Looking back on 2019, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with and advising many different entrepreneurs. I’ve compiled my list of the top 5 most frequently asked questions asked by founders: 1. Do you think this is a “good” business idea? What’s interesting, is that the most frequently asked question of “Do you think this …
What’s the power of a thought? Everywhere we turn we hear the advice, recommendations, opinions and suggestions of others — imploring us to focus harder, try with more gusto, defy the odds stacked against us, build the resolve to never give up — good advice we can usually all agree is needed to accomplish any …
What exactly is corporate culture? Can we see it? Does it emanate from a business plan, an un-written code of ethics, or a placard on the wall? Last night we got to sit in on a fireside chat with Ben Horowitz (VC, Andreessen Horowitz) and John Zimmer (Co-founder, Lyft) to discuss culture, and moreover, the …
STARTUP SECRET #1 YOU DON’T NEED A “GOOD” IDEA While everyone’s out there hunting for the next Uber®, Airbnb®, Google® or Alibaba®, the real entrepreneurs are busy testing new concepts instead of dreaming, writing business plans, and overthinking the crap out of everything. Entrepreneur: Average Idea + Massive Action x Initial Results/Adjustments = Progress …
WHAT? YOU DON’T LOVE MY IDEA? To Survive a Startup, First, Kill Your Ego If you’re the type of person, like I was in my 20s, who was seeking encouragement from others to continually reinforce your ideas, beliefs and path, get ready to get shook up when you start a company. Encouragement comes and goes, …
What truly sets an Entrepreneur apart? Her ability to imagine what could be, and more importantly, her unwavering drive to bring forth a new reality to ameliorate the world. This quote by George Bernard Shaw inspired me to become an #entrepreneur when I was 19 years old. Sometimes all it takes in life is one phrase, one …
Knowing what to work on when, is at the crux of successful startups. Well, no one ever told me that starting a business can be broken down into 3 key areas. It seemed like it was all happening at once, in a giant hairball of a process, and it was virtually impossible to figure out …
Can’t find your passion? Don’t worry. My Father used to tell me, “Do what you love in life, and the money will follow.” There’s some truth in that. For me however, I discovered a passion for the entrepreneurial journey, not just the product I was selling, the industry I was serving, or the …
Failure is not a final destination (unless you choose it to be) — failure is an endless journey that moves us continually, and uncomfortably forward, not backwards. Every entrepreneur with a failure under his/her belt has at least a half dozen excuses for why the dream just never materialized. Shoulda, coulda, woulda…dissolved. Failure is a …
Startup Tip of the Day: For most first time entrepreneurs, it’s fairly common that 98% of them spend months and months (sometimes years even) marinating on their “big” idea, but fail to get it going. How come? They write the 50 page business plan. They build the 5 year proforma statements …
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