualitative algorithmic search engines. Over the next few weeks, Nebo Agency will be exploring some of these niche sites that people use when they aren’t searching on Google.

First up: Pinterest!

As the weather begins to cool down, even here in Hotlanta, the Nebo offices have elected to stay warm with one of our favorite comfort foods, chili. The First Annual Nebo Agency Chili Cook-off was held today, pitting officemates against each other for the prize of the Golden Ladle.

Some brought the heat. Others brought the sweet. And some just brought some left over pork they had in the fridge. All shared some wonderful dishes that were enjoyed by everyone. Here are the recipes from today's event for you to enjoy and share. Oh, and if you feel like you have an award winning recipe (or would like to challenge us to a throwdown), talk to us in the comments below.

Last week, Nebo Agency played host to a large group of marketers, consultants, designers, user experience designers, and educators as part of the Web Visions Event. Web visions is a global interactive event that explores the future of the web and mobile design, technology, user experience, and business strategy. The event is held in cities all over the world including Atlanta, Portland, New York, and Barcelona.The Atlanta leg of the Web Visions Event took place November 17-18, and included tours of interactive studios in the city, panels and presentations by experts in the interactive space, and a Mobile Hackathon for Social Good. Nebo was more than happy to extend some of our southern hospitality during the event, showing off our space and sharing a taste of our secret sauce.