Earning and keeping your customers’ trust is essential to your success as a startup. Gerald Weinberg’s “Secrets of Consulting” offers “11 Laws of Trust” as a guideline for establishing and maintaining successful business relationships.
Keeping Your Customers’ Trust Read More »
Ash Maurya (@AshMaurya) has released the first two chapters of his new book “Running Lean” and here are my first impressions.
Ash Maurya on “Running Lean” Read More »
A review of Michael Malone’s “The Future Arrived Yesterday: the Protean Corporation.” Malone believes that successful companies of the future must find a way to continuously and rapidly change almost every one of their attributes but retain a core of values.
The Future, Arriving Yesterday, Remains In Constant Motion Read More »
In “Classroom Habitudes,” Angela Maiers defines the six traits for successful learning as Imagination, Curiosity, Perseverance, Self-Awareness, Courage, and Adaptability. I think these habitudes should also be embraced by entrepreneurs.
Classroom Habitudes Also Useful For Entrepreneurs Read More »
You can follow @skmurphy to get these quotes for entrepreneurs hot off the mojo wire or wait until the end of the month when they are collected on the blog. Enter your E-mail if you would like new blog posts to your inbox.
Quotes for Entrepreneurs – April 2010 Read More »
Recurring Problems Have Both Technical and Psychological Roots I got an e-mailed question from someone who had watched my “The Limits of I’ll Know It When I See It” video. Q: In your talk you say “Most recurring problems are a combination of an unsolved technical problem and an unresolved emotional component to that problem.”
Recurring Problems Have Both Technical and Psychological Roots Read More »
This is a start articulating a set of resources for entrepreneurs that are for the most part not yet widely appreciated as applicable to entrepreneurship but that have had a significant impact on my perspective. I welcome any suggestions or lists from readers for what has influenced you, and opened you to new perspectives on your
Articles, Ideas, and Books That Have Changed My Life As an Entrepreneur Read More »
Appreciative Inquiry offers a solid approach for early customer interviews.Ask, “What’s working and what problems do you have?”
Early Customer Conversations: Use Appreciative Inquiry, Amplify Positive Deviance Read More »
Here are three good books for consultants that I routinely recommend: “Trusted Advisor”, “Secrets of Consulting”, and “Rainmaking.”
Three Good Books for Consultants Read More »
Here is the outline and slides from my talk at SFBay ACM on “Limits of I’ll Know it When I see it” about the fundamentals in applying expertise effectively.
Slides from “Limits of I’ll Know It When I See It” Talk at SFBay ACM Read More »
Although it’s aimed at startup entrepreneurs who are seeking investment, the Pitching Hacks e-book from the Venture Hacks team has $20* of advice for bootstrappers as well. Investors don’t invest in businesses. They invest in stories about businesses. If you want to raise money on favorable terms, you need multiple investment offers. How do you
Pitching Hacks Has $20 Worth of Advice for Bootstrappers As Well Read More »
William Feather’s “Dead Business” details the stark differences between a going concern and all the agreements and understandings that have been reached to make it viable, and a bankrupt one.
William Feather on “Dead Business” Read More »
After thinking some more about yesterday’s post on entrepreneurial motivation I thought I would re-read some Peter Drucker, his clarity and prescience continue to impress me.
Drucker on Profit and Business Purpose Read More »
In April of 2001, as the euphoria from 1999 started to fall to earth again (by October it would be accessible only by Deep Submersible Rescue Vehicle) Daniel Pink wrote “Land of the Free” in Fast Company that was a teaser for “Free Agent Nation” as a hardback in May of 2001 and paperback in
Daniel Pink’s “Free Agent Nation” Worth Revisiting Read More »
What follows are some real questions I have answered either face to face or in e-mail over the last 90 days in response to the current downturn in Silicon Valley. Customer Development for a Consultants in a Downturn Q: I just completed my first two years of consulting–which were spectacular–after 20+ years of full time
Customer Development for a Consulting Practice in a Downturn Read More »
Sean is speaking Thursday November 6 at the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the IEEE Technological Management Council on “Ten Business Books in One Hour for the Busy High-Tech Executive.” Location: Ramada Inn, 1217 Wildwood Ave, Sunnyvale CA 94089 (See Meeting Map) Time & Date: 6-9pm (Dinner included) on Thursday November 6, 2008 Cost &
Ten Key Books for Busy High-Tech Execs @IEEE-SCV-TMC Nov-6-2008 Read More »
A passage from chapter 15 of Jerome K. Jerome’s “Three Men in a Boat” captures the risk that an attitude of perfectionism toward work can hinder startup founders.
Jerome K. Jerome on Work Read More »
I was an early fan of Steve Blank’s customer development model. This post was written when “Four Steps to the Epiphany” was only available on Cafe Press and documents the early set of principles he espoused.
Steve Blank on Customer Development Process for Startups Read More »
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.
Entrepreneurs, Luck, and Silicon Valley Read More »
Entrepreneurs often have to ask an expert for help. Here is some great advice by Andrea R. Nierenberg in the “Ask the Expert” column of this month’s New York Enterprise report. Q: Like most small business owners, I find there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all I want to do. Plus there is another,
How To Ask An Expert For Help Read More »
