Leadership and Management
The Signs That Your Company Is Going To Fail
I remember walking into the lobby like it was yesterday. I was excited because I was wrapping up negotiations to join the company as VP Marketing. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. I remembered seeing a planter with a dead plant outside. I didn’t think much of it…
Read MoreThe Ten Things Startup CEOs Need For Success
I’ve built several businesses from zero to over $100 million, and I’ve worked with a lot of CEOs to help them grow their businesses too. Over and over again, the successful CEOs I’ve worked with have been able to master the same set of ten core skills. That’s what today’s video is all about. I’ll…
Read MoreHow To Turn Your Pitch Deck Into Your Business Plan
I remember the first business plan I wrote like it was yesterday. I had just joined Maxim Integrated Products, and my boss, the late Ziya Boyacigiller, asked me to develop a plan for Maxim’s Voltage Reference business. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] So I set about developing…
Read MoreThe Five Steps For Scaling Startups
The Five Steps For Scaling Startups How and when to scale a startup is where too many startup CEOs fail. They either wait too long to scale, and their startup loses momentum. Or, the CEO moves too quickly and burns through their cash and the startup fails. I don’t want this to happen to…
Read MoreHow Many People Should You Bring To A Pitch Meeting?
We walked into the big conference room. On one side of the room sat a team of six executives from the company that was going to pitch us this Monday afternoon. We sat on the other side of the table with our backs pointing toward a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge. [Do you want to…
Read MoreThe CEO Pledge To Employees
Thank you again, ideal employee, on everything you continue doing. We could not achieve what we want without you. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. I asked you last time to be loyal, be a positive force, do your best always, recruit your friends, have the company’s best…
Read MoreWhy Equity Dilution Is Good For Startups
When I started my company, I was obsessed with retaining every percent of equity I could. And I remember telling my mentor and advisor, Dave, about my equity-retention philosophy. Dave looked at me and laughed. Then he said something I’ll always remember, “Brett, dilution is good.” I was shocked. However, Dave was right. In today’s…
Read MoreWhat Can You Learn From A Little Boy And A LEGO?
I was at home Saturday night enjoying a really nice evening with my wife and daughter. We had just finished dinner, and I was thumbing through one of my Twitter feeds. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] That’s when I saw this tweet: Boy writes to Lego after…
Read MoreWhat Is The Hardest Part Of Starting Your Company?
I was scared. I should have been thrilled, but I was scared. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. It was Sunday night, and Monday I would officially begin my journey as an EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) at a Venture Capital fund based in San Francisco. It was an…
Read MoreThe Ten Things Startup CEOs Need For Success
I’ve built several businesses from zero to over $100 million, and I’ve worked with a lot of CEOs to help them grow their businesses too. Over and over again, the successful CEOs I’ve worked with have been able to master the same set of core skills. That’s what today’s video is all about. I’ll explain:…
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