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Does Everyone Need A Consigliere?
I’ll never forget the moment I gave up my freedom. I did what we all do: I confided to my friend Steve at work about a work problem I was having. After all, he was the friend/co-worker I could tell my troubles to. What I really did was complain for an hour about someone just…
Read MoreShould Firing People Always be Difficult?
I was up the whole night. I knew I had to do it, and I knew it needed to be done. That didn’t help me fall asleep in the least. It – an insomnia-inducing feeling of dread – was the feeling I had the first time I ever had to fire someone. My heart was…
Read MoreIs Micromanagement Really Bad?
Micromanagement. The mere hearing of the word sends chills down your spine. You certainly don’t want to be micromanaged, and being labeled a micromanager – well, that can be a career killer. Just one question: is micromanagement always bad? Hardly. Full disclosure: like most CEO’s, I have been accused of being a micromanager. I’ve also…
Read MoreThe Best Performance Reviews Are Not Reviews At All
Every year you go through it: the dreaded performance review. What’s in store for you this year? A raise? A promotion? What does your boss really think of you? How will rate versus your peers? Good performance reviews are not performance reviews at all. They are a continuation of the ongoing conversation between you and…
Read MoreIf I were 22: Advice from My Dad
Like many sons, my Dad was a tremendous influence on me. A tough, no-nonsense individual who loved me and my brother dearly, he would do anything to help us. My Dad and I share a lot of similarities: he was an Electrical Engineer like me. He started his career in the semiconductor business like me.…
Read MoreLeadership Put to the Test: The Hardest Speech I Ever Gave
My company was in a tough position. We were raising money, and that’s never an easy proposition, but it’s really difficult for a semiconductor company. We had a term sheet, but one of our existing investors wanted an additional new investor to join the syndicate. We had four new potential investors that were closing in.…
Read MoreThe Four Keys to Hiring Exceptional People
I’m constantly interviewing people. You should be too, whether you are a CEO or a manager. Arguably, it is the most important responsibility you have because hiring exceptional people is how you build an exceptional company. I’m human, so I make mistakes. (Lots of ’em, in fact.) When it comes to hiring, every mistake I’ve…
Read MoreShould Money Losing Companies be Allowed to IPO?
I don’t know about you, but I have always been fascinated by the stock market. I lived through, and survived, the 2000 tech bubble. Now I feel like I’m watching a sequel to that movie, albeit a smaller one. That’s when a crazy thought hit me: “Should money-losing companies be allowed to IPO?” Okay, I’ll…
Read MoreMy Industry is Consolidating, Now What?
We’ve seen it happen time and again: an industry, once growing like one of Jack’s magical beanstalks, has slowed or stopped growing. But wait! There’s more!!! There are no new companies entering the industry, and the incumbents are merging to improve efficiency. Okay, so now what do you do? It’s a tough question that’s affecting…
Read MoreIt’s the End of the Semiconductor World as We Know it, and I Feel Fine
Surely you remember the semiconductor world? You’ve known if for a long time, right? Well, it’s over. Or, at least, the semiconductor world is over as you and I have known it for all these decades, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Massive consolidation is coming, along with slowing market growth. Stock prices have…
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