POPULAR ARTICLES
How to Raise Money When You’re an Underdog
Trust me, sometimes, getting a NO from a VC — no matter how peculiarly it is delivered — could be the best thing that ever happens to you.
Should Your Startup Be Hiring Specialists or Generalists?
Managers love to reward hyper-specialization. But is it better to hire for general problem-solving abilities?
RECENT ARTICLES
#CEO Podcast: 7 Books Every Startup CEO Should Read (with David Cancel)
Are you a know-it-all or a learn-it-all? If you chose the latter, you’ll appreciate the top 5 marketing books David Cancel — Founder and CEO of Drift — can’t stop rereading.
How to be a Wartime CEO
Coronavirus is a new opportunity to rise as a CEO.
5 Reasons Why CEOs Make Bad Decisions and How to Avoid Them
It’s time to fire my gut.As a CEO, I have a bias for action and often make decisions with my gut.
8 Books I Couldn’t Put Down in 2019
Its like weightlifting for the brain. Last year, I decided to focus on leaders.
CEO Spotlight
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates
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
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
How to Castrate a Bull
When developing a B2B technology company, you have two choices. You can sell to small and medium-sized businesses (aka SMBs), or you can sell to large enterprises. There is a stark difference between how you
Want Some Mental Candy in Your Inbox?
Join over 500+ CEOs who receive our carefully curated newsletter full of inspiration.
You’ll get thought-provoking morsels from around the web, book reviews, inspiring quotes, and exclusive tools delivered to your inbox on #motivation Monday mornings.
And, you’ll never miss our new stories and successful plays.
CEO Spotlight
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates
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
The Power of Empathy
“Empathy is not just an awareness of what others are experiencing; it’s aware of, being sensitive to, and caring about how one’s own behavior affects others.” — Danny Meyers Danny Meyers is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. He
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
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
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
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
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