Leadership and Management
What Should You Do When You’re Burned Out?
I remember the moment clearly. We had finally gotten to $100K per month in revenue. This should have been a moment of celebration because $100K per month is when you’ve hit escape velocity. If you just keep at it, you’ll be at $1 million per month in no time flat. [Do you want to grow…
Read MoreHow Do You Recruit Your Startup Team?
Years ago, I was in a meeting with Jack Gifford, the founding CEO of Maxim Integrated Products. Maxim’s revenue was around $1 billion per year at the time. Also in the meeting was “Peter”, one of the best engineering managers in the company. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click…
Read MoreThe Right Way For You To Handle A Competitive Threat
When I worked at Maxim Integrated Products, we used to have our planning meetings over at the Peppermill restaurant in Cupertino. I think it’s gone now, but it was a great venue for us to meet at. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The Peppermill was great because,…
Read MoreHandling The Bad Days Is Key To Your Success
“As you know, Brett presented to my partnership at ‘Donald Ventures’,” “Raul” said to myself and the other board members at our board meeting. “And the meeting went horribly. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] “None of my partners believes we should continue supporting the company,” Raul said,…
Read MoreWhat Should Your Startup’s Sick Policy Be?
“When you’re sick stay home. When you’re healthy come to work.” That was the sick policy I had at my company. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] I didn’t ask my employees to fill out any paperwork. I didn’t have a maximum amount of sick days. And, for the…
Read MoreHow Do You Prepare A Cash Flow Forecast?
Before I launched my startup, I built an elaborate Excel spreadsheet to forecast how our company would grow. The spreadsheet had tabs for headcount, revenue by product, gross margin, rent, and cashflow. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] At the heart of the model, was the product revenue…
Read MoreHow Do You Fire Your Co-Founder?
I was on edge. I couldn’t sleep. I hated going to the office. That’s how I felt before I took the necessary step of firing my co-founder. Unfortunately, over 50% of co-founder conflicts can not be resolved. I’ve built several businesses to greater than $100 million/year in revenue. And, I’ve helped many startup CEOs successfully…
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…
Read MoreHow Should You Manage Your Stock Option Plan?
“I was expecting an offer of three percent,” Joe said to me. I’d been recruiting Joe since before we got our funding, and, now, two years after we closed our funding, we had offered Joe 0.75% stock options to become a Senior Scientist. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click…
Read MoreThe 5 Reasons Why So Many Startups Fail
There are a lot of studies you can find online that will give you the, alleged, data on why so many startups fail. The problem is the reasons cited are superficial at best. I’ve built several businesses to greater than $100 million/year in revenue. And, I’ve helped many startup CEOs successfully build their businesses. I’ve…
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