1999–2019: Twenty Years of My Lessons as CEO
Entrepreneurship is a journey, and it seems like it will be a lifelong one for me. The ride is filled with adventure, obstacles, and destinations that surprise. In the spring of this year, I decided to return to one of
How Many Jobs Does a CEO Have?
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, certainly makes the list of most admired leaders right now. Under his leadership, Microsoft has gone beyond Bill Gates’ wildest expectations. The firm that launched the PC software industry surpassed $1 Trillion in market cap
6 Habits that Help Me Focus on What to Do Right
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
What’s Your (CEO) Superpower?
At dinner one evening, a close friend and entrepreneur asked me, “what CEO skills are you using the most now in your new role?” (image:istockphoto) ARR, LTV, GTM, churn, positioning, competition, customer satisfaction, valuation. Over the past 18 years, I
Tribe Vibes: Who is In Charge of What?
I have noticed a pattern in the 20 years I have been an entrepreneur, advisor, and CEO. Every time there is something wrong with a company, there is a recurring problem. Either someone is not doing their job, or they
The weFailure
Twenty years ago, on 11/19/99, I sold my first startup. It was a technology company selling something called “Java Beans.” My four co-founders and I had a life-changing experience when a company called BEA Systems acquired our company for over
Tribe Vibes: The Secret to Avoiding Micromanagement
Micromanagement is a killer. All founders have trouble getting out of the weeds. When the company is just a hand full of people, we are involved in everything. We choose the logo and initial tag lines. We choose the office
Why Women Rule, At Least They Should
In 1971, a young mother of three boarded a small boat to make a journey from her home country, Haiti. She hoped to find her husband, who had fled Haiti’s dictatorship nine years earlier. She reunited with him in a
Hello Mr. President: How One Event Changed My Perspective as CEO
A few weeks ago, I got an email from an old friend. She was part of the marketing organization in the early days of my last company — a fantastic woman — she was looking for an update on what I was doing and
How Random Walks Can Make You A Better Manager
In the late ’80s, just before heading to college, I was introduced to a management principle that has stuck with me ever since. I was one of a handful of students that were selected from NYC public schools to participate
What I Learned From My First Exit: A Chat with Ron Fisher
People think their next amazing business idea is going to be in their head, when you’re sitting in your room by yourself with a journal, totally detached from what you’re working on.
