Of the many decisions a start-up company founder has to make, “to sell or not to sell” ranks right at the top of the list. With the underlying assumption that the founder has arrived at this point because the company is doing great (or on the verge thereof), not only is this is a good problem to have, but it can mark a critical point in not on the entrepreneur’s life but also in the company’s legacy. Selling at the right time to the right partner could bring tremendous value to both the start-up, acquiring company, employees, and shareholders. Continue reading “Yes, No, Maybe So?”
Category: Business Lessons
What Are Your Rules?
I’ve always found it interesting when a successful executive takes the time to write down what they believe have been their core success principles. Given the vast majority of topics available, it’s not that easy to narrow down to a select few. More importantly, those that have been identified as consistent and repeatable – this ability is, in many cases, equally if not more important, than the principle itself.
I came across an article yesterday where Pepsi’s CMO, Salman Amin, defined what his six principles of success have been and I’ve shared them below.
The Culture Driven Company!
About ten years ago, Reed Hastings co-founded a small company in Los Gatos, CA (Silicon Valley) that would mail you DVDs. Ten years later, they are a force to be reckoned with and are disrupting how you watch TV and movies! With an IPO price of $15 (May, 2002), today their stock is trading at over $240/share and the company has a market cap of over $12B!
One reason for Netflix’s ongoing success is the company’s culture, which emphasizes performance, freedom, and responsibility. If you want an example of Employees First and Customer’s Second, search no more!
10 Entrepreneurship Rules You Must Know!
If there is one person out there who knows the rules of engagement for a new start up, it’s Reid Hoffman. He’s the co-founder of LinkedIn – the original business social media site that has become a part of our daily digital lives; which, incidentally, has also recently filed to go public. In addition, Reid is a partner at Greylock so he’s intimately familiar with both the entrepreneurial and venture rules of success. Recently, I was able to hear Reid speak to his rules for building companies and thought it would be great information to share: Continue reading “10 Entrepreneurship Rules You Must Know!”
I was here FIRST!
In business, never underestimate the value of true first mover advantage. True first mover advantage reflects not the first actual mover, but the first mover to garner significant market share. In fact, the gains can be tremendous – become recognized as the leader in the space (whereas everyone else becomes the “me too”), get customers (and revenue) before any competitor can arrive on the scene, and reap great profits and possibly gain monopoly-like status. An entrepreneur’s (and the VC who backed the company) dream come true! Continue reading “I was here FIRST!”
Conjunction Junction – What’s your function?
I received a call from a friend the other day seeking some guidance. He’s newly unemployed and we were discussing his options. He said, “I’ve never really been in this position before… not sure if I should start something on my own or if I should go back and take up a new job?” In the midst of the conversation, my mind froze! There it was! The infamous grammatical conjunction that stops us in our proverbial tracks almost every time we use it. Can you guess which word I’m referring to? It’s the word, “OR”. Don’t get me wrong… the word ‘or’ can be critical at times when faced with the difficult decision of choosing between the lesser of two evils. For example, would you like to be audited by the IRS or spend a week with your mother-in-law? Depending on your circumstances… the IRS may not seem so bad! Continue reading “Conjunction Junction – What’s your function?”
Employees First, Customers Second
It absolutely goes without say that today’s business environment is ultra-competitive. Over time, brick-and-mortar evolved to click-and-mortar which essentially leveled the competitive playing field. Today, your new competitors may not only be located around the corner or in the next town over, but half the way around the world! In fact, technology advancements have created the new “self-serve” business models whereby customers no longer need to interact with an employee to seek out what they are looking for. For example, do you need a customer service rep to help you open a new account on Facebook or Twitter… or hundreds of other companies online? Continue reading “Employees First, Customers Second”
Communication – 101
After having worked in both the entrepreneurial and corporate worlds, I’ve realized the value of communication and its direct relationship to being successful. Below, are some tips that I’ve collected over the years that could prove beneficial to you too. Continue reading “Communication – 101”
The Power of the Network!
The “Social” Network (no reference to the movie!) is, and will always remain, the most powerful yet most underutilized network known to mankind! And today, more than ever before, it’s become the most important network you need to actively participate in! It not only has tremendous utilitarian benefits but its new social benefits are incredibly persuasive in this digital age. Nowadays, the more people you know, your ability to influence becomes greater because you have a semi-captive audience that’s ready to listen. Think about it… who’s potentially got more leverage – the person with 100 Facebook friends or the one with 5,000? As the world becomes flatter, your ability to stand out from rest of the pack becomes more challenging and requires a new strategy and subsequent tactics. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide – do you want to be a big fish in a small pond or a whale in that same small pond? I don’t know about you, but you can call me Orca! Continue reading “The Power of the Network!”
Whatever, Mr. Know-It-All…
“That’s the problems with kids today… they think they know everything!” Where haven’t you heard that before? Unfortunately, it’s true! I think what I find most enjoyable about getting older is that I realize at 36, I still don’t know that much. Looking back however, one thing is for sure; at 22 I didn’t know anything that I thought I knew – period! Continue reading “Whatever, Mr. Know-It-All…”
Vikas' Blog 