Both the Microsoft Accelerator and the Nike+ Accelerator are powered by TechStars, and both provide $20,000 in startup funding, intensive mentorship, and the chance to pitch to investors at demo day.

Working on a quantified self startup? Or, are you on any startup that would benefit from integration with Nike? Need some ideas? Check out how Path integrated Nike+ and take a look at the Nike+ API developer portal. It’s the last week to apply for the Nike+ Accelerator to get $20,000 in seed funding and support from TechStars, and mentorship from both TechStars and Nike. Just do it already – the deadline is February 3rd! We’re psyched that Dylan Boyd has joined TechStars as the Managing Director of the Nike+ Accelerator.

Nike+ Accelerator FAQ of the week:
Q. Who would be the investor in my company? Nike or TechStars?
A. TechStars! Nike is there to help with mentors, executives, technology, and more. They want to see innovative uses of the Nike+ system and they’re here to help your startup. Consider it goodwill with no strings attached by Nike.

It’s also the last week to apply for the next Microsoft Accelerator class. If you’re playing in the Microsoft ecosystem and building a cloud-based startup, this is an amazing chance to get help from amazing mentors at Microsoft and the broader TechStars community, along with $20K. Matt Dyor and his team did an outstanding job with the previous class of startups in the Microsoft Accelerator. They were simply fantastic and I look forward to seeing if this next group can top them. Deadline to apply is February 3rd – hurry on over.

Microsoft Accelerator FAQ of the Week:
Q. Who qualifies to apply for the Microsoft Accelerator?
A. Anyone building a mobile app, SaaS, a game, an internet enabled device, or something else that leverages the Microsoft ecosystem in some way.

Today I’m in LA visting LaunchPad LA and I had a fun appearance on “This Week in Startups” with the always entertaining Jason Calacanis.  The video is below.

Thanks @Jason for the show, and for all you do for the startup community. If you’re not going to the LAUNCH Festival in March in SF, you’re missing out. Contact me and I’ll see if I can get you a free ticket to attend.

Sure, it’s cold right now, but it’s time to start thinking ahead to summer if you want a chance to participate in Startup Summer 2013. A Startup Colorado program, Startup Summer is a great way for aspiring entrepreneurs to gain some real life experience and get plugged into the Boulder-Denver startup community.

Startup Summer combines a ten-week paid internship with educational seminars, social events and mentorship opportunities. There are a variety of internships available with different types of companies, so while an academic focus in business, engineering, or computer science is preferred, it’s not required. The program is open to any student actively enrolled in a four-year university. Applicants should be self-motivated, dedicated, and passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation.

March 1 is the final deadline for stage one of the application process, so it’s time to start putting together that resume and cover letter. Visit http://startupcolorado.com/startup-summer for more details about Startup Summer and to apply.

Please help spread the word about this valuable opportunity. TechStars is participating as a host company this year, and it’s still not too late to join us. If you’re interested, you can email Startup Summer’s Program Director Brandon Seifert at brandon.m.seifert at geeeeemail (you know the one).  If you have any questions or would like more information about Startup Summer, you can also contact Ben Abell, Executive Director of Startup Colorado at abell303 at geeeeemail.

Just a reminder that Startup Life: Surviving And Thriving In A Relationship With An Entrepreneur, by Brad Feld and Amy Batchelor, will be coming out very soon.

The second book in the Startup Revolution series, Startup Life addresses the unique challenges that come with being in a relationship with an entrepreneur. It’s such an important and often overlooked aspect of starting a business. When you’re throwing everything you have into your startup, how do you find time and energy for the most important people in your life?

It’s never easy, but this book offers a chance to learn from those who have been there: Brad and Amy, along with about 20 other entrepreneurial couples. My wife and I feel honored to have been asked to contribute, and I’m so glad I could be a part of this valuable book.

In this blog post, Brad says that of all the books he’s written, this is the the one he’s most proud of. In my view, that’s really saying something (wait, even better than Do More Faster!?! ). He and Amy really open up about their marriage, how they’ve worked to build a long-term, sustainable relationship, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Through their own examples and stories from other couples, they address a range of common issues and conflict areas, including communication, money, and children. In fact, this book offers some great insights for any busy couple, even though it is especially focused on the specific stresses and challenges of entrepreneurial life.

Whether you’re embarking on your first startup or if you’re a serial entrepreneur, Startup Life contains a lot of sound advice, wisdom and ideas to help ensure that you continue to have a life in the midst of the intensity. The book will be available within the next week or so, but if you pre-order now, you’ll be one of the first people to receive a copy.

I’m now writing a weekly column for the Wall Street Journal called “The Accelerators“. I’m pretty excited because I even got my own dot drawing.

So far I’ve written three columns:

• Use your head, but trust your gut (on deciding when to pivot)
• Normal people move to the cloud
• Hiring for a startup is like dating

Follow along each week.