I recently meet with Ara Kouchakdjian. His family’s story is incredible. it’s about grit and courage. So, I asked Ara to write a guest post. Here it is: All of us who work in early stage companies have learned the importance of persistence. For some, we learned it from a sports coach, for others it was a
Author: Jo Tango
Time Flies & British Ska Music
What ever happened to British ska music? It’s Saturday morning, too cold for fishing, and so, I’m home tying some fly fishing flies (photo at bottom). For some reason this week, I’ve had 1980s music on the brain. From Joy Division to New Order to Echo and the Bunnymen, it’s what I’m thinking about at
Finding a CEO Mentor
I had breakfast with one of our CEOs this morning. It’s a great way to talk about the company, and his career progression, in a relaxed environment. One thing he has done is brought on some CEO mentors to the Board. I’m a big fan of bringing “CEO coaches” to a Board, as I think
Treat Yourself
While I was driving to work this morning, I could easily typecast two types of drivers. One type is the person who lets you go first on a road narrowed by enormous snow drifts. They wave, and their attitude is “after you.” They look relaxed. The other looks pissed off. When they can slow
Day Dreaming about the Green River
There’s a “break” in the cold weather this weekend, with temps approaching nearly 40 degrees. I had planned to fly fish and enjoy a day off during the Feb. school vacation week. That’s not happening, as Mrs. T. has a cold. So, there’s plenty of shoveling and household chores to do. But, I can day
How to Find Your Passion in Life
I really enjoyed Fred Wilson’s post on “Finding Your Passion.” He chronicled how he found his way into VC right out of b-school and about his life partner’s strong role in that process. My journey took a lot longer. I tried different jobs, had a very support spouse as well, but it took me longer