Tune in Monday...

Voting for the Saluki App Competition starts Monday!  Check in next week at http://siu.launcht.com.

Reminder: Get your Apps Submitted:)

Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day to submit your Saluki App Competition entry!  Please contact me (Amy) if you have questions or need help: techtran@siu.edu or 618 453 4556.

Expert Tips for Saluki App Competitors and Student Entrepreneurs

As part of SIU's Saluki App Competition currently underway, successful app developer Mike Philip, CEO of Rovertown.com, engages in some Q&A and offers to help out competitors with one-on-one meetings.  

Mike Philip is the CEO of Rovertown.com, where 1.4 million college students have enrolled and downloaded the app to access to the RoverTown.com  Student Discount Program at more than 68 colleges and universities. Mike and his team developed their app over several years while enrolled as students themselves at Southern Illinois University. 

Q: RoverTown has come a long way and has overcome a lot of obstacles.  What were a couple of your biggest challenges early on, and how did you overcome them?

A:  When my partners and I first started Rover we envisioned renting a party limo and driving up and down the Carbondale strip after the first week of sales.  You know, reward our sales employees.  The limo will need to have the Rover logo on it.  Should we use magnets or custom vinyl?  Who cares, we will just pay the limo company to figure that out.  After all, money will be falling out of our pockets after 5 days of sales.

Four years later, I’m pretty sure I haven’t ridden in a limo once.  In fact, the harsh reality, according to one Harvard Business Professor, is that 95% of all startups fail.

The biggest challenge you will face as a student entrepreneur is ignorance.  Luckily, the fix is easy.  Talk to as many people as possible.  Tell them what you are doing and ask for advice.  Don’t be afraid that they will steal your idea.  People are busy (and lazy).  The benefit of speaking to people and correcting your ignorance will outweigh the slim chance that someone might  steal your idea.  Ideas are nothing without execution.

Q: RoverTown has been very successful in building a strong following on Facebook and other social media outlets.  How important has this been to your business?

A: Social Media is an important tool for building a following around your business.  As our company has grown from one city (Carbondale) to 68 it has been a challenge to consolidate our social media into one voice.  My suggestion is to build a strong local following and use that as a fire for a national roll out.

In your app, build social into the core utility of your app.  For example, rather than “click here to share with your friends.” Do something like “share with your friends to reap the benefits of my app.” How you accomplish this is up to you to figure out.

Q: A lot of aspiring app creators have problems finding developers/programmers.  What advice would you have for them?

A: Creating the right team is crucial.  You need to have the right mix of personalities and skills to effectively move your company forward.  A programmer, graphic designer, and a sales person would be my minimum recommendation. 

If you are having trouble finding a partner to fill any of these 3 positions, learn how to do it yourself.  I have had to teach myself how to do just about every position within our company.  You don’t need to be an expert, just figure out how to get it done.  Then eventually you will find a specialist to come in and do it really well (and fix everything you screwed up!). 

Don’t waste time thinking “if I only had...”

Q: Once you have your app developed and working, what would you say are the most important things to consider in order to ensure a successful rollout?

A: Determine who your users are and where they hang out.  Get out there and tell them all about it.  You don’t need to spend a bunch of money on advertising.  Be creative.

Q: What is the one thing that you can recommend to any aspiring entrepreneur?

A: Focus.  As your business grows, ideas and opportunities will start coming your way.  You will want to grab them all and run with them.  The right thing to do is to stay focused and do one thing really well.  Don’t start a new project until you have completely dominated your current focus.

Thanks to Mike for his app endeavor insight!  Mike has offered to arrange one-hour meetings with individual Saluki App Competition teams to go over their idea, give them pointers, and serve as their "entrepreneur-in-residence."  This is a great opportunity for teams to work with an existing local business who can show them the ropes.  All you have to do is make your submission to the Saluki App Competition at http://siu.launcht.com - do it now!  Deadline March 29, 2013.

Questions about the Saluki App Competition? Contact Amy McMorrow Hunter, techtran@siu.edu, (618) 453-4556.

©2013 SIU Board of Trustees

Five more days for submissions!

That's including today.:)  Saluki App Competition submissions due this Friday.

Internship opportunity

I received an email about this and thought it could be interesting for SIU students: a summer internship opportunity at Kumbuya.com.

Reminder: Free Lunch and Help Session Tomorrow

The Saluki App Competition deadline for applications is coming up next Friday, March 29. If you have any questions or  need some help, please join us tomorrow, Friday March 22, at Woody Hall C227.  Drop in any time between 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.   RSVP on http://siu.launcht.com/ if you can since we'll be providing sandwiches for RSVP-ers.  If you can't make it tomorrow, please feel free to email (techtran@siu.edu) or call Amy (453-4556).  Happy apping!

SIU Patent Issued: Genetic Modification of Plants for Resistance to Aflatoxin

Congratulations to Dr. Fakhoury and Dr. Lightfoot for the recent issuance of their patent #8,383,887: Methods of using plants containing the gdhA gene.  For more information, contact SIU Technology Transfer.

SIU Startup News: Thermaquatica Licenses to Greenpower

Congratulations to SIU's Dr. Ken Anderson and the Thermaquatica Inc team!   Read the press release from Greenpower Energy Limited's website (pdf).  Excerpt:

GREENPOWER SIGNS MOU WITH THERMAQUATICA TO DEVELOP COAL TO LIQUIDS TECHNOLOGY
5 March 2013
:
Greenpower Energy Limited (ASX:GPP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with US - Thermaquatica Inc to jointly test and develop the Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) process for the conversion of coals to liquids.
 The deal sees Greenpower receive an exclusive license to develop and apply the OHD process on a commercial scale within Australia and New Zealand.
 The OHD process has been developed by Thermaquatica and its CEO Dr Ken Anderson in conjunction with the University Of Southern Illinois (SIU). SIU holds the patent for the process and has previously granted Thermaquatica a universal license over the process to enable the continued push toward its commercialisation.
 “Thermaquatica’s OHD process has the potential to be scaled up to a point where substantial amounts of oil can be produced using coal,” said Greenpower Energy CEO John Watts.  Read more…

Reminder: Coffee Talk Now

Good morning!  Please join us at the Student Center McDonald's between now and 11:00 a.m., to discuss your questions or suggestions related to patents, the Saluki App Competition, startups, whatever you wish.  Coffee and rolls on us!

Tomorrow: First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk

Do you have questions, comments, suggestions about patents, innovation, the Saluki App Competition, or startup activity at Southern Illinois University?  Please join us at the Student Center McDonald's from 9:30-11:00 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, for March's  First Tuesday Tech Transfer Coffee Talk.  In the meantime, hope you have a great Monday!