Venture Capital

Tell me your story, here is mine.

Most of my entrepreneurial career has been spent chasing markets. In the last few years, though, I’ve had the fortune of the market moving my direction. It’s a lot less exhausting and disappointing. And I’ve gotta admit — as a civil engineer/serial…

How to create a monopoly?

In fifth grade, we got an Apple computer at school. The computer was carted around from class to class in a wooden credenza with wheels. I was a nerd (which I always saw as a positive thing — I’m glad other people are starting to see it that way, too) so I was put in charge of it…

VC pride in funding the STARVING ENTREPRENEUR.

Two recent encounters with young, new entrepreneurs have solidified a concept in my brain that I’ve known for a long time, but have not had the opportunity to explain until now. There’s this myth that being a startup founder is romantic and dreamy…

Hire a Unicorn Salesperson

If you are reading this because of the above title, you already need to adjust your thinking. My first sales hire was a total bust. I was 26 years old and came from a civil engineering firm. I hired someone on commission only — a terrible move. Would you work for someone with no…

The Root of Culture is Cult: What You Know About Startups Is Wrong

How to Navigate Entrepreneurial Urban Legends That Threaten Your Relationships, Your Health, Your Finances, and Your Career

How to bootstrap and still scale your startup

I launched my first tech startup when I was 22. I was working in civil engineering by day, and coding on nights and weekends. I was both sales and development. I went full time at 25. I owned sales while my partner owned development. All of my…

I’m an Expert! You could be too.

Building an effective team is one of the hardest tasks for any entrepreneur. It’s like how I shop for my house (yes, I am comparing people to furniture). I go out looking for a dining table, but end up finding a sofa that I love at a great price. I need a sofa too, but I…