Code-Lawyer

How Law is Like Software

I have recently been relearning a lot of programming. My focus has mostly been on Javascript because it gets results for what I am building (I am working with AngularJS, NodeJS and LoopBackIO if you are interested). In revisiting programming best practices, I have come to realize that there are many, many parallels between writing…

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10 Reasons My Comic Book Store Failed

It seems a lifetime ago, but once, many years ago, a friend and I owned a comic & games store in Lake Jackson, Texas, called Angry Gorilla Comics & Games, Inc. We opened four months after I graduated college and stayed that way for another 18, until the stress of running a business that was just…

Civic Hack Night, Photo Credit @fileunderjeff

September Startup Events in Houston

Ready to get out now that the mind-scorching heat of August is past us? Here are 4 free events I am really looking forward to this month: Collaborative Consumption & Marketplaces with LEAN Startup Circle What: Learn about the sharing economy and disruptive startups with the CEO of Ayoopa, Wayne Lopez. When: 6:30 PM, Thursday, September 4,…

My page only has 136 likes.

Why Facebook Page Likes are Worthless

Every time I post to my Facebook page for my law firm, Facebook (‘FB’) suggests that I pay for a campaign to drive likes to that page. But, having used FB for quite a while, and having kept up with changes to how FB populates user’s newsfeeds, I know that spending money to drive likes to my page…

Nick mastering the audio for Strataba's video; Ben being himself.

Creating the Explainer Video for Strataba

Though it has been somewhat on the downlow, my friend Nick and I have been working on a new company, Strataba. Two weeks ago we made a video to explain what Strataba does. Check it out at Strataba.com. If you like what we are doing, fill out our comment form at the bottom so we…

Post-Showcase Celebration. Credit @UHRedLabs.

Houston Universities Launch Startups, Awesomeness at Bayou Showcase

Last year, Houston saw the launch of two startup incubator/accelerators: Owlspark at Rice and Red Labs at UH (full disclosure: I am a coug-owl). This year, those two incubators hosted the First Annual Houston Bayou Startup Showcase. It was not a competition, but a collaboration, designed to showoff the best startups our city has to offer.…

Lawyers need to innovate and reach for the stars if they hope to survive. Also, flowers are pretty.

The Law Monopoly is Killing Your Startup

Every week, almost everyday, a budding entrepreneur asks me for help with her startup. The law of business is a large and complex space, and there is no way I can explain to a new business person everything she needs to know. Worse, when it comes to helping the startup with its legal issues, there is no effective…