In order for your startup to scale, you’re going to need improve your startup management skills. That’s what I’ll address in today’s video. We cover a lot of ground in this video including having the right environment to be an effective manager, the unintended effects of your decisions, demotions, and how to effectively manage your…
It was the summer of 2009, and we were closing in on our Series A funding. I wanted to update my fellow co-founders on our progress, so I scheduled a meeting at the local Starbucks. Three of my four fellow co-founders were on time for our 11AM meeting. We were waiting on our Chief Technology…
“What other startups have gotten funded in your space?” I asked “Ray” during one of our first meetings. Ray said, “There are a lot of them. I think there are around 50, the last time I counted.” “50! That’s a lot,” I said. “What are you going to do different?” There can never be too…
There are ten things that great startup CEOs do that other startup CEOs don’t do. These 10 things, interestingly enough, are things that you can do too. I go deep in this video as I walk you through the ten things that the great startup CEOs do that the other startup CEOs don’t do. I…
“We’re ready to push the button,” Jeroen, my co-founder and VP Engineering, said to me. “You’ve signed off on all the design changes that needed to be made?” I asked Jeroen. “Yes. Sid has done everything on the list,” Jeroen said. “Okay, then let’s do it.” And with my agreement, we just spent $180,000 “taping…
Time is the scarcest resource you have as a startup CEO. You can consistently work long hours and end up working on the wrong things. And you never get that lost time back. In this video, I’ll share with you my tips for managing my time for optimum results. We’ll cover schedule management, how to…
“When’s Jack coming in today?” I asked his co-founder, Bob. I had joined the startup about two months prior as the VP Marketing. It was 10:30AM on a Friday morning. I needed Jack’s approval on an offer I was about to make to a candidate. Jack, the CEO, was nowhere to be found. “I don’t…
“Tell me about the other executives?” I asked “Jason,” the CEO of a life sciences startup. “There aren’t any other executives. It’s just me. That’s why I wanted your help,” he said. “I’ve never scaled a business before.” That was almost four years ago. At the time, Jason’s revenue had just passed the $1 million…
You’re going to get tons of feedback from investors when you pitch your startup. The problem is, a lot of the feedback you get will lead you in the wrong direction, and actually hurt your chances of getting funded. So what are you, the CEO, supposed to do with the feedback you get? In today’s…
“Just visit ten investors,” my friend Dave said to me. “If no one is interested, then you should just move on.” Dave is a dear friend, a mentor, and, at the time, a VC. Usually his advice is spot on. However, this was one time I just couldn’t agree with his advice. “But you told…