Jeff Bezos’ letter to Amazon shareholders published April 12th has been widely circulated, justifiably so. It is a great read. Recently I read another annual shareholder letter, every bit as compelling depending on the yardstick you use. But beware, this one is five times longer so block time, get comfy, and dig in. The author was 83-year old Robert […]
An Occasional Riff
A few observations, often triggered from current and past engagements.
Tune In: Takeaways from Conversations with Founder CEOs
* Passing along what I have heard together with resources to help. * This blog shares five themes from my recent conversations with founder CEOs of emerging companies. Drop me a note if these strike a chord. Actionable Market Segmentation. Fine-grain market segmentation is critical for company focus. For starters, this drives resource allocation decisions. OpenView Labs penned a useful article on […]
Don’t Let Your Marketing Fall into Disrepair
* Mix inbound and outbound tactics to lower customer acquisition cost * This article is the third in a three-part series. The first focused on issues that should matter most for Founder CEOs: Vision, Talent, and Cash. The second covered Basic Steps for Getting Sales On-Track. Now we turn to marketing. Let’s make a few […]
Interim and Fractional Leadership Takes Hold in Clean Tech and Sustainability
* Reasons are compelling * Forward-thinking CEOs of emerging companies are increasingly using interim and fractional leaders to fill key revenue acceleration functions like sales, business development or marketing at critical junctures. Let’s Rewind Roles like CFO, COO, and HR are well-established as interim and fractional. This concept is increasingly taking hold in roles focused […]
Only Three Things Matter for Founder CEOs of Emerging Companies
* Vision, Talent, and Cash * Leaders of emerging companies, whether first-time CEOs or veterans, are bombarded with a daily stream of issues. A random inquiry from an investor. A new feature request from a key customer. A conversation with a potential hire. Countless others. All are urgent. Only a few are truly important. As […]