When looking for work (whether actively or just nosing around), what’s most important to you when looking into the company? I’m interested in your priorities about the specific job as well, but just as interested in your priorities around the company. What would you like to ask an interviewer given the chance? What would you […]
Product-Market Fit or Market-Product Fit?
When starting out a project we know how important it is to get out of the building, talk to prospects and figure out whether our idea holds any merit. That’s the basis of Customer Development. And the goal is to get to Product-Market Fit, where the product is validated and built for a specific market, […]
The Art of Marketing in Montreal
The Art of Marketing is a conference being held in Montreal on September 30th. They’ve got a star-studded lineup, including: Seth Godin on Leadership & Creativity Jeffrey Gitomer on Customer Loyalty & Sales Avinash Kaushik on Brand Measurement & Analytics Mitch Joel on Digital Marketing & Social Media Max Lenderman on Experiential Marketing Andy Nulman […]
Rounded Corners, Wasted Time and Technical Burden
I’ll admit it. I love rounded corners. They’ve gone out of style somewhat, but I still love ’em. When we were building Standout Jobs, we made the decision to have rounded corners on all the widgets that appeared on a career site. Actually, I probably made the decision. I certainly pushed hard for it. Rounded […]
New Design for Instigator Blog – Lightweight and Simplified
Every so often I feel compelled to redesign this blog. The first redesign was in 2007, followed by another in 2008. It’s been a couple years since the last redesign, and this one is a big departure from the last. It’s still a work-in-progress, but I’d love to get your feedback. I really wanted to […]
The Great Un-Cracked Opportunity: Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Sebastien Provencher (from Praized Media) tweeted recently: The great un-cracked opportunity: small and medium-sized businesses. #geoloco He was at an event; not sure if someone said that or if there was a group discussing it. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. And there’s certainly a lot of truth to the statement. Most […]
Announcing: NextMontreal.com – a News Site for Montreal Tech
It’s been a few months since I instigated the return of a Montreal technology news site. And today I’m pleased to announce that things are actively moving forward on the project. NextMontreal.com will be a news and opinion site for Montreal technology. The site won’t be launched for awhile, but you can stay up-to-date by […]
What Role Does Ego Play in Entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs need a very healthy ego to succeed. Many might be self-effacing and humble, but there still has to be a deep-seeded, positive sense of self and ego. Some might call it drive. That’s part of it. Courage and belief in one’s own abilities is also important. Natural leadership qualities and a desire to lead […]
It Doesn’t Matter How Much Money You’re Raising, It’s Still Hard
Things certainly feel frothier these days. More and more companies are raising money, and valuations seem to be skyrocketing. But even in stronger economic times (we hope!) and bubblier eagerness to put venture and angel capital to work it’s still extremely hard to raise financing. And in many cases the amount of money you’re looking […]
In Customer Interviews Don’t Rush to Pitch the Solution
All the theory in the world won’t make a lick of difference if you don’t get into the field and do something. That’s why advice isn’t worth as much as it should be, and isn’t nearly as effective as it should be. Entrepreneurs consistently make the same mistakes over and over, even when there are […]
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