Do Introverts Make Better Startup CEOs Than Extroverts?
“Who do you know that might be interested in what we’re doing?” I said to Chuck. Chuck was engineer I was introduced to by a friend of mine. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] “Oh, you should definitely talk to Richard. He’s one of the best engineers I…
Do All Driven Entrepreneurs Become Successful?
Let me tell you a story about “John”. Do you want to know your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. John is someone I’ve known for years. About ten years ago, John decided he was going to take all the knowledge he’d learned as an engineer and start a company. John was considered one…
Can You Avoid No Man’s Land? Your Startup Depends On It.
Have you ever found yourself in No Man’s Land? You know. It’s kind of like you’re driving along on the highway, and a sign comes along: “Next gas, 50 miles.” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Your tank is close to empty. And you’re wondering, “Can I make…
Building Trust Is Your Most Important Trait
“Whatever you do, never, ever lie,” I said to the large group of startup CEOs I was talking to. Then, I continued and said, “It’s much better to say, ‘I don’t know the answer. I’ll get back to you,’ then to lie.” [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.]…
Are You Better Off With An Older Team or A Younger Team?
“So, you’re thinking of going the young route,” Bruce Wooley, who was the dean of the electrical engineering department at Stanford, said to me. One of Bruce’s past students had introduced us, and we were having coffee. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] I told Bruce I was…
Should You Set Up A Fast Exit Strategy For Your Startup?
“So, how long do think it will be before we can exit?” The engineer said to me during his job interview. “Two years? three years?” [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] As politely as I could, I said, “I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s going to…
How Do You Prevent Killer Mistakes As A First Time CEO?
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” I said to “Evan,” a young CEO I am working with. I was telling Evan that he needed a world-class VP Operations for his startup. Evan challenged me, and he said, “Why?” [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Evan’s company was…
How Do You Position Your Product Versus The Competition?
I’ve been watching a lot of Steve Jobs product launches for a project I’m working on. Jobs communication skills are beyond good. They are also utterly simple to copy. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] In every single product launch, Jobs follows a predictable script. It’s the same…
How to Steal Netflix’s Company Culture in Six Easy Steps
“Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal” Pablo Picasso My company unabashedly stole our company culture from Netflix with a little bit of Zappos and Sandy Koufax thrown in. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. There. I’ve said it. We were thieves and robbers, but I’d like to think…
What Is Your Startup CEO Superpower?
Maybe the best piece of art I’ve ever seen is the musical, Hamilton. Thanks to Blossom’s insistence, I was fortunate enough to see the original cast in New York, and then see the touring cast in San Francisco. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Not surprisingly, the original…