I was first introduced to Arie Abecassis, one of the Managing Partners at DreamIt Ventures, back in June this year. At the time, we were doing our bit to support DreamIt programs on the ground in NYC and Philly, a little in Israel, but Arie was keen to do [much] more with Microsoft BizSpark, and told me how much they rated the program.

This blog post was written by Claire Lee, Director of Partnerships at Microsoft BizSpark.

A few weeks later they announced the program with Comcast.

As Arie and I talked about our vision and mission, we seemed to share a similar philosophy for supporting startups. In fact, we both waxed lyrical for ages on what was supposed to be a short call. Arie told me the story behind DreamIt, then – and with pleasure – about the Forbes article that put them in the Top Ten accelerators.

I mentioned some of our partnerships and the work we’re doing all over the globe with accelerators. Arie said he wanted DreamIt to feature here.

Today, they do.

Since then, we’ve seen DreamIt go from strength to strength: more and more of their portfolio companies are getting funded and on a great trajectory; and they announced a fourth location, in Austin, TX. Then came the Fall 2012 program in Philly.

We wanted to enable more of the companies going through these programs benefit from BizSpark and – in particular – from the generous offer that is BizSpark Plus. DreamIt became a BizSpark Plus partner so they can make available up to $60,000 worth of Windows Azure services to startups, when they need it most.

We also wanted a way to reward really great innovation.

One of the suggestions Arie came up with was the idea of selecting four companies – one from each program/location during Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 – to work more closely with Microsoft expert engineers to build out their products. These guys are tagged BizSpark ‘Fellows’.

Basically what that means is, they get a lot of love and attention and we hope that makes a difference to them on their quest for greatness.

Going forward, we’ll publish news on our partner page

In the meantime, read the DreamIt release blog.

Dave McClure's 500 startups announced their new class today, and since 9 of those 33 teams are members are BizSpark teams, we have reason to celebrate. Percentage-wise, Microsoft BizSpark members made up nearly 30% of those teams. 

Here's a rundown of those companies, and what they do. Congratulations to the teams. 

Cinemacraft – Produces an interactive pictorial summary of videos, making video thumbnails come to life

CompStak – Creates transparency in commercial real estate by gathering information that is hard to find, difficult to compile, or currently unavailable

Cubie – A free messenger app for creating drawings and sharing them with friends

Dealflicks – Offers movie tickets and concessions for up to 60 percent off, like Priceline or Hotwire for movie theaters

LaunchGram – Aggregates news about products and launches coming soon in verticals such as movies, electronics, video games, and cars

Privy – An automated digital ad agency that lets customers set a budget and promo, and automatically delivers customers

Repairy – A web-based customer relationship and resource management system for car repair shops and dealerships, integrated with a spare parts marketplace

TouristEye – A travel planner application for the web and mobile devices

WhoAPI – Delivers extensive information about domain data (on a side note, we met the founder of this team in Zagreb at a tweetup held at a bar. Great guy.)

For the Russian speakers out there, here's a very handy series on how BizSpark members AtContent tweaked and worked with Windows Azure to get their company up and running. People who don't read Cyrillic can translate in Bing and enjoy the useful experience. It's important to read it, because they are using Azure as a backend to -- they hope -- transform how publishers and data / media consumers use and share on the web. 

AtContent is an interesting disruption in the publishing industry. I talked to Co-Founders, Alexey Semeney and Nikita Berdnikov on a Skype call this week and got to understand the business a little better. Basically, they want to help transform blogging into a pay for articles business, which may sound like music to big publisher ears, and to the ears of small blogging businesses. But it may suffer from some issues, which Alexey and I talked about -- among them, many successful blogs got started by being free. Who will accept a pivot into something that's pay to read? We'll get into that. But first, what is AtContent, and what does it do?

Check out these links to a TechCrunch demo page and the Financial Times, one of the most successful paid circulation newspapers in the world. This Azure-hosted startup wants to make it easy for anyone to distribute articles through social networks, and then use those social networks (as well as the main pages of publishers) to serve as a kind of e-commerce store for information and media. It's a fascinating idea. If AtContent is in place, you can make your daily reading a kind of hub for media distribution, and, through sharing articles to your social networks, you can take a cut of articles you "sell" to your own readership. It's kind of like making your daily reading into a paper route. If only the music industry would have figured this out first, and made it standard practice.

