Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
I’m always looking for ways to apply insights from other disciplines to the startup world. The other night, I was at a parenting seminar, when the presenter (Kirk Steupfert) talked about the importance of “No, because.” What me meant was that when you’re a parent, it’s very tempting to respond to your children’s constant requests … Continue reading No, Because
For the past two years, I’ve ridden in the Cycle for Survival cancer fundraiser, and you’ve helped me donate thousands of dollars to cancer research (CFS donated over $14 million to cancer research last year). Cancer is a devastating disease that will eventually impact all of us, either directly, or via our family and friends. … Continue reading Fight Cancer in 2014
As I mentioned in Part 1, Alisha and I went for a brief getaway to Santa Barbara. Here are some of the highlights: Stuff that was great: The view from the Santa Barbara mountains. We drove up into the hills to visit the Chumash Painted Cave (more on this later), and stopped several times to … Continue reading Vacation Highlights, Part 2
This Christmas, Martin Scorsese debuted his new movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which chronicles the sleazy rise and fall of Jordan Belfort, a penny-stock manipulator who stole hundreds of millions from unsophisticated investors. The critical reception to the movie has been warm (77% on Rotten Tomatoes), but as with many of its predecessors (Wall … Continue reading Glamorizing Villainy: Ink Trumps Intention
This winter break, Alisha and I decided to try something new, and are taking a 48-hour getaway to Santa Barbara. Rather than writing at length mid-vacation, I’m just going to post some of the highlights; I might write a lengthier post after the vacation wraps up. Stuff that was great: The BBQ tri-tip slider with … Continue reading Vacation Highlights, Part 1
Like many people, I’m not fond of hipsters. To me, skinny jeans and Hitler mustaches look ridiculous, not stylish. Which is why my antennae went up when I read about Brooklyn’s (hipster ground zero) latest specialty store, the Brooklyn Porridge Company, which serves artisanal porridge. http://bit.ly/18KgmEn A bowl of gluten-free, non-GMO, porridge costs $7.95. Porridges … Continue reading Hipster Hatred and Conspicuous Consumption
We love winning and winners. In sports, we hand out trophies and belts to scorers and champions. In business, we celebrate CEOs who increase their stock price. In politics, we anoint winners and losers based on the votes they win. What do these have in common? In each domain, it’s easy to keep score. In … Continue reading Don’t Mistake Winning for Accomplishment
Credit and blame are two faces of the same coin, and both aren’t worth as much as you think. When I was young, I was very concerned with credit and blame. My old mentor, Thor Johnson, called me “a shameless self-promoter,” and he meant it as a compliment. When things went right, I made sure … Continue reading Credit and Blame
Investors are fond of telling entrepreneurs about how dangerous it is to raise too much money too early on. We advise entrepreneurs to minimize fundraising until they achieve product-market fit, and are ready for scaling up. The problem is, entrepreneurs don’t want to hear it. It’s like telling Americans to lose weight by eating less … Continue reading When you raise a lot of money, you raise the degree of difficulty
Most of us have the desire to be consistent. In general, this is a good thing. Think of how frustrating it is to deal with someone who is always changing his mind. As just one example, look at how we treat politicians who can be branded as flip-floppers. “I was for it before I was … Continue reading Lazy Consistency and Denial