Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
Two people in Silicon Valley whom I admire greatly are Brian Chesky of Airbnb, and Paul Graham of YCombinator. Brian was one of the most popular and insightful guests who visited my Blitzscaling class, and Paul’s essays helped inspire my own style of writing and commentary. Recently, Brian and Paul together introduced a new term … Continue reading Founder Mode is Incredibly Powerful (and Dangerous)
The classic story of nice guys who can’t sell against cutthroat competitors is a perfect illustration of the fundamental dilemma most founders eventually face: Does the company serve the needs of the founders? Or do the founders serve the needs of the company? If you’re lucky to be in business long enough, you’re going to … Continue reading Do Companies Serve The Founders Or Vice Versa?
Another TC50, another set of startups, and just like clockwork, the haters will come out and troll the comment boards. “It’s all luck,” they’ll rant. “Founders are just lottery ticket winners.” What a load of crap. First of all, there’s nothing wrong with being lucky. I’d rather be lucky than good. As I’m fond of … Continue reading If Startup Success Is All About Luck, Why Aren’t You Starting More Companies?