What Square's rise means for the startup ecosystem

Square's focus on monetization and mobile cannot be overlooked.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani)

Square is different than any other startup that has come before it, and its growing influence and size will inevitably lead to a change in the way entrepreneurs run their companies and venture capitalists invest.

There's no doubt that Square is on the rise, but it is set to accelerate its growth, thanks to a strategic investment from Starbucks that places Square's technology in front of millions of consumers. And thanks to Starbucks, Square's revenue and valuation are set to soar.

Perhaps this is why more pundits are calling Square "Silicon Valley's next great company," an informal title previously held by Intel, Apple, Facebook, and Google. I certainly can't argue with the assessment. In fact, I'd argue that the other potential contenders -- Twitter, Pinterest, Dropbox, Uber, etc. (Tumblr, SpaceX, and Foursquare would make the list, but they're not in Silicon Valley) -- don't have Square's potent mix of a ... [Read more]