Startup Founders, Focus! (Yeah, but on what?)
Thursday, 25 May 2023
Focus. We hear that word and advice bantered about A LOT in the startup community but rarely is that mentorship capably followed up with WHAT to focus on and why. This is what contributes to founders to wasting time and failing. You think the advice is helpful; it’s not, it’s distracting. Focus? Yes. But on what?? Most
- Published in Startups
13 Comments
Entrepreneurs Struggle Beyond Startup
Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Highly risk tolerant and constantly fixated on doing things better, entrepreneurs tend not to be found running companies. That’s not remotely a knock against entrepreneurs. Operating a company is a management skillset, it’s operational, it’s project based, it’s plan and execute…. and these are skillsets that, while valuable to a founder, are not typically consistent
- Published in Startups
The Stress of Running a Venture Backed Startup
Friday, 17 July 2020
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
- Published in Insights / Research, Startups
The Mental Health Burden of Entrepreneurship
Monday, 16 December 2019
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
- Published in Insights / Research, Startups
I’m Thankful for Cofounders
Monday, 25 November 2019
It’s a marriage. I’m a bit surprised by how many entrepreneurs start something merely hoping to have a business, solve a problem, or accomplish something. I can’t recall when I’ve ever seen that work, substantially. Launching a startup is like having a child, and finding committed cofounders is a marriage. The difference is that you
- Published in Startups
What Startup Founders with No Technical Skills Do During Incubation
Friday, 05 July 2019
I was inclined to put a brief Q&A in the experience where I mentor startups and founders, as I’m so frequently asked this that it’s certainly an FAQ. On further contemplation, this warrants an article. What do startups with no technical cofounders do during incubation? Seriously? It’s the most important work a venture does! The
- Published in Startups
The Hub of Entrepreneurial Artists; Making the Most of SXSW
Monday, 11 March 2019
This is my… 13th SXSW (I think). Hazy to recall. Having had so many experiences with the conference, the question of WHO excels there, why, and how to help others make the most of one of the world’s most culturally and economically important events, struck me as a worthwhile question. I like to refer to
- Published in Austin, Conferences, Startups