Pilots, partnerships, and case studies can elevate a startup to a no-name business to a tried-and-tested venture surrounded by a buffet of trusted logos. …

I feel like when I work with younger businesses, they think that venture capital is the Willy Wonka of startups. If you can get VC backing, boom — golden ticket. Don’t get me wrong, having financial backing can be critical to sustaining capital-intensive businesses or growing your venture, but to…

As a founder, you can do a lot — business accounts one minute, social media marketing the next, and then pitching over lunch. Entrepreneurship requires wearing many hats, but great entrepreneurs know when to ask for help. This is where the power of a mentor comes in. (And hopefully, I…

“I am not ready.” “Please give me a few to prepare.” “Give me two minutes to find my deck.” These are the common responses when I ask for a new founder to share their business proposition. …

And it has nothing to do with your product. — The startup demise usually starts not with a failed launch or misaligned pricing but with something deeper below the surface. If we peeled back what usually causes startup failure like timing, no market need, and lack of funds, we would see a common thread: assumptions. All businesses are based on…

During the pandemic, I watched all the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so when I speak to startups, I use the example of the Avengers when they think about teams. The Hulk has the muscle; Captain America has the charisma; Black Widow has the wits; and Iron Man has…

There is a time when the idea becomes more than just a fragment in your imagination, and pen hits paper. When the team starts amalgamating and there is more interest in pushing the venture forward, usually, the next stop is the founder’s agreement. A founder’s agreement is like your marriage…

I have loved the St. Peter’s Peacocks becoming the Cinderella story of the century in NCAA basketball. For those who do not follow men’s college basketball, this time of year sparks a kind of magic between the late-night games and bracket busting moments. In the spirit of the March Madness…

Often times when I host my Perfect your Pitch workshop at UK universities, I am met with disbelief when I tell students and founders this caveat. AI and other acronyms like it are thrown around too commonly now. …