How You Can Staff Effectively To Supercharge Your Startup’s Growth
Years ago, I remember a startup CEO telling me, half joking, that his hiring criteria was, “Anything that breathes.” That’s not exactly a sound strategy to grow you startup, is it? I think what the CEO meant was that it’s tough to hire really good people when you’re starting out. The reality is it’s always…
Why You Shouldn’t Build Your Startup To Be Acquired
There was a time in the late 1990’s when venture capitalists made a killing investing in semiconductor companies. The companies these VCs invested in were never meant to be companies built for the long term. Instead, these companies were meant to be flipped and sold quickly. The flipping of companies in the late 1990’s was…
What Are The 5 Steps You Should Take To Have Great Meetings?
Do you waste too much time in meetings? Do too many of your meetings end up with no actions items? Or do too many of your meetings end up with everyone walking out frustrated? This video walks you through in five easy to follow steps a simple methodology that will help make your meetings much…
When Should You Replace Yourself As CEO?
Years ago, I was introduced to “William”, the CEO of newly formed startup. I think our first meeting was a lunch meeting, and William was trying to convince me to join him. I liked William on a personal level. However, I didn’t see him as a CEO, so I passed on the opportunity. That didn’t…
How Can You Use Goals To Push Your Team?
Contrary to popular opinion, your startup team is not going to work 18 hour days, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You will burn your team out, and fast, if you push too hard. So what’s the right amount to push your team, so you’re getting an effort that your team can sustain?…
How Much Luck Do You Need To Be Successful?
“How many lives do I have left?” I asked myself. My goodness, I’d already survived a ton of near-death experiences, yet we hadn’t even released a product or gotten any funding. Maybe the startup gods were trying to tell me something? But this near death experience was different. I survived this near death experience not…
What Should You Steal From Your Competitors?
Our go to market strategy for starting our company was based on copying our competitors. Right down to the part number, the specifications, and the data sheets, that’s exactly what we intended to do. I told an interviewer when we came out of stealth mode and launched our first set of products that companies in…
What Do You Do When Your Cofounder Is Lying?
The one thing I’ve seen too much of coaching CEOs is problems with cofounders. The most likely problem you are going to face is what do you do when your cofounder is lying to you? I’ll explain the only thing you can do when your cofounder lies to you. More importantly, I walk you through…
How You Can Win A Deal In Seven Seconds Or Less
“You didn’t have me at hello,” the investor said to us. “But I like what you’re doing. Let me think about this and get back to you.” We had just finished presenting to a well known VC in our space. The VC was telegraphing that he was going to pass on investing in our company.…
How Do You Tell Investors Why You Will Beat Your Competitors?
“They brought up companies we didn’t even know existed,” Mike said in our debrief after a startup pitched to the Venture Capital partnership where I was an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR). Everyone was impressed with the CEO, the company, and we decided to continue forward with the investment. There’s a natural tendency when you’re asked…