Every time I'm published somewhere, I send out a brief email with a link that gets you behind paywalls.
My goal is to be actionable, insightful, and honest.
Teaching Startup is my project to change the way all startup and business leaders get advice.
Get hundreds of vetted expert answers to strategic and tactical startup questions. New answers every week. Plus advice posts and polls. An advisor in your inbox. No fluff. No scheduling. No small talk. $10 a month.
Should I start raising money now or wait for more revenue?
How do I create a sales pitch deck?
How should I create our capitalization table?
Sign up a free trial here
If you need to get in touch with me for a question, a request, consulting or advising, or anything else, do that here. Give me as much detail as you can and be specific.
If I feel like I can honestly help, I'll respond over email. I don't do phone. I no longer invest. I don't do "brain picks" of business models, products, or companies.
I can't answer all requests.
If you don't hear from me, I got overloaded and I apologize.
Towards the end of the 1990s, the term "startup" became more of a philosophy than a descriptor. That's when the implications, both good and bad, manifested.
* Featured In Built In *
I asked a bunch of venture capital and angel investors what works, what hurts, and what they look for from the very first contact with an entrepreneur.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
In any crowded field of consumer-facing transactional apps, an app's UX must be focused on these rules of engagement - and awareness and conversion and retention.
I used to think salary didn't matter, because I love what I do. But I've learned that it's critical to get employee pay right, both what you're taking home and what you're handing out.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
The most heartbreaking stories from early entrepreneurs is when they have this great startup idea and they're already paying a software developer to build it out.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Entrepreneurs sometimes don't realize they can learn just as much from their successes as from their failures, provided they take the time to extract the lessons.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
Startup growth isn't leapfrogging from big win to big win. It's chaining together all the wins, small to medium to large. Here's how to do that.
* Featured In Built In *
Watch the Video
One of the most difficult skills for any leader, innovator, or entrepreneur to master is solid decision making. Here are three things to consider when making a big decision.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
I strongly believe raising startup funding through customer sales is the best option, and in a lot of cases, it should be the only option.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
In 2021, there were over 60 startup unicorns minted in each of several months that year. That's hundreds of companies valued over $1 billion each. Where are those unicorns now?
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
When I get called in to fix a struggling startup, here are the top things I have to undo, the statuses I have to un-quo, the corporate traps that startups keep falling into.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
If you're not losing customers, you're not growing. You may on that slow train to nowhere, but you're not building a business that's increasing in value.
* Featured In Inc Magazine *
Watch the Video
Expensive software development without customer demand often leads to expensive failures. So how do you decide what to automate and when?
* Featured In Built In *
Watch the Video
Starting companies would be the most fun and satisfying career ever - if I didn't have to figure out how to fund them.
* Featured In Inc. Magazine *
Watch the Video
In my line of work, I come into contact with a lot of rich and successful people. And they tend to tell me things they shouldn't.
* Featured In Inc. Magazine *
Watch the Video
One interpretation of failure is about building on progress, the other more traditional interpretation is the definition of insanity. What's the difference?
* Featured In Inc. Magazine *
Watch the Video
Just like always, future entrepreneurs are going to exploit recent technology advancements, this time in a singular quest to entertain us.
* Featured In Inc. Magazine *
Watch the Video