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Showing posts from April, 2015

Startupville: Would you tell a single dad he needs a mom for his kid?

If you would, I've got news for you, he already knows, and what you said was futile. Just as the single father already knows his child would benefit from a Mom and telling him won't help, it's not helpful to tell a founder he needs a partner. Like a single father, a Solopreneur knows the benefits of a partner are huge, but is wary of settling on the wrong partner. Having a partner who wouldn't cherish their baby through thick and thin, is far worse then going through the same think and thin alone.

Startupville: The three founders - Hustlers, Hackers and Hookers

To run a startup you need three personas represented by your founders:Hustlers, Hackers and Hookers. The hustler is the founder who can breaks down doors, she unlocks segments, captures funding, she's makes sure the startup engine never stalls for lack of leads or funding. The hacker is the founder who builds it. She is a McGyver and can build anything quickly. When there's a technical problem she can get it duct taped and bubbled gummed back up in giffy to keep the technical side of the business running. The hooker, often called a designer,  is the least known of the founder personas, but possibly the most valuable. His job is to love the customers. He listens to the customers emphatically and deeply understands what customers need,  even when the customer can't describe it.  This founder figures what should be built, how it should work. what it should look like, all within the constrains of the business model and technology. Often startups don't have dedicated