A panel of four entrepreneurs will address the practical considerations for evaluating and joining a startup as a co-founder or early employee at a Wednesday, August 17 event at the Silicon Valley Cofounder Academy.
Cofounder Academy Panel “Role of the Cofounder” Read More »
I have been selected as a mentor for Startup Weekend Santa Clara Nov-11-2016; here are 5 ways that I plan to assist the teams of entrepreneurs taking part.
SKMurphy Mentor for Startup Weekend Nov-2016 at Santa Clara Univ. Read More »
Edited transcript of an interview with Yodit Stanton (@YoditStanton), CEO of OpenSensors, by Jenn Webb (@JennWebb) at Strata + Hadoop World 2015 “Make Data Work” in London. Yodit talks about what led her to found OpenSensors.
Yodit Stanton on Why She Founded OpenSensors Read More »
I have been working on my adjustments at the half for 2016 and thinking about lost arts and roads no longer taken. As much as we focus on creating and adopting new methods and technologies, it can be useful to consider capabilities that different societies have abandoned.
Lost Arts and Roads No Longer Taken Read More »
Fred Brooks wrote “No Silver Bullet: Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering” in 1987, 12 years after his “Mythical Man Month.” Both offer realistic perspectives on programming in particular and knowledge work in general.
Fred Brooks’ “No Silver Bullet” Revisited Read More »
In 2006 Eben Moglen gave the keynote address at the Plone Conference 2006 that traced the evolution of economies from steel to software to collaboration. Here are some key excerpts with commentary.
Eben Moglen: Steel to Software to Collaboration Read More »
Getting better at customer discovery conversations requires preparation, practice, note taking, and follow-up. It can also be tremendously helpful if you can arrange for a partner who can observe, contribute, take notes, and de-brief with you. Even if you are a solo entrepreneur “trade interviews” with another entrepreneur: agree to help them with one of their
Getting Better at Customer Discovery Conversations Read More »
One of the most common questions I hear in conversations with entrepreneurs at a Bootstrapper Breakfasts, in Office Hours calls, or with clients–and not infrequently from myself when comparing notes with peers–is, “Am I making a fool of myself?” Here are some questions you can use to clarify your situation when you are starting to feel like a
Am I Making A Fool Of Myself? Read More »
There are no undefended markets. Established markets are characterized by entrenched competitors who have strong brand identify and deep customer relationships. Although Bill Hewlett always strove to “attack the undefended hill,” the reality is that any market worth having is at least lightly defended by the status quo of current alternatives. When scouting a new
Customer Development: Scouting A New Market Read More »
In Chapter 9 of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” Robert Pirsig goes into an extended explanation of the Scientific Method using the metaphor of motorcycle repair. He stresses the value of an experiment log, explaining how to organize it so that you don’t become lost in exploring for solutions to a problem. I have
Organizing Your Experiment Log Read More »
It’s masturbation to calculate the exit value of idea that has not been reduced to practice and achieved some level of traction. The real question is how much time and effort to invest to achieve a level of traction that would allow place a value on the business that leverages the ideas. Often it’s not a
Q: How Can I Calculate The Exit Value Of My Idea? Read More »
It’s OK to solve your own problem first, to be the first customer. This at a minimum gets the idea out of your head and reduced to practice where it can be tested. The trick is to use this basic product to spark further discussions about the problem you solved, no your solution.
Q: Can I Be My First Customer? Read More »
Two extracts from “The Poet at the Breakfast Table” by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. on intellect and character, with additional commentary for entrepreneurs.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. on Intellect and Character Read More »
Ash Maurya rebooted his blog as “The Space Between“–experimental format where he is exploring the space between ideas–and has offered a number of short reflective posts. Here are excerpts from three where he explores the value of planning and reflection, and the need to prioritize learning over the illusion of progress.
Planning and Reflection Read More »
Q: Should I tap my 401K to bootstrap my startup? A: No, and read Barry Moltz’s “You Have to Be a Little Crazy” on the risks of money from friends and family.
Q: Should I Tap My 401K To Bootstrap? Read More »
Much has been written about a startup making a pivot in direction after Eric Ries first coined the term in a 2009 blog post “Pivot don’t Jump to a New Vision.” The word pivot has attracted almost as much wordplay as the word lean. What follows is a short list of good and bad reasons to
Good and Bad Reasons to Pivot Read More »
With the 2016 school year getting ready to start in the next six to eight weeks at most colleges and universities I have had several conversations with student entrepreneur organizations about how I might be able to help them. I have developed content and given talks and webinars over the last five years that may provide
Resources for Student Entrepreneur Organizations Read More »
An interesting interview from May 1, 2015 with Jonathan Bendor, a Stanford professor, who suggests that firms use rubrics to guide innovation so that criticism becomes less personal and more consistent and constructive. What follows is an edited transcript with some additional commentary.
Jonathan Bendor: Use Rubrics To Guide Innovation Read More »
Theodore Zeldin gave a series of six lectures on conversation that were collected in slim book called “Conversation: How Talk Can Change Our Lives.” I found it offered a number of insights on what is needed for a serious conversation. And since serious conversation is one of the primary tools for early market exploration and
A Serious Conversation Can Change Your Life Read More »
What seems natural, artificial, or supernatural is a function of familiarity. Nature is the background or context for innovation. The challenge is that we live in a world and culture formed by millennia of innovation so that some incredibly advanced technologies seem natural. The difference between technology and magic is not that one works more
Nature, Technology and Magic Read More »
