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A few non prescriptive guiding principles I have developed for myself over the years #founderlife
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1/ Believe in everyone, Trust nobody.
Everyone intends to put their best foot forward but when things go sideways, very few want to stand up and fight.
Everyone intends to put their best foot forward but when things go sideways, very few want to stand up and fight.
2/ Vision is a series of choices.
A vision is not a singular destination but a number of choices over time strung together with a great team, the right timing, ample resources, and the right temperament.
A vision is not a singular destination but a number of choices over time strung together with a great team, the right timing, ample resources, and the right temperament.
3/ Investors are not your financial savior. You are theirs.
Venture / Equity $$ chase a massive multiple outcome with a piece of your business.
Romanticizing investment $$ smacks of inexperience.
Value the relationship, $$ get spent quickly.
Venture / Equity $$ chase a massive multiple outcome with a piece of your business.
Romanticizing investment $$ smacks of inexperience.
Value the relationship, $$ get spent quickly.
4/ Story telling isnt a myth; It is the center of your life.
Talking about your business and the value it creates for everyone involved in it is central to culture, hiring, fundraising, sales, retention, marketing, branding and support.
Even Christianity needed evangelists.
Talking about your business and the value it creates for everyone involved in it is central to culture, hiring, fundraising, sales, retention, marketing, branding and support.
Even Christianity needed evangelists.
5/ When the shit hits the fan, make sure you value those who shows up.
Human nature is to bail in a crisis. People are cowards. Those who show up need to be valued and appreciated.
Human nature is to bail in a crisis. People are cowards. Those who show up need to be valued and appreciated.
6/ Nothing replaces pure relentless hard work.
Anything you're trying to do, 10X it. Hiring someone? Hit up 200 people instead of 20 for referrals.
Fundraising? Pitch 200 investors instead of 20.
Selling? Cold call 2000 instead of 200.
This helps you refine, curate and win.
Anything you're trying to do, 10X it. Hiring someone? Hit up 200 people instead of 20 for referrals.
Fundraising? Pitch 200 investors instead of 20.
Selling? Cold call 2000 instead of 200.
This helps you refine, curate and win.
7/ Transparency is Circumstantial.
True operating transparency is very hard in real life because people are fickle and highly petty inside organizations.
Be honest to investors, do not stiff employees, do business ethically. But dont be compelled to tell everyone everything
True operating transparency is very hard in real life because people are fickle and highly petty inside organizations.
Be honest to investors, do not stiff employees, do business ethically. But dont be compelled to tell everyone everything
8/ Every startup is a shitshow till its not
Regardleas of how polished, awesome and scalable a startup looks, they are a shitshow duct taped by fire drills on the backend.
Regardleas of how polished, awesome and scalable a startup looks, they are a shitshow duct taped by fire drills on the backend.
9/ Nobody cares about your personal finances except you.
Investors are benign about founder salaries (the right ones anyways) but wont ask after you if you are living paycheck to paycheck. Secondaries are usually after a Series B.
Secure your family and pay yourself.
Investors are benign about founder salaries (the right ones anyways) but wont ask after you if you are living paycheck to paycheck. Secondaries are usually after a Series B.
Secure your family and pay yourself.
10/ Every. Single. Startup. Success. Is. An. Anecdote.
VCs match patterns to satisfy insecurities. There are zero patterns to determine startup outcomes esp VC backed outlier outcomes.
Stop believing survivor bias stories as gospel. Read cliff notes, chart your own path.
VCs match patterns to satisfy insecurities. There are zero patterns to determine startup outcomes esp VC backed outlier outcomes.
Stop believing survivor bias stories as gospel. Read cliff notes, chart your own path.
11/ Respect every founder. They are attempting something super hard.
Regardless of how easy Seed funding is, how exceptionally developed the startup ecosystem is and how flat the world has become, building a startup to $100M in Annual Revenue is HARD.
Mad respect.
/fin
Regardless of how easy Seed funding is, how exceptionally developed the startup ecosystem is and how flat the world has become, building a startup to $100M in Annual Revenue is HARD.
Mad respect.
/fin
