Founders and Fundraising
What’s The Best Use Of Your Excess Cash?
“If you give a startup $1 million, they’ll find a way to spend it,” my friend and VC, Dave said to me early on in my company’s life. Then he delivered the punch line. “If you give a startup $10 million, they’ll find a way to spend that too!” [Do you want to grow your…
Read MoreWhy Trying To Limit Your Investors Ownership Doesn’t Matter
One of the greatest lines in movie history was said in the classic, All The President’s Men. The line is, “Follow the money.” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. The idea was that if you traced the trail of money, you would find out who was behind the Watergate break-in.…
Read MoreIs It Really Worth It To Be A Startup CEO?
“Are you having fun?” Bob Dobkin, our only angel investor, asked me when I was giving him an update on our progress about two months after we closed our Series A funding. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe can I help. Click here.] Bob was the co-founder and CTO/VP Engineering of Linear Technology.…
Read MoreWhat Should Your Mindset Be As A Startup CEO?
To: Past Self From: Future Self Subject: If I knew then what I know now Hey, it’s your older and wiser self. Somehow or other, despite all your screw ups, you made it! You’re done. You’ve achieved your dream of starting, building, and leading a company from scratch. Do you want to grow your business?…
Read MoreHow Do You Overcome Investor Objections In One Slide?
Every VC or customer, or potential employee you ever meet with has reasons why they say no to the deal, no to closing the sale, or no to signing up to work with you. The question is how do you overcome these objectives to close? In today’s short video, I’m going to show you how…
Read MoreWhy Your 51% Ownership Guarantees You Nothing
You know the scene in The Social Network where Eduardo meets with Peter Theil’s attorney for the first time. The attorney casually mentions that Mark Zuckerberg’s equity will be over 50% ownership, and Eduardo, sagely, says, “That’s good because Mark needs to be protected?” Yeah, that scene. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe…
Read MoreHow Do You Really Feel As A Startup CEO?
I’d love to sit here telling you that being a CEO was great, and it was great. Truly, truly great. However, I’d be lying if I told you there was only one feeling I had being CEO. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] There were times I felt…
Read MoreThe Simple Strategy For Reducing Your Founder Problems
One of the really sad things I’ve seen as a founder, and now working with other founders, is how often founders don’t take their responsibilities as founders seriously. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] You are literally putting your career and life in the hands of your fellow…
Read MoreWhat Are The 11 Biggest Myths About Being A CEO?
Blossom, Avery, and I were at dinner at Nobu in Palo Alto. I looked over at the table next to us and who’s there but Marc Andreessen and his wife. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] No one was paying attention to them, and no one asked Marc for…
Read MoreHow Do You Extend Your Runway Before Raising Money?
I was talking with one of my 1:1 coaching clients today. Two weeks ago, “Sam’s” company was ramping demand and preparing to raise their next round of funding. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Sam told me today that every customer meeting he had was canceled because of…
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