Practice Over Theory

One of MIT Media Labs’ core principles is “Practice over Theory.” By doing so you recognize that in the exponential times we live in, it is often more expensive to wait and plan than it is to do and improvise.

The Two Ways to Build A Company

Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about the ways to build a company — more specifically the question of how do you find the problem you want to solve?

I see too many companies struggle with finding product/market fit, building solutions for…

Don’t Try to Be a Hero

Over the last couple of months, I had a series of conversations with founders in my network who were all struggling mightily. Some have disagreements with their co-founders, others are about to run out of money, others yet face product setbacks or increased competition. The one thing they…

The Only Thing You Have Is Time

Yesterday I had a longer conversation with one of my favorite people. We talked about work, passions, the way we look at the world and perceive it, and our respective careers. He is at an interesting transition point in his life — moving from one thing to the next…

The Law of Financial Viability

There is a simple law which rules every successful startup:

Do what people are willing to pay for.

Trivial, right? And yet — too many companies start with either the desire to scratch an itch or by following the lead of…

Avoid Jumping to Conclusions

Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking Fast and Slow” is a fascinating and highly readable insight into the way our brain processes information and makes decisions. In the book he describes the two systems which govern our thinking:

• System 1: Fast, automatic…

Clear, Concise Communication is Key

It is pretty sad to report that all too many companies I meet struggle with clearly expressing what they are doing, how it works and why it matters. All too often I find myself in conversations where I have to ask: What is it exactly that you are doing? How does this…