Today is a big day for the economy. And, it made me think of start-ups, trend-spotting and entrepreneurs. But, bear with me as I explain. It was announced today that housing prices are back on the rise, and the stock market has rallied strongly. I looked at the data and was surprised to find this: the
Lessons Learned from Matt Lauzon
I recently saw the video below and found it incredibly refreshing, honest and super-helpful. It’s Matt Lauzon talking about lessons learned from his start-up, Gemvara. Matt is very honest about what went well and what didn’t. If you have 20 minutes, it’s well worth watching. Matt, I wish you only the best as you target
My Greatest Personal Fear
At Sheryl Sandberg’s talk the other week, she asked the audience a question from her book: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” It’s a great question, and one about which I’ve been thinking since. Am I afraid? If so, of what am I afraid? Coincidentally, a friend of mine, Anne Cooke Mitchell, is
Re-post: My Mother and Her Shoeboxes
(This is a re-post of a blog entry I wrote a year ago): This is a hard post to write. Today is May 12. It is the day of my mother’s birthday. She also died, at age 60, on May 12. That day also happened to be Mother’s Day. It was a difficult day with
To Single Parents Everywhere
I’m home alone with the children this weekend, as my wife is out of town. What I thought was seasonal allergies has instead become a full-blown cold. I don’t feel well at all. I’ve cancelled one of the kids’ weekend activities, but I will still be driving them around to some sports lessons this morning
‘Orthogonal’ Thinking and ‘Going Nuclear’ as a VC
One of our investors recently mentioned to me the difference between “orthogonal” and “linear” thinking. By the former, I think of it as: multi-dimensional, creative, having disruptive potential. By the latter, I think of: logical, incremental, thoughtful (but almost obvious). I think entrepreneurs are predominantly orthogonal thinkers. My partners and I often mention how entrepreneurs