Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
Entrepreneurs are passionate, but this passion can be their undoing. One common mistake entrepreneurs make is to say too much. It’s easy to understand why. First, entrepreneurs know a lot about their space and their product. Second, they love the subject so much, they’d happily expound for hours. Finally, they can’t help wanting to show … Continue reading Say Just Enough, But Not Too Much
Humans love to be surprised (as long as the surprise isn’t a nasty shock). As thinking creatures, our ability to develop an accurate working model of the world depends on our ability to spot the unexpected. Surprise is a great mechanism for rewarding that ability. Wharton conducted a study of viral videos. They had research … Continue reading The Power of Surprise
If nature abhors a vacuum, startup people abhor mistakes. Most of us got to where we are via a long chain of good grades and aggressive action, which means our instinctive reaction is to attack mistakes like a hungry piranha. And that itself is a mistake. It feels good to jump into action, to examine … Continue reading Before fixing a mistake, ask yourself if it matters:
I have never been an avid Facebook user. Quick posts and personal notes have never been my metier; my Twitter feed essentially acts as an RSS feed of my posts and a commenting system. But recently, I’ve come to realize that the secret to Facebook is content. Specifically, Facebook is the first medium that provides … Continue reading The Secret to Facebook is Content
As a manager or CEO, what is your reaction when someone proposes a plan of action? Most of us feel like we need to “improve” such proposals. It’s hard to say why. Perhaps that helps us “look smarter.” Perhaps we feel like we want to help. Or maybe we’re worried that if we don’t offer … Continue reading As a manager, the default is trust
It’s critical to network in situations outside your comfort zone, otherwise your skills might erode. Here in Silicon Valley, it’s pretty easy to network. People are very casual and open, and if you’re an investor, it’s even easier. People constantly seek me out because they want me to invest in them, or to introduce them … Continue reading Networking outside your comfort zone
I hate traveling for work. It’s not that I mind the mechanics of travel; I pack light and optimize everything from my clothing to my snacks. I also have the advantage of being able to sleep any time and anywhere, including on planes while surrounded by crying babies. Rather, I hate being away from home. … Continue reading Mastering Rapport
One of the big frustrations that startups face is the disconnect between the customer-facing and product-facing sides of the company. From time immemorial, engineers have complained about the wild promises Sales makes, while salespeople complain that engineers have no idea what the customer wants. The thing is, both sides are right. Sales doesn’t understand the … Continue reading The customer is always right (but not in the way you think)
People have this concept of a Dream Job. Yet they go about getting their dream job in exactly the wrong way. Most people chase their dream job like the protagonist in a romantic comedy chases their “true love”: A frantic effort to find The One. Yet getting a job doesn’t determine your job. Rather, you … Continue reading You get the job you train others to give you
Ask any entrepreneur, and she’ll probably tell you that her most important job is getting the right people on board.* * It’s not; the most important job is to not run out of money. But people is a close second. Yet despite his fact, many entrepreneurs offload hiring to others as quickly as possible. This … Continue reading Why an entrepreneur has to be the chief recruiter