Podcasts about upsie

Join Chris and Anne for a candid conversation with Clarence Bethea, investor and executive in residence at True Ventures, as he shares his incredible journey from a troubled youth to startup success with Upsie and becoming a VC. Clarence discusses how AI is shaping the future of retail and startups, the importance of empathy and honesty in funding decisions, and share practical advice for early-stage entrepreneurs, including why early money matters. Key Moments: (1:00) Clarence's personal journey from Georgia to VC success (3:00) Building Upsie and disrupting the warranty market (7:00) True Ventures' focus on seed-stage investments and AI (11:00) Challenges for women and black founders in securing funding (17:00) The importance of having 3 key people in your entrepreneurial journey (22:00) Advice for entrepreneurs on persistence and overcoming breaking points #startupfunding #vcinsights #entrepreneuradvice #aiinvestments

We are worried about what the future holds for our buddy UPSIE now that UPS is laying off 400 workers in Colorado. Reba is warning people about a prevalent online scam where people are abusing her identity.

We are worried about buddy, UPSIE.

BJ had some inspectors come by his house and look at his basement project. He failed. Meghan Fox is pregnant with MGKs kid. We are worried about what the future holds for our buddy UPSIE now that UPS is laying off 400 workers in Colorado. Reba is warning people about a prevalent online scam where people are abusing her identity. BJ wants to know if there is a point in time you would return to and then start over from there. Did you use 23 and me? The genetic database company is going bankrupt and might be selling your genetics.YIPPIE YOOPIE YOU FOUND SILLY POOPY

(00:12) ¡Bienvenidos al NortCast! El Podcast Olímpico.(11:23) Fe de la Rata: Capitan Guarniz.(13:43) Nortbits:Apple MapsSearchGPTMeta AILlama 3.1(29:08) Toy Story 3 Live Action

Jamie's delivery man boyfriend has been missing the last few weeks. BJ caught up with up with UPSIE in the parking lot on Friday to find out where he has a been.

Hour 2 - Jamie's delivery man boyfriend has been missing the last few weeks. BJ caught up with up with UPSIE in the parking lot on Friday to find out where he has a been. It rained during yesterday's Broncos game and people took to social media to complain about the people using umbrellas over ponchos. Two new victims of the 9-11 attack have recently been identified. Over 1000 people remain unidentified. Why do so many real housewives end up in prison? 

The Buffs blew out the Huskers this weekend! They moved from being ranked 22nd to 18th in the country. Jamie could find any batteries to fix her fire alarm last night. She was up all night being tortured by the BEEPS. Ashton Kucther and Mila Kunis put out a statement about letters they had written to the judge sitting on the Danny Masterson case. Jamie's delivery man boyfriend has been missing the last few weeks. BJ caught up with up with UPSIE in the parking lot on Friday to find out where he has a been. It rained during yesterday's Broncos game and people took to social media to complain about the people using umbrellas over ponchos. We will never forget the tragedy of 9-11-2001. Why do so many real housewives end up in prison? We feel bad for the CSU Rams. Ever since Coach Prime showed up at CU no one but us has mentioned the Rams at all. Now that the Buffs vs Rams game is coming around we wonder if we should stick with the Rams. BJ and his kid were out getting stuff at home depot after his T-ball game. BJ really wanted a hot dog but the vendor was gone! American's hate Meghan Markle, but Carson loves her because she is on Suits. Despite losing yesterday the Broncos did look improved. 

Hour 3 - No one has pulled over to ask SMH Dil for the joke of the day. Listing your task for the day helps you accomplish them. We have noticed that we haven't seen Jamie's UPS boyfriend around the building.  

Jamie's pretend boy friend UPSIE is gettin a raise! 

Yesterday when BJ and Jamie were leaving BJ told Jamie to hide when her UPS boyfriend was coming by.

Jamie's and her UPS boyfriend are perfect love story made for a Lifetime movie.

