2. Ideas for Innovators
Leave the office and listen to customers
Taking the time to leave the office and attend conferences can help
you to see the world different and come up with ideas, writes Ken
Tencer, CEO of Spyder Works. Among Tencer's other tips are to pay
attention to what customers have to say and to recognize the value
of those around you. Employees and advisers "generate ideas and
from these ideas come opportunities. Make sure you have a system
to solicit and capture their input," he writes.

3. Finance & Growth
Q1 VC investment reached highest point in more
than a decade
Amid concerns that flagging tech stocks could drag
down startup valuations, venture capital investment
reached $10.74 billion in the first quarter of the year.
That represents an 18% jump from the previous
quarter and is the most invested since early 2001.
However, this money was spread across only 862
deals, a 10% decline from the last quarter of 2013.