theaksheffect

Broadband Speeds Are Improving in Many Places. Too Bad It Took Google to Make It Happen.

It’s too often said that some event “changed everything” in technology. But when it comes to the history of broadband in the United States, Google Fiber really did.

Startup Best Practices #11 — The 9 Box Matrix Talent Model

McKinsey developed the 9 Box Matrix in the 1970s to help GE prioritize investments across its 150 business units. Not all business units were equally attractive. Some should receive investments and others should be divested.

Creative problem-solving in the face of extreme limits

Navi Radjou has spent years studying “jugaad,” also known as frugal innovation. Pioneered by entrepreneurs in emerging markets who figured out how to get spectacular value from limited resources, the practice has now caught on…

What’s in an IPO? My experiences through GrubHub’s offering from start to finish

GrubHub had it’s Initial Public Offering on April 4, 2014. In many important ways, this was the start line for a new phase of the company. For me personally, it was the finish line after…

When we consider all US ‘chief executives,’ the ‘CEO-to-worker pay ratio’ falls from 331:1 to below 4:1

Every time that CEO salaries of large companies are reported, there’s always a lot of hand-wringing, criticism of “excessive CEO compensation,” and the…

The Risk Sales Discounts Impose to Startup Burn Rates

Creating a sense of urgency is one of the most powerful sales tools available to SaaS companies. There are many different ways of accomplishing this, but one of the most common ways is to offer discounts that expire. Discounts are…