Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
One clear way to distinguish between a good organization and a bad one is to look at how it handles disagreement. The mark of a good organization is that disagreement leads to improvements in the business. The mark of a poor organization is that disagreement leads to a worsening in the business. In the chaos … Continue reading The Difference Between How Good and Bad Organizations Handle Disagreements
You hear about transparency all the time. “We’re in a new era of transparency.” “We live in a transparent society.” But I can’t help feeling that while transparency is all around us, when we ask about the benefits of transparency, we often get an opaque answer. Transparency is in danger of becoming yet another buzzword, … Continue reading Transparency is a Prerequisite of Collaboration
In startups, just as in basketball, one of the most important qualities to look for in a teammate is “feel for the game.” I have the (mis)fortune of being a Los Angeles Lakers fan. But one of the joys of being a Lakers fan is getting the chance to watch Luke Walton play basketball. Luke … Continue reading Feel For The Game
Entrepreneurs are often very independent. You generally don’t choose the risks and pains of starting a company unless you’re pretty dead set against having a boss tell you what to do. But don’t let this independence blind you to other perspectives. I recently worked with a great team of young entrepreneurs. They had done a … Continue reading Your Hard is Another’s Easy
Ever have someone lecture you about paying your dues? It’s remarkable how often “you need to pay your dues” really translates into, “I had to go through hell, so I’ll be damned if you get off scott free.” Think about the antiquated system of rotations for doctors, where people are required to work 36 hour … Continue reading Paying Your Dues — Fact or Crap?