If you can’t cope with failure, then the entrepreneur lifestyle is not for you. Don’t believe the urban myth that all you need is a good idea and a little fun work, and the money will roll in. When you push the limits, nobody gets it right the first time, or even the tenth time. […]
Failure
7 Face-Saving Reasons To Quit Your Business Venture
When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup will not fail if you do not quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Rather than quitting, there are always alternatives, like pivoting the business model or merging with new partners for support. Either could improve the […]
How to Avoid the Broken Dreams of Entrepreneurs
Most startup missions fail. Often, the deathblow is failure to build the right team. The wrong hire at a high-growth business costs significantly more than at a slower growth company. It can literally put your survival at stake when an executive leadership role is involved. When hiring an executive leader, does it really make sense […]
10 Keys to Success When Turning to Entrepreneurship
As the economy recovers from some tough economic times, more and more people seem to be turning to entrepreneurship as an alternative to traditional employment. I applaud this trend, but caution all of you thinking of going this direction to approach entrepreneurship with your eyes wide open. The entrepreneur’s path is fraught with challenges. It […]
Bad Meetings: Better to Move on Than Dwell on the Bad
There are going to be times when you have a bad meeting. It is pretty much unavoidable and much a fact of business life—as much as water cooler gossip, PowerPoint Hell and the clueless manager. You will never know beforehand a bad meeting is in the making until you are inexplicably trapped in one. Often […]
Finding Female Role Models in Entrepreneurship
Finding mentors is hard; finding a fellow female entrepreneur to mentor you can seem even harder.
Building a Startup is Like Running an Ironman
The Ironman US Championship race is being held in the greatest city in the universe this year, and it sold out in less than 11 minutes! Champions from all walks of life make their home in NYC. Ex-pats formerly from the East Coast now living in the Bay area are flocking back home to NYC […]
Why Do So Many Biotech Startups Fail?
Money is flowing into biotech at an almost startling rate. In 1980, investments topped out at $2 billion. In 2012, that number was $48.5 billion. One reason for this massive influx of cash is the seemingly endless number of opportunities in the biotech industry, where researchers continually find new uses for drugs and new fields […]
The Key to Success Starts with Failure
One major hurdle that many entrepreneurs face is the fear of failure. Will my product sell? Will I be able to pay my investors? Will I be a good leader? If you are an entrepreneur, I’m sure these are just a few of the many questions that have come to mind while running your business. […]
Why You Should Burn All Your Bridges and Never Have a Backup Plan
What do you see when you look at a successful human? I see determination, purpose, and a plan that most people are too afraid to ever create for themselves. Have you ever met anyone who achieved something important in life, something they would consider a dream by dropping back to a plan B? It just […]
How to Balance Business Risk Versus Opportunity
There is no real business opportunity without risk. Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive dream of a get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk or no competition. My conclusion either way is that there is […]