Watching my two kids play, it’s striking how different they are. My younger son (4) turns everything into a make-believe game. Give him two sticks and suddenly they’re space ships. Give him a handmade car (which we built recently at the Halifax Art Gallery; it’s meant to be Jeff Gorvette from Cars 2) and he’s […]
Startup Founders Need to Constantly and Instantly Jump from Vision to Detail (and back again)
Some people spend all of their time in the clouds, thinking big thoughts, dreaming big dreams. They’ve got a vision for something and they can (often eloquently) speak to that vision and why it should be a reality. They’re “big thinkers.” Some people are completely the opposite – so detailed-oriented that they have to inspect […]
Startup Founders: It’s Not About Smarts, It’s About Being Opportunistic
In a recent presentation, How to Start a Company While Still in School, I said it was important to be open, take risks and be strategic. That’s absolutely true. In the presentation I said, “I’m seeking startup people.” Originally I had written on the presentation slide, “I’m seeking smart people” but I changed it for […]
4 Ways to Align Interests Between Startup Founders and Investors
Are investors and startup founders on the same side of the table, or the opposite side? A: Depends. When things are going well, everyone feels like they’re on the same side of the table. When things are going not so well, it’s a different story. This is the reality of the startup-investor relationship. It’s not […]