The Spanish Inquisition was a tribunal established by in the 15th century to enforce Catholic orthodoxy. They had a reputation for ruthlessly questioning people. Unfortunately, some companies act more like the Spanish Inquisition than they realize.
Monty Python's take on the Spanish Inquisition
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Effective digital innovation
Digital innovation fails all the time, but it doesn’t have to
Most companies, big and small, fail miserably at developing digital products (we’re not talking basic websites here). They fail nearly every time they try. Digital products usually go vastly over budget and far past deadline. And when they fail to take off, their creators blame marketing, or competitive activity, or simply say the demand is not there at all. This is an insidious kind of failure where product leaders don’t know how badly they have failed, and therefore fail to learn from it. Even those who recognize their failures are reluctant to admit it or act on it, for fear of damage to their reputation or job prospects.
But the failure is in the process, not the people. read more…
I tweeted “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers” earlier today. I thought it was from Voltaire, but it turns out it’s from Pierre-Marc-Gaston. Either way, I appreciate the quote, and thought it was worth sharing.
Then a LinkedIn contact asked me the simple question, “What does that mean?”
Hmmm. What started as a quick tweet back turned into this blog post. I have long said that if you’re raising money, talking to a board member, or trying to close a sale, you have to pay attention to the questions they’re asking. Their questions indicate what they’re thinking about and where their concerns / objections might be. The way they frame their questions can tell you whether they agree with your fundamental position, and how they’re approaching the concepts you’re talking to them about. In fact, I think questions are often more revealing than answers.
Here’s why I think that’s true… read more…
Don’t be a startup zombie
The signs of a startup zombie
Caffeine, bleary eyes, and sleepless nights. And the occasional zombie moan.
During my initial year as a first time founder, I pulled more all-nighters than I can count. With little working capital, I thought I had no choice. I was also proud of what I was building and my willingness to work hard to get things done. My attitude about all-nighters has changed.
Just say no to zombie moans
I know seasoned entrepreneurs who still pull all-nighters, but most don’t seem to do it often, or at all. Perhaps they’ve achieved enough success that they don’t have to. Or maybe they have kids. I think it’s because they know better. Pulling an all-nighter is rarely the wisest choice. read more…
The online lead gen supply curve
I’ve had a number of people ask me about my approach to online lead generation. It has been a prominent element of a number of my projects, such as LoanSurfer and Ideaforest. Now, with Brill Street, it is again a core part of our strategy. I enjoy lead gen for a number of reasons: it’s measurable and highly analytical, results in rapid feedback cycles, read more…
Four things holding back Chrome OS
The blogosphere has been speculating on the future of the “Google OS.” Many thought it would be based on Android, their open source telephone platform. When I read about Chrome’s protected memory spaces (via acquisition of GreenBorder in 2007 or so), I thought that it sounded more like an operating platform than a web browser. read more…
Ubiquitous computing
I had the privilege of participating on a panel about ubiquitous computing at the 2009 Kellogg Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference yesterday. Other panelists were Tim Chang from Norwest Venture Partners, and Enrique Godreau from Voyager Capital. read more…
Branding a tech startup
Recently I had the CEO of a local startup ask me about a branding strategy for his technology startup. He wanted to brand the company itself, and also create sub-brands for specific company products. read more…
Building value vs. building ego
As an entrepreneur, I’m into building value. That goes without saying, right?
When I started my first company in 1994, my only business plan was to make the $600 minimum monthly payment on my credit card for startup expenses. read more…
Effortless scalability
Effortless scalability. I want it. I’ll pay for it. Planning a smooth scale-out growth of a web application can be a nightmare. You are never certain how popular the application will be. read more…
