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OCTOBER 4, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Note: This is Part II of High School dropout growth hacks. Part I can be […]. The post High School Dropouts Use Common Sense To Amass Millions appeared first on John Greathouse.

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APRIL 19, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Andrew Fuller (left) and Jonas Bolduan I encourage my UC Santa Barbara entrepreneurial students to err […]. The post This Student Talked His Way Into Google Through Courageous Networking appeared first on John Greathouse.

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MARCH 28, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. “Point of view is worth 80 IQ points.” Alan Curtis Kay, Personal Computer Pioneer I […]. The post If I’d Only Known Then… A Boomer’s Millennial Pep Talk appeared first on John Greathouse.

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MARCH 8, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Skateboard legend and award-wining filmmaker Stacy Peralta recently shared a compelling insight as part of UC […]. The post Why Skateboarders Suddenly Became Scary Good In The Mid-80’s appeared first on John Greathouse.

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MARCH 1, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. I recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kobie Fuller, current Partner at Upfront Ventures and […]. The post Objective Sports: An Indicator Of Startup Success appeared first on John Greathouse.

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JANUARY 18, 2017

I was pleased and proud when I learned that two of my former UC Santa Barbara students, Sieva Kozinsky, Founder of StudySoup and Eric Posen, […]. The post Which School Generated The Most Startup/Tech Forbes 30 Under 30 Phenoms? appeared first on John Greathouse.

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JANUARY 4, 2017

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. I made many mistakes when I was building my startups. Though the outcomes were financially lucrative, […]. The post Stay Stoked: Business Travel Doesn’t Have To Suck appeared first on John Greathouse.

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DECEMBER 12, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. There are two macro trends occuring within venture capital (VC) which are combining to have a […]. The post Good Things Happen When Two Transformative VC Trends Collide appeared first on John Greathouse.

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NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Jeff Potter, CEO Surfair. As noted in Success, Santa Barbara Style , my definition of success includes living where you want to live and making money doing what you love. For many entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara, achieving such success would be much more difficult if it weren’t for the emergence of an innovative airline – Surf Air. Surf Air flies to 12 locations within California and members can fly as often as they like, paying a flat membership fee.

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SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Businesses typically use LinkedIn to recruit employees. However, savvy startups can leverage LinkedIn to create a customer acquisition and a churn reduction tool. In particular, one of Rincon Venture Partner’s portfolio companies, SimpleLegal, has had so much success mining LinkedIn for customers that the CEO was initially reluctant for me to name his company in this article, fearing his competitors will mimic their common sense, yet cleve

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. A friend recently asked me to give his startup-minded daughter some advice to help her vet undergraduate entrepreneurial programs. As I thought about the characteristics that comprise a great program, I identified five criteria that a prospective entrepreneurial student can use to evaluate the efficacy of a collegiate entrepreneur curriculum.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Novelist and High School Dropout Louis L'Amour knew the importance of seemingly unimportant people (AP Photo). “Growth hacking” is one of today’s most overused terms, yet despite its trendiness, it predates the Internet by centuries. Entrepreneurs have been seeking clever shortcuts to spur their growth and circumvent their competitors since the dawn of commerce.

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AUGUST 25, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Despite his non-existent education and numerous personal demons, James Brown was a gifted entrepreneur who reveled in proving Conventional Wisdom wrong. In the early 1960’s, it was generally believed that soul music needed to be watered down (think Motown) in order to crossover to white consumers.

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AUGUST 22, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. L-to-R: John Greathouse, unknown woman about to slap John, Reed Shaffner, Jerry Jao & Ara Mahdessian. My venture firm, Rincon Venture Partners recently teamed with Jason Lemkin, Founder of SaaStr , to host the first SaaStrX event. I had the honor of moderating a panel of three SaaS CEOs who have collectively raised nearly $40 million of venture capital and are on their way to breakout success: Reed Shaffner of Workpop , Jerry Jao of Re

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AUGUST 8, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Kate Hudson, Emma Roberts, Eva Longoria, Jessica Biel and Rihanna began wearing Z Supply's clothing before it could be purchased online. It may seem hard to believe, but even in 2016, there remain a number of successful consumer brands that are not sold online. The reasons companies elect to sell exclusively offline differ, but they often center on managing channel conflict with their retail partners.

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JULY 21, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal. The reality television show Shark Tank makes for entertaining content but many of its underlying messages are potentially detrimental to tech entrepreneurs. Thus, emerging entrepreneurs should parse fact from fantasy by watching the show with an experienced business pro. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!

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JUNE 30, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. In 1987, when Rick Astley filmed the video for his hit song Never Gonna Give You Up , he had no idea it would eventually become one of the most viewed videos of all time. By 2016, the video had been watched over 218 million times. Never Gonna Give You Up ’s resurgence began in 2007, when a user on an obscure gaming site posted a link to Rick’s video under the heading for a trailer of the not-yet-released Grand Theft Auto IV video game.

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JUNE 16, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Entrepreneurs create their own jobs, why shouldn’t they also create their own degrees? As described in Should Millennial Entrepreneurs Skip College? , most young entrepreneurs benefit greatly from the college experience. However, off-the-shelf majors are typically not suited to the eclectic skills required to succeed in the startup world.

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JUNE 9, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Startups, much like ancient tribes, are comprised of a small number of people who band together to battle a cruel, hostile world. Like the tribe, a nascent venture’s survival is precarious and never guaranteed. Success requires everyone applying their specialized skills in concert toward the group’s common good.

