Integrity

How to Build a Company That (Actually) Values Integrity

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…

Read More

Why Startups Fall Apart at 50 Employees

“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…

Read More

How to Explain Your Business (in Fewer Words)

”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…

Read More

How Great Founders Present Their Vision

“It’s pretty clear that a vision should describe an inspiring future product that will help a large number of people — and make lots of money in the process. However, after hearing many responses to the ‘vision’ question, I noticed that the visions of great founders have something else.” Get to the answer reading the…

Read More

How A Free Service Made Its Founder A Billionaire — He Understood One Thing That The Industry Didn’t

“People don’t behave the way you wish them to behave. Human nature is human nature. If you want to create a successful product, you need to go with people’s psychology, not against it. Ek grasped that the changes that were happening in society were here to stay. You either go with the flow, and see where the…

Read More

6 Proven Ways to Boost Your Startup Valuation

”How should a founder or CEO strategize to get their company higher valuations? Have you ever wondered why one company sold for 2x revenue while another, in the same sector, sold for 6x the revenue? Or how your competitor just raised 100 million dollars with revenue in the low 10s?” Read complete article to learn…

Read More

The One Question You Never Want VCs to Ask After Your Pitch

”When founders pitch properly, VCs don’t ask for financial projections because the VCs implicitly understand how much revenue is available and the plan for capturing it. In contrast, no matter how great you feel about your pitch, and no matter how enthusiastic the VC you’re pitching seems, a request for financial projections usually signals the…

Read More

Be Impatient

“Now that I’ve confessed to the sin of impatience, I’m going to spend the rest of this post trying to convince you that it’s actually a good thing. (The good part is the habit of frequently asking yourself “how could this thing take less calendar time.” I don’t recommend manifesting it in annoying ways like…

Read More

© 2020 A1500 LLC - Privacy Policy