Hour 2 - BJ is home alone because his wife and kid are out of town. Jamie says she realizes now that he is home alone he is a Bimbo. Jamie's and her UPS boyfriend are perfect love story made for a Lifetime movie. Watch out for super pigs! 

The Inflation Reduction Act passed the House - get ready for more inflation, more IRS agents, and more threats to our freedoms. PLUS, Sam Sorbo tells Shaun about the lies in American education in UPSIE's new documentary "Truth & Lies in Education" - available on SALEMNOW.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Take-Two! After a recording issue from the previous night, the boys are back at it again to re-record Episode 40. Flashback to last week, Tom and Beef discuss some updates they've received over a few topics from the last episode such as Hank the Tank, Are you culturally ignorant, Russia-Ukraine conflict and Putin, and Go Carts on Ice. Then Beef goes into the most elaborate, yet absolutely ridiculous, airport story anyone has ever heard while Tom is concerned about some upcoming travel with his friend Doug. To wrap it all up, the Snake Draft of the night is "Best Emojis"! 

Today we have the inspiring story of Clarence Bethea, who Michael connected with this week at a recent event. Clarence is the CEO of Upsie, a warranty company which saves its customers anywhere from 50% to 90% compared to competitor warranty plans. While his main area of focus is not trucking, Clarence found himself on the path of personal and professional growth through an opportunity that began in the trucking industry.  Throughout the conversation you'll hear how Clarence transformed himself from a talented basketball player with a criminal history and not much education to being mentored by the former COO of Best Buy.  His experiences in trucking and mentorship helped shape him into the businessman he is today and have value for anyone looking to lead teams and scale businesses to their real potential.  Be sure to connect with him on Linkedin and check out Upsie.com! 

Victor Gutwein, an investor and Managing Partner at M25, shares insightful stories and authentic examples of how startups evolve in the Midwest. He also reflects on opportunities for both founders and investors as the startup ecosystem there develops.In this episode, you'll learn:[6:56] Why is it challenging for founders in the Midwest to find real risk-seeking capital?[11:44] How does a conservative mindset influence founders to sacrifice hypergrowth for modest profits?[16:23] Midwest startups should capitalize on the natural advantage of being closer to customers than coastal startups.[25:02] Why is managing cultural pressure becoming more important to founders?Non-profit that Victor is passionate about: FAITHTECHABOUT GUEST SPEAKERVictor Gutwein is an investor and Managing Partner at M25. He's an entrepreneur, economist, and strategist aiming to create value in the Midwest by investing in early-stage startups. Victor grew up in Northwestern Indiana before moving to Chicago to study economics at the University of Chicago. He has worked in corporate retail fashion and e-commerce and also has entrepreneurial experience building a vending machine business, kick scooter company and the board of UChicago's first student-run venture fund. ABOUT M25M25 is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm investing solely in companies headquartered in the Midwest. Their portfolio companies include Authentic, Joshin Care, Branch, Upsie, and Qooper.Next Week's EpisodeIn next week's episode, we have a special guest, Nick Moran, Founder and General Partner at New Stack Ventures, where we chat about what he looks for in founders and why it's different from what Silicon Valley VCs search.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.Follow us: Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Clarence Bethea is founder and CEO of Upsie, a technology company offering consumers an alternative when purchasing extended warranties for electronics like mobile devices and home appliances. He recently closed an $18 million Series A funding round. On this episode, Clarence speaks with Will Lucas about raising large startup financing rounds, capital intensive launch strategies, and how to make warranties sexy. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at @willlucas Learn more about other Black tech disruptors and innovators at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

On this week’s episode we welcome Clarence Bethea, Founder and CEO of Upsie.   Hype TimeEvery episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Clarence gives a shout out to James Jones Jr., Founder of Audience.  tech.mn on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterClarence Bethea on TwitterUpsie on Twitter   Links Upsie WebsiteUpsie Announces $18.2 Million Series ABETASaint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

hey... again?!

