What does it mean to run a disciplined startup in an undisciplined market? A famous quote (often credited to Buffett) comes to mind: “In the short-run, the stock market is a voting machine. Yet, in the long-run, it is a weighing machine.” Today’s market for startup financing is operating like a voting machine. Why is…
Category: Entrepreneurship
The Pre-Mortem for Founders & Funders
Where the Post-Mortem Falls Short The classic post-mortem is a helpful exercise for any important, repetitive process – where you have the luxury of failing, learning from the experience, and doing it differently next time. For example, it’s great for things like understanding why a strategic sale was lost, an important customer churned, or addressing…
Your startup is not a “deal” to me
As a founder, my ears prick up when I hear startups described as “deals”. I ran startups for much of my career, and poured my heart and soul and every ounce of waking energy into building these companies – which at times, felt like an effort against insurmountable odds. Now as an investor in early-stage…