The Heart That Holds On
Entrepreneurship is sustained by what’s in your heart and a childlike curiosity toward how the world works and new undiscovered possibilities.
The Heart That Holds On Read More »
How to Tell When Your Team Has a Workable Plan of Action
One key technique for determining whether you have a workable plan of action is to conduct a premortem, a review of possible sources of failure in advance with a goal to avoid them, or at least reduce their impact and likelihood of occurring.
How to Tell When Your Team Has a Workable Plan of Action Read More »
Getting Started and Managing Rejection
Entrepreneurs must learn that managing rejection is a requirement from the moment they commit to getting started. I could argue that you have not started until you have been rejected.
Getting Started and Managing Rejection Read More »
Quotes For Entrepreneurs–May 2012
You can follow @skmurphy to get these hot off the mojo wire or wait until the end of the month when these quotes for entrepreneurs are collected on the blog. Enter your E-mail if you would like new blog posts to your inbox.
Quotes For Entrepreneurs–May 2012 Read More »
Are You Using Cognitive Task Analysis for New Market Exploration?
Review of key elements of Cognitive Task Analysis–Knowledge Elicitation, Analysis, and Knowledge Representation–with applications to market exploration. Are You Using Cognitive Task Analysis for New Market Exploration? I am interested in talking with anyone who is using Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) or Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) methods and paradigms to inform their customer interviews. I
Are You Using Cognitive Task Analysis for New Market Exploration? Read More »
Your Prospects and Your Customers are Real People
Your Prospects and Your Customers are Real People I’m hardly the first person to complain about the word “user” to describe people who do stuff with software…People don’t think of themselves as “users” and in all other contexts the word “user” is not generally positive and certainly not evocative of the kind of intimate, day-to-day
Your Prospects and Your Customers are Real People Read More »
Memorial Day 2012
On Memorial Day 2012 in we commemorate those who died in the service of our country. I offer some excerpts from Lt. Col. Michael Strobl’s account of escorting the remains of a Marine killed in combat in 2004 for you to meditate on.
David Foster Wallace: The Only Choice We Get is What to Worship
What follows are excerpts from a commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College. I thought they were an appropriate antidote to a model for entrepreneurial motivation that aspires to make enough money to do whatever you want. Wallace outlines some of the risks in failing to align
David Foster Wallace: The Only Choice We Get is What to Worship Read More »
Conversations With Prospects: Practice, Review, Share Notes, Ask for Feedback
Conversations with prospects unfold in real time: you must listen for what’s said and not said, manage your emotions, and understand the implications.
Conversations With Prospects: Practice, Review, Share Notes, Ask for Feedback Read More »
Jim Manzi: Focus on Delivering Value to Customers at a Foreseeable Profit.
Jim Manzi, founder of Lotus and Applied Predictive Technologies, advises entrepreneurs to “Focus on delivering value to customers at a foreseeable profit” in “How to Succeed in Business by Really, Really Trying.” How to Succeed in Business by Really, Really Trying. It’s a great article and also on the limits of advice to entrepreneurs, in particular autobiographies
Jim Manzi: Focus on Delivering Value to Customers at a Foreseeable Profit. Read More »
The Wit to See and Understand Objective Reality
Shared situational awareness means that a team has reached–and maintains–a working consensus on the objective reality they must deal with.
The Wit to See and Understand Objective Reality Read More »
Great Demo! Workshop on October 10 & 11, 2012
Create and Deliver Surprisingly Compelling Software Demonstrations “Do The Last Thing First” — the recipe for a Great Demo! This is an interactive workshop with Peter Cohan geared especially for you who demonstrate B-to-B software to your customer and channels. Bring a copy of your demo and be prepared to present it — we’ll help
Great Demo! Workshop on October 10 & 11, 2012 Read More »
Founder as Change Agent from Reamde
In Reamde, Neal Stephenson captures the value that a company founder can continue to provide after significant growth: change agent.
Founder as Change Agent from Reamde Read More »
Book Club: Chapter 6 The Innovator’s DNA: Experimenting
Recorded discussion on Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M. Christensen’s The Innovator’s DNA chapter 6, recorded on June 20, 2012. Michael Fern and Edith Harbaugh join Steve Hogan and Sean Murphy to discuss lessons learned experimenting to foster innovation. Chapter 6: Discovery Skill #5 Experimenting The Innovator’s DNA by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M.
Book Club: Chapter 6 The Innovator’s DNA: Experimenting Read More »
Tristan Kromer Joins Book Club’s Panel on Networking Skill Development
We continue our review of “The Innovator’s DNA” by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M. Christensen with a focus on networking, which the author’s define as seeking serious conversation with individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. Here is a quote by Ronald Burt on creativity from idea brokerage (condensed from page 117): “People connected
Tristan Kromer Joins Book Club’s Panel on Networking Skill Development Read More »
Book Club: Chapter 5 – The Innovator’s DNA
Call-in Book Review recorded on May 16, 2012 Tristan Kromer, Steve Hogan and Sean Murphy discuss the book and specifically Chapter 5 on networking. Chapter 5: Discovery Skill #4 Networking The Innovator’s DNA by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M. Christensen Practical and provocative, The Innovator’s DNA is an essential resource for individuals and teams
Book Club: Chapter 5 – The Innovator’s DNA Read More »
Founders Story: Arun Kumar of Kerika
The following interview is constructed from e-mails and skype calls from February to April 2012 with Arun Kumar of Kerika. See also this video: https://vimeo.com/24502212 and the Kerika blog for more info on Kerika. Founders Story: Arun Kumar of Kerika Q: Can you talk a little bit about your background I started off as a
Founders Story: Arun Kumar of Kerika Read More »
Seth Godin “Trust Is Even More Scarce Than Attention”
“Trust is even more scarce than attention.” Trust doesn’t scale, it’s built up by repeated interactions over time. That’s what makes it so important.
Seth Godin “Trust Is Even More Scarce Than Attention” Read More »
Three Tips from Sid Faulkner For Preparing To Sell Your Startup
Sid Faulkner, CFO of Ciranova gave a talk today on “Navigating the Treacherous Path of Mergers and Acquisitions” at an event at Abbot Stringham and Lynch. Mr. Faulkner was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Oak Technology, Inc. where he led the 1995 initial and secondary public stock offerings, established an active program of
Three Tips from Sid Faulkner For Preparing To Sell Your Startup Read More »
Quotes For Entrepreneurs–April 2012
You can follow @skmurphy to get these hot off the mojo wire or wait until the end of the month when these quotes for entrepreneurs are collected on the blog. Enter your E-mail if you would like new blog posts to your inbox.
Quotes For Entrepreneurs–April 2012 Read More »