Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2020

Entrepreneurs inherently understand that they have to be the initial leader of their startup, but often they don’t have the experience or the training to know where their leadership competencies lie, or how to build a leadership team. They are excellent mentors and coaches, but have a strong need to be admired and respected in return.

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Startup Entertainment Entrepreneur Coach 173

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

We’ve grown accustomed to a professionalism where we know when a work issue comes up we can count on each other for a quick Sunday call between family time. And that person has almost certainly chosen specifically to be a startup lawyer over serving other types of customers because he or she enjoys working with entrepreneurs.

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Startup Venture Capital Coach Press 363

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2017

As a long-time mentor and business advisor, I find it ironic that many look only to friends for advice. They forget that friends tell you what you want to hear, while good mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you probably don’t need the mentor anymore, but you always need the friend.

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Mentor Coach Help Ideas 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2017

In my experience working with startups, the best approach these days is to find and use a good mentor (been there, done that). Of course, mentoring is not new – it’s been the favored way to learn arts and crafts since way back in the middle ages. But I assert that mentoring in business is making a comeback.

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Mentor Technical Review Coach LAMP 61

SoCal CTO

MAY 13, 2014

A large part of this conversation is what kinds of advisors startups should be looking for. A little while ago, I suggested that Every Web/Mobile Startup Should Have a Technical Advisor. We both felt that most startups are not taking a very systematic approach to defining with they need in terms of advisors. Connected Advisors?

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CTO Coach Startup CTO Hire Template 241

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2021

Once you are able to achieve some real “traction” with your business (paying customers, revenue stream), it may seem the time to relax a bit, but in fact this is the point where many founders start to flounder. All the skills and instincts you needed to get to this level can actually start working against you, and you can fail to scale.

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Entrepreneur Startup Coach Mentor 169

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2020

That’s why I’m impressed with the classic book, “ All Dreams on Deck: Charting the Course for Your Life and Work ,” by Jeremy Cage. Hopefully, between the two of us, more of you with big business dreams will follow the leads and generate more successful business results: Start by getting your hands dirty. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Entrepreneur Social Media Satisfaction 117

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. With the five-minute mentoring approach, the mentee asks for your support in their decision, or asks for your insight on the considerations for them making a future decision.

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Mentor High Tech Coach Guide 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional. Of course, some balance is required. Priority is placed on employee mentoring and coaching.

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Coach Mentor Organization Startup 128

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. Of course I’m not preaching crazy, irrational spend or having Kid Rock at your next company party. I’d say 20% of startups I see level-up early after their A round. Act your stage. But at what cost?

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Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. Of course, how you do this effectively is critical. Your career or startup future is in your hands, not those of your boss, your mentor, or investors.

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Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Let me start with the news that I’m excited to share with you. Startup CEO experience (Founded P.S. XO along with my good friend Soleil Moon Frye. Wonderful human being who is civically engaged, mother of 3, mentorer of younger founders, hard worker and arguer extraordinaire (so says her current Twitter bio).

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Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. According to recent reports , these come from all the way up and down the age and experience spectrum, including up to ninety percent of the current Baby Boomers, as well as Millennials.

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Competition Startup Demand Training 168

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. Barriers open up new possibilities, which themselves will likely have barriers. Mentors and coaches are always willing to help you find creative ways around roadblocks, even ones you don’t even see.

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Coach Guide Startup Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2012

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. With the five-minute mentoring approach, the mentee asks for your support in their decision, or asks for your insight on the considerations for them making a future decision.

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Mentor Product High Tech Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. I’ve found that you can best start by asking for another perspective, whether of yourself or a team member. Diversity and inclusion will get you started.

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Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Product 99

Product Mentor Startup Technical Review 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2020

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. So why do most startups fail?

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Entrepreneur Startup Course Statistics 121

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Top performers want to know how to stand out, and business leaders need to know how to better recognize and mentor aspiring superstars before they burn out, or move on to new opportunities. While others wait for direction, step up and lead. The days of hiding in your office and working in isolation are gone.

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Demand Mentor Startup Coach 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2022

As a mentor to many early business leaders, I always emphasize that need to switch from a product focus to a team focus. You need to use active listening to unlock the underlying causes, and start giving your best encouragement and mentoring. Not showing up or consistently late to meetings.

