Author Archives: Dave Berkus

Failure is the greatest of teachers.

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Dave Berkus

Not all companies are successful. The end game can be a failure of the business.  In fact, many angel investors or venture capitalists look for and respect the lessons learned by entrepreneurs that have survived a failed business.  The key … Continue reading →

Posted in The liquidity event and beyond | 5 Comments

Envision the end game. Advance toward the goal.

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Dave Berkus

  When we start a business, we are optimistic that we will succeed and dream of riches to follow when the company is sold or even participating in an IPO.   Some of us build our businesses to be lifestyle creations, … Continue reading →

Posted in The liquidity event and beyond | 1 Comment

Provide for succession well in advance of need.

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Dave Berkus

When we are young and early in our business lives, we feel infallible to the degree that we do not think of what might happen if we die while in office or decide to leave the company for any reason.  … Continue reading →

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Don’t be greedy even if you have the power.

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Dave Berkus

Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event.  Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists, or angels, have put in substantial money and the sales price is less than the value of their investment.  Most … Continue reading →

Posted in The liquidity event and beyond | 1 Comment

Growth requires a different kind of capital.

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Dave Berkus

Growing companies usually require more working capital during their periods of rapid growth.  In past insights we have calculated the amount of additional capital needed for a business as it grows, and the additional capital required is often surprisingly large.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth! | 5 Comments

Create a Powerful Dashboard.

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Dave Berkus

From sports car to aircraft to super tanker, successful operation depends upon the pilot’s understanding and urgent timely use of a dashboard.  Real time information is critical to real time decision-making, and increasingly in the modern business world, decisions are … Continue reading →

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Create and nurture your collective intelligence.

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Dave Berkus

At the MIT Center of Collective Intelligence, professors and graduate students are wrestling with an important opportunity – and gaining ground.  With new collaborative tools available for use in the cloud,   people are no longer isolated in their creative endeavors. … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth! | Leave a comment

Measuring your power in the Internet marketplace.

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Dave Berkus

There are a number of key performance indicators that help new generation company management see more clearly their progress and corporate health.  The old measures, including return on investment, percentage of profit against revenue or employee count, and more, obviously … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth! | 1 Comment

Turn “broadcast” into “engagement.”

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Dave Berkus

We all know that the world of marketing has turned upside down these past years through the power of the Internet.  College professors teaching marketing must be having a real challenge keeping up with the new channels of communication, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth! | 2 Comments

Water flows downhill. Why fight it?

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Dave Berkus

Substitute the word “money” for “water” and we have an explanation for most all of the reasons why successful products move from concept through early adopters through mass market. Money flows to the cheapest effective solution to a problem.  Fighting … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth! | 4 Comments