The job of startup CEO is all about making decisions. Lots and lots of decisions. We tend to focus on and remember big decisions — over-emphasizing their importance in the grand scheme of things. But the trick to being a successful startup CEO is mastering the art of micro-decision making. Micro-decisions are small decisions — […]
Freedom
A very wise man once told me (OK, it was recently): There’s a certain freedom in being completely fucked. He was quite right. Just to be clear: He was speaking in the context of running a startup. A lot of startups get very close to crashing directly into the wall and exploding. A lot more […]
Indecision Kills Startups
Startups die for lots of reasons. Of course the end game usually involves running out of money – until that point in time, you can still fight on (although it might not be worth it.) But at the root of many startup deaths is indecision, especially for first-time entrepreneurs and CEOs. First-time entrepreneurs don’t have […]
Take the Mystery out of Software Pricing
Pricing software isn’t a pure science. Far from it. But Neil Davidson does an awesome job of demystifying product and software pricing in his book, Don’t Just Roll the Dice – A usefully short guide to software pricing. The book is very short, and he’s made it available for free as a downloadable e-book. Just […]
Why are Customer Development and Lean Startup Principles So Popular?
Customer Development is hot. Lean Startups too. Customer Development is gaining momentum thanks to Steve Blank’s book – The Four Steps to the Epiphany and the uptake of its principles by many startups. The Lean Startup model has emerged as a favorite amongst startups thanks to the work of Eric Ries. Why have both of […]
Speaking at Startup School – Please Join Me
I’ve been invited by Steli Efti (here’s his blog) to speak in Startup School’s Founder Interview Series. Startup School was recently launched, and here’s how Steli describes it: The goal of this Supercool School is to empower entrepreneurs globally to connect and educate each other about starting and running a successful startup business. Teachers and […]
How Copywriting Reveals Market Segmentation Strategies
As most of you know by now, I’m a big fan of Steve Blank and his book The Four Steps to the Epiphany. One of the biggest points in his book (and hardest to digest) is about the existence of 4 Market Types, and the importance of understanding which market your startup is in. According […]
Check Out These Startup Blogs
One of the best things about being involved in startups is the global community of entrepreneurs that exists. Many startup founders and employees blog and participate actively via social networking and social media sites. They do so to share lessons learned (often hard ones!), network, promote themselves (personal branding is good!), and pimp their companies […]
Startups Aren’t Small Companies
Everyone says that startups are fast-paced, innovative and able to take bigger risks more quickly than large companies. But the reality is that too many startups are not prepared for the risk-taking and innovation that has to take place. Just because a startup is small doesn’t guarantee that it’s agile or decisive. The agility and […]
Creativity Loves Blowing Constraints Out of the Water
We often hear, “Creativity loves constraints.” The premise is that real creativity, insight and innovation come out of situations that are constrained in some way. Oftentimes it’s a lack of money that forces startups to be smarter, faster and better. But there are a whole host of constraints — time is another big one — […]
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