If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!During my 25 years working with early stage technology CEOs, I have found myself referring to the make it- or break-it characteristics that lead a CEO to succeed or fail, separate from market conditions, capital conditions and other external factors, [...]

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Since I own a communications agency, you may question whether or not I condone such a practice. Believe it or not, I do. I have seen many small, entrepreneurial companies implement their own public relations programs initially. Then, as they grew, expanded, and sometimes went public, they required the outside assistance of an agency. So [...]

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I stepped into another world the other day – a place where there are no words for numbers higher than 3 or 4, a world with a simple god but no religion, with time but no calendars, a tribe with customs but no laws, a world of primitive peace, singing, dancing, storytelling and rational priorities. [...]

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Behaving with impeccable manners is one of your strongest strategies. It builds and sustains your reputation, which as an entrepreneur or a consultant is your most valued asset. Your reputation precedes you in all new introductions, with prospective clients, and with existing clients and colleagues who speak of you.
There is great power in excellent manners. [...]

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Building life long loyal customers is difficult and complex. But the measurement of it can be easy. Fred Reichheld says that it comes down to one question - what is your Net-Promoter Score?
A company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) is based on the fundamental perspective that every company’s customers can be divided into three categories: Promoters, [...]

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The Chinese New Year arrived late this year, and fell on our Valentines Day, February 14th 2010. Year of the Metal Tiger, this day heralds, “For all affairs, great good luck!”
I have a long connection to Chinese culture (from early exposure to the iChing to building a company in Shanghai in the 1990s), and [...]

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During this long recession, getting paid can be tricky, especially if you are an outsider, or if you have lost your status as an employee, and have been hired back as a contractor (part time or full time).
Established consultants understand about getting paid (or not), but those new to the game, or employees currently being [...]

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For Citibank customers and millions of other consumers who enjoy the convenience of online banking, a headline was alarming.
The Wall Street Journal headline: “FBI Probes Hack at Citibank – Russian Cyber Gang Suspected of Stealing Tens of Millions; Bank Denies Breach.”
The article on December 22, 2009 was the last we’ve seen about the Citibank situation. [...]

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We are at a moment in technology development when the infrastructure (of the computer and the Internet) is ubiquitous, and the platforms for development are stable. This creates an abundance of new ideas, applications, and technology.
I’ve been listening at gatherings and meetings, hearing a lot about what venture capitalists are interested in, within the [...]

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