Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
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
For the final post in my series on attending a conference and event, I think it’s important to focus on something that most people neglect: Follow-up. Assuming that you’ve attended the event, built relationships, and collected business cards, your final step is to “fix” the value of those new contacts by following up. In-person events … Continue reading Always follow up the first day after a conference or event
By now the rituals of Demo Day are familiar. The opportunities are great both for startups to tell their story, and for investors to see a lot of deals in a very short time. So why wouldn’t the reverse be true? Introducing the Valley’s first Reverse Demo Day, where the investors sell themselves to entrepreneurs. … Continue reading Reverse Demo Day (Thursday, February 23)
By now the rituals of Demo Day are familiar. The opportunities are great both for startups to tell their story, and for investors to see a lot of deals in a very short time. So why wouldn’t the reverse be true? Introducing the Valley’s first Reverse Demo Day, where the investors sell themselves to entrepreneurs. … Continue reading Reverse Demo Day (Thursday, September 29)
If you liked my recent post on How To Avoid Getting Fired From Your Own Company, you’ll love my upcoming panel on founder/CEO succession issues, What Color Is Your Parachute? The good folks at Orrick and I have assembled an All-Star panel with three founders and three VCs for a frank discussion of when/why/how founders … Continue reading Free Event Thursday: Founder/CEO Succession
My old friend Frans Johansson, the author of The Medici Effect, is working with the city of San Jose to bring his innovation workshop to the Bay Area next week. The Medici Effect refers to the amazing innovations of the Italian Renaissance, sparked by the mingling of disparate cultures and experiences. I went to Frans’ … Continue reading Attend The Medici Experience San Jose on 9/24
Mistakes 1-10: Not listening to Chris Yeh. But seriously, my friend Chad Lynch at Orrick has organized another great event. It’s short and sweet–a quick morning panel on the Top 10 Start-up Mistakes. You can duck in for breakfast, and be back at work before 11 AM. Among other folks, the redoubtable Rob Hayes of … Continue reading Top 10 Start-Up Mistakes (5/14)
One of the key components of the Silicon Valley ecosystem is the gang of Valley law firms that serve all the startups and entrepreneurs. These firms go out of their way to be helpful to entrepreneurs (with the hope that you’ll choose them when you start your next company). The folks over at Orrick invited … Continue reading Two great *free* events for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley from Orrick