If you want to be a great startup CEO, then you’re going to have to learn how to be a great leader. So, what are the keys to being a great leader? In this video, I go deep, as I walk you through the four keys to being a great leader. There’s lots of detail…
I fell into a trap early in my career. I was wildly successful, well respected, promoted every year, and I was getting more and more responsibility. You’re wondering, “What is the problem? That’s what everyone wants, right?” Yes, you want to be successful, but you don’t want to be a jerk. I was a jerk.…
“Now you’ve done it,” “Bob”, the CEO, said to me. Then Bob got up, straightened his tie and started walking out the door. Before he left, he said, “I don’t ever want to have another meeting like this again.” I had been at Bob’s company for about 90 days as the new general manager of…
In order for your startup to scale, you’re going to need improve your startup management skills. That’s what I’ll address in today’s video. We cover a lot of ground in this video including having the right environment to be an effective manager, the unintended effects of your decisions, demotions, and how to effectively manage your…
It was the summer of 2009, and we were closing in on our Series A funding. I wanted to update my fellow co-founders on our progress, so I scheduled a meeting at the local Starbucks. Three of my four fellow co-founders were on time for our 11AM meeting. We were waiting on our Chief Technology…
“What other startups have gotten funded in your space?” I asked “Ray” during one of our first meetings. Ray said, “There are a lot of them. I think there are around 50, the last time I counted.” “50! That’s a lot,” I said. “What are you going to do different?” There can never be too…
There are ten things that great startup CEOs do that other startup CEOs don’t do. These 10 things, interestingly enough, are things that you can do too. I go deep in this video as I walk you through the ten things that the great startup CEOs do that the other startup CEOs don’t do. I…
“We’re ready to push the button,” Jeroen, my co-founder and VP Engineering, said to me. “You’ve signed off on all the design changes that needed to be made?” I asked Jeroen. “Yes. Sid has done everything on the list,” Jeroen said. “Okay, then let’s do it.” And with my agreement, we just spent $180,000 “taping…
“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. “Oh, you should definitely talk to Richard. He’s one of the best engineers I know,” Chuck said. “Great. Would you mind introducing us?” I said. “Sure,” Chuck…
Do you know about the theory of rational thought? The theory of rational thought has at its core the basic assumption that people will act in a logical manner. Now, if that was true, then a great startup CEO would have much more power than a board of directors because a great startup CEO is…