How do you come up with a good business idea? That’s a million dollar question. The best business ideas tend to have two things in common. First, they solve a real problem. And second, the people behind the idea hold a unique insight into that problem. Here are four connected examples.
Read MoreMaybe the best way to promote is to make helping easy. Make it easy for others to help you. And make it easy for you to help others. This make helping easy approach requires honesty about what you want and what you’re willing to give. It also requires transparency that allows others to identify potential overlap.
Read MoreWhen I say cap table, I’m referring to your company’s capitalization (“cap”) table. In its simplest form, the cap table is a list that shows who owns what percentage of your company. When I say culture, I am referring to the behavior values and motivations that create your company's unique social and emotional environment. Your company will ultimately adopt the behavior values and motivations of the people who control it: the majority owners (or “shareholders”).
Read MoreThe question of “what’s next” was harder to answer than I expected. To make matters worse, I received conflicting advice on how to approach the answer. On one side, people told me not to worry too much about it and to “jump back into the saddle”. On the other, people told me to take as much time off as I could afford. I chose the latter.
Read MoreIt is hard to write those words. After nearly four years as CEO of PeopleKeep and nearly six years leading Zane Benefits (now, a PeopleKeep subsidiary), I've decided to become a ski bum. I’m kidding. I was asked to resign. While the path forward doesn’t include me, the Board is more aligned than ever on the next steps for the company, and I support the direction.
Read MoreInnovative companies win by disrupting stale industries. When a new entrant challenges the existing model with a disruptive innovation, the incumbents respond predictably. Smear campaigns. Anti-disruptor regulation. Frivolous law suits. Whatever will slow down the new entrant and its disruptive innovation.
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