Fundraising can seem like herding cats.  You get some initial momentum, potentially from a pitching event, and have a bunch of conversations but can’t seem to get the funding commitments…

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be 21, I was…

I don’t know who came up with this analogy but I’d love to thank him/her because it’s a perfect way to think about your offering and its value proposition.  Is…

If you find yourself in the position of considering a sale of the company, the significance of the distinction between selling your company and someone buying your company is HUGE. …

For years I’ve helped friends and former business colleagues with their job search.  If I find out they are thinking about working for a startup or early stage company, I…

“Every man is the creature of the age in which he lives.  Very few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.” – Voltaire (1700’s)

I have a lot of pet peeves with business development, having run the function for multiple companies.  This one in particular relates to how, too often, a PR-related effort is…

I use this rule all the time when advising startups and early stage companies.  Actually, it has application in any sort of sales pitch, regardless of your company’s stage.  I…

I just came from a startup pitching event with about 100 angel investors and VC’s in the audience.  The startups only had the typical 5 minutes to give their pitch,…

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom” – General George Patton

The immediate response is obvious: to facilitate the fundraising process.  But what other benefits can you expect to gain from participating in a pitching event?  How about these for starters:…

As you’re getting started with your new company, possibly the last thing on your mind will be defining the principles you want to run your company by for years to…

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on.  But that’s not what it means at all.  It means saying no to the hundred other good…

Welcome to my website.  I have a lot to talk about and a lot to share.  I have "zigged and zagged" throughout my career, spending time as an individual contributor and...