Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
One of the thing that always amazes me when I visit my in-laws is the condition of their household. Everything is always completely clean and tidy. There isn’t even a stack of old mail near the door–somehow, even the products of the direct mail industry are whisked away to some hidden repository. After observing my … Continue reading Lessons from my Mother-In-Law
I’m on vacation this week, and getting a chance to experience life outside the Silicon Valley bubble. I use the term “heartland” with a certain irony, since for our vacation, life outside the Silicon Valley bubble consists of visiting Los Angeles (my ancestral home) and the suburbs of Orlando (where Alisha’s family now lives)–both of … Continue reading Travels in the “Heartland” Part 1
Most busy professionals view the working poor who struggle from paycheck to paycheck with barely veiled contempt. These holier-than-thou Whole Foods shoppers marvel at the poor decisions of the poor, whether in consumption of fast food, using payday loans, or worst of all, buying lottery tickets. What these yuppies don’t realize is that they’re doing … Continue reading What busy professionals and the working poor have in common
The recent reports that Snapchat’s founders each took $10 million off the table during their Series B raised the usual debate about founder liquidity: http://bit.ly/11P65n1 On the pro side are the arguments espoused by one anonymous investor: “Founders get ‘rich’ now, and de-risk some of the startup. Doesn’t change alignment, just rewards them for their … Continue reading Addressing the founder liquidity problem
It’s always dangerous for old married guys like me to opine on college culture and relationships. It’s kind of like retired athletes arguing that the darn kids today don’t have any respect for the game. But hey, that’s never stopped me before. The New York Times just ran an extensive article about college women and … Continue reading The Smoking Gun of College Hook-up Culture
As usual, if there’s a controversial topic that no one in their right mind wants to touch, I’m going to write about it. The news came out this morning that a Florida jury found George Zimmerman “Not Guilty” of the charges of 2nd-Degree Murder and Manslaughter in his shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin. This case … Continue reading Why George Zimmerman was found “Not Guilty” (and why this verdict is unsatisfying)
There’s a brand of technology enthusiasts who hail the power of “external memory.” According to these true believers, you don’t need to bother remembering things; simply put it into Evernote, find it on Facebook/LinkedIn, or if all else fails, Google it. This external memory is phenomenally powerful, and I rely on it constantly when I’m … Continue reading Memory matters more than ever
We often think of sociability as a single axis, from introverted to extroverted. On one end sits the shy geek who prefers to interact with the world via a computer screen, and on the other strides the back-slapping frat guy, calling everyone “bro” and speaking loudly enough to be heard on the other side of … Continue reading A Better Taxonomy for Introverts and Extroverts
When entrepreneurs ask me for help, the two things they always want is A) to raise money, and B) to get publicity. While both fundraising and PR are important, I think entrepreneurs focus way too much on them, and not enough on perfecting the product and reaching out to customers. Funding and press are the … Continue reading Focus on winning the market, not winning the news cycle
Spend enough time with any startup’s product team, and you’ll hear complaints about the customers. Many of these complaints are justified. Customers misuse, misunderstand, and just plain miss the point of products. But blaming the user is useless, unless you’re going to find a brand new set of customers who, magically, are smart enough to … Continue reading If People Don’t Get Your Product, It’s Your Fault, Not Theirs