A common pattern in expanding organizations is the tendency to spend without regard for potential return. Sometimes, that means buying software, thinking that a purchase will quickly correct a …
Hard Decisions
In business, we tend to put off the hard decisions and end up losing millions. For those who don’t know me, I’m a huge coffee guy—addicted to the stuff. I’m an avid fan of Nespresso and drink a …
Think Long Term
You want to stagger into large financial decisions like scaling up your corporate overhead.What you don’t want to do is make too many major financial decisions too quickly, only to find your business …
Living Expenses
As the CEO of a startup, know your living expenses.That way, you can set a realistic salary for yourself and make sure your needs are met.You’ll also have a far clearer picture of how much of your …
Unit Economics
If you have broken unit economics, growth will not fix your problem.Sure, you could argue that economies of scale will eventually fix things, but that’s a dangerous road to commit to. Instead, …
Hiring Fixes
A lot of CEOs run into this problem. That is, the problem of thinking people they’ve hired are going to change. That through a few quick changes, someone who’s underperforming will soon start …
Work ON Your Business
As a CEO, you should be working on your business, not in your business. That means not micromanaging every small aspect of your business. For many CEOs, the problem is one of letting go - …
Manage Success
When things are going well - sales are up, customers are coming back, your email list is growing - many entrepreneurs sit on their hands and don’t dig into why things are going well. This is …
No Get Rich Quick
Spoiler Alert: Just like it is impossible to get rich quickly, one employee or supplier isn't going to fix all your problems! Many founders fall into the trap of thinking a new hire or a vendor can …
Your Team
The team that got you here won’t get you there. I get it - it’s hard to expand your team with new hires and fill it with new faces, especially since that’s probably going to mean paying less …