Venture Capitalist John Doerr famously said that the key to success is setting the right goals. And, of course, Doerr’s right. You do need to set the right goals to succeed. However, there are other things you need to do, in addition to setting the right goals, to succeed. That’s what today’s video is all…
Are you wondering if being a contrarian is the right strategy for startup success? That’s what I’m going to explain to you in today’s video. Being a contrarian is all about doing the opposite of what is expected. Zigging when everyone else is zagging. And depending upon whether you believe Jeff Bezos or Peter Thiel,…
“That’s insane,” I said to “Kevin”, a CEO I am working with. “Your investors want you to have weekly meetings with them. Good luck with that.” “That’s too much?” Kevin said to me. “But the weekly meetings will just be updates, and there will be monthly board meetings.” I sighed. Kevin laughed and said, “Too…
There’s an impressive list of non-technical founders that successfully built technology startups. The most notable being Steve Jobs. Now, I have a little experience as a non-technical founder of a technology company. Even though I have a BSEE, I hadn’t designed the products we were developing ( Analog Integrated Circuits) in years. So there was…
Have no idea how to raise money from investors? That’s what I’m going to explain to you in today’s video. Learn how to raise money from investors, explained in three easy steps. If you’re a startup CEO, and you want to learn how to raise startup funding, then you’ll want to watch this video. I’ll…
“Do you think I would be better off stepping down as CEO?” “Wayne”, a CEO I’m working with, said to me. “My investors are offering to make me Executive Chairman or CTO. Maybe I should take the offer?” “I think it’s a huge mistake for you to step down,” I said. “I know there are…
You don’t know what to expect if you’ve never managed a Board of Directors meeting before. By the end of this video, you’re going to know exactly how to prepare for and manage your Board of Directors meetings. I know from my over 20 years of experience preparing, managing, and presenting to boards, that if…
“You’re being myopic, Brett.” That’s what Jack Gifford, the founding CEO of Maxim Integrated Products, used to like to say to me when we disagreed on something. I’m sure there was a modicum of truth in Jack’s words, especially early in our time working together. However, Gifford would always tell me that! And Gifford, for…
“If you can’t recruit, then you can’t be a manager.” Jack Gifford, the founding CEO of Maxim Integrated Products, said that to his management team over and over again as he built Maxim into one of the most successful companies in its space. The key, as I look back on my experience working at Maxim,…
Peter Thiel wrote in the Wall Street Journal in 2014 that “Competition Is For Losers.” In other words, you can build a product that’s much better than anything else in the market that you don’t need to compete. That sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? The question is Peter Thiel right? I’ll give you my take…