Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. For example, I remember a classic book by Penina Rybak, “ The NICE Reboot ,” that does a great job of outlining problem solving steps, honed from working with special needs youngsters.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. For example, I remember a classic book by Penina Rybak, “ The NICE Reboot ,” that does a great job of outlining problem solving steps, honed from working with special needs youngsters.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

In my own business career, many years as a business advisor, and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I have validated the following strategies to practice and guide you. Each of these will help you in achieving success and satisfaction while tackling your toughest business issues: Stop attacking symptoms – dig first for the root cause.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Everyone has ideas, but only a few can make them happen. Search for customer pain rather than high margins.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

For example, all the restaurants I know were impacted by diners staying at home during the pandemic. Seek input from the team, as well as mentors. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from peers, your advisory board, and outside experts and mentors. Don’t become the victim you fear with no control.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Unfortunately, these goals are often mutually exclusive, and focusing on the wrong ones won’t bring you that business success and satisfaction you crave. For example, TOMS shoes agreed to donate a pair of shoes to the needy for every pair sold. Think twice before committing to a business that is work.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2022

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” Build your character and reputation with personal values.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

For example, Jeff Bezos of Amazon always finds time for his " divinely discontented " customers, as an opportunity, rather than an irritant. As a result, Amazon has ranked as #1 for customer satisfaction for many years in a row and has grown accordingly. You can’t find the time for coaching and mentoring.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

For example, it has long been widely accepted that one of the primary causes for entrepreneur failure in new startups is that many give up too soon. Inside the organization, it also pays to offer some of your time for coaching and mentoring to less experienced team members, as an entrée to a supportive relationship.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2019

Unfortunately, work and satisfaction have become an oxymoron in many businesses. For example, I’m a problem solver by nature, and have worked in several support organizations, but I get bored when all the answers are already known. Many companies also promote local mentoring and coaching opportunities. No one likes useless work.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. Teach team members by example, monitoring, and feedback, to gain awareness of what motivates them, triggers them, and where their biases lie. Develop self-awareness of your triggers.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. You can't control government spending, for example, or global politics. Make your mantra one of job satisfaction and delivering customer value, rather than avoiding failure today.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

Thomas Edison is a classic example. You will learn to recognize that some friends and colleagues are always downers, and get their satisfaction from snuffing out your aspirations through negative thinking. A first step is empowering yourself to achieve success and feel satisfaction from doing your job.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

For example, a couple of years ago, Starbucks' CEO Kevin R. Sir Richard Branson , for example, often makes a point of personally rewarding outstanding leaders by taking them aside and telling them that they are now in charge of one of his new companies. That means accepting coaching and seeking mentoring, as well as giving it.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2023

Over my many years of mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals, I often hear a desire to start a new business, with a big hesitation while waiting for that perfect idea and perfect alignment of the stars. Your time is precious, so don’t waste a minute of it on useless activities or dreaming.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Examples of exemplary companies practicing this model include Starbucks Coffee and the Whole Foods. Successful entrepreneurs today must practice human-centered leadership to compete and win.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2020

Evan Williams , for example, before cofounding Twitter, started a podcasting platform named Odeo. Their satisfaction comes from proving nay-sayers wrong. Optimism can be learned , by really looking for your successes, rewarding yourself for your progress, and using a mentor to steer you in the right direction.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

For example, Mark McClain, cofounder and CEO of SailPoint Technologies , created an employee growth culture resulting in growth of forty percent a year, with more than $100 million in revenues. Utilize outside expertise and mentoring. Your long-term success and satisfaction depends on it.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. Occupational satisfaction. You need team members who understand and share these values, if you want commitment and accountability from them.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2022

As you look forward from where you are today, I recommend that each of you consider the following points that the authors and I all agree are key to your satisfaction, as well as your success in business: You love solution creation more than managing business. For example, a whole new level of communication skills is required.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2022

It’s been happening for some time, but business changes, accelerated by the recent pandemic, have highlighted the need for all of us to review our positions, image, and satisfaction at work. You need to step out of your comfort zone to socialize, meet new people, and collaborate with peers, company leaders, and mentors.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. Be available for mentoring and coaching to others. Lack of accountability can permeate an entire organization. Lack of accountability can permeate an entire organization.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. For example, I believe Bill Gates would have failed without his partners Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen.

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Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2022

In my experience as a mentor and advisor, I find that many of you expect these relationships will just happen , without any overt effort on your part. For example, as an entrepreneur, you need investors, so you need to start networking early, because they won’t find you. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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Product Mentor Startup Activity 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2021

For example, most people thought Twitter was a total snoozer, when Jack Dorsey was looking for funding, especially with MySpace already owning that territory. You can learn to be an entrepreneur by working in a startup, talking to peers, and mentoring. Yet today, Twitter is a fifty billion behemoth, and MySpace is forgotten.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

After years mentoring young aspiring entrepreneurs , I am now convinced that getting along and becoming more productive with other people is a skill that any professional can learn, or accomplish via a dedicated strategy. For example, recognize that the affinity bias is the unconscious tendency to favor people who are like us.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay I’ve always been a bit confused about the difference in a business context between a coach and a mentor. According to many pundits , a mentor shows you the right way based on experience, while a coach brings out the best in you, then let’s you find your own way. Give people the room to debate differences.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2022

For example, non-computer types should consider delegating their social media, website, and SEO activities. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you. Pick the best person to delegate to.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. For example, I remember a classic book by Penina Rybak, “ The NICE Reboot ,” that does a great job of outlining problem solving steps, honed from working with special needs youngsters.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. The challenge is that every new business needs to be innovative and different, in order to rise above the crowd, bring real change to the world, and give you the satisfaction you seek.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2020

For example, I often hear proposals for new online social media or collaboration platforms, maybe more specifically tuned to inventors or artists, or easier to use, and populated by experts, to compete against Slack or Facebook. Investors are looking for breakthrough solutions to fund. Be forever curious and optimistic.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

For example, we all know people who really believe that everyone in the world is their supporter, when in fact many are actively working against them. In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2021

A key part of her message that resonated with me, as a mentor to entrepreneurs, is her guidance on how to deal with the constant demands and requests that every business founder faces. For example, “I have another commitment at the same time that I can’t move,” or “This isn’t my area of expertise, so I’m just not the best person.”

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Tech.Co

DECEMBER 4, 2020

It’s with profound sadness we mourn the loss of a true visionary, author, mentor, thought-leader, investor, and friend, Tony Hsieh. Under Hsieh’s leadership, Zappos revolutionized the apparel industry, and e-commerce in general, by being one of the first to prioritize customer satisfaction and service. By Frank Gruber and Jen Consalvo.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

Practicing these will ensure greater productivity, less stress, more job satisfaction, and an improved overall sense of well-being. I concur, based on my own extended career in business and mentoring entrepreneurs.

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