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JUNE 2, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Are you an entrepreneur that is thinking about dropping out of college? Answer the following four questions first. The startup careers of Zuckerberg, Ellison, Disney, Gates, Jobs, Branson and Dell make it seem that the path to entrepreneurial success is enhanced by avoiding a college degree. I even played into this mythology with a provocative article I wrote about college dropout successes.

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MAY 26, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Should millennial entrepreneurs go to college? Given the stellar startup careers of non-college graduates like Zuckerberg, Ellison, Disney, Gates, Jobs, Branson and Dell, the answer to this question might surprise you. In sports, outliers generate headlines. Basketball stars LeBrone James and Kobe Bryant achieved immediate success in the NBA as 18-yr old high school graduates.

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MAY 5, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. When I published This Remote Working Experiment Failed And Succeeded on the Wall Street Journal last year, I had no idea it would generate so much social media attention. Given TimeHop’s failed experiment, I was especially intrigued when I learned that a team of a dozen remote entrepreneurs hack the typical corporate structure and creates a company that generated nearly $100 million in revenue.

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APRIL 4, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. When entrepreneurs describe their venture, they are often met with encouraging words, such as: “Great idea. I wish I had thought of that.”. This propensity for people to be polite when you discuss your startup can make it difficult to determine who really believes in your opportunity and who is just being nice.

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APRIL 4, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. When entrepreneurs describe their venture, they are often met with encouraging words, such as: “Great idea. I wish I had thought of that.”. This propensity for people to be polite when you discuss your startup can make it difficult to determine who really believes in your opportunity and who is just being nice.

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MARCH 24, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Fanstasy sports sites DraftKings’ and FanDuel’s popularity has spurred a new-breed of political betting sites. Unlike sites of the past that were deemed illegal, the current crop of election sites appear to well positioned to exploit the unprecedented focus Americans are applying to the 2016 election cycle.

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MARCH 9, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Entrepreneurs see the world like a cash booth from a 1950’s game show. On such shows, winners were placed in glass booth filled with money. Once the timer was started, a fan blew the money about and the contestant had a few seconds to grab all the cash they could hold onto. Once you begin seeing the world with the eyes of an entrepreneur, you realize that money-making opportunities are all around you.

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MARCH 7, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Entrepreneurs see the world like a cash booth from a 1950’s game show. On such shows, winners were placed in glass booth filled with money. Once the timer was started, a fan blew the money about and the contestant had a few seconds to grab all the cash they could hold onto. Once you begin seeing the world with the eyes of an entrepreneur, you realize that money-making opportunities are all around you.

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FEBRUARY 17, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Professional investors do not fund great ideas. Instead, they fund proven businesses. The reality is that most venture capitalists are not very venturesome. Thus, it is incumbent on entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into viable businesses before seeking venture funding. Entrepreneurs Are Never Stuck.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. A very good friend of mine has heard me tell many a tale of trips in which I have scored free drinks, gratis hotel and car rental upgrades and various travel freebies. However, without experiencing my stories first hand, he always suspected there was a degree of embellishment involved to make my stories a bit more entertaining.

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JANUARY 25, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. It is no secret that the number of private companies with valuations in excess of one billion dollars has skyrocketed since the start of 2014. As show in CBInsight’s chart, the number of such “unicorns” created during the first half of 2014 was roughly equivalent to the number created during the prior three years.

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DECEMBER 28, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. One of the reasons I know way more about online sales taxes than I ever thought I would is due to Rincon Venture Partners’ investment in TaxJar , one of the leaders in this emerging space. Taxes may not be fun, but I am proud to be affiliated with a company that takes much of the pain out of the process.

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DECEMBER 15, 2015

Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Independent’s recent Techtopia Issue. A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Serial entrepreneurs agree that it is best to communicate with investors on an eighth grade level. To illustrate this point, former DoubleClick Founder and current CEO of Graphiq Kevin O’Connor often begins his talks to entrepreneurial students by asking the following question.

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DECEMBER 7, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Who makes more money, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists? I recently came across an interesting Quora response from a friend and one of my favorite co-investors, Jason Lemkin. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! The Answer: “Yes and No”.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ Manager, was tenacious and ambitious, but he was musically inept. Brian was instrumental in establishing the Beatles’ career, but he had no input on the band’s production of music. In the same way, investors can be immensely additive to an entrepreneur’s journey, as long as they know the limits of their ability to help. Effective startup investors guide management’s decision process, but ultimately they support the team’s decisions.

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared on the Wall Street Journal. As crazy as it sounds, surfing has made me a better investor. The sport involves a surprising amount of downtime between sets. During the many hours I have stood in anticipation of the next wave (as noted in You’re Never To Old To Learn To Surf , I’m an old guy on a standup paddle board), I have come to realize that surfing and investing share a number of surprising corollaries.

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OCTOBER 5, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. As a Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at UC Santa Barbara , students ask me dozens of times each quarter, “What do you think of my idea?” My response is typically, “What I think of your idea is irrelevant. Tell me what you think of it.”. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!

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SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Who would have thought academic videos recorded at a state university would generate nearly 23 million views? Certainly not I when I took over the program three years ago. The speaker series, which is part of the UC Santa Barbara’s Technology Management Program , has attracted an impressive cadre of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists, including: Peter Levine (Partner, Andreessen Horowitz), Dan Engel (sold one of his com

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