About Clarence Bethea:From the streets & lack of discipline to running his own company. Clarence is a perfect example of making the most of each situation. In this episode, Clarence states that "You'll never be successful by doing what you are asked, you need to do more". And he embodies this mentality perfectly which led him to meeting the COO of Best Buy and being brought in by him to eventually branching off to begin his own company. His story is nothing short of inspirational and you're sure to love getting to know him.What You'll Learn:✅ Clarence's childhood hardships✅ His journey from worst basketball player to collegiate player✅ Breaking into YMCA✅ How Clarence is "fueled differently"✅ Going above and beyond✅ Stayed true to vision of Upsie

Geld? Oh Gott Geld! Oh Gottohgottohgott. Aaaaagh!!! Formulare? Oh ich hab schon wieder 2 Wochen nicht in meinen Briefkasten geguckt. Upsie, hab ich vergessen (habe nur jede Sekunde der letzten Woche daran gedacht, dass ich es noch machen musste, aber hab ich halt nicht) Tja. Oh, Inkasso. Aaaah!!! Hilfe!!!HOME Podcast Episode 51, »Money Sobriety« mit Meadow DeVor 

As usual, sha girl is checking in with y'all! I'm having a hard time on trying to find topics to talk about. Miss you all!!

On Episode 59, Kevin and Jac welcome Tyrre Burks, CEO and Founder of Player’s Health. Tyrre shares the twists and turns of his entrepreneurial journey and his passion for positively impacting sports.   This Episode is Powered by Traction with Troy   Let’s face it, business ownership can be really challenging at times, and you may wonder if your dreams are ever going to take hold. Running effective teams takes a lot of energy and time. Profitability is always on your mind and you look forward to your business producing results, rather than chasing after them.   Entrepreneurs can’t possibly do it all, let alone know it all. But given the right tools, they can reach heights in their organization they never thought possible.That is why Traction with Troy was developed.   The power of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS®) is a methodology of practical and real world tools and timeless concepts that have been around for years. EOS has been implemented by thousands of companies all around the world and is revolutionizing the way sustainable business growth is occurring. EOS® is designed to turn an entrepreneur’s visions into reality.   Traction with Troy is about helping business owners utilize their talents and abilities to thrive in their businesses and attain the lifestyle they desire. To start a conversation with Troy check out his website at Traction with Troy.   Hype TimeEvery episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Tyrre gives a shout out to Clarence Bethea, CEO/Founder of Upsie. Check out Clarence’s episode here.  Socials tech.mn on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterTyrre Burks on TwitterPlayer’s Health on Twitter Links Player’s Health Website

Clarence Bethea, CEO and Consumer Advocate for Upsie introduces  A New Option to Protect Your Purchase  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest on #MWL is Clarence Bethea, founder, and CEO of Upsie. We talk about entrepreneurship, his experience with VC and accelerators, and the current state of Black leadership in tech. Also... how the good people in Minneapolis are doing.

*Note* This episode was recorded in December 2019 On Episode 31, Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, community manager for tech.mn, welcome Clarence Bethea, CEO and founder of Upsie, to talk about the transition from founder to CEO. Clarence shares the top three things he is focused on as CEO of Upsie. We talk about the power of the network, as well as his experience in raising capital. We explore the definition of balance as a founder and Clarence discusses the support he receives from his family. Lastly, Clarence shares his prediction of the future for the MN Tech and startup ecosystem. Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Clarence gives a shout out to Damola Ogundipe, CEO of Civic Eagle. Sponsor:Thank you to Arthur Ventures for sponsoring this episode of The tech.mn Podcast. Arthur Ventures invests in B2B software founders beyond Silicon Valley and takes a partner approach to venture capital. They support tech entrepreneurship in Minnesota. You can learn more about them at their website and hear about their latest raise here.  Socialstech.mn on TwitterKevin McArdle on TwitterJac Stark on TwitterClarence Bethea on TwitterUpsie on Twitter Links:UpsieTechstarsRyan Broshar’s episode on The tech.mn Podcast

