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How Should You Manage Your Startup’s Spending?
“Don’t worry, Brett. We’ll support you,” “Raul”, one of our investors, said to me in our board of directors meeting. Raul wanted us to go faster than I had originally planned for. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. And Raul meant what he said. He was, in that…
Read MoreHow Do You Know Your Startup Is Going To Win?
“If I can just find a great CTO or VP Engineering to be my co-founder I know my startup is going to work,” I said to myself before I started building my company. In fact, I knew even before Jeroen, who would become my co-founder and VP Engineering, joined the company that my startup was…
Read MoreWhat Are The Seven Keys For You To Effectively Delegate?
I read a really great book called, “The Fish That The Whale.” The book is about the life of entrepreneur Sam Zemurray. The book is a great and entertaining read, and it is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Zemurray, also known as…
Read MoreWhat’s The Right Way To Determine Your Team’s Salary?
I’ll never forget one of my investors, “Raul”, asking me how much I was going to pay myself after we closed our $12 million round of funding. I told Raul I was going to pay myself $200,000, well below the market rate of $250,000 at the time. This was significantly more than the zero salary…
Read MoreWhen Should You Give Up On Raising Money?
“Do you want to give up?” My co-founder, “Randy” asked me. I had just completed my Sunday morning run, and we were talking about what to do after a very well known Sand Hill Road Venture Capital fund had just passed on us at the last minute. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe…
Read MoreHow Should You Manage Your Engineering Team?
“How do you plan on managing the design team?” I asked my prospective co-founder and soon to be VP Engineering, Jeroen. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “The same as I have at Maxim (Integrated Products),” Jeroen said. I smiled, and then I said, “I’m sorry, but I…
Read MoreHow Much Should You Delegate To Your Team As CEO?
I love the idea of obsoleting myself. In fact, the idea of obsoleting myself has been my goal ever since I started managing people years ago. Because only when you obsolete yourself can you effectively delegate. Huh? [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Now why would you want…
Read MoreWhy Should You Send Your Unsolicited Pitch Deck To Investors
“Do you know ‘George’ from Maxim (Integrated Products)?” Mike, the managing partner at Crosslink, the San Francisco based VC Fund where I was an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), asked me. “Yes, I know George,” I said. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “He just sent his pitch deck…
Read MoreYou Need To Raise More Money Than You Think
“How much money are you going to try and raise?” I asked “Sarah.” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “I’m thinking we should raise $1.5 million this round,” Sarah said to me. “How long will the money last?” I asked. “I’m not sure,” Sarah said. “I’m waiting on…
Read MoreHow Do You Build An Innovative Startup?
James Carville, Bill Clinton’s chief strategist when Clinton ran for president in 1992 famously described their pitch to voters in one simple phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Clinton and Carville’s relentless focus on the economy. Clinton’s opponent, President George Bush, didn’t focus on the economy and he paid the price, losing to Clinton. [Do you…
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