Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2017

Some people think you need to get an MBA to get it right, while others are convinced that those who drop out of school early (Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg) have the advantage. In my experience working with startups, the best approach these days is to find and use a good mentor (been there, done that).

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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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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

Every entrepreneur can learn from a mentor, no matter how confident or successful they have been to date. Most people don’t know that billionaire Mark Zuckerberg , for example, gives real credit to the inspiring mentorship of Steve Jobs for Mark’s Facebook success. Yet most entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to work with a mentor.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

They are quick to point out that many of today’s top entrepreneurs, including Evan Williams (Twitter), Bill Gates (Microsoft), and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), dropped out of school to get on with their dreams. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. Good business basics are not intuitive.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Starting and running a business requires many different skills and interests, and not many of us have all of them.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, is currently the most famous introvert entrepreneur, so don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

Seek input from the team, as well as mentors. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from peers, your advisory board, and outside experts and mentors. Some well-known business leaders, including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg , always kept an active mentor relationship with a peer or two, to discuss business challenges and strategy.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

In fact, all you need to do is follow the model of some famous self-proclaimed introverts , including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help. Turn existing connections into productive relationships.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

But privately, as a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I see mindsets and attributes that may be equally critical to success, but are not readily admitted, for fear of being too wacky. Thus you drop out of school to start the business of your dreams, like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Advanced degrees won’t help you run your startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

For example, even though Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook as an innovative product, most experts believe it was successful due to his relationship with Peter Thiel and other top VCs that he convinced to invest early. They mentor each other, and seek out experts in domains outside their current expertise and experience.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, and an angel investor, my passion is to find and nurture those entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and acumen, to make them into successful business owners. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

Most entrepreneurs are too stubborn to seek a mentor for guidance: They have so much confidence in themselves and their ideas that they don’t see the need to ask anyone for advice. Mentoring does not happen by accident, or require large stipends. Select mentors to fill your strength gaps.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2021

I n my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. When asked why he created Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg replied “It's not because of the amount of money. That synergy creates a sweet spot that maximizes their impact.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay I’ve always been a bit confused about the difference in a business context between a coach and a mentor. According to many pundits , a mentor shows you the right way based on experience, while a coach brings out the best in you, then let’s you find your own way.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2019

These may be partners who can complement your skills, mentors who can show you what you need, or customers who can be your best sales people. Even the most successful business executives have mentoring relationships with helpful peers.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2018

The best way to do this in business is to proactively ask someone to be your mentor. The most successful business executives build one or more two-way mentoring relationships with peers. For example, Bill Gates has a long-standing mentor relationship with Warren Buffett. The advisor needs to see your requests as sincere.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2020

As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, and an angel investor, my passion is to find and nurture those entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and acumen, to make them into successful business owners. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

Everyone thinks this is the route to become the next billionaire like Mark Zuckerberg. As an advisor and mentor to startups, I try to make sure entrepreneurs understand both the pros and cons of an IPO as an exit strategy. Many of these may still fail spectacularly, such as Webvan and Pets.com.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2018

Asking for mentoring, and being a mentor are both great ways to build relationships. Bill Gates often refers to his ongoing relationship with Warren Buffett as a mentor, and Mark Zuckerberg counted Steve Jobs as a key mentor. Make every relationship a win-win.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, is currently the most famous introvert entrepreneur, so don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2013

Current young adults have grown up hearing about Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), who dropped out of Harvard, as the paragon of success. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs. If possible, team up with someone who has been there before and is willing to provide some mentoring.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2013

Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, is currently the most famous introvert entrepreneur, so don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

For example, most people think Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook all by himself. Bill Gates , for example, shared a common curiosity and mentoring relationship with Warren Buffet, although their business domains were quite different. Others let their ego convince them that they have all the answers, and no one can help.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2018

In my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. When asked why he created Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg replied “It's not because of the amount of money. That synergy creates a sweet spot that maximizes their impact.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2016

In my experience as a mentor to many entrepreneurs and an angel investor, the keys to experiencing a satisfying and timely exit are included in the following steps: Look at your strengths and motivators. Don’t wait for a crisis to get you thinking -- be proactive in talking to advisers and mentors on timing and alternatives.

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InfoChachkie

AUGUST 27, 2012

Other installments include: Jeff Bezos , Steve Jobs , Mark Cuban , Richard Branson , Walt Disney , Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell. You will also have fewer mentors with whom you can share your gender-specific experiences. Note: This is an installment in the Iconic Advice series. Image source: americanistadechiapas. Share and Enjoy.

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InfoChachkie

MAY 26, 2016

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. A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Should millennial entrepreneurs go to college? In sports, outliers generate headlines.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2012

Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, is currently the most famous introvert entrepreneur, so don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Current young adults have grown up hearing about Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) as the paragon of success. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs. If possible, team up with someone who has been there before and is willing to provide some mentoring. Why not try to follow in his footsteps?

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Course Education 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

In my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. When asked why he created Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg replied “It's not because of the amount of money. That synergy creates a sweet spot that maximizes their impact.

Satisfaction 108

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2015

In my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. When asked why he created Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg replied “It's not because of the amount of money. That synergy creates a sweet spot that maximizes their impact.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Ideas Patents 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2015

As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, and an Angel investor, my passion is to find and nurture those entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and acumen, to make them into successful business owners. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Ideas Satisfaction Summary 109

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

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