There is a conflict in many startups that no one seems to write about–the clash that can occur between the founder and the professionals they bring in to help build their companies. It was highlighted for me by a conversation with a friend this week who had just joined a young company in the Bay Area as as a CFO. He remarked that with just a few tweaks in the business model, he thought the […]
There are days when I feel like we’ve gotten a bit carried away with social media. You get bombarded with Facebook requests–P&G wants me to “like” their consumer products, as if Tide is my best pal. You can’t go to a website without getting hit with requests to do something on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, ad nauseum. But once in a while, someone gets it right and delivers a social experience that benefits the consumer […]
This is not an article about the high moral purpose and the nobility of listening to your customers. It is an article about how to make your company worth a fortune by listening to your customers. Why does Google dominate search? They obsess about having the best search out there. Why do so many of us have iPhones? It gives the best customer experience of any phone. Listen to your customers and grow rich. The good news […]
You are fanatical about metrics for your online business. You A-B test everything. You study metrics and user behavior. The consumer’s every move across your site, your mobile ap, and your marketing campaigns is tracked and analyzed. Can you say the same for hiring? If you are like most of us, the answer is no. We use headhunters. We ask friends and colleagues. Metrics? A year after the hire, we review the candidate. Too little, […]
This week, I helped a young entrepreneur at a “stealth startup” evaluate his progress on the sales front. His small team is moving rapidly thanks to the thoughtful approach he’s taking. There are lessons here for all of us. The critical foundation: Research- He networked to find friends or their contacts who had successfully built sales teams, and interviewed them in detail to pick up their best, field-tested ideas. He took full advantage of our […]
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