Innovation is messy. There’s nothing predictable about it. I’ve been too early three times in my time as an entrepreneur. Either the market wasn’t ready, the technology needed to evolve more, or the market didn’t exist. Underpinning all three scenarios was timing. When I had my affective computing startup, Netek, I remember telling my team that we were too early and we might not make it because of it.
Tag Archives: entrepreneurship
Bet On Inevitable Trends
Whether you’re doing more of the same, innovating incrementally or radically, there are no safe bets when it comes to entrepreneurship. It’s easy to follow along and just do what others are doing because you don’t want to stay behind. But remember one thing: Innovators are the early adapters.
Leadership: It Starts With You
“It was her fault”, said the Head of Planning for a mid-size manufacturing company I consulted for. The company was not meeting output results and one of the owners took a deep dive to find out why and found there was an unaccounted-for product that was missing from the planner’s reports.
10 Ways To Kill Team Culture
It’s the culture stupid! Culture matters whether you’re a small, medium, or large company. It matters because it helps attract and retain talent, motivates employees, improves customer experience, promotes collaboration and teamwork, and provides a competitive advantage when harnessed effectively.
How Not To Determine Whether Or Not An Idea is Worth Doing
“I’m not sure about this idea anymore.” Why? I asked. “Because I talked to two potential customers and they don’t seem interested”, she answered. This was a conversation I had with a friend who wants to find out whether or not an idea she has, a need she has, is worth pursuing.
When You’re In A Hole Focus On Solving Problems
We all go through it—rough patches, bumps on the road, times when nothing works as we’d like it to. Your business is failing, a deal falls through, and a key partnership doesn’t work out, you lose sight of the end goal and overspend on a key initiative. It happens. Sometimes we dig a hole we can’t seem to get out of and keep digging!
40 Questions To Help You Stimulate Disruptive Thinking And Inspire Bold Action
Most brainstorming sessions suck! Why? Because they inspire creative thinking, challenge the status quo, and inspire bold action. The solution isn’t just bringing in outsiders who don’t think and act like you. It’s to ask provocative questions that drive your brainstorming efforts.