Cultivating Calmness in a Crisis
To prepare for a contentious meeting I read Russell Ackoff‘s “The Art of Problem Solving,” over an early breakfast to cultivate calmness in a crisis.
Cultivating Calmness in a Crisis Read More »
One Google Hiring Policy Startups Should Avoid
Don’t imitate Google: there are many criteria to consider in a hiring policy for a sales person, but college GPA has to be one of the least useful indicators of future success.
One Google Hiring Policy Startups Should Avoid Read More »
Silicon Valley: Not as Nuts as 99…Yet
So we are starting to pump a little hot air back into the bubble every week now. The streets of Silicon Valley witness young entrepreneurs looking for department store Santas venture capitalists to listen to their list of needs and make their dreams come true. It’s “not as nuts as 99” but not as sane,
Silicon Valley: Not as Nuts as 99…Yet Read More »
No More Than Four Items on Your To Do List
You can only have four top priorities at any one time according to Tom Peters. The Marines advise limiting your key objectives to no more than three in situations of uncertainty and high hazard. Limiting the “must do” section of your to do list to four items seems like a good idea for startups.
No More Than Four Items on Your To Do List Read More »
Founder Story: Acquisition Integration at 60 days
We have been doing some joint projects with Ann Marcus recently, who is a real pleasure to work with, and a very effective interviewer. She sat down last month with the CEO of a recently acquired software firm, who has asked to remain anonymous due to the candor of his remarks. There are some real lessons here for any startup
Founder Story: Acquisition Integration at 60 days Read More »
“Crucial Marketing Concepts for Consultants” @ PATCA May 10
I will be presenting a revised and improved version of the “12 Books for the Busy CEO” presentation on Thursday May 10 at 6pm at the PATCA monthly dinner at the Embassy Suites Santa Clara – Silicon Valley on 2885 Lakeside Drive in Santa Clara. I will cover a dozen books and offer a synthesis of the key marketing
“Crucial Marketing Concepts for Consultants” @ PATCA May 10 Read More »
Is DodgeBall Duo’s Departure A Harbinger For JotSpot Wunderkinder?
Barbara Darrow (Unblog) April 16 entry was by Stacy Cowley “Dodgeball Founders Defect From, Take Shots At, Google” Google’s habit of acquiring promising startups and then disappearing them into the Googleplex Vortex is no secret — it left Blogger to languish for years, and closed Web 2.0 wunderkinds JotSpot (wikis) and Measure Map (blog traffic
Is DodgeBall Duo’s Departure A Harbinger For JotSpot Wunderkinder? Read More »
ASIC Design Starts Dropping: Implications for EDA
I attended a very thought provoking talk tonight on “Factors Influencing IC Design Starts and Future Revenues” by Bryan Lewis and John Barber of Gartner at the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the IEEE Components, Packaging & Manufacturing Technology Society. Bryan and John declined to make their slides available but I was able to crib this chart
ASIC Design Starts Dropping: Implications for EDA Read More »
Applying the “Agile Manifesto” to Software Startups
What follows are some quick thoughts on how to apply insights from the “Agile Manifesto” (see also Martin Fowler’s excellent essay on “The New Methodology” for a nice overview of what agile development entails) to early stage software startups. Value This More In Preference To Individuals And Interactions Processes And Tools Working Software Comprehensive Documentation Customer Collaboration Contract Negotiation
Applying the “Agile Manifesto” to Software Startups Read More »
SaaS Requires Excellent Support Not Upselling to Proliferate
Rich Mironov profiles Replicate Technology (a current client) in Service Revenue and Upsell Marketing” and mischaracterizes–in our opinion–their strategy as upselling or upsell marketing.
SaaS Requires Excellent Support Not Upselling to Proliferate Read More »
CINA Blog Panel Wrap Up
Recap from a CINA panel on blogging Mar-15-2007 where I participated as a panelist. I cited Regis Mckenna’s “Real Time” and “The Cluetrain Manifesto.”
CINA Blog Panel Wrap Up Read More »
Startup Epicenter Offers Intensive Workshops, Challenge & Festival
Startup Epicenter has just announced two back to back entrepreneurial education events that together offer an intensive program designed to help you prepare for the grueling demands of an entrepreneurial journey. SKMurphy is a sponsor for the events. March 27-29 Startup Epicenter Intensive Workshops March 30-31 Startup Epicenter Challenge & Festival The program on March 29 starts at 2 in the afternoon, which leaves your morning free
Startup Epicenter Offers Intensive Workshops, Challenge & Festival Read More »
Getting Early Feedback
Getting early customer feedback is critical to fine tuning your product so that you can scale up. The temptation is to use a on-line survey tool to save your time, but I think for your early customers a questionnaire may only give you the answers that you are looking for, not the information that you need.
Getting Early Feedback Read More »
Julian Fellowes on Persistence, Getting Started, and Logical Consequences
Commentary on Julian Fellowes answers to 3 interview questions about the need to get started, persist, and accept the logical consequences of your choices.
Julian Fellowes on Persistence, Getting Started, and Logical Consequences Read More »
Clark Dong: Software Startups Don’t Need VC’s To Start
Clark Dong gave an interesting demonstration of a new action item tracking tool for startups called TaskPick at last night’s SDForum Startup SIG. He came on after my show and tell on how and why we use Central Desktop in our practice. He was articulate and energetic and I was very impressed with his approach. His message below is
Clark Dong: Software Startups Don’t Need VC’s To Start Read More »
9 From Greg Knauss’ “An Entirely Other Day”
Greg Knauss wrote “An Entirely Other Day” sporadically from 1994 to 2006 (with five year or so gap between 2001 and 2006 and who knows, he may start up again). It’s experiential blogging at its finest, with some sharp observations–some introspective–of work, marriage, children, illness, aging, and death.
9 From Greg Knauss’ “An Entirely Other Day” Read More »
Kierkegaard on the Art of Helping Others to Understand
An excerpt from Soren Kierkegaard writing on helping others to understand. The key is to start from a deep understanding of the other person’s world view. This echoes Steven Covey’s fifth habit: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
Kierkegaard on the Art of Helping Others to Understand Read More »
Ten Tips for Leveraging Blogs and Wikis in Your Consulting Practice
Is my topic this Thursday, February 15, at 7:00 PM, at the IEEE-CNSV meeting at KeyPoint Credit Union, 2805 Bowers Ave., Santa Clara, CA. The event is free. I will cover a number of practical suggestions for using blogs to promote a consulting practice and wikis to foster project team collaboration against a deadline. Blogs and
Ten Tips for Leveraging Blogs and Wikis in Your Consulting Practice Read More »
Recipes For Longevity in “Mutual Improvement Clubs”
Another excerpt from William Feather’s “The Business of Life” From page 262, an entry entitled “A Conservative Club.” More than forty-five years ago a group of men…organized a club for men of common intellectual interest. It was agreed that the membership would be limited to thirty, and that twelve meetings would be held each year
Recipes For Longevity in “Mutual Improvement Clubs” Read More »
Greg Knauss on Bloggers: Experiential vs. Referential
Greg Knauss was a guest blogger on kottke last year and ended his two week stint with this observation on referential and experiential blogging: There are two kinds of bloggers, referential and experiential. […] The referential blogger uses the link as his fundamental unit of currency, building posts around ideas and experiences spawned elsewhere: Look at
Greg Knauss on Bloggers: Experiential vs. Referential Read More »