Income-Generating vs Non-Income Generating Activities

One of the lessons I learned early on in my career was the importance of distinguishing between “income-generating” activities and “non-income-generating” activities. Income-generating activities are activities that have the potential to generate revenue and non-income generating activities are activities that do not. No matter who you are or what field you work in, every business activity can be clearly delineated as one or the other.   … Continue reading Income-Generating vs Non-Income Generating Activities

My Thoughts on VC and Entrepreneurship- Podcast Edition

I had the opportunity to be interviewed in a podcast with Erika Lucas, co-founder of StitchCrew, an accelerator in Oklahoma City that works with early stage technology companies. The purpose of the interview was to share insights on how investors think and how entrepreneurs should prepare themselves when raising capital from investors. I want to give a shout out to Erika for the opportunity to … Continue reading My Thoughts on VC and Entrepreneurship- Podcast Edition

Book Review: The Startup MixTape

I recently reviewed a new book called The Startup MixTape written by a friend of mine, Elliott Adams. The book provides a comprehensive approach to the methods entrepreneurs use to start and grow successful companies. In my opinion, this book is perfect for anyone who is looking for an all-in-one summary of the steps involved with getting a new company off the ground. The book … Continue reading Book Review: The Startup MixTape

My Perspective on Hot Topics in Venture Capital, Part 3 – Valuations and Exits

In the last several weeks I have spent a lot of time thinking about the current environment of the venture capital industry. At a high level it may seem like an inefficient market because the flow of information is quasi-directional and there are only a handful of firms capable of tracking it. Be that as it may, those of us who rely on this information … Continue reading My Perspective on Hot Topics in Venture Capital, Part 3 – Valuations and Exits

Expanding Your Frame of Mind and Thinking Bigger

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

How Saying “No” Makes You and Everyone Around You Better

When I was in the seventh grade I had just started to develop an interest in sports and decided I needed to find a sport to play. I had never played organized sports before, so I decided I would keep an open mind and just start trying things out. The first sport I attempted to play was baseball. I had never played before so naturally … Continue reading How Saying “No” Makes You and Everyone Around You Better

The Art of War Series – Part I – “Preparation”

At the start of the new year I made a decision to formalize my reading practices by committing to read a minimum of one hour each day. So far it has been going great and I find that I’m reading a lot more than the minimum each day. I start reading at 6am and usually wrap up about 7:30am or 8am. I find it relaxing … Continue reading The Art of War Series – Part I – “Preparation”

Venture Capitalists Must Be Globally Minded

I attended an annual meeting this week in San Francisco for one of the venture capital funds in our portfolio and I came away very impressed with not only the content shared at the meeting but by the people I met there as well. There were investors there from all over the world including China, Spain, Canada, Israel, India, and several other countries. What I … Continue reading Venture Capitalists Must Be Globally Minded

Entrepreneurs Who Are Shooting For The Stars

I attended a conference this week in San Francisco and had the opportunity to briefly talk one-on-one with several entrepreneurs that are in my opinion “world-changers.” One of the first conversations I had was with Payam Banazadeh, CEO and founder of Capella Space. Capella Space has developed a miniature, cube-shaped satellite that provides hourly, reliable, and persistent imagery of any location on the globe delivered … Continue reading Entrepreneurs Who Are Shooting For The Stars

Starting Your Own Venture Investment Fund

The reason I started blogging was to contribute my small part to the entrepreneurial/venture capital ecosystem by sharing knowledge, insights, and experiences. I am not famous and I don’t know if I care to be. There are several individuals who have become widely known for their success and contribution to the ecosystem. People like Eric Ries who wrote the Lean Start-up; Ben Horowitz who wrote … Continue reading Starting Your Own Venture Investment Fund