“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.]…
I curled up on my bed in a fetal ball, sobbing. I kept repeating to myself: “What have I done?” “What have I done?” “What have I done?” Why was I crying? [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] We had been raising money for over eighteen months at…
“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…
“I’ve founded three startups, and I’ve never had one that was profitable,” a friend of mine was telling me. You’d think he was a failure based on that statement. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Not exactly. He sold his last company for $300 million. But my friend…
One of the really sad things I’ve seen as a founder, and now working with other founders, is how often founders don’t take their responsibilities as founders seriously. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] You are literally putting your career and life in the hands of your fellow…
“How much equity do you think I should give “Frank?”” That was the question “Sam”, the co-founder of a company that I’m working with asked me last week. He was considering bringing Frank on as a late co-founder to the company. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] “I’ve…
“You should stay at your job until we get funded,” I said to Jeroen. It was September 2008 and Jeroen had just agreed to be our co-founder and VP Engineering. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The economy was sinking like a stone and venture capital funding appeared…
One of the smartest things we ever did was offer our employees unlimited vacation. I know it sounds crazy for startups to tell their employees they can take as much time off as they want, but it’s really not crazy at all. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.…
I’d love to sit here telling you that being a CEO was great, and it was great. Truly, truly great. However, I’d be lying if I told you there was only one feeling I had being CEO. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] There were times I felt…
Blossom, Avery, and I were at dinner at Nobu in Palo Alto. I looked over at the table next to us and who’s there but Marc Andreessen and his wife. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] No one was paying attention to them, and no one asked Marc for…