Startup Vision: Paradox of Consistency vs. Opportunity
By Tim Berry
The world is full of paradox, like this one. Here’s research on startup vision that shows “The tech landscape is lush with entrepreneurs whose success blossomed only after the founders had modified or even abandoned their original vision.” That makes sense when you see examples and details. But wait – what about the idea that the... Read More »
Reflections on MBA experience
By Tim Berry
The prestige of the MBA degree is tarnished quite a bit since I got mine in the early 1980s. And that's for pretty good reasons. With the world of startups like it is, and the progress of high tech, there are some good arguments against stopping a career for two years to go back to school. Still, my two years with the MBA were the right thing for me, for my family, and for my entrepreneurship. Everything is case by case. Read More »
Productivity Tip: Walking Meetings. In the Park.
By Tim Berry
File this one under the general category of things business owners can do to preserve physical and mental health, despite the rigors of running a business. It goes along with getting regular exercise, and shutting down every so often out of range of devices. Do as many meetings as you can walking, instead of sitting.... Read More »
Should People Design Their Own Jobs
By Tim Berry
I just ran across Should Employees Design Their Own Jobs? on one of the Stanford Business School sites. It reminded me of what I saw quite often while running my business – employees design their own jobs, whether you like it or not. Maybe, if you do it right, you can guide, control, or prevent it... Read More »
Drill Down into What You Do Best
By Tim Berry
I put this here today because I love this quote: “I wanted to fundamentally feel like I was the best person in the world to solve that problem.” This is Tristan Walker, of Walker and Company Brands, speaking at Stanford, courtesy of Stanford eCorner. If you don’t see the video here, please click here for... Read More »
Top 10 Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs
By Tim Berry
For some really good startup advice, and lots of good reminders, here is Guy Kawasaki’s Top 10 Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs, on YouTube, courtesy of Stanford Business. I don’t agree with everything Guy says here but I really like his being comfortable with his own opinions, and how he presents them as opinions, not fact. This... Read More »
When is the Right Time to Start a Company
By Tim Berry
I really like this 2-minute explanation Stanford’s Entrepreneurship Corner: Steve Teig, Tabula – Right Time to Start a Company. He’s clearly focusing on tech companies and the web, but the principals apply elsewhere if you use your imagination. If for any reason you don’t see the video here, you can click this link to go... Read More »
Brave New World Options for Entrepreneurship Education
By Tim Berry
Take a look at this list: 20 Essential Open Courses for Budding Entrepreneurs. You’ll see Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Rice, and — between the lines on that one — MIT, among others. Mark Juliano’s Entrepreneurship and Business, Chuck Eesley’s Technology Entrepreneurship. The post in question lists mainly general business courses. Aside from entrepreneurship, they have finance, financial theory,... Read More »
Marketing Messages? Simplify and Repeat
By Tim Berry
Watch this video. It’s just 90 seconds, and it’s a great reminder. It needs no further introduction. In case you don’t see it, click here for the source at Stanford’s scorner video collection for entrepreneurs. Read More »
Which is Worse: Making a Mistake or Losing an Opportunity?
By Tim Berry
What a great thought: how people approach failure is a key to success. That comes straight from Why Failure Drives Innovation, an article by Baba Shiv, Professor of Marketing, published in the Stanford Graduate School of Business news page. Consider this: “Failure” is a dreaded concept for most business people. But failure can actually be a... Read More »
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