Book Review: Rework
I admire 37signals because they make simple, easy to use web applications and because of their unique perspective on business. Rework is a collection of short essays by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier...
View ArticleHow To Respond If A Customer Thinks You Run The Bunny Ranch
The customer service team at my company, crowdSPRING, has answered over 40,000 requests from customers. Few have been as entertaining as a recent note which opened with: “hello whores” and then...
View ArticleGoals, Strategies and Tactics
It’s not uncommon for young entrepreneurs to focus on tactics at the expense of also setting appropriate goals and developing core strategies. It’s easy to fall into this trap when you see someone else...
View ArticleStartup Tip: Marketing One-To-One
When most people talk about marketing, they talk about broad, strategic tactics focused on large groups of customers or potential customers. Adwords, banner ads, print ads, email marketing – these are...
View ArticleDo you celebrate incremental success?
Entrepreneurs interpret goals and measure success in very different ways. While most people appreciate huge wins, many have difficulty appreciating smaller accomplishments. After all, most of us are...
View ArticleHow Often Do You Ask Why?
Why do birds fly? Why is the sky blue? Why do you drive a car? Why do I have to wear shoes? Why do I have to go to bed? Toddlers are relentless in asking “why?” questions. The questions are driven by...
View ArticleSocial Media and Ant Colonies
Dozens of articles are written daily about ways that businesses and individuals can leverage Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, MySpace, and other social networks. Many of these articles assume that...
View ArticleDo You Count Every Hour In The Day Or Make Every Hour Count?
Over the past five years, I’ve talked to thousands of entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams to build a successful startup. The most successful entrepreneurs had a number of things in common – including a...
View ArticleHow To Pick The Perfect Name For Your Startup
I’m often asked by young entrepreneurs whether it’s important to find a strong name for a new startup. The name is important, but the process to come up with a unique name can easily distract you. For...
View ArticleHow to Turn Your Startup Into a Lean, Mean Marketing Machine
Marketing is expensive and often doesn’t work. Yet products and services rarely sell on their own. How can businesses market their products or services without spending a lot of money or time...
View ArticleYou Cannot Learn If You Are Not Willing To Listen
Listening should be easy. We do it every day. But there’s a very important distinction between actively listening, and simply hearing when someone is talking. Most advice about listening urges people...
View ArticleHire People Who Make Things Happen
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, “What happened?” – Casey Stengel You have the opportunity, every single day, to decide...
View ArticleCollaboration and Security
A few days ago, I hosted a Google+ Hangout. Dell paid me to host the Hangout, but the opinions in this post and in the Hangout are entirely my own. I’ve previously talked about ways that companies can...
View ArticleThe Secret To Building Great Teams
A great idea, without a great team, isn’t enough to build a successful company. The most successful entrepreneurs build a team of talented people and lead them in ways that allow the team to shine....
View ArticleRepeat Your Successes, Not Your Failures. Failure Is Overrated
Some people believe that you can learn more from failure than success. But not every failure is a learning experience. I believe that you can learn a great deal more from success than from failure....
View ArticleFailure Is Rarely Permanent
If you do something that carries more risk, you are more likely to fail. That’s one reason so many people fear failure. But if you risk nothing, you risk everything. The question isn’t whether you will...
View ArticleLead By Example, Not By Title
Leadership is not about titles, coercion, manipulation or force. Good leaders inspire people to work hard. Great leaders inspire people to do their absolute best. In a start-up with limited funds and...
View ArticleBook Review: Remote by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
I’ve long admired Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals. Among other accomplishments, Jason and David have created phenomenally useful software for better collaboration and project...
View ArticleTrue Leaders Focus On Leading, Not Job Titles
A leader’s job is to make it easy for everyone to excel at their jobs. When a team is working well, the leader is the least important team member. If you micro-manage, give directions, create countless...
View ArticleThe Paradox of Open Offices: What You Should Know
More and more companies – especially startups – are adopting open office floor plans. Startup teams tend to be more nimble, energetic and productive and many people assume that open offices contribute...
View Article
