Don’t waste time painting Tom Sawyer’s fence: proving someone wrong is actually a poor source of motivation. It’s OK to ignore conventional wisdom, but don’t get trapped into doing someone else’s work (or building their platform) just to prove them wrong. Build something instead of trying to win an argument.
Don’t Waste Time Painting Tom Sawyer’s Fence: Proving Someone Wrong Is A Poor Motivator Read More »
Shared trust and integrity form the basis for the key resource in a bootstrapping startup: morale. Founders must foster actions and behaviors that build trust in the early days if they hope to create a startup with a culture that will enable it to prosper.
Ten Principles for Trust and Integrity from Adventures in Missions Read More »
Start-Up Black Ops Jonathan Wang penned the Start-Up Black Ops creed, a website started on the belief: “Every entrepreneur will, at some point along their journey, find themselves at the bottom of a big, dark pit–seemingly alone, surrounded by nothing, and without a way out. That is the unavoidable norm when it comes to starting and running
Four Principles From Jonathan Wang’s “Start-Up Black Ops Creed” Read More »
In “Our ‘For Impact’ Culture Code,” Possible Health outlined a number of operating principles and cultural values that are also very appropriate for bootstrappers.
Bootstrappers Turn Time Into Resources and Possibilities For Customers Read More »
Some reflections on the Startup Conference May 2014 in Redwood City. The informal conversations were far better than any of the presentations I sat through. I offer some suggestions for informal networking at events.
Reflections on Startup Conference 2014 in Redwood City Read More »
Focus For Effect “Nothing is as difficult as to achieve results in this world if one is filled full of great tolerance and the milk of human kindness. The person who achieves must generally be a one-idea individual, concentrated entirely on that one idea, and ruthless in his aspect toward other men and other ideas.”
Corinne Roosevelt Robinson: Focus for Effect But Look Beyond Your Own Special Interests Read More »
What follows is an exchange on twitter between Kent Beck and Don Reinertsen on Dec 12-2013 about their experiences as speakers at the Lean Startup Conference 2013 that I thought was worth preserving.
Kent Beck and Don Reinertsen on Value of Storytelling Read More »
Distinguish tools vs. methods vs. policies. Tools that support a range of methods and policies are much more useful a and much more likely to get used.
Tools vs. Methods vs. Policies Read More »
My best business advice for managing a negotiation: start with a plain English agreement that covers the key deal points.
Legal Advice: Start With a Plain English Agreement That Covers Key Deal Points Read More »
Humility allows you to question what you are working on and why. It enables you to understand what it is you really want your business to accomplish.
Wynton Marsalis on Humility, Self-Mastery, and Learning Read More »
Discerning the future is hard work, we travel facing backward into the past so that it seems to sneak up from behind us. Some insights on discerning the future using Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” as a point of departure.
Discerning the Future Read More »
Justin Kan (@JustinKan) wrote “Startups Don’t Die, They Commit Suicide” in 2011″ (mirrored on his blog here) reflecting on what he had observed and learned as a serial entrepreneur. It was reposted on the Philly Startup Leaders list earlier this week which led me to write the following comments mixed with excerpts from Kan’s post.
The Likely Consequences of Entrepreneurship Require Perseverance Read More »
Arthur Brooks outlines the intelligent pursuit of happiness in the key choices that under our control: faith, family, community, and work.
The Intelligent Pursuit of Happiness Read More »
Paul Zappia (@PaulZii) aka “Paul Zii” blogged a great list of “29 Ways to Stay Creative.” Here are my top 10 from his list (shown at left) with some comments added. 1. Make Lists. To Do Lists, Shopping Lists, Things to Try, Experiments to Run. If only for the pleasure of crossing items off you
Ten From Paul Zappia’s “29 Ways To Stay Creative” Read More »
Q: I am considering product market fit metrics for an add-on new product launching in a well established company that makes equipment to test electrical cables (for the last 29 years). We are introducing a new product that is an add-on to existing products (it is only useful if used with the existing product). This is
Product Market Fit Metrics Read More »
We have a week left in 2013. This is a short post to collect some odds and ends on the day after Christmas, also known as Feast of St. Stephen or Boxing Day depending upon where you are reading this.
Through The Rude Wind’s Wild Lament And The Bitter Weather Read More »
A Q&A with Terry Frazier where he outlines his view of real competitive analysis, advising firms to stop relying on SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis.
Terry Frazier: How to Do Real Competitive Analysis Read More »
I re-read Tom DeMarco‘s “Slack” over the Thanksgiving break and came away with a couple of good ideas worth sharing. Slack: Speed Difference Between Prudent and Breakneck Tom DeMarco offers the following definition of slack in the second to last chapter “Working at Breakneck Speed” Back in the time of sailing ships, going anywhere by ship
Tom DeMarco on Leadership, Trust, and Training Read More »
Interviewing experts requires you to respect their time, doing basic research in advance to prepare a clear agenda and avoid unnecessary questions.
8 Tips For Interviewing Experts Read More »
My workspace is a “wilderness of free association” that leaves me surrounded by projects in process that in many cases represent insurmountable opportunities. My desktop is also a matrix of files that makes some people intensely uncomfortable when they see it.
In a Wilderness of Free Association Surrounded by Insurmountable Opportunities Read More »
