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Category Archives: Depending upon others
Are there only three types of advice?
“Here’s the deal…” So, I occasionally read suspense novels to break up the relative monotony of constant business books. A sentence in the one I recently read caught my eye. “There are three types of advice,” the wise White House … Continue reading
How to reach beyond the prospect’s gatekeeper
What’s a gatekeeper? Looking for an entrance into a VC, an angel group, a bank, a CxO for a sales opportunity, or any other entity? There are always gate keepers whose job it is to filter out the inconsequential or … Continue reading
Sometimes your gut is the best you’ve got.
How I didn’t follow my own advice Years ago, I led a deal and invested in a company that looked like it had lots of promise to disrupt the women’s clothing industry with special algorithms and an online store. But … Continue reading
Posted in Depending upon others, Raising money
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The lion and the ant: A managerial lesson
This story has turned out to be one of the most enduring posts ever for me, well worth repeating. And what a lesson for us all. I confess that our research cannot find its source. So, with thanks to whomever … Continue reading
How credible are you to others?
How do you define credibility in business? A friend of mine recently told me his story of how his very career rests on his credibility with his major supplier–partners. He stated that everything rides upon his credibility when he declares … Continue reading
Posted in Depending upon others, Positioning
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VC investors: Don’t be greedy even if you can.
First, the marginal exit event: Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event for the early investors, including the entrepreneur or the founders. Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists or angels have put in … Continue reading
The four rules for motivating your employees with money.
We’ve debated this one forever it seems. Should be overwhelm prospective employees with stock options and perks? Or concentrate our available resources on just plain money as an attraction? Well, here are rules to make money work for you in … Continue reading
Reward success and failure. Punish only inaction.
Reward failure? That may be a difficult concept for an executive. And there are limits of course. We wouldn’t reward a failure to follow laws, or protect lives, or deliberate endangerment of the company or its people. There are “good” … Continue reading
A tale of two CEO’s and the management of pain.
This is the tale of two CEOs, one of them unfortunately….me. It’s a story of how people handle unusual situations when selling to the top – an executive of a prospective customer. And the stories couldn’t be more different. … Continue reading
Posted in Depending upon others, General, Protecting the business
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The shocking truth about employee loyalty
How we often handle employment issues today. When we accept the work commitment from a person we hire, we make a pact with the new employee that often stops at agreeing to pay for service rendered and to provide a … Continue reading
