Everyone claims to be an expert, but can they really help you build your business? There are three types of people an entrepreneur needs to build a successful business: employees to build the company, advisers to influence the direction of the business, and investors to provide the fuel and connections. Within each of these three…
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For decades, leaders were expected to focus on one thing: financial results. But we are now in the midst of an ethical revolution. Leaders are increasingly held accountable for poor behavior, and companies are pushed by employees, governments, and customers to step up and adopt a multi-stakeholder approach that serves social purposes as well as…
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Bikeshedding is a very sneaky tool your brain uses to keep you stuck, and it’s very common during times of uncertainty. Our brains love the status quo because the subconscious (which makes 95 percent of all decisions) bases its choices on rules of thumb for what has worked in the past. This desire to keep things predictable means…
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For innovation to contribute to a company or government agency, it needs to be designed as a process from start to deployment. When organizations lack a formal innovation pipeline process, project approvals tend to be based on who has the best demo or slides, or who lobbies the hardest. A canonical Lean Innovation process inside a…
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Sign number one: You’re not thinking big if you’re thinking of a sale from the get go. You know the old saying that building a startup is a marathon, not a sprint. Well, you’re a sprinter, and you’re going to burn out well before the marathon is over. So, best of luck to you, but…
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Getting success at the entrepreneurial setup isn’t easy. It’s because the success ratio is far less than the number of those who fail. According to a study, 90% of startups fail in the first five years of the venture. Given the failure ratio, jumping into the entrepreneurial field isn’t everybody’s work. #1 Get out of your mental trap…
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“Hitting chaos at 50 employees could mean several positive things. For one, it definitely means a company is growing, likely faster than planned. And as long as the growth doesn’t get too far out of hand, that’s a good problem to have. Chaos is also a sign that your company’s executives are spending time building…
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”Raising a Series A isn’t like raising your seed round. What probably took you a few weeks with minimal fuss is going to get a lot slower. Series A rounds can take months to close and involve a lot more due diligence. You’re probably wondering what metrics you need to guarantee a Series A.” Learn the…
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”People say that ideas are a dime a dozen, but many entrepreneurs–even experienced ones–struggle to come up with promising product ideas. The fact that you have an idea that excites you is a great milestone, and even though the startup journey is long and arduous, you at least have got a ticket to the show…
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”When you start with the problem, you ground your business in a real-world context. You present your business as purposeful, urgent, and user-centered. But something else happens when you tell someone about a problem. It triggers a ‘solution reflex’: when people identify with problems, they instinctively want solutions. Activating the solution reflex is a powerful…
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