Growing up on an Iowa farm taught Ryan Broshar about taking risks and working hard. And it made him realize at an early age that he’d rather sell the corn than harvest it. His first startup, a university-based publication business called University Guide, grew out of an entrepreneurship class assignment at the University of Minnesota. It became a profitable business that Broshar sold two years out of college. While pursuing an MBA at Colorado University-Boulder, he got involved in the emerging startup community and worked for an investment fund. It was 2008—“the economy was crashing, but (tech startups) weren’t going down; they were thinking forward.” When he and his wife moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family, Broshar saw an opportunity to support the Twin Cities startup community. He co-founded BetaMN, a support system for founders that puts on a showcase-style event to connect founders with investors. Next, he co-founded Twin Cities Startup Week, which has become a national draw, attracting large companies and investment dollars to Minnesota. He was instrumental in bringing the Tech Stars Retail Accelerator program to Minnesota, and served as managing director for four years before leaving to concentrate on Matchstick Ventures, a seed stage firm focused on early stage tech companies in the Midwest and Rockies. In 2019, Matchstick raised $30 million in its second round. The fund has invested in 50 companies to date including Upsie and Inspectorio. “What I really liked about my own startup was the start,” Broshar says. “I like the zero to one of building a company. One to 10, I get kind of bored and start thinking, what’s the next idea? When you’re investing, you’re always starting. It’s a great fit for me.” Early stage investing appeals to Broshar because of the mentorship component. “You have to have empathy for the founder and understand there are going to be pivots. When you’re an early investor in an early stage company, it’s part financial support, part cheerleader, party psychologist. Being a founder is a lonely road and a lot of times, they look to investors as their strength.” What do Broshar and his Matchstick partner look for in startups? “We like to support founders that are underdogs. That come from untraditional backgrounds. People who have the feeling they were put on Earth to solve this problem. They’re obsessed with what they’re doing.” Being a venture capitalist isn’t for everyone. “You’ve got to love coffee,” Broshar says—only half jokingly, describing the significant amount of time he devotes to meeting potential founders, partners and investors. And you have to get comfortable saying no. “The Midwesterner in me wants to please everyone,” Broshar says. “It really comes down to: Is this a fit, is it a good use of my time. I’m trying to be very clear about the kind of stuff Matchstick likes to invest in. And if I can make connections, I'm happy to do that.” As for the VC world in general: “Venture capital is insanely risky,” Broshar says. “It’s the only profession in the world where you can be wrong the majority of the time and still be the best at it.” After our conversation with Broshar, we go back to the classroom with the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. Entrepreneurship professor John McVea points out that less than half of a percent of all startups get venture funding. Of them, less than 1 percent make it to $1 billion in value, but those “unicorns” as they’ve come to be known, generate the lion’s share of publicity. While VC money is less prevalent than the media would have you believe, “Venture capital has had a huge cultural influence,” McVea says. “Along with the VC model came the idea of the lean startup: get a quick product out the door really fast, try it, measure and learn, pivot, redesign. It’s opened the door to a lot of people who would have been reticent—afraid they didn’t have the perfect idea. Many entrepreneurs learn as they go.”

On Episode 10 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN, welcome Josh Fedie, founder of SalesReach, on The Tech.MN Podcast to reminisce about Girbaud jeans and learn what a follow-on round is. Bonus: Josh wrote a jingle for the Tech.MN Podcast and debuts it on air with the help of Kevin and Jac.   Josh shares his journey of building a product from the baby steps of getting validation, to putting together a team, and raising money. We talk about the stress of being a founder and Josh's experience growing up in an entrepreneurial household. He shares (almost) all his secrets to selling with us and gets candid about the key to success in selling.   We explore Josh's strategy for for content and his podcast, The Founder's Mentality, and dive into the themes that have begun to arise from it including failure, the growth mindset, and dealing in stressful environments.    Josh shares what he likes about the Minnesota tech and startup ecosystem, as well as what sucks. Get ready to take some notes!   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Josh gives a shout out to Clarence Bethea, founder of Upsie.    Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders. Visit Redpath’s website and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter Josh Fedie on LinkedIn Links: SalesReach - Josh’s company focusing on true sales enablement. Studio Americana - We give a shoutout to Studio Americana, where we record all of the Tech.MN podcasts The Founder's Mentality - Josh’s podcast featuring interviews with startup founders. We chat about themes and call out a recent episode with Shalya Christine. Invision - Josh mentions Invision, a prototyping tool. Find it here. 

