Posts Tagged ‘management’
How You Can Avoid Nine Startup Sales Killers
“It’s too early to hire a VP of Sales!” The VC said to me. “You should be doing the selling!” “I hear where you’re coming from,” I said. “And believe me, I will be selling.” “’Ken’s’ been part of the company since I started it. “Without Ken, we wouldn’t have gotten funded,” I said. “One…
Read MoreWhat Should You Do When A Cofounder Quits And Holds Your IP Hostage?
I know the pain too well of cofounders quitting. I had two cofounders (“Jim” and “John”). I was the CEO, Jim was the marketing guy, and John was the engineering guy. We had worked together previously, and we understood the plan and direction we were going in. We started pitching VCs after working on the…
Read MoreHow Can I Get A Fortune 500 Executive To Be An Advisor?
A person is not great just because they are a COO or a CEO. They are no better or smarter than you are. That being said, treat this person (and all people) with respect. Let me give you two simple tips for how to reach out to a potential mentor: A. You have to give…
Read MoreWhen Should I Hire A COO?
I added a COO as a cofounder to my company. He was talented, had tons of experience and knowledge, and he helped me secure funding. There was just one little problem with having a Chief Operations Officer in a startup, especially an early stage startup. And that problem is… Startups, especially early stage startups, don’t…
Read MoreWhat Are The Early Signs Your Startup Is In Trouble?
“There is no negotiation on this term sheet,” the Venture Capitalist said to me. I was stunned. There’s always negotiation, isn’t there? Everyone negotiates, right? Not this VC. The terms we were given were horrible. I tried everything I could to get better terms, but the VC was unmoved. The answer was always “No”. Mike…
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