We love our BizSpark startups, and we love the audacity of this Russian startup trying to do this. We think it will be difficult to change mindsets, but it's not impossible. And it may  even be lucrative and beneficial to large and small publishers in the long run. Continuing to run on advertising dollars forever just doesn't seem a likely scenario, for any mainstream publication. For the best, this seems like a really great practice for any small scale publisher trying to make it big. People who will spread your articles are incentivized to accept some cut of the transaction to get your name out there for you. Spreading through cash rewards. It has worked in so many other areas, from car sales, to coupon clipping. 

When you are building your company, you always end up facing that one hardest thing, or a myriad of hardest things. Every founder has experienced it, and if they haven’t, they really haven’t been a founder. At the most recent FailCon event, we dove into the hardest things Bing Fund general manager Rahul Sood has ever experienced after his talk to a lunch time crowd of founders, developers and investors. We asked him about this thinking around Microsoft’s angel fund.

The Bing Fund was recently created by Microsoft to serve as an angel investor for young startups looking to work in a few areas of the web. 

This post was written by Douglas Crets, Community Manager of Microsoft BizSpark, which offers free software and support to startups less than five years old.

A high school protégée interested in gaming, Bing Fund general manager Rahul Sood developed VoodooPC machines, the first liquid-cooled PCs, with an eye of making the best PCs on the planet. In a nutshell, they were bought -- he turned down Michael Dell, who called him and emailed him personally -- and joined HP. But, as he told a crowd gathered at FailCon in San Francisco on Tuesday, he takes responsibility for taking his eye off the ball and letting HP have too much control over hiring, believing that a bigger company would do its best to bring in the right talent. 

The lesson that Sood offers to startup founders as now general manager of the Bing Fund, based in Bellevue, Washington, is this: "

We asked him what are the essential pieces of what he looks for in a startup, and how he sees the developer and startup ecosystem. We thought it was important to get down to the bottom of what the head of an angel fund thinks about the world he invests in. 

One takeaway from his talk, that sheds some light on this, is that he said that founders and developers should consider Microsoft as a friendly "archangel" investor, that is looking to support startups with access to Bing APIs and other technologies that other startups don't get access to. In contrast to his experience with HP, he says that he feels immediately at home with Microsoft, because it's run by people who want to do good for the world.

Many of you already know this, if you are in BizSpark.

If you are a BizSpark company and would like more information on the Bing Fund, get in touch by leaving your name in our comments section, or sending a message to us on Twitter @BizSpark. Alternatively, you can email me. My email address is on my Twitter Profile. 

If you are not in BizSpark yet, you can join here. All you have to be is less than five years old, making less than one million in revenue a year, and developing software for the cloud. Here are some examples of some BizSpark companies. And, while you don't have to be in BizSpark to be considered for the Bing Fund, it is helpful to be in BizSpark to get connected to the network. 

The Bing Fund currently works with two startups, both in BizSpark, and they are taking on more soon.

Interview

BizSpark: What was the hardest thing you have had to do as an employee? As a founder?

Sood: When we sold VoodooPC to HP, I went from being a founder of a small company to being an employee of a large one. The hardest part was finding the balance between trying to preserve the culture we had at Voodoo and letting go. Although I made some mistakes during that process and some of the lessons I learned were painful, I have learned a ton in the process. 

BizSpark: How do you know you are falling in love with a company to be considered for the Bing Fund? What specifically do you look for in a Bing Fund company?

Sood: Let me say first of all that “falling in love with a company” is dangerous. We try not to get too enamored of any company we’re considering, because doing so could cloud our judgment. The enthusiasm that entrepreneurs have about their startups is infectious and it’s easy to get excited. Ideally we will pick companies that Microsoft will want to acquire or partner with long term. So we have to ask ourselves questions such as: Do they have a mind-blowingly breakthrough idea, or at least a unique one? What’s the level of talent in the company? And finally, how can Bing Fund help? Do we have technology assets or expertise that will get the company to the next level?

BizSpark: Where do you fall on the change habits or make things easier spectrum?

Sood: The benefit must outweigh the cost. People will only change an ingrained habit if it’s easier, less risky, or much more fulfilling to do the same thing some other way. Technology makes it easier to do banking online, so why drive to the bank? It’s less risky to use voice recognition to send texts while driving.