On Episode 5 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, community manager of Tech.MN welcome Casey Schultz and Reed Robinson on The Tech.MN Podcast to talk about the importance of Zoom skills and also the most anticipated #MNtech event of the year.    We get into the history of BETA and the birth and evolution of Twin Cities Startup Week. Casey shares what to expect for this year’s celebration including new community hubs in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and centralized event tracks.    We get into why Twin Cities Startup Week exists, how partnerships are expanding between the community and local corporations, and some of the cool events to check out during the week. We discuss the direction of Twin Cities Startup Week in the future. The phrase ‘A South by Southwest with Substance’ may or may not have been thrown around. Listen to find out!   Hype Time Every episode we ask our guest to name drop someone doing cool things in the tech community. Casey gives a shout out to Caroline Karanja of 26 Letters and Hack the Gap and Reed hypes Clarence Bethea of Upsie.    Sponsor: Thank you to Redpath and Company CPAs. Redpath and Company is geared to best serve established or growing privately-held tech companies and their stakeholders.  Visit www.RedpathCPAs.com and find out how you can get your business to the next level.   Socials Tech.MN on Twitter Kevin McArdle on Twitter Jac Stark on Twitter Twin Cities Startup Week on Twitter BETA on Twitter Casey Shultz on Twitter Reed Robinson on Twitter   Links: Twin Cities Startup Week - Learn more and find the schedule for Twin Cities Startup Week

Clarence Bethea (Twitter, LinkedIn) is the founder of Upsie — a company that sells extended warranties for consumer electronics. But Clarence isn't a typical startup founder. He didn't go to an ivy league university. He doesn't live in Silicon Valley. And entrepreneurship wasn't even on his radar as a kid. He had a rough childhood. And most of the time, his biggest concern was finding food, and surviving until the next day. “If you had asked me when I was ten years old, what do you want to be when you grow up, my answer was always the same, and that was “alive”. I still remember my mom saying to me, you're going to be dead or in prison by the time you're 18. And, so for me, I had this running joke for a long time, I just want to make it to be an old man. I feel like that would be a success for me. And, even today I fight towards that.” Learn more about The Journey at mission.org/thejourney. The Journey is sponsored by our friends at Salesforce Essentials. We use Salesforce Essentials every day and it's part of our own business journey. Essentials combines sales and service tools in a single app to help small businesses win customers and keep them happy. See how Salesforce Essentials can help you be your best business at salesforce.com/thejourney

Clarence Bethea does not fit the typical venture capitalist’s profile of a promising founder. He grew up in a broken home, got into trouble with the law, dropped out of college. But when he started working in a group home with vulnerable adults, something clicked. Through a series of jobs and mentorships, he realized what he was meant to do: start something. “My heart and soul is built to build something big.” In 2015, he launched Upsie, a warranty app designed to make it easier and more affordable for consumers to protect their purchases. Very quickly, Bethea pitched Upsie for the Techstars business incubator program and since then, it has grown 300 percent every year, with customers in all 50 states. Bethea has raised $8.5 million for Upsie, despite odds stacked against him. “People invest in people who look like them. Venture capitalists are mostly white guys. I definitely don’t look like them.” Bethea talks about the challenges of raising money and the vast inequities that exist in the VC space. “if I was a white guy in Silicon Valley, I’d have a lot more money,” he says. “The vision is that big. Warranties are a $47 billion industry that hasn’t been tapped into from a consumer standpoint.” His plan now? Focus on growing Upsie, and mentor other minority entrepreneurs. “We’re going to see more entrepreneurs of color creating great businesses. They’re just going to outshine everyone else.” After our conversation with Bethea, we go back to the classroom with the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. Katherina Pattit, associate professor of ethics and business law, shares strategies for overcoming bias in business. “We know from research that once someone knows what his or her biases are, they have an opportunity to start counteracting that.”

