To cut the platform some well, slack, this is the first price hike since they’ve introduced since they first launched in 2014. Yet, as the price of business software continues to surge across the country, it’s unlikely that the 100,000 US businesses that rely on the messaging app will be opening these changes with open arms. What Changes are Coming to Slack? In a recent blog post, Slack announced that it would be upping the price of its “Pro” plan from the first of September this year....

1. Learn About Cloud Capabilities and Business Needs Getting to understand the cloud is the first important step every small business should take. Small business owners need to know what the cloud’s capabilities are and how it can impact a company. At the same time, small companies need to identify areas in their own organization where the cloud can benefit them the most. Blindly moving to the cloud without fully understanding how it works can create numerous problems down the line....

Granted, the realities of running a business are far more complex than one factor, and SoundCloud’s discoverablility problems didn’t literally make or break the company. Even now, it’s far from dead: The fact that SoundCloud has laid off 173 employees and will shutter its San Francisco and London offices can easily be considered evidence that the leadership is willing to make the tough decisions it needs to survive. But how did they get there?...

Where There Is Growth There Is Opportunity Entrepreneurs, independent contractors, and artists have long grappled with receivables and payables, looking for working capital while prospecting new customers. As I explained in my Tech.co interview with Whurley, the CEO of FinTech startup Honest Dollar, the sharing economy is huge. One-third of the American labor force, it contributes $1 trillion a year to the economy: Greg spent nearly a decade at ProPay, a provider of electronic payment systems, dealing first with a privacy product for encryption and tokenization, then taking on additional roles as COO and president....

A recent report from Goldman-Sachs suggested that upwards of $4.7 trillion of all financial-service business alone is primed to be swooped up by tech startups. Everything from funding and wealth management to payments and incubation are being handled by small competitors rather than big companies. Their innovation and drive combined with a general distrust of larger establishments has pushed customers to latch on to newer means of money management. People are so untrusting of big companies that they are handing over their money to “robo-advisors....

Podcasts Are Increasingly Popular Numbers of podcast listeners continue to rise. The 2017 Infinite Dial report was released just last week. It’s an independent study that charts responses from a national telephone survey of randomly selected 2000 people and is considered one of the most trustworthy metrics by which to measure the podcast market. Monthly podcast listeners now constitute 24 percent, or 67 million, of Americans, a number that’s up three points from last year’s 21 percent, or 57 million, monthly American listeners a year earlier....

By playing around with the new Apple Watch SDK, T3 was able to come up with an Apple Watch app that would utilize a user’s heart rate to automate left and right swipes on Tinder. According to the company, the app will automatically swipe left on a Tinder profile if a user’s heart rate decreases and swipe right if his or her heart rate goes up. The idea here, of course, is that a faster heart rate is indicative for higher attraction towards someone....

Need more funding news? You can get the Tech.Co deals roundup send directly to your inbox by subscribing here. Funding Rubicon Global Hauls in $50 Million, Valued at $500 Million Rubicon Global announced today they raised $50 million from key investors, which brought Rubicon’s valuation to$500 million. Nima Capital, the round lead, focuses their VC investment efforts on new and disruptive technologies, and there was other participation from Goldman Sachs, Wellington Management Company, Henry Kravis, Paul Tudor Jones II, and Leonardo DiCaprio....

From Ron Swansons to Phil Dunphy and everything in between, we’ve crowdsourced and searched the web for some of the coolest tech and gadgets for Father’s Day. Check out everything in our Tech.C Father’s Day Gadget Guide. Father’s Day Gadget Guide Horizon Hobby Nano QX2 Micro Drone: The Nano is one of the best out-of-the-box micro racing drones for under $500, which includes both the FPV headset and controller. It’s perfect for those who may be nervous about investing in an expensive drone or lack the outdoor space to enjoy a 70+mph flight, but still want to break into the sport....

Do you read Tech.Co every day? Once every couple of weeks? What kind of content would you like to see? Are we being helpful enough in providing resources for startups and entrepreneurs. Please let us know! Need more Tech.Co? Sign up for the Tech.Co newsletter today, and get the weekly wrap-up direct to your inbox. Here are this week’s Tech.CoTop Stories: Like what you’re reading on Tech.Co? Have some great knowledge and think you have what it takes to write some great content for others in the startup or tech space?...

Remember! Apply now to Tech.Co’s Startup of the Year competition, which will give you a chance to join us at Innovate! and Celebrate 2017! Register now and get ready for a fantastic 3-day journey. Here Are This Week’s Tech.Co Top Stories: Detroit Startup Week Coverage

Here Are This Week’s Tech.Co Top Stories:

Remember! If you’re planning on attending SXSW, make sure to stop by SXSW Startup Night to enjoy snacks, cocktails, and a pitch competition that will pit startups against each other in hopes of going home with cash prizes, business resources, and bragging rights. Here Are Tech.Co’s Top SXSW Stories: Bummed about missing SXSW? Well you better make sure you don’t miss Innovate! and Celebrate in San Francisco this October! You can even enter your company in the Startup of the Year competition for a chance to compete for the highly sought-after rewards....

1: Stalled M&A Deals LSE and Deutsche Borse is one of those. The proposed merger was to be headquarted in London. That obviously was a sticking point for European regulators with the Brexit divorce. Monopoly was another reason, especially considering currency and other macro political forces. 2: Weaker Pound, More Tourism The pound has lost over 15 percent of its value since the referendum. And there are no signs that will change....

And now there’s the dancing video producer who’s simply had enough. In her case she claimed the work environment in Taiwan wasn’t bearable. So why not just move on? Or better yet, look for work opportunities in countries where employment laws and work environments generally tend to be a bit more supportive of work-life balance? If only we could all vent this way. About everything. Public displays of resignation are entertaining and attention-getting....

Following an investigation that started four years ago, the European Commission — the part of the EU governance that enforces laws — has finally decided that Qualcomm’s selling of baseband chipsets for less than the cost of producing them was, in fact, bad. The fine is equivalent to 1.27% of Qualcomm’s turnover in 2018. So, why was Qualcomm selling these chips for less than their production cost, and why has it taken the EU so darn long to come to this decision?...

Not too long ago we may have thought that streaming music from a lightbulb or controlling household appliances from our phones was an outlandish notion, but the idea of a “smart home” is something that has been increasingly permeating our culture recently. Great strides are already being taken towards homes that are entirely automated, so what are some remarkable tech trends that are currently available? And what could the future hold?...

So why don’t they have a strong financial future? If they want to set up a retirement fund, they have to do it the same way they work: independently. Gigster, a platform that connects companies with top software developers, thinks they have the solution. Their new announcement, the Gigster Fund, provides freelancers with equity in Gigster itself and in the companies they consult on. When a liquidity event like an IPO or an acquisition happens, the Gigster freelancers will get paid....

Anxiety about the future is sky high among the younger crowd, including millennials and Gen Zers, and LinkedIn’s latest study has dug into how those anxieties are creating a new life crisis on top of the midlife one we all know and love. 75 percent of 25-33 year olds have experienced a quarter-life crisis. Three-quarters of 25 to 33 year olds have experienced a quarter-life crisis. I’ve certainly written trend pieces on smaller percentages....

So, what’s the secret? It’s all about caring. Caring about: The rule of “quality over quantity” holds true, but taking it a step further is not only beneficial, but also necessary if you want to win in the marathon of inbound marketing. Here’s why caring matters: Your content is more transparent than you think. Nowhere is caring more reflective and evident than in your content. Do you have a clever title masking below-average content?...