How does a social media startup not just survive, but continue to grow in the current economic conditions? Carol Leaman, the CEO of AideRSS, the company behind PostRank, will tell us how at Third Tuesday Toronto on February 17.

AideRSS' PostRank algorithm helps publishers fine tune their content to their readers' interests. And it helps readers figure out which posts have generated the most interest and engagement. A good shortcut to find the posts you really need to read when you have only limited time.

Just before Christmas, the company announced that it had closed a second round of financing. This was followed in January by an announcement that the company is expanding its service to offer feed analytics for online content publishers. A competitor to Feedburner!

On February 17, Carol will provide the business perspective on the PostRank story. What does it take for a startup to survive and thrive in this environment? What does it take to nail down a second round of funding when investors are running for the hills? How does a company build a business around social media and feed analytics?

So, if you're interested in gaining some insight into how a company can find an opportunity in social media, develop a technology that meets a real need and and monetize it, this should be an interesting session.

As always over the past two years, thanks are due to our national sponsor, CNWGroup, whose support keeps Third Tuesday a free community-based event.