New episodes of By All Means are on the way! We talk to entrepreneurs, CEOs, authors and visionaries. Leaders who make business work in Minnesota. Coming up this season: the founders of CaringBridge, College Nannies & Tutors, Woodchuck USA, Flyfeet Running, Upsie and many others. Plus tips and tactics that may apply to your next venture. Get ready to be inspired.

Tech, Beats & Bytes - June 5, 2019 with LaToya Stirrup & Michael Hall This week we discuss Figgers, VuPulse, Detox, Ikea, Analytics, Tech Legislation & Cops, Alphabets & Apple, AirBNB, #BlackTwitter, @Upsie, JayZ, Peaches or Oranges in Film, See Us, SZA, In These Streets & Todays Ignorance - #TechBeatsBytes #DigitalGrass Remember to #comment, #like and #share. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tech, Beats & Bytes - June 5, 2019 with LaToya Stirrup & Michael Hall This week we discuss Figgers, VuPulse, Detox, Ikea, Analytics, Tech Legislation & Cops, Alphabets & Apple, AirBNB, #BlackTwitter, @Upsie, JayZ, Peaches or Oranges in Film, See Us, SZA, In These Streets & Todays Ignorance - #TechBeatsBytes #DigitalGrass Remember to #comment, #like and #share. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If learning how to increase revenue and make more money for your business is a skill you’ve been looking to acquire or fine-tune, please join us for this Q&A series. The goal of this gathering is for attendees to authentically receive process design, tools used, and tips on what works to successfully grow revenue. This is a natural interview style format that will give you a peek into some of the top sales minds that propelled the growth of companies like When I Work, Workday, Microsoft, Magnet360 and more. This series is for entrepreneurs, small businesses, intraprenuers, solopreneurs, nerds, creators, inventors & everyone in between! This Month's Guest : : Clarence Bethea “A closed mouth don’t get fed.” Wise words from April’s Coffee&Closers guest Clarence Bethea. Listen in to hear how this CEO sold his way out of the streets of Atlanta and raised $3.5m in venture backed funding to help his company, Upsie tackle the warranty monopoly head on. His incredible story of grit, perseverance and overcoming all odds has been featured in national publications such as Fast Company, Black Enterprise and The Observer. Learn sales, marketing and how to raise capital from a leader who has truly walked the talk. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coffee--closers/support

Jeff Kern from Upsie sits down with Scrum Under Siege and tells us about what life is like running agile at a start up. We talk about comparing corporate agile vs start up agile, what its like not to have a scrum master or QA, haircuts, boiling frogs and spending time on the cloud. An informative and entertaining chat. This episode is sponsored by MNRegister's jobs page. MNRegister has the best local jobs, just for you! www.mnregister.com/jobs

As Founder and CEO of Upsie, Clarence Bethea joins me to talk about how essential it is to not only have a trusted mentor but to become one yourself.

Founded in 2015 by Clarence Bethea, Upsie is an insurance technology company changing the way device warranties are purchased, managed and serviced.  In this episode, Clarence tells the story of how he learned about his opportunity in the marketplace, how he got the first version of his product made, and what it was like to raise money via TechStars. Clarence also explains the thing that keeps him motivated and excited everyday.

Clarence Bethea, the founder and CEO of Upsie, is one of those inspirational founders that seems to be on another level than most attain. David and Justin sit down with the founder of the “product warranty killer” and talk about Clarence’s unique journey to today, the problem they’re solving at Upsie, and what it’s like to be the founder of a tech company in the midwest. You’re gonna love it.

In this #KeyCast we sit down with Clarence Bethea a local tech entreprenuer, where we discuss his journey of running a startup, its challenges, as well as his process of raising $1.7 million for his startup company, Upsie.

