Innovation at the Intersection: Startup-Corporate Partnerships

Innovation is essential for any business that wants to stay competitive and relevant in today's rapidly changing market. However, innovation is challenging, especially for large corporations facing bureaucracy, risk aversion, silos, and inertia. That's why many corporates are looking for ways to collaborate with startups, which are often more agile, creative, and disruptive. A startup … Continue reading Innovation at the Intersection: Startup-Corporate Partnerships

Maximizing the Value of Startup Mentors & Advisors

Startup founders often seek advice for a variety of reasons. By tapping into the expertise of various individuals, they gain valuable insight and advice on navigating the challenges and uncertainty of starting and growing a business. In addition, founders gain support and encouragement as they work to bring their ideas to life and overcome obstacles. … Continue reading Maximizing the Value of Startup Mentors & Advisors

Selecting a Legal Structure for Your Startup

Entrepreneurs can quickly become overwhelmed by the many actions required to establish their new venture as a legal entity that meets all local and federal regulations. In many countries, the regulatory hurdles can be a barrier to entry in their own right. While there are several actions to take when starting a new company, I … Continue reading Selecting a Legal Structure for Your Startup

The Reading Deck: Early Business Plan Document

No idea or company attracts resources to help it grow unless the entrepreneur can communicate the opportunity clearly to potential stakeholders, whether they are investors, bank loan officers, corporate partners, acquirers, suppliers, or employees. Over the years, I have worked with thousands of startup founders and teams and have honed in on a suite of … Continue reading The Reading Deck: Early Business Plan Document

Intellectual Property | Trademark Strategy for Startups

As a new semester begins, I have a new wave of startups looking for guidance in many aspects of business model formation, strategic planning, and project execution. However, one area that causes founders a lot of anxiety is their venture's naming. The challenges typically fall into two categories; either the founder can't come up with … Continue reading Intellectual Property | Trademark Strategy for Startups

IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.3): On Culture

In this final post on the IDEO Shopping Cart Video, I will explore the firm's depiction of its corporate culture. Creating a culture that breeds innovation is a significant theme of the video, and there are many prescriptions regarding specific corporate policies and practices. Finally, I will explore which of these practices hold up in … Continue reading IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.3): On Culture

IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.1): On Diversity

In an earlier post, I outlined some of the fundamental aspects of design thinking and how it supported the new venture realization process. For the following three articles, I want to look at the famous (and possibly infamous) IDEO Shopping Cart design video to answer one question - Are the lessons derived from this archival document … Continue reading IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.1): On Diversity

Is it Time for a Tech Co-Founder?

A few weeks ago, the director of the Columbia Business School's Lang Center for Entrepreneurship mentioned to me that the most asked question by our MBA students is the following: When is the right time to bring on a tech co-founder? So let me outline a few considerations as a response to this question. As … Continue reading Is it Time for a Tech Co-Founder?