What is the role of a CEO? The role of a CEO is really simple. It’s really two things. One is to set a clear direction or vision for where the company is going. And the second is executing behind that vision to make it a reality. The vision usually entails explaining how the company solves a problem or provides a great customer service or product. … Continue reading The Role of a CEO
Maintaining a work journal is an excellent way to track what you learn from your day-to-day experiences as a working professional. Continue reading Work Journaling
I just finished Annie Duke’s latest book, How to Decide. For those that don’t know who Annie Duke is, she rose to fame as a professional poker player in the United States having won over 4 million dollars during the course of her career. She stopped playing poker in 2012 and is now an author and successful consultant to businesses and entrepreneurs. The purpose of the book … Continue reading The Power of Negative Thinking
At the start of every new year, I am inevitably asked by someone if I have a New Year’s resolution. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making New Year’s resolutions, I just don’t usually don’t make them. When it comes to setting goals at the onset of the new year (or any time for that matter) I think it’s far more productive to 1). focus … Continue reading My Top 2 Tips for New Year Resolutions
My brother and I are about the same age and when we were younger, we often got in trouble together. We weren’t delinquents. I’m talking about kid-trouble like running in the house when we were told not to and we bumped into something and broke it. When our parents asked what happened we would never tell on each other. We never agreed beforehand that we … Continue reading Using Game Theory to Think More Critically
I listened to a podcast this week called What You Will Learn where the hosts were discussing Seth Godin’s book, The Dip. The Dip is a figurative location that describes a low point in your personal or professional life where you either give up or keep going. For any worthwhile endeavor, arriving at the dip is inevitable. The typical cycle begins with a strong start … Continue reading The Dip
Every year I like to read Byron Wien’s Top Ten (economic) Surprises for the year. I’ve written about Byron before, but for those who don’t know him, he is the Vice Chairman for Blackstone, a large wealth management firm with $554 billion in assets under management. While Byron’s list of economic surprises are interesting and helpful, I always find his “Life’s Lessons” commentary at the … Continue reading Life Lessons for the New Year
When Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics for the 100-meter sprint he did so at a time of 9.81 seconds. Justin Gatlin came in second at 9.89 seconds and the eighth-place finisher came in at 10.06 seconds. Usain Bolt is widely considered the best sprinter in the world, and justifiably so. He’s the first athlete to win gold in the 100-meter … Continue reading Gaining The Marginal Advantage in Today’s Competitive Environment
I had the opportunity to guest lecture to the Student Investment Fund class at Oklahoma State University this week. I was there to talk to the students about the venture capital industry and what I do as a partner at Spur Capital. I prepared a list of topics to discuss just in case the students were disengaged, but I was pleasantly surprised by their keen … Continue reading Give Back by Talking to Others About What You Do
I recently attended a conference for one of our fund managers and the keynote speaker was none other than Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and Co-Chair and Trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For the 0.0001% of you who may not know who Bill Gates is, he co-founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen and the two of them grew it to become … Continue reading Expanding Your Frame of Mind and Thinking Bigger
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