Are Leaders Born or Made?
For as long as I can remember, there’s been a debate about whether entrepreneurs are born or made. Are the traits of tenacity, vision, optimism, and coping with ambiguity innate? Or can one acquire them over time? Read more
Archive for May, 2012
May 30
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5 Ways to Be a Better Mentee
When I worked at the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, my colleague April Lane and I would often compare and contrast the student-entrepreneurs with whom we worked and mentored.
We would discuss their business ideas, areas of study, commitment levels, etc. Occasionally, we would also get into spirited discussions on how well they were doing as a mentee or “client”. Read more
Pivot but Don’t Pirouette
I love ideas. I love coming up with them, hearing them, working on them. To me, ideas are exercise for the brain. They allow us to explore new territory and stretch our imagination. Some work, some don’t, and we learn a great deal from either outcome.
But ideas also have a dark side Read more
Starbucks, Startups and Why Vision Matters
It’s well-known that when Howard Schultz bought Starbucks in the 1980s, he had a vision to create a “third place” for Americans, beyond home and work. It’s safe to say he realized that vision, and more.
By envisioning that third place, Howard imbued Starbucks with an inspired view of the future, enabling their people to build something so big Read more
The Depth & Breadth of Startup Mentoring
Mentoring is a topic I enjoy discussing and writing about, both of which I’m likely to be doing more in the coming year. The reason is that, in our new venture, my partners and I are taking a serious approach to mentoring that we expect will have a big impact on entrepreneurs. Read more
Let’s Build a Pathway for Entrepreneurs
When you think about it, it’s amazing what’s happened in the last twenty years.
Unpaid Internships at Startups vs. Big Companies
One of the most disappointing outcomes of the recession was the rapid growth of unpaid internships for college students. Disappointing not only because there was a lack of true value exchange in a democratic, capitalist society but more so because of the careless disregard, bordering on exploitation, demonstrated by some employers. Read more
The Differences between Founder and CEO Titles
A couple weeks ago, I talked with a young and single entrepreneur who told me he was asked twice in recent weeks by different women whether he was founder of a startup. In both cases, upon hearing his affirmative response, the women responded flirtatiously. Amused, he and I then wondered whether the women would have reacted the same way if he told them he was CEO of a startup. Read more
A Recap of April Blog Posts
Happy May.
April was one of my most consistent months ever for blogging. I believe the main reason is that with my new gig and teaching more classes, I’m seeing, hearing, thinking, and experiencing new things. Read more
