The Startup Flywheel

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.…

The Million-Dollar Idea Is a Lie

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…

What’s Your Mistake Maturity Score?

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.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Benji Smith of Shaxpir

When booking a vacation upon a luxurious cruise liner, most people envision themselves indulging in fine cuisine, enjoying live performances, and soaking up the sun on the top decks of the massive ship. Few people would expect to be clinging onto a rope on the ship’s hull awaiting rescue as the ship sinks into the…