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When “I Don’t Get It” Is Useful Feedback
When “I Don’t Get It” Is Useful Feedback It’s Not an Indictment. Last week I spoke with four startups.Three of them heard the same response: “I don’t get it.” That sentence can feel discouraging. Many founders hear it as a lack of interest or a failure of imagination. In reality, it’s usually neither. Most of…
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90% of the Startups Die on the Vine…
90% of the Startups Die on the Vine… Try the Lean Customer Discovery Process to be part of the 10% Most startups don’t fail because the founders aren’t smart or hardworking. They fail because they build something before truly understanding who cares, who decides, and why it matters. The Lean Customer Discovery Process exists to…
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Startup vs. Incumbent: Why Founders Shouldn’t Fear Industry Giants
Startup vs. Incumbent: Why Founders Shouldn’t Fear Industry Giants Many startup founders feel intimidated when they realize their competition includes large, well-funded incumbents. These companies have brand recognition, deep pockets, legal teams, and thousands of employees. It’s easy to assume the game is already lost. But history shows the opposite. Startups beat incumbents all the…
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Assumptions are Like Russian Roulette. Validate or Vaporize Them.
Assumptions are Like Russian Roulette. Validate or Vaporize Them. In startups, most failures don’t come from bad ideas. They come from unproven assumptions. An assumption is something you believe to be true but haven’t tested yet. And every untested assumption is a risk quietly waiting to break your business. That’s why experienced founders live by…
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Developing Your Own Mentor Program in an Emerging Tech Hub
Developing Your Own Mentor Program in an Emerging Tech Hub Why Every Nascent or Emerging Innovation Community Needs a Structured Path for Scalable Startup Mentoring In every strong startup ecosystem, regardless of its size, city, or industry, one truth stands out: mentors determine the altitude of founders. Great mentors accelerate learning, reduce mistakes, raise the…
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Creating Buzz vs. Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset Machine
Creating Buzz vs. Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset Machine: Why Startup Events Are Not Enough in a Nascent Ecosystem In many emerging or early-stage startup ecosystems, people often believe that hosting more events, such as pitch nights, mixers, demo days, and innovation fairs, will magically create a strong community of entrepreneurs. These events are fun, energizing,…
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The Pilgrims: America’s Original Fearless Lean Entrepreneurs
The Pilgrims: America’s Original Fearless Lean Entrepreneurs When most people think about the Pilgrims, they imagine tall hats, wooden tables, and a long Thanksgiving feast. But if you look closer, the Pilgrims were much more than early settlers. They were some of America’s first lean entrepreneurs, people who built something new under extreme conditions, starting…
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Where is the Dry Powder in Arizona
Where is the Dry Powder in Arizona In 2024, while many U.S. startup ecosystems were struggling, Arizona did something unexpected: it held the line. The state didn’t boom, but it didn’t break either. Instead, Arizona showed a kind of stubborn strength like a scrappy desert fighter refusing to go down even when the national market…
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Search in a Haystack – Find a Great Startup Mentor
Search in a Haystack – Find a Great Startup Mentor How Tech Startup Founders Can Find Great Mentors in a Nascent Ecosystem Finding a great mentor can be one of the most essential steps in building a successful tech startup. However, in a nascent ecosystem, where the startup community is still young, small, or scattered,…
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Co-Founders Are a Monumental Waste of Time
Co-Founders Are a Monumental Waste of Time For lifestyle entrepreneurs, going solo often makes sense; their goals are personal freedom, control, and a steady income, rather than rapid scale. However, for tech founders building scalable startups, going solo is a risk. The market moves fast. The workload and learning curve outpace what one person can…
