Earlier this week, VentureBeat’s Chris O’Brien published a phenomenal article that explored online productivity app Evernote’s recent trials and tribulations. Back in 2013, Evernote was yet another Silicon Valley darling with a $1-billion-dollar valuation. Since that time, Evernote has struggled to generate profits and maintain its traction with users. Part of the issue, O’Brien argues, […]
It’s cliché to say that entrepreneurs wear many hats, but there’s no escaping truth. Entrepreneurs and business leaders have to balance the needs of business strategy and business execution alongside family and their personal needs. With so many aspects of life demanding equal attention, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. I know this feeling all too […]
One of my favorite quotes is W. Edwards Deming’s “In God we trust…All others must bring data.” For those that aren’t familiar, Demings was a management consultant who helped Japanese industry get back on its feet in the aftermath of World War II by introducing a revolutionary, data-driven approach to business. The phrase always makes […]
Nothing saddens me more than seeing people living their lives in quiet desperation, stuck in careers that are both uninspiring and unfulfilling. As James Taylor once said, “You can play the game and act out the part, even though you know it wasn’t written for you.” In the world of business, this tragic situation occurs […]
As with most things in life, managing compensation issues inside of a startup is all about balance. Whether determining your own salary or recruiting new hires, it’s vitally important to get it right. Compensation is an issue that I’ve struggled with constantly since starting BodeTree nearly five years ago. With each passing milestone there are […]
It’s difficult to read about the ongoing saga of Martin Shkreli, hedge fund founder and pharmaceutical CEO, without feeling the overwhelming need to take a shower. Shkreli first burst onto the scene earlier this year when his company Turing Pharmaceutical acquired the rights to the AIDS drug Daraprim and hiked the price of the medication […]
Among the many reasons that startups fail, a prevailing culture of obstinance and narrow-minded thinking is often to blame. In the male-dominated world of technology in particular, irrational commitment to a particular vision can blind founders and investors to glaring flaws in logic. To combat this, good leaders seek out a diversity of opinion in […]
I’ll be the first to admit that my company’s name is non-traditional, to say the least. The name BodeTree came from the story of the Bodhi Tree, where in the Buddha is said to have achieved total enlightenment. It’s a little out-there, especially for a Fintech company. However, I’ve found that there is much to […]
Entrepreneurship is an amazing journey, full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s such a rapid-fire experience that sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. There is so much value to be found in the totality of the experience, and it’s important for entrepreneurs to stop and take […]
Few athletes have become as popular as quickly as UFC fighter Ronda Rousey. I’m only casually familiar with Ultimate Fighting, but even I know about Rousey. A former Olympian, Rousey burst onto the UFC scene in November of 2012 and quickly became one of the most dominant athletes in all of sports. Rousey went into […]
