Entrepreneurs need to focus on innovation or the first reduction to practice of an idea in a culture because this is the critical precursor to customer value.
Innovation is the first reduction to practice of an idea in a culture Read More »
I was asked by the son of the founders of the Computer Literacy Bookshop chain in Silicon Valley to contribute a remembrance of the stores as part of a Father’s Day gift he was preparing. Here is what I wrote.
Remembering Computer Literacy Bookshops In Silicon Valley Read More »
I like working with entrepreneurs because I find it easier to deal with their psychological challenges and the small team dynamics of a startup than the political problems of an enterprise.
Why I Like Working with Entrepreneurs Read More »
Here are six practical lessons from Priya Parker‘s “The Art of Gathering.” It’s a great book that provides both practical and conceptual guidance for anyone who is planning or hosting a meeting.
Key Lessons From Priya Parker’s “The Art of Gathering” Read More »
The following is an edited version of a recent online conversation I had with a team of bootstrappers about how to make their product attract early adopters.
Q: What Makes a Product Attract Early Adopters? Read More »
My July 2019 collection of quotes for entrepreneurs has a focus on the need to take responsibility for the consequences of our beliefs and actions.
Quotes for Entrepreneurs Collected in July 2019 Read More »
Paul Tyma defines the Old Man’s Business Model as taking the sure way, even though it may be longer than shortcuts that may not work. Tyma calls it a “trade-off of investment up-front versus brute-force hope.” The “old man” invests up front instead of hoping a quick and dirty approach may work.
Paul Tyma on “The Old Man’s Business Model” Read More »
We have been working with the team at Traffic Parrot for more than four years, it’s gratifying to have a customer agree to a public endorsement and while Bestow was not Traffic Parrot’s first customer, they were the first to agree to be quoted.
Traffic Parrot Press Release: Bestow Selects Traffic Parrot Read More »
Humans like to give and to receive without cheating or being cheated: we want to be part of networks of reciprocal gift-exchange. If you want to become a member in good standing of community you will need to “give to get.”
Reciprocal Gift-Exchange and Charity Knit Networks into Communities Read More »
Doing business with friends presents a number of challenges for entrepreneurs, as does setting limits on asking for “free advice” to know when to pay.
Q: Free Advice and Doing Business With Friends Read More »
The American declaration of independence and rebellion against the British was an incredibly risky proposition. George Washington often advised his soldiers that they would either “conquer or die.”
Independence Day 2019: “Conquer or Die” Read More »
Entrepreneurs are often quick to characterize prospects who don’t see the benefits of their new shiny technology as laggards. Sometimes that’s the case, but often the product presentation does not present benefits that are either relevant or compelling. Laggards get a lot of bad press in the startup community, but their reasons not to change
Q: Help! I Can Only Find Laggards in My Target Customer Segment Read More »
My June 2019 collection of quotes for entrepreneurs has a focus on learning and exploration, triggered by Lord Kelvin’s observation, “When you call a thing mysterious, all that it means is that you don’t understand it.” I think this also applies to things we call chaotic, random, or unpredictable.
Quotes For Entrepreneurs Collected in June 2019 Read More »
Finding the right customers is not just a matter of kissing frogs until one turns into a prince, but a methodical search guided by an experimentation perspective where your selection criteria are continually refined and re-evaluated.
Some personal reflections on my father and a stroke he suffered in June 1994 when I was launching a new company and expecting my first son in a few weeks.
Father’s Day 2019: a Story of My Father Read More »
A Q&A with Lee Carter where we explore the value of direct observation of customer environments to complement customer interviews. Lee shares details of a project he worked on where direct observation provided a valuable complement to a basic product specification.
Lee Carter on the Value of Direct Observation Read More »
A loose theme for the May 2019 collection of quotes for entrepreneurs is taken from a one sentence summary of Walter Lippmann’s 1922 book “Public Opinion” by Guido Hermann Stempel III and in Jacqueline Nash Gifford: “we don’t believe what we see; we see what we believe.”
Quotes for Entrepreneurs Collected in May 2019 Read More »
If you have “failed fast” it’s still possible to recover as long as your team has shared trust and a sense of common purpose. Failed Fast, Now What? Q: We started out with a mission that we found compelling and executed pretty well against it but now we are out of money and cannot figure
Failed Fast, Now What? Read More »
My April 2019 collection of quotes for entrepreneurs focus on perseverance, endurance, and tenacity. Successful entrepreneurs persist through setbacks and defend important business relationships when competitors seek to displace them.
Quotes for Entrepreneurs Collected in April 2019 Read More »
In “My Billion Dollar Mistake” Hiten Shah shares four lessons he learned from the early successes and ultimate eclipse of KISSMetrics.
Hiten Shah: Four Lessons I Learned Squandering My Opportunity at KISSMetrics Read More »
