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Take Tiny Steps to Create a Culture of Innovation CEOs often ask how they can begin to build a culture of innovation. My response is that it is best to take baby steps….  Start by beginning to change the behavior of the top leadership and this will eventually permeate the…

So, You Want to Innovate?  A 3-Phased Approach As a CEO, once you determine your company is ready and should begin the process of innovation, the question is …. Now what? A 3-phased approach to innovation I recommend you implement a 3-phased approach to your innovation journey.   This allows you…

Is Competition Bad for Your Company? Most of us were raised believing competition is good.  In school,we were taught that competition is a pillar of capitalism. It is true that from a consumer perspective, competition can be advantageous in helping to drive down costs, improve customer service and improve quality.…

Is Your Company Ready to Innovate? A Quick Test One reoccurring question I field from CEOs is,  “When is the right time to divert resources away from the core business and begin to focus on innovation?” This is a great question and one that every CEO should consider before investing significant…

Innovation Starts with the CEO  The CEO has a tough job when it relates to Innovation.   The CEO must balance both near-term and long-term company objectives. In most companies, the resources are focused on hitting monthly and quarterly goals.  This makes it extremely difficult for the CEO to balance longer-term…

Why Companies Get Disrupted Let’s face it… Great companies get disrupted all the time. When I refer to Business Disruption, I mean an innovation that eventually disrupts an existing market, displacing established market-leading firms and products. Examples of disrupted companies include Sears, Kodak, and Blockbuster. They were all high-profile brands…

Positioning Your Company to Handle Disruption Business Disruption is caused by innovative changes in the marketplace, and all companies, at some point, are going to be impacted by it. When I refer to Business Disruption, I mean an innovation that eventually disrupts an existing market, displacing established market-leading firms and…

I Would Love Your Thoughts On This… These seven simple words can often be the magic words for an entrepreneur in those early days of launching a start-up.  For me, they’ve become something of a mantra. Simply asking “I would love your thoughts on this…” has helped me raise angel…

Your Startup Needs Side and Rear-view Mirrors Falling in love with ideas in a startup is easy. I’ve attended countless meetings where ideas are tossed around based on unproven market and technology assumptions. Excitement escalates and, in the heat of the moment, the team grasps one of the ideas and…

Want Financing?  Sounds Crazy, but Make the Investor Feel Insecure Fundraising becomes a necessity any time an entrepreneur needs money to launch a business.  Raising money certainly isn’t a fun experience for anybody, but fundraising is a process that helps entrepreneurs improve their pitch and fine-tune their business model.  In…