Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
I was struck and touched by a recent post I read by entrepreneur Chris Granger, who wrote movingly about dealing with his mother’s partner’s terminal cancer, and trying to build a company at the same time: http://bit.ly/13TKS9B “And this is the stark truth of startups: you are the last and only line of defense against … Continue reading Once you take everything away, what’s left?
I was very entertained when I read a recent blog post complaining about the crappy customer service you get from big internet companies. The writer titled it, “Hey internet giants, you’re no longer startups, get some customer service.” http://bit.ly/17LtbMC I was entertained for two reasons. The first is that it’s quite possible for a startup … Continue reading Want better support? Then make that part of your buying criteria.
The startup world today loves hacks. Growth hacks. Venture hacks. Social hacks. The result ends up being a focus on the means, rather than the ends. And I think that’s a shame. In one sense, hacking a startup is a great thing. Who doesn’t want to get rich quick? I certainly wouldn’t turn down easy … Continue reading Whenever possible, begin the startup process with a problem
At TechCrunch Disrupt, legendary venture capitalist (and Sun Microsystems co-founder) Vinod Khosla warned entrepreneurs against the dangers of hype: “During his TechCrunch Disrupt talk, Khosla explained that the key role of early investors is not funding, but personal attention and guidance. But generating buzz too early can inflate a startup’s market cap and make them … Continue reading The only ways hype helps startups is to a) raise money b) attract customers c) recruit employees
Skeptics often refer to startups as lottery tickets. I suppose this is a natural reaction to amazing success stories like YouTube or Instagram, where a relatively young company with almost no revenue achieves a billion-dollar exit. “Amazing luck,” the skeptics scoff. The skeptics are wrong, but startups are like lottery tickets. Just not in the … Continue reading Startups, lottery tickets, and the audacity of hope
The Tim Tebow phenomenon has become the biggest story in the NFL, exceeding the routinely remarkable perfection of the Green Bay Packers and the quietly dumbfounding turnaround of the 49ers under Jim Harbaugh. For those who aren’t sports fans, Tim Tebow is the quarterback of the Denver Broncos. That in itself isn’t that remarkable; Tebow … Continue reading What Startups Can Learn From Tim Tebow
Each year, NBA scouts devote their time to finding flaws in players. Landry Fields lacks athleticism. DeJuan Blair is too short. And each year, those scouts misfire badly, as players like Fields and Blair end up thriving in the NBA. The scouts fail because they’re too focused on what players can’t do, rather than understanding … Continue reading Angel Investing Is Like The NBA Draft
One of the best times for seeds to grow is after a forest fire. There’s plenty of nutrient-rich ash and daylight. The same principle applies to startups. Many times, you can find great opportunities in the wake of spectacular flameouts. Palm revolutionized handheld computing after the spectacular failure of Go. Zappos built a billion-dollar business … Continue reading After the Fire
My recent post on the diatom bloom in the startup ecosystem prompted calls for me to dig deeper and provide more data. Far be it from me to disappoint! Chris Tacy asked, are we seeing too many startups? It’s a loaded question, but a good one. My instinctive reaction is that it’s always good to … Continue reading Can We Ever Have Too Many Startups?