Upsie is a mobile app platform that provides an easier & better way to protect your stuff. You get the same warranties and coverage offered by other companies, but at an affordable price. Upsie is an alum of the Techstars Retail accelerator and is based in Minneapolis, MN.//Clarence Bethea is the founder and CEO of Upsie.learn more about Upsie: https://upsie.com/follow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm

Special Guest: Jenna Pederson, Minnestar board member and Hack the Gap cofounder Riffing points Upsie closes $1.7m seed round funding Two MN tech startups, SparkDJ and Players Health, leave MN to join Techstars programs in Los Angeles and Boulder Casey’s rant on startup moving away Tech ecosystem observations from Jenna Pederson What Minnebar is and what’s in store for 2018

One big story soaked up all the attention in this part of the week and, like any good controversy in the the mobile technology space, it has to do with Apple. Did it admit to planned obsolescence for its iPhones, despite its insistence? Are you worried about your phone's battery (again)? We discuss that and take on a listener's question on the hopes of Title II repeal, the end of net neutrality and "better" consumer options for cheaper all on this episode of the Pocketnow Weekly Podcast! Watch the video recorded from 3:00pm Eastern on December 29th, or check out the high-quality audio version right here. You can shoot your listener emails to podcast@pocketnow.com for a shot at getting your question read aloud on the air the following week! Pocketnow Weekly 285 Recording Date December 29, 2017 Host Juan Carlos Bagnell Producer Jules Wang Sponsor Support for the Pocketnow Weekly comes from Upsie. Upsie helps customers save up to 70 percent on warranties and insurance plans for what they buy — including things like holiday gifts purchased weeks ago! Users can keep track of those warranties, what they cover and even receipts with the convenient and free Upsie app. You can head to upsie.com and use promo code "POCKETNOW" for 10 percent off your first purchase. Thanks to Upsie for their sponsorship! Slowing it down 3:47 The years-long saga of people complaining about how Apple is slowing their iPhones has come to a head. The company first admitted to it, saying that it induced processing limitations in software updates for older phones to prevent freak shutdown scenarios related to chemically-aged batteries. Then, after terrible backlash from people who felt like this prescription slowed their devices down too much, the company apologized for the behavior. We dig into the amelioration, the scope of how many iPhones have been affected and whether these aspects should be expanded on the company's behalf. Are the multi-billion dollar lawsuits justified? Will they succeed? Also, if it was to the customers' benefit, why didn't Apple explain its behavior in the first place? Should Android manufacturers adopt this practice — with proper disclosure? Mailbag 42:38 Will the repeal of net neutrality actually increase competition? Well, it depends on how you define the nature of "competition." We also answer questions on Twitter via the #PNWeekly hashtag! • See you soon! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: our picks for the BEST Apple Gadge of 2017

The FBI has dropped its case against Apple: http://recode.net/2016/03/28/fbi-drops-iphone-case-against-apple-after-outside-hack-succeeds/ Moltz is getting the iPhone SE: https://sixcolors.com/post/2016/03/iphonesereview/ We also discuss the 9/7-inch iPad Pro, naturally: http://www.imore.com/97-ipad-pro OS X turns 15: http://512pixels.net/2016/03/mac-os-x-turns-15/ iOS 9.3 has a deep linking bug: http://9to5mac.com/2016/03/29/apple-ios-9-crashing-bugs-when-tapping-links-fix-software-update/ Apple has fixed the iOS 9.3 activation bug: http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/28/apple-releases-updated-ios-9-3/ Our thanks to Upsie (http://upsie.com), the new way to warranty. Don't get those overpriced in-store warranties, go to Upsie.com and use the coupon code "REBOUND" to get 10 percent off your first two purchases. Our thanks also go to Harry's (harrys.com). Harry's sells premium shaving products for much less than those crappy blades that you have to get someone to unlock from a cabinet. Get $5 off your first order with coupon code "REBOUND". Don't wait, get the shave you deserve.

