#Entrepreneur Last week, I was asked to speak at a friend’s limited partner investor meeting. We covered all the usual topics, like what to look for in a founder and in a startup. Then, she asked me to share why investors should care about investin...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I spoke with an entrepreneur who volunteers for a local tech nonprofit, helping with event planning and securing speakers. We discussed events in general and shared best practices we’ve learned over the years. He pointed ou...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I attended an entrepreneur event where the speaker shared some of his best practices for growing a successful startup. One thing he said really stuck with me: if you want to promote a culture where failure is accepted and i...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was catching up with an entrepreneur, and he was taking me through all of their progress and new direction. When I first met with him several years prior, he outlined a vision of where the market was going, why it was an ...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I attended a conference to share the story of South Downtown Atlanta. This wasn’t the typical startup or tech conference I’ve been to hundreds of times over the years, so it was particularly interesting to meet new people a...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was talking to an entrepreneur, and the topic of corporate culture and core values came up. We spent some time diving deep into lessons learned, and I shared one of my favorite best practices around the interview componen...
#Entrepreneur Last week, an entrepreneur reminded me that one of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to believe in them. I’ve been working with this entrepreneur for a long time, and they recently launched their new business. As part of the ...
#Entrepreneur Over the years, I’ve debated the pros and cons of venture debt with a number of people. Some entrepreneurs see venture debt as a safety net, with a big “Do Not Break Unless Emergency” sign in front of it. Other entrepreneurs view vent...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was catching up with an entrepreneur who shared a concept with me that I hadn’t heard before: negative roadmaps. In the startup world, a product roadmap outlines the features and functionality expected over the next few q...
#Entrepreneur Last week’s post on the Atlanta companies in the Inc. 5000 awards highlighted one of our very own, Intown Golf Club, at Number 204. After reading about this award, several friends reached out with comments and congratulations. After a...
#Entrepreneur Every year, I enjoy reading the Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 awards. It’s one of the best ways to see what’s trending and popular in the small business world, and you never know which companies might become large breakout successes one d...
#Entrepreneur After last week’s post announcing the new Atlanta Tech Village location in downtown Atlanta, the most common question and refrain that I heard from others is, “Why downtown?” Like many of my fellow Atlantans, I’ve historically avoi...
#Entrepreneur Last week, we announced the groundbreaking for the new Atlanta Tech Village in South Downtown Atlanta. After starting the Atlanta Tech Village in late 2012, one of the most popular questions I heard was, “When are you going to open...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was talking to an entrepreneur who was contemplating a major business change. The conversation reminded me of the early days of Pardot. Back then, the product was primarily forms and landing pages with CRM integration. An...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was listening to an entrepreneur who shared that he likes processes much more than goals. This concept rings true with me as well. Goals are important because they help us focus on where we’re going and how we’re measured...
#Entrepreneur Recently, I was asked about my favorite general pieces of advice for founders. After thinking about it for a bit, I decided on five tips that have resonated with me over the years. #1. Go big from day one. It takes a tremendous amount...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I was reminded of an important lesson I learned many years ago when I heard an entrepreneur share his journey. In the story, he regularly referred to the accomplishments of his startup using the term “I,” as in “I did this,...
#Entrepreneur Continuing from last week’s post on the Rule of 50, I received several comments and questions. The biggest and most important question concerns whether a Rule of 50 score equates to viability for funding. From a funding perspective fo...
#Entrepreneur Last week, I caught up with an entrepreneur who has a great business. He’s built an incredibly compelling product, is targeting a huge market, and has raised a tremendous amount of money. Within our local startup community, his type o...
#Entrepreneur As economic cycles go, I was hoping that by now, nearly 2 1/2 years into the software downturn, we’d be seeing more green shoots and signs of recovery. While there are some small pockets of growth, especially around AI investment, the...
