It’s funny how often advice about startups can be applied to life itself. Take, for instance, Ben Horowitz’s THE HARD THING ABOUT HARD THINGS, which explores the inevitable challenges and difficulties of launching a startup. One thing that Horowitz observed is that the best CEOs are good advice-givers because they have experienced both success and failure. […]
Build a Better Company
The best, most enduring companies weren’t necessarily built on ironclad business plans. Industry leaders with staying power grew their companies around core principles that motivate customers to remain loyal to the brand, even as products change and services come and go. How can we learn from their success? Our Instaread on BUILT TO LAST provides […]
Weekend Wisdom – Let’s Make a Deal
The ability to negotiate is an essential business skill. But the art of compromise is surprisingly subtle—and sometimes the deal can stall. In GETTING TO YES, a classic book about negotiation, a team from Harvard makes a simple suggestion for when two sides are digging into opposing positions.Their advice? Work together to write and revise a […]
Get a Social Media Makeover
Are you savvy enough about social media marketing? Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk says that engagement—making conversation, having a laugh, and soliciting opinions—is more important than your sales pitch, and that this social media micro-content should be tailored for each distinct platform. Here are two key insights from our latest release, JAB, JAB, JAB, RIGHT HOOK. Key Insight […]
Weekend Wisdom – The Advantage of Being Broke
Why do eight out of ten entrepreneurs fail within the first 18 months? According to Daymond John, an investor on “Shark Tank,” a big factor is money. Too much money, that is—not too little.John says that overfunded entrepreneurs tend to buy their way out of problems and challenges that would have forced workarounds and on-the-job […]
The Cult of Musk
Richard Branson crosses oceans in hot-air balloons. Peter Thiel planned an elaborate conspiracy fronted by Hulk Hogan. Mark Zuckerberg has a profoundly strange haircut. But even by the standards set by other billionaires, Elon Musk stands out as eccentric. With his own fan club (the Musketeers) and a dream to die on Mars, Musk frequently […]
Weekend Wisdom – Elicit Everyone’s Best
Theories about teamwork management often involve thinking of the group as cohesive entity. And to be sure, how a group works together is important to the team’s success. But in HIGH OUTPUT MANAGEMENT, co-founder and longtime leader at Intel Andrew Grove points out that the best managers don’t treat the team as a group. Instead, each […]
Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Sure, some people become millionaires with dramatic business moves or by winning the lottery. But more often, people get rich by putting one foot in front of another and making the right choices on a consistent basis. For anyone who’s dreaming about a seven-figure income, here are two top insights from MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS. Key Insight […]
Weekend Wisdom – Beyond the Comfort Zone
Like most animals, humans naturally dwell in their comfort zones. In extreme weather, it’s nice to stay at home. Lunch with an old friend feels easier than a meal with someone new. And we feel most capable when we’re doing familiar work over which we have a sense of mastery. When the opportunity arises, we […]
The Invisible Heart
You’ve probably heard that the market has an invisible hand. The person who coined that famous phrase was Adam Smith, the Scottish intellectual who invented the field of economics as we know it. But did you know that Smith also wrote a book about morality? His lesser-known classic THE THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS explores how […]
