Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
The best coverage I’ve read about Yahoo’s massive acquisition of Tumblr comes from Tumblr co-founder Marco Arment (who went on to create Instapaper): “Intense focus requires neglecting almost everything else. David’s focus on pushing the product forward meant that he didn’t want to think about boring stuff: support, scaling, paperwork, and money. Every time we’d … Continue reading The Lesson of Tumblr: Product Uber Alles
Bill Belichek is one of the most successful American football coaches of all time. After helping the New York Giants win two Superbowls as an assistant coach, he led the New England Patriots to three more Superbowl victories (along with two other appearances in the big game). Along the way, Belichek has become famous for … Continue reading Mental toughness at your startup
My friend Ben Casnocha recently published a post about status and power: http://bit.ly/12tq6eb It’s a good post, but what really struck me was one of the comments. The commenter wrote: “Sorry, I have to unsubscribe after reading this… Manipulation, office politics–whatever you want to call it, I don’t like it if it interferes with getting … Continue reading Politics shouldn’t be a dirty word at your startup
In the NBA, one of the explicit roles that a player can play on a team is as a “locker room guy.” The term is usually applied to a well-respected veteran who, despite declining athleticism, remains valuable to his team because he settles down the younger players, sets a good example of professionalism, and helps … Continue reading The value of the “locker room guy” for your startup
When Yahoo! hired Marissa Mayer, I supported the move, believing that the board needed to shake things up, and that given the dismal state of the business, Mayer was probably a better candidate than they could ever have expected to attract. I also supported the move on Mayer’s part; she wasn’t ever going to become … Continue reading Marissa Mayer and Yahoo’s telecommuting policy: Right motivation, wrong execution
I’m a long-time admirer of Jason Fried, the CEO of 37Signals. He’s one of the only tech CEOs who is willing to experiment on culture and organization, rather than just technology. In this recent Fast Company interview, Jason cut to the heart of what it means to be a great business, versus what FC characterized … Continue reading The 4 Questions Great Businesses Must Be Able To Answer
One of my pet peeves when it comes to management is when someone tells me, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to explain.” When that happens, I think that person has been watching too many action movies. If you’re on the run from a secret government conspiracy, you probably don’t have time to explain … Continue reading If you don’t have time to explain, you’re not decisive, you’re unfocused
I’m finally getting around to reading Daniel Pink’s “Drive.” I had held off for a long time, figuring that I didn’t need to read someone else’s rehashing of Deci, since I’d already read the source material. I was wrong. Pink does a great job of synthesizing a number of different strands, including behavioral economics, Deci’s … Continue reading Rewards and the Motivation Paradox
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?
I often tell people that strategy is about making choices. If I want to be more dramatic, I tell them that it’s about making sacrifices. But regardless of how I say it, I firmly believe that trying to be all things to all people is the swiftest road to failure. So how is it that … Continue reading The Secret To Being A Low Cost, High Quality Provider