Building a startup is hard.
Figuring out fundraising and venture capital shouldn’t get in your way.
The Cost of Hubris
Founder hubris can be deadly for startups. Here's how to identify it early and avoid its consequences.
How AI Helped Me Prioritize the Important-But-Not-Urgent
Here’s how I use AI to finish the important-but-not-urgent tasks that my executive coach couldn’t solve.
Who Should I Talk To?
I’m a big proponent of startup founders visiting San Francisco on a regular basis. But many make a fatal mistake when asking for on-the-ground introductions.
Tapping Into the Serendipity of Silicon Valley
Many founders come to San Francisco for a weekend or a week, hoping to “tap into the magic.” But come away disappointed. Why?
The Bouncer at the Nightclub
To succeed as a founder, you need to find ways to get past the bouncer.
When Distractions are Everywhere, Focus Wins
The rate of advancements resulting from AI is nothing short of astonishing. But for founders, it can be a major distraction.
How to Build a Silicon Valley Network
Here are the top tips for breaking into Silicon Valley and building a network that matters.
Start the New Year with a New Routine
Over the years, I’ve found that setting New Year’s resolutions rarely works for me. But there is something that does work for me time and time again: setting a new routine.
Get To The Point
When corresponding over email, it’s essential that you get to the point. Here are 5 common mistakes founders make when interacting over email.
5 Easy Ways to Use AI
Here are 5 easy ways you can use AI today (without having to be an expert prompt engineer).
Stop and Say Thanks
Customer-facing roles are often thankless endeavors, but they’re essential to a startup’s success. Make sure to thank the people on the front line.
What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
Even founders who are naturally risk-averse can develop a bias towards action. And it starts by understanding the real — and realistic — worst case scenario.
Traveling is an Underrated Superpower
In a world where most of our interactions occur online, a willingness to travel is a superpower.
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish
Stay hungry, stay foolish. A simple phrase so effortlessly and completely captures the ethos of being a founder.
10 Anthems for Startup Founders
Here are 10 songs that perfectly capture the journey of a startup founder. And they’re probably not the ones you would expect.
How to Approach Someone at an Event
Knowing how to get the most out of an event is an underrated and unpracticed skill for many founders.
Want to Hire the Best? Stop Paying Local Wages
If you raise Silicon Valley funding or are generating revenue primarily from US customers, there is fundamentally no reason why you can’t pay employees Silicon Valley salaries.
How to Be a Community Instigator
To many people, the idea of planning an event is overwhelming, so I’m going to show you how to do it. Here’s how you can be an instigator for your community.
Don’t Slam the Door on Your Way Out
If you successfully fundraise from Silicon Valley VCs, be careful about how you tell the story. You could end up accidentally burning bridges.
A Strong Company Gets You a Term Sheet. A Strong Process Gets You a Valuation.
Great founders of strong companies will almost always get a round done. But whether or not they get the valuation they want depends on their process.