Starting a tech firm can be akin to standing on the edge of a cliff with a jetpack on your back. You know there is a method to fly—but you also know that if you mess things up, you could fall hard.

Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic ...

Three years ago, I said Google was going the way of the dial-up modem. People called me crazy with a capital K. Well, I was spot on. We don’t use the web the same way anymore. We’re giving away a new ...