Many people, companies, and organizations are trying to protect the past at any cost. We see this regularly in business as the incumbent vs. innovator fight, but I think it’s more profound than that. It’s literally a difference in point of view.
—Brad Feld
If the crisis lasts moments, rapid action is critical. But if it’s simply the beginning of a broader issue, especially one where the root cause isn’t known yet, the worst thing a leader can do is act immediately.
—Brad Feld
Accepting that part of the process of writing is deleting a lot of what you write is soothing, at least to me.
—Brad Feld
It’s actually not possible to spend 100% of your energy on your venture. Begin by realizing that as a human you have to sleep, so at least some percentage of the time will be spent ‘resting’. If you want to go deeper on this thread, you have to eat also. Once you start to understand this, then you quickly realize that to sustain an intense work pace over a long period of time, you need to nourish ‘yourself’ separate from your venture, whether this means exercise, a relationship, or something else.
—Brad Feld
Don’t be afraid to have a big vision, but make sure it’s a clear one.
—Brad Feld
Startups are about testing theories and quickly pivoting based on feedback and data. Only through hundreds of small—and sometimes large—adjustments does the seemingly overnight success emerge.
—Brad Feld
It’s the ride that counts.
—Brad Feld
This is something I’ve struggled with a lot: how to relate to the fear in a constructive way. It’s not that you eliminate the fear. We have all the fears. That’s natural; that’s human beings. But how do you deal with the fears, how do you engage with your fears in a way that’s productive?
—Brad Feld
As a company grows from 25 to 50 to 100 to 200 to 500 to 1000 people, the characteristics of who is the very best talent in leadership roles will change. It’s rarely the case that your leadership team at 1000 people is the same leadership team you had at 25 people.
—Brad Feld
Quit what you suck at.
—Brad Feld
A typical leader has – a natural tendency is to be defensive in the face of a crisis. The first reaction is to blame someone – or something – else. Often, the blame is aimed at something abstract or non-controllable, which often has nothing to do with the crisis but is adjacent to whatever is going on, so it’s an easy target.
—Brad Feld
Repeat after me: “There is a very limited amount of easy money.”
—Brad Feld
For those trying to protect the past, it is a way of retaining power, status, money, a way a life, predictability, comfort, control, and a bunch of other things like that. It is a struggle against the inevitability of change.
—Brad Feld
Money is a tool—know how much is enough.
—Brad Feld
In my worldview, the best leaders understand that failure is an integral part of things. The cliche ‘fail fast’ is one of my favorites. When things aren’t working, deal with it. Another is the famous line from Atlas Shrugged ‘Nobody stays here by faking reality in any manner whatever.’ Denying that failure is part of our existence is akin to faking reality. While I accept ‘the experience of failure’ feels ‘negative/crappy/depressing/hard/sucky’, I don’t believe that ‘failure is bad.’ Deal with it, learn from it, pick yourself up, and try again.
—Brad Feld
Failure is sometimes the best option if you view the process of entrepreneurship as a lifelong journey.
—Brad Feld
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- John Kotter American Management Consultant
- Amar Bose American Entrepreneur
- Peter Senge American Management Consultant
- Nitin Nohria Indian-American Academic
- Warren Bennis American Management Consultant
- George P. Shultz American Economist
- Jon Kabat-Zinn American Meditation Teacher, Writer
- Kofi Annan Ghanaian International Diplomat
- Wally Amos American Entrepreneur
- Seth Godin American Entrepreneur
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