Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

You don’t like it, millennials won’t put up with it, and current productivity levels at work continue to decline. I found these pillars, and the first principles behind them, pulled together well in a classic book, “ Embracing Progress: Next Steps For The Future Of Work ,” by A. Sophie Wade. No one is happy or satisfied.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2022

After many extended coaching sessions with entrepreneurs and small business owners, I’ve found myself wondering if my value-add was anything more than you could get by self-coaching. Open up to growth and refuse to prejudge yourself. It helps to partner with and coach others. Change your “nots” to “not yets.”

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Business productivity is all about having the right people, even though I’m bombarded daily with online tools and mobile apps that promise to solve every problem with automation and data. In reality, business success and satisfaction is about doing the right things at the right time, which requires leadership and coaching.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2021

Over my years as an advisor to new businesses and startups, I have learned that the only certainty that I can offer entrepreneurs is the fact they will face many uncertainties. So my first advice is that if you can’t handle uncertainty, don’t even start down that road. You will be the role model, and people will follow your lead.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Most of you business professionals that I know have at least thought about or talked about starting their own business, to get more control, make more money, or to get more satisfaction out of their life. As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Young entrepreneurs and startups, in particular, often remain naively unfocused, despite their passion, of what it takes to provide the high-quality service expected. It’s a tough job, and inexperienced entrepreneurs just don’t know where to start, and how to do it. Train and coach continuously. Set the tone and lead the way.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2014

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. My first startup was no different. ” So I did want any rational person who wants to improve does – I hired a coach. This is why I tell startups that most seasoned sales execs aren’t right for startups.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

In a VC business when you raise additional capital you need to “level up” and act the round you are. It’s why I wrote this post that the controversial first hire after an A round out to be an office manager / assistant / HR person who handles everything from stocking supplies to booking travel to scheduling group meetings.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2021

As a startup investor, I view any evidence of a victim mentality as the kiss of death. In reality, the picture is a bit larger than this, as outlined in the classic book “ Leading with GRIT ,” by Laurie Sudbrink, a well-known business leadership coach and speaker. Accountability starts by acknowledging reality.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw a while back, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2017

We all know some peers in business who could use some coaching to unleash their potential and optimize performance, but would you know how to do the job if they asked you for help? In an effort to help myself, I read a new book on this topic, “ The Master Coach ,” by Gregg Thompson. Self-centered members need coaching.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

You need to make sure that everyone on the team, from the clerical assistant to the chief financial officer, knows your vision and product, and doesn’t hesitate to actively engage and be an effective proponent with anyone who might be of value to the business. The best way to do this is to share and celebrate small wins, together and often.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

Every business needs repeatable processes to grow and thrive, but modern business processes need the right people to make them efficient and productive. The right people make productive processes, not the other way around. On the other hand, I see teams with almost no process that are tremendously productive.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2022

Phrases like “holding people accountable” imply negative consequences or punishment, rather than rewards or providing the freedom and coaching to team members to choose their own actions, and pursue what matters most to them. It’s up to you to build that relationship by listening to their needs and concerns, and offering help where you can.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2023

I saw the key ones outlined well in the classic book, “ Creating High Performers ,” by William Dann, a leading coach to experienced CEOs. In my own role as advisor and mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, I was struck by how relevant and critical these same initiatives are to even the earliest stage businesses.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. New product process. Training and coaching. Failure is the best teacher.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2021

Young entrepreneurs and startups, in particular, often remain naively unfocused, despite their passion, of what it takes to provide the high-quality service expected. It’s a tough job, and inexperienced entrepreneurs just don’t know where to start, and how to do it. Train and coach continuously. Set the tone and lead the way.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. In his classic book, “ Second Stage Entrepreneurship ,” Daniel J. There is no free lunch.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2010

If you’re interested in recruiting sales people, I wrote on the topic of startup sales people: who to hire & when – understanding the roles of Journeymen, Mavericks & Superstars. Evangelical sales – Understanding startup sales people and process. Here is my recommended approach. You learn by asking.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

After many years working in business and investing in startups, I’m convinced that the primary reason for new business and career failures is NOT a lack of skill or money, but people giving up too quickly on their dreams and goals. He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

In her classic book on this subject, “ Who’s That Sitting at My Desk? ” Here are the key ones I have experienced, as paraphrased from her book: Acquaintanceship. Every business relationship, peer-to-peer, or inside to outside, starts as an introduction and formal recognition of roles. Workship - Mentor. Workship - Advocate.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2022

However, when aspiring leaders ask me how to ramp up their emotional intelligence, I’ve never been able to offer any real formula. Thus, I was pleased to see the steps detailed in a new book, “ The Emotionally Strong Leader ,” by Carolyn Stern. Barriers open up new possibilities, which themselves will likely have barriers.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who aspire to get beyond the “art of the start,” there are some proven principles to follow. In his classic book, “ Second Stage Entrepreneurship ,” Daniel J. There is no free lunch.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2015

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2022

In my experience as a business advisor, most organizations, large and small, struggle to keep up with the pace of change and competitive forces today. A question I often get is how to transform that overall team into a smooth-running machine that will keep up with the pace of market change, and competition in today’s world.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

I believe that a fully engaged team is the key to both productivity and agility in the face of change. In my search for guidance on modern business leadership studies, both scientific and actual case studies, I was impressed with a new book, “ Head and Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership ,” by Dr. Kirstin Ferguson.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2021

In a startup, any decision is better than no decision. I found the classic book, “ Master Your Time, Master Your Life ,” by noted speaker and productivity expert Brian Tracy, who highlights decision making and problem solving as one of the most critical determinants of your success in everything you do.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

In this context, I was impressed with the insights provided in a new book, “ Stay Sane In An Insane World ,” by peak performance coach Greg Harden. In my experience as a startup investor, I have become convinced that the biggest reason for business failure is giving up too early. Always dig a level deeper.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. I saw a new approach in the book “ Leadership Transformed: How Ordinary Managers Become Extraordinary Leaders ,” by Dr. Peter Fuda a while back, which identifies seven leadership themes, presented as metaphors.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Leaders who are able to optimize these find multipliers of 20 percent up to nine times the average productivity. Like most investors in startups, I rank the credentials of the team well above the value of an idea in deciding where to put my money. Time investment standards fall directly on the CEO.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2021

Brian Tracy, in his classic book “ Earn What You’re Really Worth ,” solidifies my ideas on how mentoring, as well as other personal development activities, can quickly increase anyone’s value and income in business. Decide exactly what it is you need mentoring on before you start thinking of the ideal person to work with.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2022

In my many years of experience in large businesses as well as startups, a key lesson I have learned is that personal leadership is most often the differentiator between success and mediocrity or failure. He speaks from his own many years as an entrepreneur, executive coach, and keynote speaker. You need to be one of those leaders.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2022

In building successful businesses, I find that creating a new and innovative product or service is usually the easy part. I saw a new approach in the classic book “ Leadership Transformed: How Ordinary Managers Become Extraordinary Leaders ,” by Dr. Peter Fuda, which identifies seven leadership themes, presented as metaphors.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2022

We all have to communicate and collaborate with other people at work, but most of us start out instinctively trying to maintain an emotional distance from others in the work environment. So recently I started looking for some expert guidance on the pros and cons on this issue. Yet the 2019 Office Romance Survey by Vault, Inc.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2021

In some cases it may be fear of retribution by the boss, but more often they just hate to disappoint others, and end up instead with high stress and low credibility in a crisis to deliver. Green, a noted executive coach, speaker, and CEO of Brilliance, Inc. Be sure to follow-up as promised, to maintain your credibility.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

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