This blog is devoted to startups, but sometimes the best decision one can make is NOT to attempt a startup. Allow me to list some of the necessary and sufficient conditions that make it possible for you as a founder to have a chance at …
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50 articles in category Essays
Sometimes I find really good startup concepts hidden behind the curtains of sloppy presentations. Not that every deck or one-pager requires professional graphic design, but a modicum of consistency in a clearly branded layout is a nice start. Grammar and structure need always to …
Read more →There have been millions of words written and probably millions of classes taught on how to pitch a startup idea. But, with each new batch of presentations I see, it is obvious that we have no universal standard of excellence. Every crop requires coaching, …
Read more →The net takeaway of a recent seminar I attended was that if you are an angel investor in a company that doesn’t subsequently land a VC round, your chances of earning a return are mighty small. This was a very carefully examined topic with …
Read more →I’ve long ago lost count of the number of times entrepreneurs have told me they don’t want to look for outside capital and risk losing control. The whole school of lean startups reinforces that way of thinking. But, you may recall my previous writings …
Read more →I hope you missed me last week. I was at the GA Tech Foundation summer board meeting at the beach, enjoying friends, great news, and a wealth of interesting content, not to mention a bit of sunny recreation. I’ve been going to this gathering …
Read more →In a week of dreadful news about celebrity suicides, another obit caught my attention. I invite you to read the NYT story about Charlotte Fox, 61, a highly accomplished mountain climber. Among her many achievements, she was the first American woman to scale three summits …
Read more →That is the most dreaded question one can get from an investor immediately after you have made your pitch. I am in possession this week of a stack of pitches and executive summaries that leave that very question unanswered. If Jim Hackett, CEO of Ford …
Read more →As my regular readers know, I am a student of military history for lessons on leadership and decision making. This week I read Steve Coll’s Directorate S, a lengthy book on the US involvement in the Afghan wars since 9/11. With multiple viewpoints in the …
Read more →This spring has taken me from very large gatherings like those at SXSW to a variety of board meetings and seminars with a couple of dozen in attendance. At any scale, it’s important to get those right. As a startup founder, you can find …
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