I'm a judge for Mass Challenge, as well as the Harvard Business School competition, and I've noticed that many entrepreneurs don't know what market size means. Let me call out two of the most common mistakes, which can be the difference between recognizing a real...
strategy
Here are articles on strategy
Craft strategy from both inside and outside
The economic playing field has gotten complicated enough that it's foolish to step on the field without some idea of how you're going to win. In sports, you have a playbook, which lists the plays you can make. In business, we call these...
Why business models matter: Understanding health insurance
When you're making business decisions, one of your most powerful tools is to understand business models. A business model is, simply, how a company makes money. If you want an in-depth definition with examples, check out my article on business models that was written...
Punt resolutions; use strategy, instead!
It’s January, and we all know what that means: time to set New Years resolutions that we’re going to break! The main things resolutions are good for is causing the gym to get way too crowded for the first six weeks of the year. You have a tool at your...
JetBlue speeds towards brand destruction
The essence of a strong brand is differentiation in a way that makes customers want to use your product or Service. JetBlue has announced a decrease in legroom and increase in baggage fees in an attempt to boost lagging profits. All I can say is, "idiots." The entire...
What’s your industry? The answer may surprise you.
The way people define industries is really quite interesting. I've once again been asked to be a judge for the Harvard Business School New Venture Competition. They asked what industries I'm comfortable commenting on. It's a surprisingly hard question to answer,...
Advanced Entrepreneurship: How to Approach Strategy
An entrepreneur’s job includes setting strategy, which is different from vision or tactics. Good CEOs know to set a strategy, great CEOs co-create a strategy.
What does a CIO do, anyway?
A CIO’s job description: limiting technological adoption, insuring financial responsibility, linking technology to internal & external strategy.
What is a Business Model? The anatomy of how a business makes money
Every business needs a business model. Yet two businesses that do exactly the same thing may have very different business models, leading one to succeed, and the other to fail. What is a business model, and how do they work?