WTF does that even mean? It means: You’re not a young white guy. And it’s total bullshit. Heather Anne Carson, co-founder @ Repable recently posted this on Facebook: (She didn’t ask me to write this.) Oy. It’s not surprising that guys feel / think this way (but saying it out loud really demonstrates a whole […]
Finding Your Inspiration
Founders need inspiration. I believe most founders have a deep well of inspiration inside of them that they’re able to draw from as needed. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to survive. But that’s not always enough–founders need to find inspiration outside of themselves as well. Recently I started watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. The parallels […]
The Startup Rollercoaster is Real
You know what’s hard? Starting a company. You know what’s fun? Starting a company. There’s something about the insane challenge that makes starting a company so incredible. Having said that, I really don’t enjoy being told I’m wrong, or that my plan/idea/approach won’t work. (I don’t know many people who like that!) And when people […]
Don’t be Data-Driven, be Problem-Driven
Recently a founder of an early stage startup asked me, “How do I convince my co-founder and team to be more data-driven?” I think I surprised him with my answer, because I told him that the key issue wasn’t being more data-driven, it was being problem-driven. Or more specifically, problem-aligned. Being data-driven (or at least […]
Leadership in Tough Times
The all-time most popular post on this blog is 10 Essential Business Leadership Skills. I wrote that in 2007. It ranks near the top of Google results for “leadership skills” (which is what drives most of the traffic). I’ve struggled from time-to-time since then with my own leadership abilities. Writing ideas down about how to […]
Startup Founders: Why Do You Care About What You’re Doing?
In speaking with entrepreneurs (as a mentor or angel investor), I’m becoming increasingly fascinated and curious about why they chose to start the companies they do. Surviving the inevitable roller coaster of startup life is made possible, at least in part, by founders caring deeply about what they’re doing. You need sheer willpower and determination […]
Jason Becker and the Power of Technology
A few days ago I was flipping through the channels on TV and came across a documentary about Jason Becker. The documentary is called Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet. It came out in late 2012. I had never heard of Jason before, but the movie caught my attention quickly. Jason Becker was a guitar prodigy. […]
Don’t Glorify Startup Failure
Yesterday I wrote a quick post about founder failure and how difficult it can be to recover from that. Startup failure is a fact of startups. If you start a company, you’re most likely going to fail. And we’re seeing many more entrepreneurs write about their experiences, which is a good thing. Startup failure needs […]
Founder Failure
Yesterday, Chris Poole (known as ‘moot‘, founder of 4chan) shut down his startup (which created Canvas and DrawQuest). You should go read his post: Today my startup failed. The TechCrunch post is good too, and highlights just how hard it is to get real growth in a consumer startup. One quote stood out for me: […]
You Can’t Will Things Into Existence
Unless you’re a Jedi knight with voodoo super powers you can’t create things with your mind. Sadly enough, you’re not Dr. Strange with power over the mystic arts and wicked hair. (And apparently, creepy blue eyes?!?!) As much as you’d like it to be the case, you can’t will things into existence. I know, I’ve […]
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