Pushing past the “no”s in our personal and professional lives can lead us to a more creative mindset that sparks innovation. Like many children of immigrant families, I grew up in a strict household in which the focus was on staying in line. My grandparents and various aunts, uncles and cousins all lived with us […]
Decision making
Why Sales Teams Should Care About Cognitive Dissonance
When it comes time to make a decision, how do you react? Which statement resonates most with you: “I usually don’t change my mind once I make a decision,” or “I dig in even more to my point of view when I hear an opposing view?” Both? The realization that change is hard punched me in […]
Who is in Charge at Your Startup?
In the early days of starting Flurry, my co-founders and I made all of our decisions by consensus. It wasn’t hard, since we had similar opinions and were spending all of our time in development which we knew very well. The camaraderie of working together late nights and building something new fueled the excitement we had […]
These 5 Decisions Define you as an Entrepreneur
Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. In my experience, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great […]
3 Ways to Maintain a Successful Entrepreneurial Mindset
Starting a business definitely comes with its fair share of difficulties. The process often feels like a roller coaster. Some days, weeks, and even months on end will run smoother than you ever could have hoped for. Then just when all feels safe, bam. In the blink of an eye you are free falling without […]
Collaborative Decision-Making on Startup Teams
Decision-making on startup teams presents no shortage of potential pitfalls. Decisions may take forever to make. Or team members grow frustrated when they are left out of the process of making a decision. Or decisions are made but not executed and then get revisited. Sound familiar? Decision-making problems often result from a lack of clarity […]
Fighting Amongst Yourselves Is a Great Way For Your Startup to Die
In the early days of developing an idea, it is critical that you challenge every assumption behind that idea. That kind of questioning will either make the idea stronger and more crisp, or it will tear down its facade and reveal that there was nothing behind it. It is tempting, when first assembling your team, […]
How to Make the Best Decisions for Your Startup
I have unwittingly made some bad decisions in my 28 years on this earth, but every day I make better ones. Reflecting on this, it is clear that making the right calls, large and small, requires certain prerequisites and a thoughtful decision-making process. These considerations are especially important in a startup, where you will never […]
Pitching and Why You Must Stop Your Audience from Thinking
Research has consistently proven that people make decisions on emotion and then justify them with fact. Although we may like to think of ourselves, first and foremost, as rational, cognitive human beings, the research data says otherwise. We’re Not Rational This fact of life applies equally to everyone, including lawyers, investors, and executives. The primacy […]
10 Clues That Managing a Startup May Not Be For You
People who can’t manage their own lives don’t make good entrepreneurs. Small businesses require multi-tasking, work prioritization, and decision-making, with no entourage of assistants and specialists. That’s why Fortune 500 executives usually don’t survive as startup CEOs. First you have to learn to accept total responsibility for things that happen to your business, just like […]
The Social Business of Strategy Dissemination
In many companies strategy is akin to a waterfall. Senior leaders spend considerable time in each others company formulating and calculating the best way forward for their company. Once inspiration has struck, they then look to cascade this new direction down through the various layers of their company, all the way to those on the […]