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Armor vs. Authenticity
Part of leading a startup is raising money from investors, often professional investors (VCs) and high-net-worth individuals (angels). I learned over time that people who have or manage large amounts of investable capital develop “armor” to keep their distance from eager entrepreneurs. Similarly, self-taught learning to be a startup executive is often accomplished by hearing the stories of those who…
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Succession Planning Even in Startups
The team is the foundation and core of a startup’s success. Yet early-stage startup teams are small and vulnerable to turnover, so proactive risk assessment and succession planning is essential for business resiliency.
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Ask the Right Hiring Question
Success in hiring the best new employees, especially when every new hire makes a massive impact like in a startup, depends on some simple process decisions that ensure you are asking the right hiring question.
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Dysfunctional Investors Are Real
Private high-potential startups often need to raise capital to fund the development and commercialization of their visions. Yet, too often, what causes the disappointingly large failure rate for such startups is not the technology, the market, or the need but dysfunctional investor behavior.
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The Power of Professionalism
Investors excited about funding high-potential startups are also eager to mitigate their risk by ensuring that the startup founders and leaders are experts in their domain with the professional expertise to build a high-growth company. That often unspoken reality puts a premium on startup leaders' reputations for professionalism.
