Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
It’s a well-known fact that Oregon State University punches above its weight when it comes to intellectual property and patents. That being said, translating academic research and development into startups can often be a challenging transition. But when it works, it works. Like it has for Agility Robotics which just raised $150 million.
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If you have spent any time with me talking through the story you’re telling when you’re pitching your startup, I’ve no doubt shared my “Books for Amazon” advice. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s let Jeff Bezos give you some context, circa 1997.
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As 2020 draws, thankfully, to a close, many of us are thinking about what 2021 will bring. And for some folks, a new year is the perfect opportunity for change. Like finding a different job. If you happen to fall into that camp of folks looking for work or looking to jump to something new, here’s a list of 40 job openings that may be of interest to you.
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Looking for a job with Portland tech or startup companies? Well, you’re in luck. Because there are a number of folks on the Silicon Florist job board who are looking for you. Like who? Well, let’s take a look.
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It was only a matter of time. Like cable and wifi access before, the utility of Amazon Alexa and other voice activated products are becoming, well, a utility. And that utility is now on the verge of getting baked into the next apartment you rent.
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When it comes to assessing the health of an ecosystem, startup or otherwise, rather than focusing on the financial aspects — like venture capital or exits — I like to take a look at the metrics of the job market. A bunch of open jobs filling quickly? Healthy. Few jobs or jobs remaining open for long periods of time? Maybe not so healthy.
You have to love Public Market. They’re very much an atypical startup for the Portland area. They’re swinging for the fences as they work to build an ecommerce platform that’s designed to — wait for it — kill Amazon. Yes. That Amazon. And as if that’s not difficult enough? They decided to launch their platform to the public on Cyber Monday, the most server meltingest of days in ecommerce.
On any given day, there are a bunch of hardworking entrepreneurial folks doing their best to build a new life. Only they’re not in offices or coworking spaces. They’re not building storefronts or crafting products. They’re Street Roots vendors. And they’re braving the elements to bring you journalism that addresses poverty and houselessness.
Well, at least we’re consistent. We never managed to get Google Fiber. Even though we submitted an RFP, we weren’t even really in the running for Amazon HQ2. And now, we just missed being the fourth location for the Backstage Capital Accelerator.
If you haven’t talked to voice activated artificial intelligence by now, I’d be kinda surprised. You’ve got Siri, Alexa, Cortana… they’re all over the place. And always listening. But let’s be honest… they don’t always do what you want them to do. So if you’ve got an idea on how they could be better but you feel like you could use some guidance, you might be interested in Alexa Dev Day in Portland.