6 Ways I Embrace Impostor Syndrome
It starts deep in the pit of my stomach. It’s hard to describe. It’s like a cross between butterflies and sharp fluttering stomach pain. Sometimes, it manifests itself as a pain on the left side of my neck. It feels
What is Entrepreneurship? A Chat with Dip Patel
The truth is when you have the combination of these two (thinking and doing) inside you — whether you believe it or not — you are an entrepreneur. (Photo by christian koch on Unsplash) What do home climate control and missile defense systems
Antifragile: Building A Company That Goes Beyond Resilience
Slipping on a banana and breaking your hip is fragile. Getting hit by a truck then getting up to walk to your hair appointment is resilient. But, getting one of your arms cut off then growing a new one the
5 (New) Learnings from a Recovering #Insurtech CEO
It’s been two years since I have been at the helm of a fast-growing #insurtech startup. I have since moved on to new adventures. But, I have kept up with the pulse of the industry by serving as an advisor
Finding Solitude in Leadership: A 4 Step Recipe
“Crunch, crunch, crunch,” was the sound my gait made as I marched along a distant barren landscape. Here, there were no demanding customers, no competition putting pressure on me. There were no employees anxiously seeking consensus and no investors asking
Pain is Where the Learning Happens
“Resisting pain only increases its intensity.” — Chogyam Trungpa I am 47 years old and I have made a lot of mistakes in my life — both professional and personal ones. I hope I make many more. It’s true. I have hired the wrong people
One Superpower I Use Everyday as a CEO
ARR, LTV, GTM, churn, positioning, competition, customer satisfaction, valuation. Over the past 18 years, I have been the founder and CEO of two companies where these metrics (and more) were important. I developed and honed my “superpowers” as a CEO
Bad Blood and My Seven 5-star Books from 2018
I often tell the new CEOs I advise to never fall in love with your product, keep your ego in check, and love your customers. The story of Theranos, portrayed in the book Bad Blood, is what happens when this
It is all about DNA: How to Hire Like Your Life Depended On It.
Companies are a unique combination of people that make them legendary; or not.
A Recipe for Rightsizing Your Team When Disaster Strikes
The role of a CEO is fraught with tough decisions. Firing people is not easy, but it is part of the job.
How a Little Pepto Bismol and a Serious Talk Can Save Your Company.
It was the beginning of summer. I did not particularly enjoy riding the subway this time of year. It was blisteringly hot. However, it was the quickest way to get around the city. Traffic had become a year-round nightmare in