Building a Business
Taking the Time to Be Nice
I recently ordered online a birthday gift for my son. In the order form, there was a field for company name. I put in "self-employed ." A few minutes after submitting my order, I received this email from the owner of the company: Hi there, I noticed you filled in Self Employed for company name…
Read MoreStartup School
A friend points me to this set of presentations from Startup School, a place for techies to learn about building a company from the ground up, from some of the stars in the high-tech biz. While I’m no longer a techie, I found the principles to be applicable for my line of business. And yes,…
Read MoreInside the Mind of Your Customer: Bottled Water and Toothpaste
The bottle on the left is what I normally expect when I buy bottled water out of a vending machine. That’s 20 ounces. The bottle on the right is what I received after I put 75 cents into the machine. It’s actually 10 ounces, which is not as small as the bottle makes it seem.…
Read MoreKites and Other Useful Metaphors
Yesterday, I flew a kite. It was the first time in over thirty years. It was exhilarating and joyful. My husband returned home from a trip. The proverbial question, "What did you bring me?" was answered in the form of a kite for the kids. Andy, my twelve-year old, was eager to try it out.…
Read MoreThe Power of Entrepreneurship
I had lunch with a friend yesterday, the president of a growing startup in downtown Denver. Since leaving a successful career in large companies, he’s reveled in the joys of entrepreneurship. He loves the passion and energy of entrepreneurs. He loves hanging out with entrepreneurs and hearing their stories. He loves the spirit of entrepreneurs.…
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