To nail your Series A investor pitch, focus on 3 things: Story, State, and Simplicity. Your Story You might be running an amazing business, but if you can’t get investors excited about your story, it doesn’t matter. Investors are people, and people invest in other people — this is driven by your personal story and…
Category: Execution
The Gray Zone
I’ll never forget that lesson on ethics — taught by one of my favorite grad school professors, Irv Grousbeck. A business manager is asked a tough question. She has the choice to reply without technically lying, but leave out important details and not be fully transparent. It’s the type of response that leaves you with…
Your Board as a Braintrust
As a startup founder, one of your most important tasks toward long-term success is building a supportive board of directors. However, a supportive board doesn’t just cheer you on — it operates as a brain trust. Ed Catmull, former CEO of Pixar, delves into this concept in his book Creativity, Inc.: One of Pixar’s key mechanisms…