Category Archives: Uncategorized

Don’t live in Dilbert’s world

Posted on November 9, 2016 by

There are dozens of Dilbert cartoons that make fun of the sales guy. In Dilbert’s world, the logical engineer is king while the salespeople — and frankly all the other business people — are dolts. The transition from being an … Continue reading →

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Your Corporate DNA Evolves With Every Person That You Hire

Posted on September 17, 2016 by

Most of the founders at our incubator Ben Franklin TechVentures have not interviewed, selected or onboarded new employees prior to launching their startups. Having incubated more than 150 companies in 30-plus years, we’ve seen hundreds of successes and failures in … Continue reading →

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Entrepreneurship is about people, not things.

Posted on August 8, 2016 by

The post that follows was originally posted in the June edition of Keystone Edge. It is the second in a continuing series about what we at Ben Franklin Technology Partners and I personally have learned from over 150 incubator/accelerator clients. In … Continue reading →

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There Are No Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Posted on June 16, 2016 by

The post that follows was originally posted in the June edition of Keystone Edge. It is the first in a continuing series about what we at Ben Franklin Technology Partners and I personally have learned from over 150 incubator/accelerator clients. … Continue reading →

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Pitching Big or Pitching Small?

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

Ralph Kramden was always pitching BIG. There must be a dozen episodes in which he dreams up a new way to make a financial killing. And when he pitches those ideas to his pal Norton, or as in the picture, … Continue reading →

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Please Do Not Take This Advice

Posted on August 26, 2013 by

As a start up founder, you have a responsibility to yourself, your co-founders and your fledgling company to seek out the best advice you can about how to grow and manage your venture. I would advise you to not follow … Continue reading →

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The Search for Serendipity…And Why It Matters To Your Venture

Posted on June 10, 2013 by

I turn 48 this week and like most people passing from one year to the next, I find myself a bit nostalgic for the way things used to be.  One of the things I miss…a little at least…has gotten extremely … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary/Editorial, Entrepreneurial Advice, Just Kidding, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Entrepreneurial Quarks…the Elementary Particle of the American Economy

Posted on July 19, 2012 by

Some of you may have recently read about the Higgs boson particle and how its potentially confirmed existence would explain how anything with mass (ie, everything that exists) is built.  Some of you may have also recently read about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary/Editorial, Economic History Perspsective, Just Kidding, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Let Us Begin with the Beginning

Posted on June 19, 2012 by

And so, in conclusion, we project that our exit will occur on July 30, 2019. Perhaps the only aspect of your business’s future that is less certain than your 3rd year EBITDA, is the financial exit that you and your … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurial Advice, Tech Based Economic Development, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

We Better Define Success Before Declaring It

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

Ten years ago, in my office, I was fortunate to have observed an “A-HA!” moment that pops back into my head more than once in a while.  In my office was a very well known and successful venture capitalist and … Continue reading →

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