Richie Hecker is an entrepreneur, connector and Investor. He is the co-founder and Chairman of inSparq and Chief Catalyst at Traction+Scale. He currently resides in NYC.
Latest entries

How to Hack Marketing: Interview with Teri Ross on 5 Misconceptions of Marketing & Analytics

May 9, 2013
We had the pleasure of interviewing marketing technologist and industry veteran, Teri Ross. Teri has seen the role of the marketer evolve over the last twenty years. In the digital age, effective marketers fill a role that is a cross between the traditional Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Technology Officer. This new role, which Gartner defines as the Chief Marketing Technology Officer (CMTO), leverages strategy, technology, marketing and analytical expertise to help companies exploit and leverage the vast amounts of customer and market data towards... read more

4 Crazy Ideas for FourSquare TO Monetize

Feb 20, 2013
FourSquare is one of the few companies that can market real tangible value to its users. The goal with mobile marketing, specifically, is to market value propositions that don’t disrupt the overall user experience. If I were FourSquare, here are four ways I would monetize my audience… 1. Offline to Web Re-targeting through Facebook Sharing check-in data with an online aggregator like Facebook and allowing local businesses to re-target users from offline that visit their particular location to online through Facebook. Example: I go to... read more

The NY Times Re-Targeting Arbitrage Play

Feb 20, 2013
  It’s a very bold statement, but the NY Times doesn’t need to charge for their content. They just need to hire really intelligent marketers and data analysts who understand arbitrage. If you are reading this and you haven’t played around with segmentation re-targeting on display you are missing out; it is by far one of the coolest features recently launched by most of the re-targeting DPS’s. I just starting playing around with AdRoll who is also plugged into FBX Exchange. The more I play around with re-targeting,... read more
6 Customer Acquisition Hacks

6 Customer Acquisition Hacks

Feb 13, 2013
I know everyone is reading about this new amazing terminology commonly referred to as “Growth Hacking”… It seems like a cool, trendy topic but like most people you walk away scratching your head at the most obvious question.  “How do I apply the growth hacking tips of the Wizards to my start up? ” Below are 6 simple customer acquisition hacks that I always ask my clients when I consult? It usually creates a very clear picture of the goals that they are seeking from their online... read more

Interview with Author of ‘Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World’

Feb 12, 2013
David Burstein has become a recognized, leading expert on how millenials are transforming technology, culture, politics, and every aspect of the world in which we live today. Burstein conveys his message through film, political advocacy, TV commentary, and other forms of media, and most recently, he has published a book, ‘Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World’. He illustrates the way the millennial generation is changing the way people engage in business, politics, and culture. The Bootstrapper Team was lucky enough to... read more

5 Ways to Get The Body of Your Dreams!

Jan 30, 2013
Friends, reposting from Yahoo Voices … http://voices.yahoo.com/5-ways-body-dreams-11992266.html?cat=8#comments   So if you’re like me, you make a lot of promises to yourself at the start of every year. Also, if you’re like me, most of them probably fall down by the wayside. This year, I decided to stop the madness and take control of my own resolutions…. Once upon a time, I was a kickboxer and in great shape. Now I LOOK like I’m in good shape with my clothes on though when my clothes come off,... read more
Blackstone is helping start new ventures – with a surprising twist; It’s not for profit!

Blackstone is helping start new ventures – with a surprising twist; It’s not for profit!

Aug 27, 2012
Blackstone, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers founded by Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson, best known for helping pioneer the structured finance approach that became the crux of the private equity industry, established a Foundation that currently has a $50MM initiative focused on entrepreneurship.   Building on the entrepreneurial roots of the founders, who started Blackstone with $400,000 and a secretary over twenty five years ago, they along with Blackstone employees, seeded The Blackstone Charitable Foundation. The Foundation was created at... read more

The lifecycle of a company

May 30, 2012
Let’s take a quick look at company lifecycle and where VALUE can be found: In bold are the stages where you can usually get the best value / deals.   Also, you can always get ‘value’ investments with good use of preferences. Ie: a 3X liquidity preference can guarantee you the first 3 times your money out of the company. If the company doesn’t raise money after yours it doesn’t matter if the company sells for less than the price you paid since you get... read more

Active Value Investing in Digital Media

May 29, 2012
So I’ve decided to coin a term “Active Value Investing in Digital Media” This is the thesis of my firm, Traction + Scale. So what does it mean?   The thesis behind the firm is that if you put in more work and look to invest where there’s a ton of competition from funds, you can really differentiate and succeed.   Active = Defining Active as being part of the company. Active investing is being hands on, helping build the team, hands on with strategy,... read more

5-7 ways to design a state ecosystem for entrepreneurship

May 26, 2012
I’ve been fortunate enough to develop a relationship with a very pro-active state government. They put out an innovation RFP to help spur innovation in that state. The people working on this are great and I really like them and their passion. The following is my proposal for how to build a unified strategy A. Location is everything: You can’t force developers to move. Focus on the industries you have already and build niche solutions. If for example, one city has deep corporate ties in... read more

Policy Issue #4: 2 ways to massively increase job creation

May 23, 2012
This is a hot button issue – how to create jobs in the most efficient manner. Two suggestions come to mind (disclosure: one of which I am working on and the other I advise). Education is the key to growth. My parents grew up poor and didn’t have a lot of money and always pushed education on us. Education is the key to enlightenment I learned growing up. Education is important though It doesn’t correlate to entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurship is the key to job creation... read more

5 reasons why Crowdfunding is the future of securities fraud

May 23, 2012
The JOBS act repealed much of securities law in the name of job creation. Historically you needed to be an accredited investor who theoretically could afford the risk of investing in private and speculative securities. We’re going to avoid a discussion on the overall merits of how the markets function and if public companies are safer than private companies for a minute and instead focus specifically on the act at hand.   An important thing to note is that it is NEVER easy to raise... read more

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