Photo by Edwin Hooper I sometimes write because it makes me think clearly and feel better; this is one of those times. I’m going to be candid, and it’s not easy to admit this. The last 40 days have been an emotional and intellectual ride for me. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I started…
Nearly 30 years ago, this man changed my life. Yesterday, I got to thank him in-person and with my team by my side. Yesterday, I also learned of his story for the first time. In the early ‘90s, as a college senior studying computer science on a foreign-student visa, I applied to a number of…
How often has the majority been wrong? Let’s look at what the majority of people accepted ~50, ~100, and ~150 years ago that now sound staggeringly shameful. It wasn’t much beyond 50 years ago that a majority still believed it was OK to discriminate against people based on their race, religion, or country of origin…
Some people are Suns; they shine, they radiate, and they emanate positive energy that nourishes those around them. Without Suns, the world would be a dark and dreary place. Suns don’t seek out other Suns as their energy isn’t codependent or discriminatory: it permeates throughout their vicinity helping nourish everything around them. Suns are extremely…
Is it just luck? Is it about timing? It isn’t easy, but there is a method to the madness of building a company from a “Baby Yoda” startup to a “Master Yoda” profitable enterprise that is loved by its clients and partners: accelerating a FLYWHEEL representing a virtuous cycle that starts and ends with PEOPLE.…
Given we’re approaching the New Year, in this post, I somewhat vulnerably admit how deliberately I’ve tried to approach my life to the best of my ability, even from a young age. In this post, I discuss my strong belief in the Importance of Intentionality.
I finally mustered the guts to transition from written words to spoken ones. I’m so much more comfortable writing than I am in front of a camera. Entrepreneurship has taught me a lesson: that Nolan Bushnell was spot on when he declared, “everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the…
I’m a founder, CEO, and investor in a growing technology startup. Yes, I experience stress that accompanies my love and passion for what I do.
More to the point, my stress is frequently misunderstood. Unexpected things happen; many of them are due to mistakes made and associated human error, miscommunication, or missteps. It’s frequently assumed that it’s these mistakes that drive my stress. They aren’t. In this article, I explain why mistakes aren’t what worry or stress me and, instead, it’s our reaction to mistakes that does.
Mistakes are unintended tests of individuals and teams; how mistakes are handled reflects a Mistake Maturity measuring an individual and an organization’s ability to overcome and thrive. Below are the five levels of Mistake Maturity (MM): levels MM0 through MM4.
I’ve been interviewing many candidates of late and these recent experiences have inspired this.
1. Show up early.
2. Dress like you care.
3. Bring your A-game energy.
4. Do your homework.
5. Want the job.
While it’s been rather en vogue to tout and “invest” in “experiences over things”, I wonder if this downplays the value of something even more meaningful than the experiences themselves — people: Parents who support and guide us. Partners who make those experiences worthwhile. Siblings who understand us. Children who give us drive and purpose.…
