The key to communicating with our staff about money is to do it early and to get everyone on the same page.
Feeling Like a Founder Fraud
At our core, startup Founders are all frauds. We’re forged from the fiery embers of uncertainty, guesswork and crippling self doubt. And the only way to beat the imposter syndrome that is being a “Founder Fraud” is to embrace the fraud.
Growth Isn’t Always Good
We’re so damn distracted by “growth” that we rarely ask ourselves what it is about growth that even matters. You know who cares about growth? Our investors. The media. Our sewing circles of other Founders. You know who cares about quality? Our team. Our customers. Our partners. You know, the people that we should be […]
How to Shut Down Your Startup Gracefully
Everyone talks about starting companies — yet no one ever tells us how to shut them down. That’s because by the time startups go into this dark, hazy abyss called “shut down” mode, things get really quiet. We stop hearing from Founders, investors start talking about other “hot new investments,” and the media has moved […]
How I Harness My Insane Startup Anxiety
By definition, a startup is a torrent of anxiety. We’re swan diving headlong into the abyss. We’re likely doing things we’ve never done before with products that have never existed before. So let’s just start off by admitting we’re all freaked out and it’s a big problem and we all need to figure this shit out.
When to Fold the Tents
The worst we can do as Founders is holding on too tightly to a startup that’s not meant for this world. It’s not about giving up — it’s about knowing when to move on.
What Happens After We Cash Out Of Our Startups?
We all dream about it. We all build this amazing fantasy of getting The Big Check and going on a shopping spree with “Bentleys and Benjamins”. But, once the fanfare wears off — What actually happens to all of us?
When Startups Shed Their Skin
Startups have to shed their skin in order to grow. If we don’t recognize the importance of this change and deal with the consternation it inevitably brings — we’re doomed to fail.
The Way to Win the Startup Game is Not to Play It
I won the startup game by opting out of it. Instead, I focused on my own business and stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing.
Build Your Startup Around Your Passion
Not every passion pays well. However instead of starting with “what will make the most money?” and hoping you like it, try starting with what you’re most passionate about and figure out how to do that profitably.