Talk to me about building companies and you might as well block out half of the day! How about building teams that are like constellations of stars? Move over – I will show you! It is a subject I spend a lot of time on, since my own personal experience and countless research has shown that…
Category Archives: Lessons learned
Stars vs. Constellations – 3 Steps to Building Solid High-performing Teams
Anyone who has spent considerable time in early stage startups and fast growing scalable businesses will tell you that sustainable growth companies are built by teams of shining constellations rather than just several bright stars. A team of people that is able to feed off each other and grow together will beat any company comprised…
Beware of “Normal” People in Startups and High-growth Companies
I needed a little hiatus from my blog, but lately too many people have been asking when the heck I am going to get back to it. Point taken – time to reorganize my priority list. Since I usually recruit talent for my teams, I often hear from acquaintances how they know someone “just so…
How to Avoid Turning Your Startup into a Dysfunctional Family
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a journalist from Wall Street Journal. We had a great conversation about the current labor market, hiring challenges, and how to build the right company culture. He ended up taking the article in another direction, but now I’m happy to be able to finally share what…
3 Problems With the Way Startups Manage Talent
I am sure you folks have realized that I’ve been “off air” for awhile. The combination of helping out Daily Grommet and joining Pixability has shriveled my capacity for writing to zero. But, I am getting back on the horse and definitely have a lot of material from the “startup trenches” to share. So that…
How to Get It All Done with 2 People in Your company
EditMe is a two person startup. We consider ourselves a startup, because we’re still searching for the product/market fit that can result in scalable growth. But, we’re a bit different from your typical startup in that EditMe has bootstrapped every stage of growth by providing real value to customers who have validated (or not validated)…
What To Look For In a Chief Right Hand Person (COO, VP of Operations)
Last week a founder of a software development company asked what to look for in a COO on answers.onstartups.com. Since this is a fairly common question to me, I decided to expand upon the answer I posted and further describe what attributes a great business operations leader/professional should possess. Bit of background: I have been…
Lessons Learned: 4 Rules for Making it as a Young Entrepreneur
Six months ago, I was fresh out of a one year entrepreneurship master’s degree program and looking to join a startup or maybe start one of my own… I really didn’t know. Finding your way when you’re a young, aspiring entrepreneur isn’t easy; there’s a lot of thrashing, uncertainty and mistakes. Embrace this. Those scars…
How a Foosball Table Can Kill Your Startup – part 2
Since an article I wrote in June of 2009 called “How a foosball table can kill your startup” is still sparking attention and conversation, I think the time is ripe for me to expand on the topic. Yes, I still believe that tchotchke “benefits” do nothing but waste money. Instead, use your resources to attract…
How To Be an Entrepreneur/Intrapreneur and Not Ruin Your Marriage
The associated risks of starting a company are hard enough when you are young and unattached (though lack of experience and naïveté keeps you brave and motivated). But being in a long-term relationship, married, or a parent adds a whole new level of complications, risks, and motivations. It is not surprising that VCs like investing…