Apr 1, 2014

Coffee with Founders

One of the most challenging things about running a startup is knowing the next step.  You’ve got to address short term needs while also executing the chess-like moves that set up longer-term initiatives.  Discussions with other founders are extremely useful in addressing this challenge.  For the past few months, I’ve made it a habit to grab coffee or lunch with at least one founder a week.  

Generally, we just chat about the story of the founder’s company; key learnings naturally emerge from these discussions.  It is particularly interesting to get a self-assessment of major decisions the founder has faced.  The ability to assess and act effectively at decision points startups face is a real skill, and the more you can expose yourself to the thought process behind these decisions, the better.

At this stage in my entrepreneurial career, I get more than I give at these meetings.  One day I hope to be in a position to repay this generosity by sharing my experience with new founders in a similar setting. 

Mar 31, 2014

A Fresh Start

I’ve been blogging, on and off, since 2003.  Each time I’ve migrated platforms I’ve brought my archive with me.  This time I’m trying something different.

print("Hello, World!")
About
Fred Stutzman Subscribe via RSS.