June 2012
1 post
4 tags
“You can be so bad at so many things… and as long as you stay focused on how...”
– Mark Zuckerberg
May 2012
8 posts
4 tags
What a VC is Really Thinking when Turning Down...
Yesterday, my post went live on VentureBeat discussing the top 25 ways your startup will be turned down during fundraising.
Most times, however, what an investor says is just scratching the surface of how he/she truly feels when declining to move forward with your company. Many more factors are inputs into their decision process (that have absolutely nothing to do with you or your company)...
9 tags
Business Attire Hack: Use Cotton Swabs as Shirt...
Okay, I don’t think that I’m alone here. I was just on a business trip to DC where I had to do an important pitch presentation about ShopWell at a big nutrition conference. I landed, got to my hotel, laid out my clothes (to iron in the morning), and went to bed.
When I got up, I brushed my teeth, took my shower, and began ironing. When I finished, I realized that I had no shirt...
“Credit can only be given, not taken.”
– Jack Witlin
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25 Ways Your Startup Will Get Turned Down By...
If You Aren’t Getting Rejected on a Daily Basis, Your Ideas Aren’t Ambitious Enough.
After speaking with a number of fellow “Hustlers” (fellow fundraising CEOs), I was able to amass an awesome list of classic messages people have received from investors after initial contact or initial pitch. As the title implies, below are 25 ways people get rejected from investors.
...
6 tags
So...When is the Best Time to Pitch an Investor...
I saw this question on Quora, and had to answer it. But before I begin, how about a classic shot from the oh-so-realistic show Shark Tank on ABC (since this is EXACTLY how venture pitches go).
About Timing
I have found that my best pitches were less of a “pitch” and more of a “conversation”. These more conversational pitches have tended to be during lunch or at the...
4 tags
Turn an Old Brick Phone into a Bluetooth Headset...
Over the years, I have done a number of fun projects as a designer. This one, in particular, I think is a lot of fun and it is fairly doable with a little patience. I posted this several years ago on my old Grooveking.com blog (RIP). I thought I would bring it back for good times with some minor updates. “The Classic Brick Phone”
Okay, I think I got your attention! Remember...
“The best startups are like cockroaches. They adapt, evolve, survive, and...”
6 tags
February 2012
2 posts
Zuckerberg's 5 core "Hacker Way" values
Focus on impact: “If we want to have the biggest impact, the best way to do this is to make sure we always focus on solving the most important problems. It sounds simple, but we think most companies do this poorly and waste a lot of time. We expect everyone at Facebook to be good at finding the biggest problems to work on.”
Move fast: ”Moving fast enables us to build more...
January 2012
1 post
3 tags
WatchBrian Witlin’s ShopWell Demo at Health 2.0 in San Diego.
November 2011
1 post
October 2011
1 post
3 tags
“Don’t mistake a clear view for a short distance”
– Kevin Kelley, Blogger
August 2011
9 posts
5 tags
6 tags
Obsessed with Lytro
I love disruptive innovation. I also love when Stanford Grads come up with something that truly changes how we think about things. Google took the leap to effectively crawl the internet to create the best search engine out there. The Lytro folks have re-thought the idea of a camera.
Many people, including myself, take great pride in our pictures. I continue to enjoy shots with my digital...
1 tag
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
– Winston Churchill
4 tags
Interview With Craig Diamond, Founder of Diamond...
AS mentioned in my previous posts, I enjoy building entrepreneurs as much as I enjoy building startups. Below is a great interview with Craig Diamond of Diamond MMA. I have been working with him for the last two years getting his business off the ground.
Craig talks about his company and being featured during UFC 133 when Joe Rogan mentioned his company during multiple time-outs.
...
5 tags
1 tag
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
– Theadore Roosevelt, 26th president of US (1858 - 1919)
July 2011
3 posts
“Some people like building startups. I think that is fun too. I also enjoy...”
