Three Tests For Negotiating A Software Deal
Negotiating a software deal–from either side of the table–is different from many other negotiations: here are three tests to apply.
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Rules of Thumb
Sleep is a Necessary Part of the Workday
Sleep is a necessary part of the workday, if you find that under pressure and cut back below 6 hours a night you need to make correct course.
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“Better” is the Enemy of “Good Enough”
Better is the enemy of good enough–This phrase is attributed to Sergey Gorshkov, the commander in chief of the Soviet Navy from 1956 to 1985, who managed it’s dramatic expansion during the Cold War. Perfectionists get this wrong, siding with “Better.” Entrepreneurs who prosper, for the most part, side with “Good Enough” and keep improving.
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Common Questions about Advisory Boards
Here are our answers to some frequently asked questions about advisory boards, our focus is more on bootstrapping startups so the answers are from that perspective.
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Productive Larks and Creative Owls
“Early as a lark” I find morning more productive, but working late as a “night owl” I am more creative: some thoughts on productivity and creativity.
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What was Heroic Must Become Routine
I gave a talk on October 16 of last year at the KASE/KIN Entrepreneur Academy on “After Launch, Now What.” My answer was “What was once heroic must become routine” (podcast is here, it’s about 16 minutes if you would like to listen). I was reminded of it when I came across the famous “This is
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A Primer on Blogs for EDA Start-ups
After I offered “7 Tips for Encouraging Bloggers to Write About a Conference,” Gabe Moretti, the editor of the DACeZine, asked me to contribute an article on blogging (I guess that could have been my eighth tip). It appeared in the June 26 DACeZine. What follows is a version of the article appropriate for a
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Two CEO Speeches I Still Remember
Two very good CEO speeches I still remember, in each case a good leader put himself in the same boat with the rest of us during tough times.
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Life Is Too Short
A couple of quotes for entrepreneurs that offer thought-provoking variations on the theme “life is too short.”
Express ROI In Terms Your Prospect Will Understand
Peter Cohan makes the following points in his Great Demo! Seminar C level execs think in terms of dollars (budget) Managers think in terms of people and full time equivalents (FTE). Individual contributors think in terms of time spent vs. time saved So it pays to express the benefits of your application accordingly. There may
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10 Reasons to Write a Press Release
Here are 10 common reasons to issue a press release. Announce a strategic partnership or alliance Issuing a statement on a hot issue New client acquisition Holding a seminar or workshop Availability of white paper or article Company revenue, sales, or profit Announce new member of board of directors or board of advisors invitation for
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Burn Your Boats But Not Your Bridges
Burn your boats but not your bridges: commit to your startup but don’t do anything that damages relationships or would not allow you to build on prior shared successes with others.
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Paul Graham’s Six Principles for Making New Things
This article compares Paul Graham’s “Six Principles for Making New Things” with Bob Bemer’s “Do Something Small But Useful Now”, Gary Hamel’s Innovation Hacker, and Peter Drucker’s list of seven places to search systematically for opportunities.
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Three Tips for Minimizing Misunderstandings Among Co-Founders
Here are three tips for minimizing misunderstandings among co-founders: get clarity on the problem before arguing over solutions, maintain full transparency about spending, and work from a one-page operating plan.
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Forming an Advisory Board
Some tips on forming an advisory board that assume you are currently bootstrapping and will be soliciting advice and feedback from a variety of sources: friends, former co-workers, other entrepreneurs, customers, and partners.
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Entrepreneurs, Luck, and Silicon Valley
2003 reflections on the dotcom crash–the year I started SKMurphy, Inc., and 4 rules of thumb from Richard Wiseman on making you own luck.
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21 Great Questions for Developing New Products
Here are 21 great questions for developing new products, the checklist is from “Breakthrough Thinking From Inside the Box” by Coyne, Clifford, and Dye; the commentary is mine.
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Finding And Adding People Successfully to Your Startup Team
Finding and adding people successfully to your startup team is a key skill and set of processes you need to master for growth.
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Find a Problem so Bad That People Pay You To Solve It and Let You Keep the Software
Bill Paseman offers this advice to entrepreneurs: find a problem so bad that people pay you to solve and let you keep the software.
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Peter Drucker on Why Entrepreneurs Reject Unexpected Success
Peter Drucker outlines four entrepreneurial pitfalls, starting with rejection of a new product’s success in a market that is different than was expected.
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