I've advised 40+ startups on hiring, org structure, and leadership, and excited to take a stab at this question. The key first is defining in more detail the role you need today and the role you aspire the company will need 12 months from now. Where do they intersect? What hard skills vs soft s...
Hi Sree, I saved your site as a pdf and have begun annotating it, let's schedule a call and we can go over a couple suggestions, all the best, Lee
Short Answer: Build a deep network. This is why network science is my primary focus and the top companies today Google, Amazon, Facebook, Linkedin are heavily leverage networks. There is no "contact here for partnerships" form for large diversified organizations. Unless it is a very specific pr...
I have extensive hands on experience in prototyping for startups using 3D printers, micron accuracy computer controlled milling machines, power tools, hand tools, etc. Here are some pointers: You can buy your own 3D printer (I'd recommend Afinia: http://afinia.com/), or you could send your CAD d...
There are various templates that you can find using a Google search. However, it is sometimes difficult for a founder with limited experience writing business plans to write a plan that is clear to outsiders - the founder is often too deep in the weeds. The first thing you need to do is be clea...
You should check out cool apps like Weave, Shapr and Sites like FounderDating (getting some traction). Attend pitch evening or networking evenings and breakfasts where many such candidates might be attending looking for their next great challenge or advice. Try to look for meet ups that are in ...
Congratulations on your new opportunity. For any business strategy to work, you must have the following: - A clear, articulable mission or objective - Buy-in from the entire group - Ownership from each member of the group - A system to measure the success of the strategy - A well-defined custom...
I think my advice here (https://clarity.fm/questions/3426/how-do-i-put-in-place-a-business-strategy-for-a-new-vertical) also applies to this question. To create a brand story, focus less on the brand and more on the story of your ideal customer. What do they struggle with? What problem are they...
In my experience, angel investors bring money but little else. There are exceptions (super angels, etc.), but most angels expect you to run the business, have the ideas, turn them into something profitable and figure out how to make it all work. If your investor has specific expertise in your...
Read my books at Amazon Books under Michael Von Irvin. Find something that you have a great deal of passion for that also as the potential for earning lots of money. This may not be what you end up doing, but you will learn. Start now, right this moment. Start before you make a plan, but write ou...