There are a lot of markets that should be disrupted. Big, juicy, billion+ dollar markets that deserve disruption. But there’s a big difference between a market that should be disrupted and one that’s ready to be disrupted. And the distinction is important. Take the HR / Recruitment space. It should be disrupted. It’s huge, there’s […]
How to Balance Between Loving Your Startup Idea and Taking Feedback
Although we’ve just started meeting entrepreneurs for Year One Labs some clear patterns are emerging. As I listen to entrepreneurs pitch their startups I think about all the pitches and meetings I’ve done with investors, customers, partners, etc. It’s not easy. One of the toughest things for entrepreneurs to do is take feedback. But investors […]
Launching Year One Labs – An Early Stage Seed Accelerator
Today is a big day. After 6 or so months, I’ve launched my new startup: Year One Labs. Year One Labs is an early stage seed accelerator that will help fund and build startups, primarily in the web and mobile spaces. Although we’ll be in the business of helping others launch their startups, Year One […]
Startup Funding Doesn’t Always Create the Right Type of Acceleration
In a recent conversation with a friend (and fellow entrepreneur) we were discussing a couple of his bootstrapped initiatives. He’s struggling with the pace at which things are going, partially because he has to “pay the bills” through consulting. That time away from his startup and startup projects is hugely distracting. I know the feeling, […]
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 […]
Riding a Mega-Trend Isn’t the Same as Solving a Real Problem
Mega-trends are good. Investors like mega-trends. There are lots of opportunities that exist as a result of mega-trends. For example: The population of old people is going to massively overshadow the population of younger people that can replace them in the workforce. That sure looks like a huge opportunity in the recruitment space! But be […]
A Systematic Strategy for Sourcing Startup Talent
Companies with the best record and most success at hiring top people don’t sit around and wait for those people to show up. They go out and grab them by the throats. OK, it’s fair to say that grabbing someone by the throat and dragging them to your office for a job isn’t going to […]
Startup Onions
This isn’t about stinky startups or startups that give you bad breath. But it is about startups that might make you cry. Recently I’ve spent a lot more time meeting with entrepreneurs and listening to their pitches. It’s not in any formal sense, but I’m happy and eager to provide 30-minute or 1-hour blocks of […]
The Importance of Domain Knowledge for Startup Founders
When I launched Standout Jobs I didn’t know much about the HR / recruitment industry. I could clearly identify problems in the space, and I was passionate about fixing some of those problems, but I lacked a real appreciation for the industry itself. This led to numerous challenges, and without a doubt had a negative […]
Misplaced Passion is Common for Early Stage Entrepreneurs
When entrepreneurs are so driven by passion that they’re blind to the realities around them they often find themselves in big trouble. But what we see quite regularly at the early stages of startups is not too much passion but misplaced passion. Ask yourself this question, “Are you more passionate about the problem you’re solving […]
Founding Partner at 