BizSpark:  What are some of the current burdens to development for startups, and how do you address these burdens in your work?

Sood: Many people would say that funding is the major burden but I don’t see it that way. It’s cheaper than ever to get a technology startup going, and there are plenty of sources for support, such as incubators and accelerators that are popping up in every city. Microsoft’s BizSpark program gives startups free software resources for a few years, and there are plenty of free technology stacks out there. I think the major obstacle is talent. Great talent is hard to find, and it’s even harder to keep. One way to keep great talent is to ensure your vision is clear, and the problem you’re solving is real….if this is the case then you should be on a path to success.  That’s what we’re trying to do – help startups succeed.

BizSpark: Why did you decide to go from building a company to funding companies? What is the harder work?

Sood: I think it’s much harder to build a company, but that’s not why I switched gears. I’ve had success (and failures) as an entrepreneur and it’s fulfilling to share what I’ve learned to help other entrepreneurs succeed. I should clarify that what we’re doing isn’t about funding. Funding is just incidental to show we have skin in the game. We’re adding much more value through the access we’re providing to technology and subject matter experts. 

BizSpark: If there was a Rahul Sood’s Book Club, like Oprah’s, what three books would you rollout to begin your club?

Sood: I would recommend Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, which delves into the science of what founders face daily – decision making.  And despite the controversy, Jonah Lehrer’s Imagine – How Creativity Works offers compelling examples on how companies facilitate innovation.

It's time to do a quick roundup of what African entrepreneurs did this past week, while they were building their companies. 

DEMO Africa ended on Friday, but that won't stop us from running our remaining interviews with some of the participants.

Big congratulations go to two of our Microsoft BizSpark members, SASA Africa and Flowgear, who both came away with the coveted DEMO Lion title out of a field of 40.  In truth, the field was much bigger, since this competition was open to all of Africa.

In the run up to DEMO Africa -- and during -- we showcased the work of the several dozen entrepreneurs who bravely presented their ideas to the judges.

Hilda Moraa, MyOrder

What have you learned about managing a technological business that you would pass on to the next generation?

Managing a technological business as an individual is not possible. It requires a team that is passionate, talented and believes in technology as a strategic tool and not the magical solution to solve all problems. Understanding the technological development methodology and processes is also important to facilitate ensure easier management of the business.

I have also learnt that the most important thing is to execute and do it fast. As a technological business is dynamic, hence one needs to execute, release their product, test and validate. Its better to fail early then learn from the feedback that should inform a young business how to validate their products, answer their assumptions and plan effectively what should change or be added as valuable features in order to be successful. Most important, I have learnt it’s important to connect the technology with business. As the technology solution cannot work solemnly, one needs to identify how they can use that technology as an enabler to then solve the real needs that will create revenue or ‘scratch an itch’

What came first for your company – the product idea or your existence on the internet?

The existence of the Internet came first. And it was through this existence that the development of electronic tools, infrastructure, protocols of communication that have then had a huge impact to the development of electronic commerce. Including the rise of telecommunications that has resulted to rapid numbers of mobile subscribers to further facilitate execution of commercial transactions electronically.

Thanks to the growth of the Internet access via mobile phones, many businesses today are not only interested in showcasing their products online, but also allowing their customers to transact by placing orders. Their customers would like to do so through the most convenient device at their disposal: their mobile phones. A need that Myorder retail has bridged by offering a hosted solution that puts a “mobile menu” in the hands of a customer. Items that one has for sale can be selected, and orders placed. Each business gets a simple, attractive mobile web catalog.  Notifications are sent to a designated mobile phone of choice when an order is placed, detailing the name and phone number of the customer, current location, as well as the pricing and details of the order.

Kekeli Buckner, KKYB Productions

What have you learned about managing a technological business that you would pass on to the next generation?

I have learned a lot about managing a technological business but two of the most important things I have learned include the fact that technology keeps developing and in order to stand out as a business in that field we must be abreast with the latest trends in the industry and be innovative too.

I have also learnt to work effectively with my team and not make decisions single handedly because some of them know more than I do in the field of technology. So basically what I would pass on to the next generation is that they should think smart, be creative, work together as a team and keep the right attitude because one cannot know it all. 

