A VC in Vacationland
Seeking the next gen supply chain technology breakthroughs
recent posts
- The Role of Generative AI in Supply Chain Investment Strategies
- AI’s Impact on Supply Chain Investment Strategies
- The ‘New Normal’ is now the ‘No Normal’ in Supply Chains
- SRR—Sustainability, Resilience, Risk Management: The Latest Supply Chain Buzzwords & Investment Opportunities
- 3PLs–Investing in the Next Generation of Outsourced Supply Chain Solutions
about
Category: Managing start-ups
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Often, entrepreneurs approach me with the singular reason of having me write them a check. I can always tell in a few minutes that they are not that interested in what I might have to say about their company, as they are constantly going after the 'close'. I often wish I was an impolite person…
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My good friend, Chris Jones, SVP, Services at Descartes, reminded me of this 'consultant's expression'. Perfect is the enemy of good is something founders should muse on often during their company build-out. And not just in product development–the concept should penetrate all aspect of the business. Here are a few examples, based on real-life experiences:…
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I get asked all the time by entrepreneurs about how best to manage outsourced manufacturing arrangements. Here are a few tips to help you be more successful: Hire the right in-house professionals–Often, companies outsource because they don't have the expertise to make the product. Fine, and you better have a team in-house that can manage…
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Tony Tjan's HBR Blog piece on the key strategic question every business must ask is a great way to determine how focused entrepreneurs are in their pursuit of success.
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With apologies to John Hiatt, whose song, 'Have a Little Faith in Me', inspired this post… Faith is my ultimate fall-back feeling I have when dealing with my portfolio companies. Losing faith in the idea, founders, or fellow investors is the worst thing that can happen as far as I am concerned when dealing with…
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12: The Elements of Great Managing (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Warning: this post contains mercenary behavior! One thing I learned a long time ago as a consultant was that you always picked up the bill at a bar or restaurant, whether you were out with a colleague, client or prospect. Why? It's always useful to have…
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I love the following Nest story, courtesy of Dan Primack of Fortune and Term Sheet. How would you pitch your company to the VC's? What's your killer line? Better have one… Nest Labs is Silicon Valley's most recent success story, agreeing earlier this week to be acquired by Google for $3.2 billion. But it wasn't…
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Français : La Chauvinière-Riant, Charles de Gaulle, Chartres (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 'The graveyards are full of indispensable men (and women)' –attributed to General Charles de Gaulle (and others) Coming from a French General who sent many people to their death in war, the quote is at best ironic and at its worst, gravely…
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cliffs notes (Photo credit: Shreyans Bhansali) So you are building a successful SAAS software company and are looking for new investments. Congratulations! What are key metrics sophisticated investors are looking for to justify a growth capital investment? One of my companies has been exploring this with leading venture investors. Here's the Cliff Notes summary: 50%…
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Cover of Only the Paranoid Survive Andy Grove had it right: 'Only the paranoid survive'. Building a successful start up means lying awake many nights thinking about what could go wrong, and how to prevent it. What can go wrong will go wrong in a young company. One bad hire who becomes an energy vampire…
A VC in Vacationland 