Entrepreneurship

Articles, publications, essays, and more

Entrepreneurship , People

How to Spot Untrustworthy Leaders

In a recent post on startup ethics, I emphasized the fact that employee equity is an investment like any other, and it is unethical for insiders (CEOs, select investors, etc.) to structure deals in order to screw employees out of their equity shares. I also hypothesised that character traits...

December 16, 2011July 7, 2017

Entrepreneurship

The Worst Enemy of Student Entrepreneurship

I advocate a lot for student entrepreneurship because I think it is a unique way to have a real world impact and learn some really valuable skills before you are in full on career mode. I have explored in other posts some of the strategies for being a student...

December 13, 2011July 7, 2017

Entrepreneurship , People

Why Employee Equity is an Investment like Any Other: Entrepreneurship and ethics

There’s been a flurry of articles and a Hacker News Poll, highlighting entrepreneurs who despite, or maybe because of their success, turn around and screw their employees, collaborators, partners. Just look at the last few big deals this year: Zynga and its CEO (personally worth billions at the expected...

December 8, 2011July 7, 2017

Entrepreneurship , Tech Entrepreneurship

Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship: Different processes, different people

Invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship are words frequently thrown around by politicians, theorists, and entrepreneurs alike to generally describe the act of bringing a product or idea into the world. While easy to confuse, each concept is distinct and requires specific skills. When it’s time to choose the right...

October 25, 2011July 7, 2017

Entrepreneurship , Tech Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a Profession, Not a Cool Pastime

While traveling in the Valley I had a chance to catch up with a few local entrepreneurs and accelerators. Many of them are doing interesting work, but I noticed a disturbing trend: entrepreneurship has become “cool” for a whole generation. As a an entrepreneur who had gone through several...

October 18, 2011July 4, 2017

Entrepreneurship

Five Essential Courses for Technology Entrepreneurs

Five Essential Courses for Technology Entrepreneurs Students who are interested in technology entrepreneurship are likely taking plenty of engineering, physical sciences, or computer science courses. But there are a few non-technical courses that I would strongly recommend to anybody aspiring to be an entrepreneur. Even as a technical founder,...

September 27, 2011July 7, 2017

Entrepreneurship

Setting a Meeting on Fire

A few years ago, during my first start-up adventures at Sunnybrook Technologies, a prototype fire taught me two important tech entrepreneur lessons: 1. Good entrepreneurs don’t panic. 2. Adversity is an opportunity, not a problem. We had just finished the first prototype of what would become the world’s first...

September 14, 2011July 4, 2017

Entrepreneurship

5 Guidelines to Evaluate Accelerator Programs

For the last month I had three people independently ask me for advice on selecting (Web2.0) Accelerators. Two of them were student entrepreneurs contemplating their first venture. All where attracted by the Accelerators promise to kick-start their business but a bit confused by the choices between different Accelerator programs. Students, inventors...

September 6, 2011July 4, 2017

Entrepreneurship

MBA or PhD – Picking the right degree as a University Entrepreneur

A lot of undergraduate students ask me whether they should pursue an MBA or a technical PhD as a foundation of their entrepreneurial career. I have pursued both at some point, and frequently meet (and invest in) entrepreneurs with both degrees. Each has advantages but overall I’d recommend a...

August 1, 2011July 13, 2017

Entrepreneurship

5 Strategies for a Successful Entrepreneurial Life

There are many ways to define success. I didn’t start in a mud hut and I am not Bill Gates. Still, the first decade of my entrepreneurial career can, I think, be described as going from a fairly basic start* to success as a technology entrepreneur**. The following five...

July 27, 2011July 13, 2017