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Coach Activity Mentor Startup 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2023

Entrepreneurs inherently understand that they have to be the initial leader of their startup, but often they don’t have the experience or the training to know where their leadership competencies lie, or how to build a leadership team. They are excellent mentors and coaches, but have a strong need to be admired and respected in return.

Startup 96

Startup Entrepreneur Entertainment Coach 96

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2012

The dictionary definition of a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor,” or “leader, tutor or coach.” The big difference, of course, is that a mentor looks ahead to help you, while a critic looks backward to tell you what you did wrong. One of the key characteristics of a successful mentor relationship is trust.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Tips Coach 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2010

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. With the mentoring approach, the mentee asks for your support in their decision, or asks for your insight on the considerations for them making a future decision.

Mentor 88

Mentor High Tech Coach Guide 88

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Of course, the first requirement is to get the education and tools you need to feel confident that you are ready, and have the mindset to be a leader in every role. I find that even very smart and successful business leaders, like Bill Gates , still seek and use a mentor they can learn from, such as Warren Buffett.

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Tips Activity Startup Tool 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

They are quick to claim the credit for things in their domain that work, but also quick to disclaim responsibility for problems that keep popping up. Perhaps you need to do more to be a role model for accountability , and provide more coaching on exactly what it means. Of course, talking and giving orders is no substitute for doing.

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Training Examples Startup Social Media 173

Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Well, after months of soul searching and talking to 100 people (one of my key rules before starting any business or product) — I figured it out! We build and invest in startups with impact. We have a Startup Studio and Early Stage Investment Fund. Those zoom meetings and calls got me fired up! More on that later.)

Startup 105

Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2014

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that most startups fail within the first five years. So why do most startups fail?

Startup 110

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2010

The dictionary definition of a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor,” or “leader, tutor or coach.” The big difference, of course, is that a mentor looks ahead to help you, while a critic looks backward to tell you what you did wrong. One of the key characteristics of a successful mentor relationship is trust.

Mentor 91

Mentor Tips Coach Entrepreneur 91

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). I was telling him that it was much easier when I started because there were fewer deals, life was less public and somehow the world seemed to be spinning more slowly. Web Summit.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2013

Once you are able to achieve some real “traction” with your business (paying customers, revenue stream), it may seem the time to relax a bit, but in fact this is the point where many founders start to flounder. All the skills and instincts you needed to get to this level can actually start working against you, and you can fail to scale.

Startup 94

Startup Entrepreneur Coach Mentor 94

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. Of course, you as the business leader have a key role in making all this happen. Social interactions. Environmental safety.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Custom 141

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2019

As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional. Of course, some balance is required. Priority is placed on employee mentoring and coaching.

Coach 94

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 94

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

Working with early-stage teams : coaching, mentoring, setting strategy, rolling up sleeves: 9/10. ” So it’s now March 2014 – 5 years since I started investing. Disney Acquires Maker Studios f0r $500 million and with earn-out potentially up to $950 million. Sourcing high-quality leads : 9/10.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2022

Many of you business leaders I work with, and entrepreneurs I mentor, have a great strategy and an innovative solution , but struggle with building and motivating the team necessary to run your business. Of course, listening alone isn't enough. Spend time coaching and mentoring team members.

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Mentor Social Media Coach Customer 108

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2010

For the first 5 years of my career I was a “bottom up&# thinker and worker. I know it might sound a bit esoteric so let me explain: I started my career as a programmer. I started by doing billing systems. This is bottom-up planning. The wisest mentor I ever had was Ameet Shah , my partner on several projects.

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Entrepreneur Startup Design Framework 372

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

With some coaching and mentoring from other leaders, I was able to do it myself, so I know you can do it too, by committing to the following strategies: Train yourself to always look for positives, not negatives. Of course, most professionals are optimistic, so they tend to over-commit and underestimate work requirements.

Coach 137

Coach Training Satisfaction Mentor 137

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2011

Once you are able to achieve some real “traction” with your business (paying customers, revenue stream), it may seem the time to relax a bit, but in fact this is the point where many founders start to flounder. All the skills and instincts you needed to get to this level can actually start working against you, and you can fail to scale.

Startup 98

Startup Entrepreneur Coach Mentor 98