Newsletter from
Adam McGowan
Entrepreneurship
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5-4-3-2-1 Countdown for Entrepreneurs (12/9/21)
5
Meditations for busy founders
Here’s sage advice from one of my favorite books, Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher:
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?... Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
“Never value anything as profitable that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.”
“Here is a rule to remember in the future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not ‘This is misfortune,’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.’”
“Give your heart to the trade you have learnt and draw refreshment from it.”
4
Entrepreneurs who are changing the world
Jessica Lynch is CEO and Founder of Wishroute, which helps wellness companies increase engagement through AI-enhanced, human text message conversations with their users, helping them build healthy habits and maintain their motivation.
Angela Ruggiero is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, a technology-powered market research firm empowering industry-leading sports brands to identify the trends, products and services that will fuel the future of sports.
Joe Mechlinski, Founder and CEO of SHIFT, wants to change the way we work. At SHIFT, a tech-enabled management consulting firm nationally recognized as a ‘Best Workplace,’ he helps leaders and organizations disrupt outdated norms, build engaged workforces, and use technology to unlock human potential.
Nell Meosky Luo is the founder and CEO of Folia Health, where they harness the power of patients and family caregivers to realize the potential of precision care. Prior to joining the crazy world of startups, Nell worked as a management consultant for organizations in the healthcare, B2B software, and consumer goods sectors, among others.
3
Risks to being risk-averse
"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."
– Soren Kierkegaard
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go."
– T.S. Eliot
"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
2
Ways you can help startups
Introduce an early-stage venture to The Startup Coalition. Through its events, pitch reviews, networking opportunities, the Coalition is helping startups find sustained success. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them for you, as I recently took on the role of Executive Director.
Support new founders by sharing analysis and advice, like this article from Harvard Business Review, “Building a Startup That Will Last” by Hemant Taneja and Ken Chenault.
1
Conversation with a business growth coach
Bill Flynn has studied the science of success for thirty years. In this 30-minute interview, we discuss some of the important lessons he’s learned about startups, strategy, selling, and scaling.
Stay safe, stay happy, stay in touch!
Adam
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5-4-3-2-1 Countdown for Entrepreneurs (11/10/21)
5
Ventures that are pioneering
Here are five early-stage companies that are innovative and empowering:
Vantage Ventures partners with fearless and relentless problem-solvers to build high impact, scalable companies.
Flype offers retailers and e-commerce sites a same day delivery service at a cost lower than that of standard delivery.
Squark is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that enables AI prediction in an easy, online app to help business users uncover customer insights.
Qatch is a tapback-driven SMS shopping platform for women that scours the internet to share fashion suggestions via text.
Wabbi’s Continuous Security platform integrates with existing development workflows to ensure both security and agility.
4
Constituencies great founders faithfully serve
Read my take on why founders of ventures must earn the trust and keep the confidence of four audiences: customers, team, investors, allies.
3
Insights for entrepreneurial success
“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”
– Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Twitter
“Hire character. Train skill.”
– Peter Schultz, founder and director of GNF
“The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says ‘Go!’ A leader says, ‘Let’s go!’.”
– E. M. Kelly, U.S Army
2
Lists to add to your reading list
"The 37 Best Business Articles Every Entrepreneur Should Read" by Georgia McIntyre
"12 Time Management Mistakes that Set You Up for Failure" by John Rampton
1
Story of a startup
“When a couple of Chicago software developers working on lookup searches for Apartments.com got sick of calling restaurants in search of takeout food for dinner, the light bulb went off: Why isn’t there a one-stop shop for food delivery? That’s when Matt Maloney and Mike Evans decided to start GrubHub, which went public last April [of 2014] and is now valued at more than $3 billion.”
– Story by Steve Tobak in Entrepreneur
Stay safe, stay happy, stay in touch!
Adam
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5-4-3-2-1 Countdown for Entrepreneurs (10/6/21)
5
Resources for founders
I like to share links that entrepreneurs may find useful. Here are 5 such resources:
Learning to code: Launch Academy.
Getting graphic design when you can't afford a pro: Canva.
Picking up quality advice from a VC: First Round Review.
Getting a gig done on the cheap: Fiverr.
Making organizational psychology interesting: Worklife Podcast.
4
Book recommendations
The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman, helps us appreciate that with the right design, greatness can come in simple forms.
Give and Take, by Adam Grant, reminds us to look out for others and ourselves at the same time.
The Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick, explains how to collect feedback that is actually true.
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, provides timeless wisdom for work and life.
3
”Simple Things” to start a business
Read my compilation of insights from successful entrepreneurs on products, customers, and ambition.
2
”How-not-to” commentaries
Read my advice for avoiding “Costly mistakes in building a team” and “Costly Mistakes when raising funds”.
1
Vision for developing tech products
“Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect.”
– Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter
Stay safe, stay happy, stay in touch!
Adam
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5-4-3-2-1 Countdown for Entrepreneurs (9/8/21)
5
Keys to successful entrepreneurship
In this essay, I explain what is essential for startup success. I also note personal traits that most successful founders have in common.
4
Resources for startups
I like to share links that help entrepreneurs explore opportunities and find allies. Here are 4 such resources:
The Startup Coalition
3
Conversations with experts
“The challenge of raising funds”
Read my interview with Liz Cain, venture capital expert.
“Building teams & startup dreams”
Watch my chat with Mark Hutchins, entrepreneur coach.
“Keys to an entrepreneur’s success”
See my podcast interview by Liza Florida, host of Eight Billion Project.
2
Quotes that inspire founders
“Business isn’t some disembodied bloodless enterprise. Profit is fine, a sign that the customer honors the value of what we do. But ‘enterprise’ (a lovely word) is about heart. About beauty. It’s about art. About people throwing themselves on the line. It’s about passion and the selfless pursuit of an ideal.”
-Tom Peters, author of “In Search of Excellence”
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-Mark Twain
1
checklist for avoiding mistakes in product development
Here’s some of my best how-NOT-to advice: “Common mistakes in developing tech products.”
Stay safe, stay happy, stay in touch!
Adam
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