"Entrepreneurs are crazy" and that's a good thing

Author Steve Blank, who is widely credited for helping launch the lean startup movement, is not shy about his opinions.

By Kurt Wagner, reporter

FORTUNE -- In a crowded seminar room in Silicon Valley recently, author Steve Blank asked the audience who among them wished to start their own company. A few dozen hands shot up. "The good news," said Blank, whose second book, The Startup Owner's Manual, hit shelves in March, MORE

Trouble looms in Michigan

The land of the UAW is barreling toward a nasty fight on union rights.

By Doron Levin, contributor

FORTUNE -- Rick Snyder came into office as a newly elected governor in 2010 vowing to avoid open warfare with his state's labor unions -- as Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin had. But organized labor in Michigan had other ideas.

Snyder last week disclosed a change in his position: right-to-work legislation -- a potential gut MORE

The end of Hostess

Snack time is over for the maker of the iconic Twinkie and other lunchbox staples.

By David A. Kaplan, contributor

FORTUNE -- The fat lady -- the one who apparently ate too many 150-calorie, nutrition-free Twinkies -- has sung.

But hey, we pretty much warned you in July to start hoarding Twinkies.  That's what it seemed like, as Hostess Brands -- the owner of such lunchbox snacks as Ding Dongs and Ho Hos, MORE

Twitter to media honchos: we're not the enemy

As technology alters the way audiences consume media, the chiefs of television and publishing businesses experiment in the new climate.

By Colleen Leahey

FORTUNE – Forget the black-and-white newspaper, the consumption of media today is rather gray in hue. The advent of the Internet let loose a revolution in the way readers (and viewers) got their daily dose of content. That revolution shows no signs of letting up, according to the leaders MORE

Here's how social boosts the bottom line

At Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, GE's Beth Comstock and NASDAQ Corporate Director Nilofer Merchant advised corporations on how to use social media to innovate -- and boost the bottom line.

By Colleen Leahey

FORTUNE – At a breakfast roundtable Tuesday morning at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, author of 11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era Nilofer Merchant kicked off discussion with quite the statement: "Corporate strategy has MORE

Glad tidings in Ford's bad news

Yes, the company is having trouble making money in two of its most important markets. But a deeper look at the numbers reveals the Detroit automaker is sitting on some advantages.

By Doron Levin, contributor

FORTUNE -- Ford Motor Co. second-quarter profit, down by more than half from a year ago, contained a ray or two of hope for investors and a splash of cold water for anyone who hasn't yet grasped MORE

Bee-school: Why is everyone suddenly so interested in the hive mind?

Humans have kept bees for millennia. Now some management gurus are drawing lessons from the creatures -- and it's not that far-fetched.

By Ryan Bradley, senior editor

FORTUNE -- Humans have kept bees for thousands of years -- which is long enough to form some admiring opinions of them. Dogs are loyal; cats are curious; but the industrious bee might just be the spirit animal for the businessperson of today. Bees are MORE

5 questions for the White House "sommelier"

Pairing the right wines with high-profile state dinners is just the start. For Ambassador Capricia Marshall, each sip of the purple can have political, diplomatic or commercial repercussions.

By Sierra Jiminez, reporter

FORTUNE -- If you think hosting a dinner party is stressful, try having 250 people over on short notice. Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall has mastered that task. As Chief of Protocol for the United States, Marshall and her small, MORE

How to make it in the soda industry

Sales of soft drinks are flat and industry giants like Coke and Pepsi are busy looking for the next big thing. For small beverage companies, selling out may be the only path to success.

By Sierra Jiminez, contributor

FORTUNE -- If you've ever played mix master at the convenience store soda fountain, you know just how rewarding it can be. Indianapolis-based startup uFlavor wants to take that concept and bottle it. The MORE

What's behind the grumbling at Rodale?

The independent publisher has quietly suffered a stinging series of departures over the past year. It says it is simply feeling the same pressure as other publishers. Ex-staffers blame CEO Maria Rodale's management.

By Daniel Roberts, reporter

FORTUNE -- Rodale Inc., the independent publisher of lifestyle magazines Men's Health and Runner's World as well as books ranging from the South Beach Diet to Howard Schultz's Onward, has quietly suffered a stinging series MORE