Insights / Research Archives - Page 8 of 27

Yes, NOW is a Good Time to Startup

Thursday, 03 September 2020 by Paul O'Brien

Nearly three quarters of the way through 2020, and with the world fully settled into the “new normal,” quarantine, “the recession?,” (or whatever it is that we’re calling this strange state of things), it’s still very frequently asked, “Is a time like this good time to start a startup?“ The best time is yesterday. The

Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Startups

1 Comment

The Stress of Running a Venture Backed Startup

Friday, 17 July 2020 by Paul O'Brien

The expectations of investors, the demands of a company now more prominent in the market, but the ease of pressure in having resources available… Being venture backed doesn’t make it more stressful, nor less, it’s a matter of the stage, the expectations, and what that all means to you personally. Startup teams usually change from

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

11 Comments

How VCs Make Money: the 2 and 20

Tuesday, 31 March 2020 by Paul O'Brien

In downturns in the economy, it’s then that Venture Capital Funds really come to the forefront of our startup communities because it’s then that entrepreneurship shifts from a buyers market to a sellers market. Buyers vs. Seller. Some time ago, I got a little bit of s*** for suggesting that founders think of Venture Capitalists

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

19 Comments

Explaining the Importance of Information to a Company

Thursday, 26 March 2020 by Paul O'Brien

A bit of what concerns me about society, our economy, is that this topic isn’t FAR more discussed. HOW you explain the importance of information to a company is actually really simple, in my experience. You SHOW how information will impact the business. I simply do this… And then I ask… What caused what happened

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Published in Analytics, Insights / Research

5 Comments

Can the Languages of Love Help us Build Enduring Companies?

Thursday, 06 February 2020 by Paul O'Brien

In the mid and late ’90s, a book sparked a new way of thinking about love. Love has been distinguished in it’s various forms, likely since humans fell for it, and notable as far back as the Greek Philosophy that identified Agape (the unconditional love one experiences with family), Eros (you can probably guess), Philia

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Published in Insights / Research

25 Comments

The Mental Health Burden of Entrepreneurship

Monday, 16 December 2019 by Paul O'Brien

In 1985, management scholar Manfred Kets de Vries wrote in Harvard Business Review, “Entrepreneurs seem to be achievement oriented, like to take responsibility for decisions, and dislike repetitive, routine work. Creative entrepreneurs possess high levels of energy and great degrees of perseverance and imagination, which, combined with willingness to take moderate, calculated risks enable them

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

34 Comments

It is More Cost-Effective to Keep Existing Customers Than to Acquire Them Anew. Is it?

Monday, 11 November 2019 by Paul O'Brien

There is a common trope in academic and advisory circles, before you ask why, ask if. I was reminded of that conventional wisdom when flooded with a series of questions recently, about how and why it was better, than seeking to customers, to keep existing customers happy. Before you ask why, ask if. In early

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

4 Comments