It has been a busy summer. For the last couple of months I have had the pleasure of pretending to be a venture capitalist. Earlier this year I joined a local organization called the IT Entrepreneurs Network (ITEN) as a mentor. This is a local organization that exists to help startups in the local area move from the concept stage to securing funding for their business. I am in St. Louis, not silicon valley of the MIT corridor or the Pacific Northwest, and access to resources such as venture capitalists, advisors, and programming skills is not as easy as it is in those locations, hence the need for a networking forum for would-be innovators. One of the mentor roles is serving on a panel of mock angel investors. We meet with and critique the pitches from startups as they present their business plans to us as though we were potential investors. This has given me some new insight into the innovative process.