Big corporations, with their mountains of resources, should be nailing every new venture or product idea, right? Yet, sometimes they fumble. I’ve seen this happen in large corporations, and many mid-size scaling companies can also lose their way. Here are a few of the “why’s” from our experience with a healthy sprinkle of real-world examples. […]
Stress and Leadership: My Experience as a Startup CEO and Some Steps to Cope I got involved with my first start-up in my mid-20s. I was hired as the first “business” hire, where most others were on the engineering side except for me and the CEO. I was hungry for the challenge to prove myself […]
A Spotlight on Fetch: Focus and Grit in Hard Times Teem Ventures had the opportunity to work with Fetch, the self-service truck startup, during its initial pilot with Budget Truck Rental. Fetch has seen dramatic growth in spite of the challenges faced by the mobility sector during the global pandemic. Fetch is thriving. So, we […]
Early-stage Ventures: 4 Keys to Get the Best People on Your Bus I’ve had a lot of experiences building execution teams that were effective at building products and companies in the “early stage.” The early stage of a venture is unique because information is generated very quickly, and must be immediately put to work to […]
Don’t Build a BUM: Avoid overbuilding your Minimum Viable Product to save yourself time and money As I advised corporate executives and founders on product launches over the past few years, I have seen both groups encounter the same challenge: overbuilding their initial product. The problem exists in small companies and large corporations alike for […]
Mentoring relationships can yield a lifetime of value if you put in some effort Over my career I have been lucky to have had some amazing mentors who have invested in my development. In an effort to pay it forward, I’ve done my best to make time for mentorship with many employees and first time […]
With the release of the Apple Watch 4, it finally may have some features that make it a “must have” device for aging adults. I will look for Christmas sales to be through the roof for people who are buying for their aging parents. The key features we see that fit this need: Fall monitoring […]
The Imperative for Corporate Entrepreneurship In my conversations with executives charged with innovation and corporate transformation, I hear a pretty consistent refrain: innovation is friggin’ hard work. Even with a commitment to “innovation” from the top, real impact takes unwavering focus and often new DNA that isn’t resident in the current organization. It also requires […]
Over the years as I have operated or worked at early stage ventures, I have built relationships with many Fortune 500 companies as customers, investors, and distribution partners for my products. Most of the time their relationships grew with us over the years, became our friends, and these relationships had a huge impact on a […]
I have had the (mostly) good and (sometimes) bad fortune of being involved with creating new ventures as an advisor, early executive, co-founder and CEO. Through the years, I’ve seen a lot of internal and external forces at work that can disrupt your vision as your business grows and evolves. Externally, the market you originally went after […]