Why Is Paranoia Part Of A Successful CEO’s Mindset? By Brett Fox “You’re the most paranoid person at Maxim!” Jack Gifford, Maxim’s CEO, told me one day. Then he paused for what seemed like an eternity. Gifford looked at me and said, “And that’s good!” Gifford built Maxim from $0 to $1B/Year using a combination…
What Is The Best Way To Deal With A Popular Employee That Is Underperforming? By Brett Fox I had a cofounder that was very similar to the description of your employee. Everybody loved “Ken”. He was funny, got along with everyone, fit our company culture, and was a positive influence inside the company. There was…
“We’re in the first stage of a three stage fab expansion,” “Bob”, the CEO, proudly told me. It was December 2000, and I was being recruited to run the Communication’s Division of Bob’s company. The economic bubble was bursting already, yet here was this CEO boldly proclaiming his company was expanding. “Do you really think…
I think of all the questions you have when you’re starting out, the biggest question (and worry) you have is are you on the right track? Unless you get instant success, and instant traction and instant growth, your faith is shaken more by are you on the right track than anything else. It’s especially true…
About three years ago I sat through a bunch of pitches with a VC fund I was helping. It was amazing watching every one of the companies presenting make the same mistakes. Here they are: A. You have to get to the point fast. You’ve got seven seconds to make an impression. Seven…
Why Do So Many Entrepreneurs Think Their Ideas Are Worth Billions? By Brett Fox When I started my company, I believed we were going to win. There was no doubt in my mind. When 63 VCs passed on us, and there was only one VC left as a possible investor, I believed we were going…
Can You Legally Remove Equity From A Cofounder You Want To Fire? By Brett Fox Oh it pains me to see the same mistakes made over and over again. Your cofounders have a certain percentage ownership in your company. And they have this percentage without the equity having to vest. You can’t just take the…
How Do Entrepreneurs Like Elon Musk Eliminate Distractions? By Brett Fox When I was younger, I would walk into my office with my coffee and plug in my computer. I would take a quick look at my email, and maybe surf the net for a bit. I have some long term goals that I need…
It’s Tuesday morning at 9:18AM. My heart rate suddenly raced to what felt like 200 beats per minute. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had just agreed to terms with a new lead investor. We were in the process of closing the funding. And now “Raul”, one of our two existing investors, just…
Is It True That Technical Founders Are More Important Than Non-Technical Founders? By Brett Fox “It’s really hard to find the skill you have in product definition and marketing,” my cofounder, Vice President of Engineering said to me one day. “I think it’s next to impossible to find engineers that have the technical chops and…