New Fine Art Experimentation
I have been playing around with some new techniques to improve my painting/design skills. In the three images, note the use of lower intensity colors. I still love achieving a mood while limiting the necessary detail. These are all still works in progress. I will post updates as I finalize the designs.
“Optimists make lemonade out of lemons. Entrepreneurs make lemonade out of lemon...”
June 2011
3 posts
5 tags
WatchThis video illustrates two start-up guys throwing around random web marketing buzz words. Super hilarious…but makes me feel a little bad for the guys who have to listen to pitches like this all day long.
3 tags
Will Price: Learning How to Sell - Premature... →
Some great excerpts from Will Price on selling from a startup perspective from Sandler’s Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them:
Rule 2: Don’t Spill Your Candy in the Lobby
This rule is classic - “have you ever shared too much information, too soon?” In my rush to prove my credibility and the value of my product, I often jump right into an overview...
Cirrata Lamp by Markus Johansson | Hypebeast →
An absolutely stunning display of originality from both a form and material perspective. The Cirrata Lamp by Markus Johannson truly challenges what is possible to be made from Corian while challenging the form factor of the lamp.
May 2011
3 posts
Factual Blog » Blog Archive » If It Walks Like an... →
2 tags
“You know your an entrepreneur when you steal office supplies from home and bring...”
3 tags
April 2011
10 posts
2 tags
“Whoever said that being an entrepreneur was glamorous must not have been an...”
3 tags
“You’ve either started a company or you haven’t. ”Started” doesn’t mean joining...”
– Chris Dixon - Founder @ Hunch, Founder Collective, SiteAdvisor
The 100 Rules For Being An Entrepreneur →
This is an incredible post on the top 100 rules for being an entrepreneur. Some of these rules are chillingly “on”. Thanks to Andy Johns for bringing this post to my attention.
6 tags
My Presentation on Applied Startup Metrics on...
View more presentations from Brian Witlin
2 tags
“Launch Early Enough To Be Embarrassed By Your Creation. You’ll probably be wrong...”
– Reid Hoffman - Founder of LinkedIn and Renowned Angel Investor
The Ultimate Web Cash Flowchart | Fast Company →
Below is Fast Company’s complete guide to getting ridiculously rich (quick!) with a Web-based business. Or at least a neato infographic from the author of “Everything Explained Through Flowcharts.” This is one of the most funny/true visualizations I have ever seen.
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“Most entrepreneurs I know do it because they want to, not just to get rich.”
– Simon Woodroffe
1 tag
“Regret is a virus. Inspired forward thinking is the antidote.”
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“At the foundation of every great entrepreneur is some degree of irrational...”
– Me :) - Brian Witlin
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What’s The Most Difficult CEO Skill? Managing Your... →
It’s fucked up when your mind’s playin’ tricks on ya” —The Geto Boys
By far the most difficult skill for me to learn as CEO was the ability to manage my own psychology. Organizational design, process design, metrics, hiring and firing were all relatively straightforward skills to master compared to keeping my mind in check. Over the years, I’ve spoken to hundreds of CEOs all with the same...
March 2011
21 posts
4 tags
How Great Entrepreneurs Think →
Think inside the (restless, curious, eager) minds of highly accomplished company builders.
Although I don’t know if I completely agree with the findings, a clever post by Inc. Worth the read.
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“It’s a scary realization, that as an entrepreneur, the most relaxed you feel is...”
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Color CEO: The Tech Justifies the $41 Million →
Last night, an app called Color hit the app stores for both iOS and Android. It made a big splash for a number of reasons, not the least of which being its $41 million prelaunch funding. It has all-star founders who have an impressive track record. It launched days after, instead of before, uber tech conference SXSW. It can be a terrible experience for first-time users and it can appear...
3 tags
“If you aren’t getting rejected on a daily basis, your goals aren’t ambitious...”
– Chris Dixon - Founder @ Hunch, Founder Collective, SiteAdvisor
