Anyone can have an idea. Anyone can write it down, or pitch it to a customer or investor. But that means nothing. The magic is not in the idea. The magic is in turning ideas into reality. The magic is in execution. The IP is in execution. There is no IP in ideas.
If you’re excited, show it
Why hide your excitement? Maybe you’re naturally poker-faced. Maybe you have a habit of downplaying big stuff. Maybe you want to keep expectations low. Whatever the reason, know this: People invest in passion. If you’re truly excited about something, don’t bottle it up. Show it!
Stop and smell the roses
It’s not just about appreciating what’s going on around you. It’s about opportunity. You never know who passes you by whilst you’re standing there smelling the metaphorical rose. An investor. A partner. A customer. Someone that can help you, and that you wouldn’t have met if you’d been in a rush. Stop and smell the…
The best sales people are not naturals
There are plenty natural sales-folk out there. Enthusiastic, good with people, well-spoken. They can sell ice to an eskimo. But they’re not the best. Why not? Because we all of an instinctual distrust of people that are too glib. Too slick. Too salesman-like. The best sales people are people that rarely get excited, that are…
4 reasons people don’t start their own business
You’re lazy. You don’t think you can make a success of it. You’re afraid of failing. Safer to never try. You don’t know how to. Laziness can’t be cured. Better to stay where you are. For the rest, there’s only one anti-dote: Try. It’s the only way to know whether you have what it takes….
Push the send button
Sometimes you have an awkward message to send. Asking for money. Or firing someone. Or hiring someone. Or a hundred asks that happen in the life of an entrepreneur. You’ve typed, re-typed, re-typed again, but still can’t find the exact right words that guarantee a positive reaction. A negative reaction brings consequences which are painful,…
Don’t ever break the law
Even if you did it for the right reasons, you’ll be screwed in a court of law. Not only that, you’ll be branded a crook or a liar or a fraud. As an entrepreneur, your name is important. A reputation for incompetence is recoverable. A reputation for breaking the law is irrecoverable. Don’t ever break…
If you’re the boss, its your responsibility
No matter what goes wrong, never blame others. That’s how you create trust amongst your staff (you don’t throw anyone under the bus). That’s how you make sure it doesn’t happen again (you don’t want to be embarrassed). That’s how you impress the customer (the customer doesn’t want to hear excuses). No blaming. If you’re…
Your job is to pretend the future is certain
You know there’s no money in the bank. You know you’re weeks away from bankruptcy. You know you can’t guarantee payroll. You know you can’t guarantee the goods will be delivered. It’s scary. It keeps you awake at night. Just make sure you keep your fears to yourself. Your job is to pretend the future…
Secrets are almost always a bad idea
Before you decide to keep a secret, think twice. Is it really a confidential matter? Secrets come with downside. Broken trust, whispers, politics, lies. A culture of secrets quickly becomes a culture of dishonesty. Much better to have NO SECRETS. 100% transparency. Impractical in reality, but a goal worth striving for. Secrets are almost always…
How to choose an office
Choosing your office is tricky. It can make or break your startup. Choose the wrong office and you risk being perceived wrongly by customers/staff/investors. So you must choose carefully. First, decide what kind of company you are: B2C or B2B. In other words, do you target consumers or corporates. Consumers will rarely visit your HQ,…
What is in a name?
“Does not a rose by any other name smell as sweet?” Shakespeare was referring to Juliet from his famous play. Romeo was a Montague. Juliet a Capulet. Families with mutual hatred. In the end, even though they loved each other, they both die. The moral of the story? There’s a lot in a name. Choose…