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Mentor Manifesto 18/18 - Have Empathy. Remember that startups are hard.

on Thu, 02/07/2019 - 02:14

This is the final post (18) of the Techstars Mentor Manifesto. As with item 17, Brad Feld let me complete the list with my own submission for this final item.

During one of the Techstars Boston cohorts where I’ve been Mentor-in-Residence, I worked with a 20-something CEO founder (code named Mary) who, shortly after raising a seed round of several million dollars, hired a high-powered exec, granting a significant equity option.

Mentor Manifesto 17/18 - Be Challenging/Robust but Never Destructive

on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 14:29

Brad Feld wrote 16 posts detailing each item of the Techstars Mentor Manifesto. However, there are 18 items in the manifesto and he never got around to writing the final two.

I prodded him several times; but after a year without the posts appearing from him, I volunteered to write them; and he has graciously accepted them for the final two installments.

This is item #17 of the Techstars Mentor Manifesto.


This item on the list might sound very similar to #4, “Be Direct. Tell the Truth, However Hard.” But, it’s different. This item (#17) has to do with you, not the companies.

You have been

Acquia's 10 year anniversary

on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 19:07

Starting small, building huge

This week marks ten years since I incorporated Acquia, the company that I count as the highest positive-impact business I’ve built. Yet, it wasn’t some incredible strategic, execution, or product skill on my part that made it happen; it is - of course - due to the people involved.

I often suggest to other founders that they thoughtfully identify the key things they need to do to reduce risk / create value in their companies, and put extra focus on those.

Angel Invest Boston podcast, with me and Saleh Daher

on Mon, 05/08/2017 - 18:31

I was recently invited by Sal Daher to be interviewed for his Angel Invest Boston podcast series. Sal's series invites various tech angel investors from around the city and asks them a variety of questions about their own background, how their background influences their investment, and about things they commonly see in, and suggest to startup founders.

I am pleased the resulting podcast turned out well. Listen here, or on Sal's website. The entire series is also available on iTunes and Google Play (though it doesn't launch on those services until 10 May.)

I hope you'll listen, and enjoy.

Krash won't crash

on Sat, 12/21/2013 - 20:57

I love what the team at Krash is doing. They're building a nice new version of cohousing.  Previously seen mostly in immediate-post-college, counterculture, and artist communities, Krash is targeting a new customer: founders / employees at (primarily infotech) startups.

The Krash facility is typically a place that can house a couple of dozen short-to-medium turm renters or more, with 2-3 single beds / room (including linen & cleaning service), multiple common kitchens, common living areas, and all the tech goodies that tech startup people need, from fast network to IdeaPaint walls and ping

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