Blog

The challenges of launching a new website

January 19, 2014

Why people with lousy tastes in style or colour should not be allowed to build a website.

What is it that I do?

December 20, 2013

One of the toughest questions that I struggle to succinctly answer is: What do I do? The reason for this is that I am a generalist. Unlike many of my peers, I don’t have a detailed, specific practitioner level knowledge or certifications in accounting, finance, law, supply chain, marketing, project management, technology or human resources. …

Raising Money: IF versus WHEN

November 1, 2013

Recently, I have been thinking about the challenge of raising money if you are a successful but bootstrapped company. In the last year, there have been cases of successful companies (substantial revenue, cash flow positive, growing rapidly) accepting investment for the first time even though they were well beyond the stage when traditional start-ups seek …

The Challenger Sale

September 29, 2013

I usually don’t do book reports as part my blog. That said, if you are selling complex, enterprise-class solutions in a B2B environment, you need to check out “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation” . Developed based on research CEB , the Challenger Sale model seeks to quantifiably defines the success factors of the best sales …

I don’t get it: Why are Employers Fixated on Marks.

June 23, 2013

I have two kids who just graduated from university this year.  As a result, I have been helping some of their friends and classmates with introductions to companies where I think that there is a good fit between the graduating student and the company in terms of culture, values, skills and training. My request of …

Why you should put a sales guy in charge of your recruiting

May 7, 2013

A young grad recently accepted a job offer. She had been interviewing with a company that she really liked. It was a good fit for her skills and experience. The company told her that they wanted to hire her but needed a couple of weeks to work out some budget issues. In the meantime, she …

What do your email habits say about you?

April 15, 2013

If you can't manage your Inbox, Can you really manage your company? Email is a fact of life in business communications and I don't see that changing. Many people now advise on their voicemail that for faster response, instead of leaving a voicemail, send them an email instead.  Some people are more blatant and state …

I’m Back

It was a busy year beginning this year and I over-committed. As a result, my blogging time slipped off my calendar combined with some apparent mental block about writing. I would start a blog, get bogged down and stop. A few days later, I would come across a new idea and the same thing would …

Being Vulnerable

December 7, 2012

A number of years ago, I learnt an important lesson about leadership. Many courses and business books talk about leadership attributes in terms of being strong, confident, assertive, driven, high energy, and focussed. I am sure you have heard or read this many times. What I learnt is the value of being humble, open, honest …

What start-up CEO’s, Boards and Shareholder can learn from the US election

December 1, 2012

Given that I am an outsider, I recognize that by commenting on the US Election in a polarized political environment, I risk offending someone. So with my apologies given in advance, here are four observations of what start-up's can learn from the US election… 1.       Don't make your CEO re-interview for their job every 4 …