Recent Posts
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Most Advisors Aren’t Great Mentors
Most Advisors Aren’t Great Mentors What’s the Difference Between Startup Advisors and Mentors, and How Do You Become a Great Mentor? If you’re starting a tech company, you’ve probably heard people say, “You need good advisors and mentors.” But what do those roles really mean? Are they the same thing? And what if you want…
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Want No Boss? Don’t Be a Tech Founder.
Want No Boss? Don’t Be a Tech Founder. The Real Journey of a Scalable Tech Entrepreneur I have asked over 3,000 tech startup entrepreneurs why they want to start a company, and I heard a familiar line: “I want to be my own boss.” The allure of independence, freedom, and control is intoxicating. Yet, the…
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Security and Surveillance at the Speed of Light
Security and Surveillance at the Speed of Light Powered by Optics Valley (Tucson, AZ) – Part of a $1T global market (by 2030) Security today is about more than just locks and guards. Technology plays a central role in a world where threats can come from anywhere, physical spaces, the skies above, or the digital…
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Not Just Proven Programs. It’s a Mindset Revolution.
Not Just Proven Programs. It’s a Mindset Revolution. Think Bigger. Show Up. Share Boldly. Build Together. Over the past several weeks, I’ve sat down with 11 local leaders across Tucson Metro’s (Optics Valley) innovation, business, and academic communities. Each of them, in their own way, asked me the same question: “What exactly are you doing…
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I Don’t Like the New Me
I Don’t Like the New Me Optics Valley: Not Tech, But People Optics Valley: Not Tech, But People Eight years ago, I left Silicon Valley and relocated to Tucson. When I arrived, I was different. I was open. I was willing to present every opportunity, plan, and idea I was working on. I trusted people…
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Knowledge Jacking: The Ferrari with Flintstones’ Feet
Knowledge Jacking: The Ferrari with Flintstones’ Feet In every startup ecosystem, two forces are at play: those who build genuine trust and those who exploit it. While some see collaboration as the lifeblood of innovation, others operate with a scarcity mindset, believing that knowledge is a limited resource to be extracted, repackaged, and claimed as…
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The Power of Storytelling for the Tech Entrepreneur
The Power of Storytelling for the Tech Entrepreneur For over 20 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to nearly 10,000 presentations from advanced entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and 19 other ecosystems’ pitch competitions, demo days, practice sessions with my mentees, and everything in between. One thing has become abundantly clear: art and science behind great…
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Invisible Sensors of Consumer Electronics
Invisible Sensors of Consumer Electronics Powered by Optics Valley From the moment most of us wake up to the moment we go to bed, we interact with technologies powered by optics and photonics. Smartphones, wearables, televisions, gaming consoles, home automation devices, and even kitchen appliances all rely on the manipulation of light. While consumers rarely…
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10 Essential Moves for Innovators Launching a Tech Startup in Tucson
10 Essential Moves for Innovators Launching a Tech Startup in Tucson Launching a tech startup anywhere is a high-stakes endeavor. Doing it in a nascent ecosystem like Tucson adds complexity and opportunity. You won’t have the deep venture capital networks, dense clusters of scale-up companies, or established playbooks that Silicon Valley, Boston, or Austin entrepreneurs…
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Arizona’s Launchpad for the Impossible
Arizona’s Launchpad for the Impossible Optics Valley – Shaping the next era of global innovation. I’m switching gears, focusing on the market opportunity rather than core technologies impacting a specific sector. I hope that you enjoy the change of pace. Tucson (Optics Valley), Pima County, and the State of Arizona sit on a unique and…