Who inspired you the most this week, and why?

For this week I would say Mrs. Gloria Buckman Yankson inspired me most. She is the CEO of Planit Ghana and has been nominated for the 2nd International Award in under a year via the 2012 Ghana UK Based Achievement (GUBA) Awards. I saw it on her facebook profile. Even though I have not spoken to her yet, I have been to events where she was giving a talk and just from listening to her you can almost understand why she is so successful. Her work ethic really inspires me. 

Maxwell Donker, INNOQIK 

What have you learned about managing a technological business that you would pass on to the next generation?

Managing a Technological Business is very interesting. Unlike others Business whose management revolves about Business, with Technological Companies, you not only manage the business but also the technological growth and sustainability of it. One major lesson I have learnt is to one has to keep up with time and if possible be ahed of time. Technology evolves every second. Something that works better and fine today may not be up to the accepted standard the next day. You always have to make your product and business relevant to your client else the business takes a down turn.

What was the most difficult challenge your business faced this year?

Maxwell: Well, we have not been in business for a year yet, but in the short period we have been operating, a major challenge has been the process of taking clients through the learning curve and managing change. Customers always want more even when they were ignorant of the impending need. We have to help them match our services and value proposition to their needs and deliver efficiently.

How do you know when you are failing in Product Development and how do you make a correction - do you make the decision on your own, or do you consult your team?

Most of the time, decisions for corrections is in consultation with the team. This is because the decision to take a particular line or route is initiated by myself but discussed and agreed at the team level. That way everyone buys into the vision and revised to make the most out of that decision. With that in place, when changes are going to be made, every member of the team must be made aware and ready to shift for the change to take place. Identifying failure in Product development is mainly through quality assurance analysis which is also agreed at the initiation of each product segment, that way once we are out of line with our blue print we automatically know something is failing which can either be from a good source or bad.

What signals from your consumers do you look for to signify that you are winning?

Some of the few signals from consumers that signify our product or service is winning is when consumers continue to use our services and ask for more improvement and efficiency. That make me know we are still solving a need and have to make it more efficient. Another is when they are willing to give advice and share ideas t improve service delivery.

Microsoft BizSpark Member Eric Edelstein, EVLY

What have you learned about managing a technological business that you would pass on to the next generation?

Be prepared for a fast but exciting journey, and accept that change will happen constantly in the early stages of growing the business. Every day at evly is an adventure.

What was the most difficult challenge your business faced this year?

evly is a startup, so of course, funding, funding, funding! The other thing is that as evly is in such a new cutting edge industry, the evly team spends a lot of energy and effort educating the marketplace.

Who would you like to be your mentor, and what would you ask him or her?

For most of my life, I would have said Richard Branson, but in the last few years, after reading the "7 Day Weekend", I would jump at the opportunity to be mentored by Ricardo Semler, who has steered the fastest growing company in South America, SEMCO.

Who is your mentor, and what was the last great thing he or she told you and your team?

I have a number of mentors - the last coffee I had with one of my mentors, they told me their story of how they built up their business's - that kept me inspired for days.

What has overjoyed you in the past month?

Obviously, the number 1 item was when evly was chosen as one of the top 40 in the Demo-Africa competition, allowing us to represent South Africa in Kenya in October. Also, every time we get feedback from one of the organisations using the evly software that they're getting the desired results from our software, it gets me overjoyed.

Who inspired you the most this week, and why?

The evly team - they are the most passionate team I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

When was the last time you fell in love with a product?

About 10 minutes ago when I last looked at the evly website, and saw what we were creating.

What does something in your business vertical need in order for the product to be successful?

The organisations who use our software need to have the ability to realise that organisations who succeed in the future will need to have "constructive engagement" with their customers & fans in order to be successful.

What came first for your company – the product idea or your existence on the internet?

We came up with an idea for evly, and then launched the company, and although we've pivoted a number of times to refine the product idea, the long term vision has always remained consistent.

Is the lean startup process a type of marketing, or is marketing different from customer and product development?

The "lean startup" should be a mindset for the company, as a whole. Get the forward momentum going as quickly as possible, test constantly, iterate, and change quickly and nimbly when required.

How does your company utilize next generation marketing techniques?

evly is a next generation company as a whole - our marketing follows that.