A Secure Smartphone, Thanks to John Hering

Each day, thousands of people each download several apps from mobile app stores, without having to concern themselves with security. Screens are soon filled with dozens of icons and quick links to Facebook and Twitter,  as well as other games, photo apps and music. Unbeknownst to them, however, is the possibility that these downloads contain Trojan horses, viruses, or other malicious malware – any of which can affect their phone’s performance. So what should they do to protect themselves?

There’s no better person to ask than John Hering. A self-confessed pre-teen computer hacker, Hering is famous for being able to extend the range of a Bluetooth-enabled device to 1.2 miles. But that’s not all he can do. Hailed as one of the best young tech entrepreneurs by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Hering is the co-founder and CEO of Lookout, a cloud-based smartphone security company. They not only develop security software to counter malicious software, they also offer data backup and phone recovery services.

Many people say that Hering lives and breathes smartphone mobile security, and they’re right. Prior to Lookout, he ran a non-profit company called Unwire Iraq, which offered wireless networks to U.S. troops.  He also created Daily Wireless, which is an online news and information source.  But neither of those two outfits can be compared to either Hering’s third company or the story of how he started it.

Hering and his team started thinking about smartphone security long before anyone had even thought they were possible. Back in 2005, he did a study to determine which attendees of that year's Oscars had mobile phone infections. Through a software script, he was able to discover that over a hundred attendees were carrying unsafe phones. This feat provided valuable information about the vulnerability of smartphones. It was the best campaign that anyone could have possibly imagined. It also became a platform for the launch of their company.

Today, Hering is not only one of the best tech entrepreneurs, but one of the most lucrative as well.

Angelo Sotira’s deviantART, Online Home to Artists

Would-be tech entrepreneurs today are focused on developing the next big thing. Unfortunately, their ideas rarely become mainstream for a variety of reasons. It can be because the technology is too expensive, the idea was poorly implemented, or even because the consumers are not yet ready for it. However, Angelo Sotira has proven that a good idea can withstand the test of time, as long as you know how to target your audiences properly.

He is the founder of deviantART, a highly successful artists’ community on the internet. Founded in 2000, it is the predecessor to social media as we know it today. Before Facebook, in fact, even before MySpace and Friendster, it was encouraging online communities to create user-generated content. Artists,  referred to as “deviants” on the site, sign up for free getting an account, blog and personal profile page. They use their profiles to chat,  message and comment on one another’s art. The only real difference between social networking sites and deviantART, is that the latter has a highly targeted audience.

The key factors that have helped deviantART withstand the challenges and changes in the industry over the last decade are:
• Loyal Community – deviantART was able to grow successfully because it has a loyal base of artists who refer their friends and showcase their work. A significant number of artists also become paying members to get access to various virtual goods on the website.
• Different monetization schemes – the site has multiple revenue streams including subscription, advertisement, and a virtual currency system. When the ad market sank during the recession, the company was able to remain financially healthy.
• Strategic partnerships – the site has partnered with other tech firms to provide better features and functionalities to its users. In addition, the partnership with Microstock allows members to purchase images for their own artworks. Also, deviantART also accepted a $3.5 million investment from DivX.

Although Angelo Sotira never attended college, his business instincts are sharp and spot on. Success for this entrepreneur is being nimble and knowing when to evolve.

The IK in IKEA

Ingvar Kamprad almost single-handedly turned his furniture company into a global conglomerate. What started out as a venture to sell elegant furniture at reasonable prices became one of the world’s largest companies in its industry. Few success stories are as intriguing or inspiring as that of IKEA.

When he opened the business in 1943, 17-year-old Ingvar Feodor Kamprad wanted to give average families access to quality furniture products at affordable prices. He did this by shipping the furniture unassembled in flat-packs. The DIY concept eliminated the need for assembly labor. Also, the packaging policy cost him less in shipping while allowing him to ship more items at any one time. These lowered business costs and allowed him to keep his wares at bargain basement prices while maintaining profitability.

Kamprad’s methods revolutionized the way furniture and other retail items were sold. When his suppliers began to shut him out in protest of his low prices, the never-say-die entrepreneur launched his own production line to stay in the game. He kept IKEA costs low in order for his prices to remain low, forcing others in the business to follow suit.

Today, he pushes on with full control of a company that sells furniture to at least ten percent of European households. Its success has kept him high on Forbes’ list of billionaires year after year. Yet he continues to maintain a low profile and prudent lifestyle which most likely keeps him and his company grounded.

Kamprad’s business philosophies stemmed from his Swedish beginnings in a poor and struggling farming community. His hard work and frugality continues to shape the beliefs and goals of his company today.

The Cream of the Young Crop: Luke Skurman

Like most entrepreneurs, Luke Skurman’s business idea was inspired by personal experience. During his last year of high school, he found it difficult to learn more about the colleges that interested him. He realized that university brochures, guidebooks and other resources did not provide enough information that could help graduating students like him make informed decisions.

Thankfully, he was able to find a good college, but never forgot the hassle he experienced looking for one. During his sophomore year, he decided to launch a book-publishing venture to offer insider information on 200 campuses around the U.S. He aptly called his company College Prowler, which is now the largest provider of online college content.

Coming from a highly entrepreneurial family, Skurman obviously had the entrepreneurial gene. His experience as an intern in a company with over 2000 employees pushed him further to the path of entrepreneurship; he realized that no matter what he did or didn’t do, he couldn't effect change at such a large, austere setting. He began to think of what he could start. He had  many ideas, but he believed College Prowler was the best.

In a conversation with Skurman, Pittsburgh CityPaper writer, Dan Eldridge, asked why business excited him. The journalist suggested money, but Skurman was quick to point out that money was just a part of it. He said innovation, creation and the idea of actually helping people are the things that excite him most.

As a new entrepreneur, Skurman followed his guts and took advantage of the dot.com rise. Although he had no significant skills in engineering or technology, he knew what he wanted to do, and that is to help students pick the right college. He forged partnerships to cover the holes, and in time was able to come up with an effective system that fulfilled his goals.

The world will see a lot more of Skurman in the next few years as this entrepreneur continues to give his best as the cream of the young crop.