What Are You Doing?
A friend of mine went to his first TED conference this year and told me there was a particular question he was asked most often as he met new people. Read more
Archive for March, 2011
Mar 23
Slip Into Something More Uncomfortable
We learn the most when we’re uncomfortable.
It’s when our heart beats so fast that our face flushes. It’s when our gut feels so uneasy that it churns. It’s when our mind gets so stretched that it hurts. Read more
Should We Work 30 Hours a Week?
OK, let me get this out of the way – this was not inspired by the 4-Hour Workweek and my intent is not the same as the book’s. Read more
Sales Cycles & Business Failure
Talking with a former student of mine yesterday who is involved with a startup got me thinking: can something as simple as a sales cycle cause failure for a startup? Read more
A Scary Economic Truth
Last week, I spoke with a entrpreneur I’ve known for a few years. He launched a data mining and services firm which today employs six full-time people. I asked how things were looking, and he replied that they were growing fast and could double in size this year.
I then asked how many jobs they might add and he replied, “Uh, probably none.” Read more
What Rahm Emanuel & Local Corporations Need to Do for Chicago Entrepreneurship
In an op-ed for this week’s Crain’s Chicago Business, I’ve laid out four ideas for what our mayor-elect and corporate executives could (should?) do. I believe we need more conversation on this issue and am hoping this is only the start. So I’m asking everyone in Chicago’s entrepreneurial community to weigh in, not only with ideas but action.
Every one of you has a network of contacts and belongs to at least one community or organization. Make this a topic for organizational events, board meeting agendas, happy hour debates, blog posts, and status updates. Think about what an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem looks like, and what the city and corporate sector can do to support it.
The power of our community is passion and, now more than ever, we need to show it.
