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The Ten Advantages Of Working With Mentors
“Sit up here with the white people!” The CEO then banged his palm on the chair next to his. “Huh,” I said to myself. I had a quizzical look on my face. “Sit up here with the white people!” The CEO banged his palm on the chair next to his again. I was shocked. I…
Read More20 Hidden Benefits From Losing Your Job or Selling Your Company
It was Sunday night at 11PM, and I heard the phone ring. The second I heard the phone ring I knew my Dad was dead. My Mom told me the paramedics were at the house, but Dad was gone. “I need you here tomorrow,” she said. Blossom and I hurriedly arranged to fly down to…
Read More20 Pearls of Wisdom From Warren Buffett’s Last Annual Letter
Berkshire Hathaway board member Bill Gates calls Warren Buffett’s 2014 annual letter his best ever. Now that’s saying something since Buffett has produced 50 of them, and Gates is not easy to impress. Truth be told, I love Warren Buffett. I think he’s brilliant, and he just oozes common sense. So I am fan, and…
Read MoreLearn How to Make Your Reference Checks Awesome
“Can you believe it?” my wife asked me last night. “I have to fill out an essay because my friend asked me to be a reference.” “Is she applying for college?” I asked. “No, for a job!” My wife was not very happy about having to spend the next 45 minutes writing an essay. Who…
Read MoreThe Air is Rare. What The Stock Markets of 1929, 2000, and Today Have in Common
How rare is our air?
What if I told you there have been only two periods since 1871 when stocks have been valued this high: 1929 and 2000? We know how those stories ended…
Read MoreHow do you Deal with a Toxic Co-Worker?…A CEO’s Perspective
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. A little bit off topic, but Starbucks is a great meeting venue for an unfunded company with no office space.…
Read MoreWhat Everyone Needs to Know About Effective Communication – A CEO’s Perspective
I’ve been answering a lot of questions on Quora these days. You get some good questions, and you get some not so good questions. One of the not so good questions was, “Why do so Many Silicon Valley VCs Demand the Startups they Fund are Located in the Silicon Valley?” I referred to Marc Andreessen’s…
Read MoreThe Dreaded Holiday Party…A Guide for Employees and Employers
“We can’t bring our spouses to this year’s holiday party!” a very close friend told me today. “Why?” “I don’t know,” she answered. “The holiday party is at 7pm this Thursday night up in the city. I really don’t want to go. I can’t bring my husband. It’s going to suck without him.” “Yeah, I…
Read MoreHow You Can Destroy a Business in One Easy Step
I was driving one beautiful Bay Area summer morning. The temperature was a perfect 65 degrees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, yet there was a storm on the horizon. Just then, my cellphone rang. It was Leon calling. “Are you driving?” Leon asked ominously. “Yes, I am.” “I think you should pull over.”…
Read MoreHow to be the Luckiest Person in the World
I am the luckiest person in the world. Honest. Little old me. Yet, I have had my ass kicked so many times I’ve lost count. I have had my heart broken oh so many times. I have had people steal my business ideas from me, stab me in the back, and leave me for dead…
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