The 10 Most Popular NJTechWeekly.com Stories in 2013
Every year NJTechWeekly.com determines which of our stories garnered the most hits during the year and tries to identify what made them the most interesting to our readers.
We hereby present — from least to most popular — our list of the 10 most read news articles on NJTechWeekly.com in 2013. Many of the most popular stories deal with tech entrepreneurship, which makes sense, but there were a few surprises.
10. If You Care About User Engagement, You Should Care about Gamification
Gamification is a hot topic, so we expected that when the New Jersey Technology Council (NJTC) took on the subject in March 2013, the discussion would create a lot of interest. The event took place at Robert Half Technology (Woodbridge). Rich Napoli, COO of Object Frontier Software (Alpharetta, Ga., Jersey City and Newtown, Pa.), moderated a panel discussion on how companies can incorporate gamification into their businesses, and gamification guru Gabe Zichermann was on hand to provide basics on the subject.
9. Lean Newark Demonstrates That Entrepreneurship Is Thriving in Brick City, Part 2
Lean entrepreneurship is always in vogue, but the mere fact that Lean Startup Machine went to Newark validated the possibility that the Brick City could become a tech startup hub. In a twist, the winners of the first Lean Startup Machine Newark, which took place the weekend of March 1, 2013, didn’t turn out to be purely tech companies, although lean methodology is associated primarily with those kinds of businesses. Taking first place was SnackBuilder, whose founder, Mark Annett, had first envisioned using cookies and other snacks as the food with which kids could build edible race cars.
8. TechLaunch Accelerator Unveils Second Class of Startups
Tech accelerators in N.J. create a buzz all their own, so we weren’t surprised that our readers wanted to know which startups TechLaunch(Clifton) had selected to become part of its second LaunchPad class. We covered an event at Montclair State University in May 2013, introducing the companies. After that event, a ninth company was added to the group.
7. Remembering Frank Lautenberg, NJ Tech Entrepreneur and Longtime Senator
There were many obituaries for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, but only one we know of that examined Lautenberg as a tech entrepreneur. To the N.J. technology industry, he was just that. As the founder of the successful Roseland-based Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Lautenberg never forgot his entrepreneurial roots and loved to talk about his startup days.
6. Efficiency Expert Meisel Talks “Achievement Architecture”
Ari Meisel’s talk at the February 21, 2013, NJ Tech Meetup, on the Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken) campus, was a highlight of the year. Meisel, of LessDoing.com, dispensed wonderful tips on how to do more by doing less. Many who attended came away with a new way of viewing their daily tasks.
5. At NJTM, Zimmer Backs Grassroots MileMesh Initiative to Make Hoboken More Resilient
A group of NJ Tech Meetup volunteers has decided to create a mesh communications network. The goal: to make Hoboken Internet communications more resilient in the face of a future Sandy-type disaster. We covered the story when their grassroots effort went public and received the endorsement of Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. It’s no surprise to us that the tech community statewide wanted to learn about this initiative.
4. “Emotionalist” Cohen Talks Startup Success, Angel Exhaustion at Princeton Tech Meetup
Laurie Petersen wrote an article for NJTechWeekly.com about Brian Cohen, chairman of New York Angels, who spoke at the February 2013, Princeton Tech Meetup. Cohen calls himself an “emotionalist,” and N.J. startups wanted to get to know him. New York Angels has invested in more New York startups than any other organization, Cohen maintained in his talk. That’s some $54 million invested in 70 companies.
3. Student Entrepreneurs from HOPES CAP Program Wow June NJ Tech Meetup
NJTechWeekly.com is delighted that this story was so popular. A group of students from an entrepreneurship program run by HOPES CAP (HOPES) took the stage at the June 20, 2013, NJ Tech Meetup (Hoboken). They wowed the audience of experienced startup entrepreneurs and developers, who had come to network and hear Peter Bell discuss how nontechnical founders can hire the right developers. The student entrepreneurs were great, and we’re gratified that many readers wanted to see what the HOPES program had accomplished.
2. Hoboken, Stevens to Collaborate on Smart City Technology
Alan Skontra wrote our second most popular story, on the Stevens Institute of Technology plans to cooperate with Hoboken on Smart City technology. The school, located on Hoboken’s Hudson River waterfront, has promised to develop a Smart City app to help the city and its residents solve urban quality-of-life problems such as air pollution and traffic congestion. We plan to update this story soon.
1. Be Prepared, Rhodium’s Abraham Tells Tech Companies That Want a Strategic Exit
NJTechWeekly.com’s most popular story probably accumulated a lot of hits because the speaker provided a vast amount of no-nonsense information. Speaking to a joint meeting of Morris/Chatham Tech Meetup (now called Morris Tech Meetup) and Madison Tech Meetup, George Abraham of Rhodium Strategies (Glen Ridge) delivered an amusing, insightful presentation to a packed room. His topic: strategic exits for VC-funded, emerging growth-stage technology companies.