Clarence Bethea is the Founder and CEO of Upsie.  The Upsie app and platform protects your devices and appliances at affordable prices. Their mobile app is revolutionizing the warranty industry. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn Clarence's Summary Bio: Clarence is the Founder & CEO of Upsie, which is a free mobile app that now gives us the power of making warranty decisions directly to the consumer Clarence has worked with several startups and Fortune 500 companies & previously helped launch other ventures, including 2nd Chance Staffing; 43 Hoop and Gravelick He had this frustrating laptop warranty experience, and realized there was a significant opportunity to reinvent the warranty industry. And so using his wealth of business knowledge and new found passion for improving the warranty experience, he worked to make warranty purchasing simple, fun and educational for consumers. Hear a sneak peak of Clarence in this episode: 'When you surround yourself with #winners you just start to win' @clarence_bethea @UpsieHQ https://t.co/XkDLKHEFJe pic.twitter.com/8JBowX09rZ — Trailblazers Podcast (@tbpod) April 24, 2016 In this episode, we discussed: What inspired Clarence to get into entrepreneurship What he was doing prior to Upsie and how his prior failure helped his start with Upsie His process to go about raising funds to get Upsie started Talked about a fear he had getting Upsie going and how Clarence overcame it How he's been able to bring brand awareness to Upsie The effect of family on his life and business How Clarence keeps motivated and out of comfort zones Why it's important to volunteer & give back  Much more Links and resources mentioned: Upsie website Upsie on Twitter Upsie Discount Code: Twitter15 Clarence's Fav Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz Thanks for Listening! We appreciate you visiting our site today and for helping to bring awareness to the Trailblazers.FM podcast. Please leave an honest review for The Trailblazers Podcast on iTunes & Stitcher! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to get automatic updates! It’s free! Subscribe / Listen on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn

This week we talk about Apple's announcements. The iPhone SE: http://www.apple.com/iphone-se/ The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro: http://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/ Apple also has some new Watch bands: http://www.apple.com/shop/watch/bands Tim Cook first spoke about the FBI case: https://sixcolors.com/post/2016/03/apple-shifts-focuses-from-small-products-to-big-issues/ Our thanks to Upsie (http://upsie.com), the new way to warranty. Don't get those overpriced in-store warranties, go to Upsie.com and use the coupon code "REBOUND" to get 10 percent off your first two purchases. Our thanks also to Casper (https://casper.com/therebound) for sponsoring this episode. Casper makes mattresses from responsive materials to ensure great sleep for nearly everyone. You spend about a third of your life sleeping, make sure it's on a good mattress. Go to casper.com/therebound to start your 100-day money-back trial. You'll get $50 off by using the code REBOUND.

Blackbox is a very clever new game that is simply too smart for Moltz: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blackbox-think-outside-box/id962969578?mt=8 Face Swap Live can lead to terrifying results: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/face-swap-live-switch-faces/id1042987645?mt=8 Scrivener is a great writing app for the Mac: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scrivener/id418889511?mt=12 Moltz fondly remembers the original ad for Checkmark: https://vimeo.com/47286048 Lex liked the Notarize! ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GeR8XTWR3M There have been a lot of betas for iOS 9.3: http://forums.imore.com/ios-9/353588-ios-9-3-beta-7-public-live.html Our thanks this week to Mack Weldon (https://www.mackweldon.com). Mack Weldon makes glorious underwear to hold your bits in the way they deserve, anti-microbially. It is truly awesome stuff. So go to mackweldon.com and use the promo code "REBOUND" to get 20 percent off your order. Our thanks also to Upsie (http://upsie.com), the new way to warranty. Don't get those overpriced in-store warranties, go to Upsie.com and use the coupon code "REBOUND" to get 10 percent off your first two purchases. Our thanks also go to Harry's (harrys.com). Harry's sells premium shaving products for much less than those crappy blades that you have to get someone to unlock from a cabinet. Get $5 off your first order with coupon code "REBOUND". Don't wait, get the shave you deserve.