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Startup Founders’ Mental Health

Wednesday, 26 September 2018 by
Inspired by changes in professional sports, where a growing number of high-profile athletes have gone public with their mental health and psychological struggles, Felicis founder Aydin Senkut and partner Dasha Maggio, announced in September that Felicis Ventures will commit 1%, on top of every check the firm writes, in non-dilutive capital earmarked for “founder development”
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How a Struggling Startup turns into a Successful Business

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 by
You’re here meaning you’re in the great majority of founders who struggle.  According to my last “study” *ahem* of the startup economy, that’s roughly 100% of us.  Imagine that. Yep, we all struggle.  It might be said that the very definition of being an entrepreneur is epitomized in the one who struggles.  It’s our job
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Your Startup, a CMO, and that Elusive Question of Equity

Tuesday, 28 August 2018 by
First let’s establish as fact, a couple of assumptions.  This is a key role in your organization, at a distinct stage in a specific type of new company; and as a team member so critical, we need to be on the same page as to our context in working through this question. Early stage =
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The Cracks of an Entrepreneur

Friday, 24 August 2018 by
OnInnovation Interview: Elon Musk; Creative Commons license to use
In a New York Times interview with David Gelles, James B. Stewart, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, and Kate Kelly, the Times journalists noted that Elon Musk, “choked up multiple times, noting that he nearly missed his brother’s wedding this summer and spent his birthday holed up in Tesla’s offices as the company raced to meet elusive production targets on a crucial new
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From Cambridge to Coffee Barista, How University has been Sold to Us

Thursday, 23 August 2018 by
CNBC’s Courtney Connley reported recently that Google, Apple and 13 other companies that no longer require employees to have a college degree, spurring some consideration of the implication on jobs and education. The amateur economist in me read the headline on the surface of it and thought, “great! More affirmation that $100,000 in debt to
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Venture Capital in Texas

Thursday, 26 July 2018 by
The last time I had an opportunity to do this at such a scale was during Amazon’s Startup Day. What is the state of the Texas venture capital ecosystem? Interestingly, personally, since speaking for Amazon, Austin has been hemming and hawing about HQ2 and while the merit of that happening or not, is fodder for
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What Does it Mean to be Working in Technology?

Friday, 13 July 2018 by
Frankly, I hate how, since the dawn of the computer and internet, when we say “technology” we tend to presume only software, web sites, and smartphones. “Technology” does not mean semiconductor and code! The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes The idea of technology was defined in 1829! Technology (“science of craft”, from Greek, techne, “art, skill, cunning
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