Finding product-market fit before you run out of cash, patience or passion for the problem you are trying to solve is the race you are running when you launch your startup. But what is it? How do you set SMART Goals against this concept, and how do you know when you’ve found it? My favorite […]
The Blog
The Reality Distortion Field Has Only One Weakness
This post is for all of the Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, and advisors of early-stage companies in the room. A quick word about managing the budget and cash flow process with the founders/CEO’s you advise. Someone asked me last week how to manage a planning process where the always optimistic CEO is pushing […]
The Sunk Cost Fallacy – The Roadblock to Meaningful Change
Have you ever ordered too much food at a restaurant, only to end up with a stomach ache because you felt you needed to clear your plate? Have you ever held on to a stock far to long, watching it go down day after day as your losses mount, reluctant to sell until somehow you […]
It’s The 60 Percent In The Middle That Will Kill Your Company
The 20 – 60 – 20 rule of thumb is a great framing to keep in mind as you think about where to invest in your company, and where you need to dig deeper to avoid throwing good money after bad. Here’s how it works. 20% of the initiatives in your company represent clear winners. […]
If All We Have Is Opinions, Let’s Go With Mine
“If we have data, let’s look at the data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.” This is a famous quote by Jim Barksdale, the former CEO of Netscape. When I’m advising members of a leadership team that is struggling to break through with their founder, I pull out this quote. Founders […]
Valuation Makes The Headlines, But Liquidation Preferences Allocate The Cash
You’ve heard this story before. A startup raises a lot of cash from venture investors over several rounds of fundraising. The company attains the mythical Unicorn status. The billion-dollar valuation. You see pictures of the founders with big confident smiles as if victory is assured. Then the company stumbles, growth slows, valuations fall. And yet, […]
Don’t Be The Hound. Pick Up Your Head.
When building a startup, it’s easy to put your head down to focus on the obstacle in front of you. Don’t be the hound. Pick up your head.
Lighten Up, Speed Up
In the frenzy of building a startup, there are plenty of places where you need to slow down. Your search for product-market fit is where you need to speed up.
Don’t Trade Valuation For Structure
You may have a difficult choice to make – a lower valuation or more structure on your cap table. It’s critical that you understand two things.
Want to Create a Culture of Innovation? Ask These 3 Essential Questions.
Innovation comes from experimentation. Experimentation leads to failure. Embracing failure is the path to building great products and enterprise value.
4 Pitfalls of Raising Venture Capital and How to Avoid Them
There are four common pitfalls entrepreneurs fall into while raising venture capital. Here are a few tips on how to avoid them.
Send It! Bad Advice In Mountain Biking and Startups
Startups, and downhill mountain biking, are inherently risky. You can improve your odds by taking a thoughtful approach throughout your journey.
