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 »
Six basic customer exit interview questions to ask when a customer decides to stop using your product.
Q: Customer Exit Interview Questions Read More »
Here are some back of the envelope models to estimate prospect counts and market size.
Q: How To Estimate Prospect Counts and Market Size Read More »
Preserving Trust And Demonstrating Expertise Unlocks Demanding Niche Markets Q: We are preparing to enter a B2B market where the potential buyers are high-value but relatively few in number and close-knit. I am concerned that they will have a low tolerance for a minimum viable product (MVP) approach; much less pre-MVP research that misses the
Preserving Trust And Demonstrating Expertise Unlocks Demanding Niche Markets Read More »
Skip Walter designed successful software products for over three decades. Here are 7 laws from his list of 18 laws of software development.
Seven From Skip Walter’s Laws Of Software Development Read More »
Lisa Solomon says that an effective meeting can do one–and only one–of 3 things: build a common understanding, generate option, or make decisions. In this talk on “Designing Time: Make Meaning” she elaborates on this and challenges the person calling the meeting to work backward from the end of the meeting and define: what has
Firms make a mistake when they treat email like a bullhorn, a tools for broadcast, instead of a walkie-talkie that enables a conversation.
Use E-Mail Like a Walkie-Talkie, Not A Bullhorn Read More »
In the early market make it your mission to help your early customers. Providing value you can charge for will do more to gain traction than anything else.
Mission Often Matters More Than Monetization In An Early Market Read More »
7 Tips for Entrepreneurs from “Lessons Learned in 80 Years” by Byron Wien. The best is “Don’t try to be better than your competitors, try to be different.”
Byron Wien’s Lessons Learned in 80 Years: Seven for Entrepreneurs Read More »
The four day 4th of July weekend is a good excuse to take a break from the day to day pressures of bootstrapping, reflect on your goals for the year and what you have accomplished and learned so far…and perhaps make some “adjustments at the half.”
Making Adjustments at the Half for 2013 Read More »
We recently advised a client on a possible acquisition of a small service business and developed this due diligence checklist.
Due Diligence Checklist For Evaluating A Service Business for Acquisition Read More »
A story from my engineering days at Cisco about how a lack of trust led to a default assumption that “they screwed up.”
They Screwed Up: They Followed Our Specification Read More »
A talk I enjoyed by Simon Sinek (@simonsinek) on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action Some great insights from Apple, Dr. Martin Luther King, and the Wright Brothers: Why -> How -> What Start with Why Why is not “to make a profit” that’s a result.. Why is your purpose, your
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action Read More »
Mark Stiving is a serial entrepreneur and a pricing expert. In this video he tells the story of being mistaken for a lost lamb by a shepherdess in Las Vegas after being screwed by a cab driver. He uses her business model to illustrate three important pricing principles: Know Your Value Segment Your Market Offer
Mark Stiving: Three Pricing Principles I Confirmed In Las Vegas Read More »
Here are six tips or writing an E-Mail to a prospect or potential partner: the Hollywood approach, the schoolboy approach, add a middleman, quit typing, begin at the end, and sketch a picture.
Six Tips For Writing An E-Mail To A Prospect or Potential Partner Read More »
Advice from a lucky entrepreneur tends to be very specific and suggest a “copy exactly” model. Better advice will offer principles and several perspectives.
The Lucky And The Wise Read More »
When a little boy sees or hears a bird he appreciates it without having to label or identify it. It’s useful for entrepreneurs to engage in direct observation and thoughtful reflection without having to classify or characterize.
Eric Berne: A Little Boy Sees And Hears Birds With Delight Read More »
Always prepare a slide detailing a getting started plan or next steps for when a prospect says “This sounds great, how do we get started?”
Prepare Your “Getting Started” Plan Before A Prospect Asks For It Read More »
