How Do You Manage Someone With More Experience?
“Let me tell you about the team you’re inheriting,” Bill said to me. “The one you have to worry about is Jack. He was running the division before we acquired it, and I don’t know if he’s salvageable.” I nodded my head. If there ever was a death sentence put around someone, Jack had it.…
What Do You Think Will Change Because Of COVID-19?
COVID-19 has been around long enough to see some trends emerging. Depending upon the business you’re in, you could be crushing it right now due to COVID-19, or your business could be deep trouble due to COVID-19. In this short video, I’ll explain what the trends are that are leading to these results. And, I’ll…
What Are The 7 Misconceptions About Being A CEO?
“Okay,” I said to the group assembled in our large conference room, “We are the launch team for our first product.” The team consisted of Adolfo, my cofounder and VP Marketing, Shoba, our Test Engineering Director, Dave, our Manufacturing Director, and Mary, our Public Relations consultant. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I…
Why You Need To Build Your Team Before Raising Money
Imagine this scenario. You have a great idea for a new startup. You’ve done the research, and maybe you’ve even talked to a few potential customers. There’s no doubt in your mind that this venture is poised to be a huge hit. So, you start reaching out to investors, and you get a couple of…
The Trick To Tell What Advice You Should Take Seriously
You’re going to get tons of advice as a startup CEO. The challenge is determining the good advice from the bad advice. In this short video, I’ll give you a simple tip I use to determine what advice I take more seriously than other advice. I hope you like it. Read the video transcript…
What’s The Right Way To Take Money Out Of Your Company?
“I’ve been at this now for seven years,” “Rob” said to me. “I just want to take some money off the table, so my family can have financial security. “Is that too much to ask?” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “How much money are you thinking of,”…
Which Investor Feedback Should You Follow?
“Do you know who Don Valentine is?” The investor asked me. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] “Of course,” I responded. We actually had a meeting the next week at Sequoia Capital, and Valentine, the legendary cofounder of Sequoia, was going to be in the meeting. “Well, Don…
Why You Want Investors To Say No To You
The odds are decidedly against you, like 300:1 against you, when you try and raise money from VCs. So, you’d think hearing an investor tell you, “No, I’m not interested,” is the last thing you’d want to hear. Well, that’s exactly true. In fact, hearing “No” from an investor can be great. I’ll explain why,…
When Do You Really Need A Board Of Directors?
“I want to establish my board of directors,” “Allen” said to me. “What? Why would you want to do that?” I asked. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] “I just think I need a board of directors. After all, we’re doing over $1M per year in revenue,” Allen…
Why You Shouldn’t Fear Having A Strong Competitor
One of the most brilliant technologists, if not the most brilliant technologist, ever in the analog semiconductor industry is Bob Dobkin. Dobkin, known as “Dobby,” was the co-founder of Linear Technology, one of the most successful startups ever in the analog semiconductor business. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click…