How start-ups succeed…

This is a question that I have had for years. I actually take it on step farther and wonder how some companies succeed and some fail. There are plenty of reasons a start-up will fail, from lack of funding, poor fiscal management, leadership, politics, lack of vision, crappy technology, etc… You could write a book, or many books, on why start-ups fail.

But what I am interested in is why some start-ups succeed. I realize there is a lot of luck involved and there is a lot of hard work, great technology, etc… But I think one of the main reasons a start-up succeeds (all other things equal) is because of the founder and their ability to drive the company to their vision.

Start-ups are not like most other businesses; the vision is a liquid thing and is constantly shifting with the market. Many times the start-up is actually inventing a market and requires the ability to see the vision and then the tactical abilities to translate this to reality. The leader, founder, CEO or whatever you want to call him/her, is the main point of success. In order for a start-up to consider success, it is critical that this one leader plays the key role in moving things forward, making decisions, and translating the vision into reality.

I have been in a few start-ups and people complain that the businesses are run in a hub and spoke model. Many groups having to interact and move forward based on interactions with the founder or visionary. People look at this model and say ‘it is not scaleable’ or ‘we need to rely on others’, and all of these statements are true. But the most important point is missed when someone makes these statements. The most important point is that the start-up is a moving and evolving being and the people that are a part of the start-up have been brought in to execute on a vision. These are not the visionaries; if they were they would be starting their own businesses. These are the people/teams that are here to build and formalize the business.

The only way to make this work is to have the founder/visionary in the hub and have that person driving the organization through the spokes. It has to happen this way because the key to success for any start-up is the ability to build out the vision in a rapid manner that does not require a lot of frivolous debate. Without the hub in the middle, the start-up is almost doomed to failure, the people running the business will not be able to translate the vision into a plan and move quickly.

Don’t look at this as a hub and spoke, look at it as a star in a galaxy and all the planets are taking their energy from the star in the middle. The galaxy is expanding and growing and the middle star is powering the universe.

Now, at some point in the company life stage it will become important to move away form the hub and spoke model and allow for scaling of the business. This will happen over time and will be something that occurs naturally. It is not something you can force and for that matter forcing it can cause even more problems.

So, if you are in a start-up, embrace the hub and spoke model. Encourage it to move quickly and allow for rapid deployment to the market. Leverage the asset of the visionary in the middle, it is what will help to ensure your success.

I am now at a new start-up called Dynamic Signal, and we are building a scalable platform for word of mouth and conversational marketing.   One of the reasons I decided to co-found this company was the two other executives at the company are two of the most competent leaders and visionaries I have ever worked with.   I realize every time I do a new start-up it is a risk, but each time we do it the risks seem to be as big, but not as difficult to overcome.   I am not sure at some point if the risks become so familiar that you lose your edge, but I don't see that coming anytime soon.  

The Last Fieldgoal

Cold and dark and only 3 seconds left on the clock. He seems almost alone, if it wasn't for the 20,000 other people watching him.

He was so cold as the last time out had really iced him, and though the fall night was around 85 degrees, it was colder than he had ever been.

Snap..... Get the ball straight! Rushing in.

The crowd roars!

Traffic and more Traffic...

I hate traffic. I think it is one of the worst things people have to deal with everyday of their lives. Why put people though so much pain and heartache before they get to work? It is really such a problem, and it is a problem that our government doesn't have a solution for. It is such a big problem that people don't even know how to hold their politicians accountable for fixing it.

Our Alexandria City Council has run on fixing the traffic situation for years, the Governor of our great Commonwealth ran on the traffic problem, and it seems to be a story in almost every newspaper and blog at least once a month.

Outside of really inforcing strict HOV rules, working with companies and the government to establish rolling start times, creating much higher tolls, creating multi-layer highways, or creating flying cars, I am not sure if we are going to fix this problem anytime soon.

I am lucky that my office is 3,000 miles away, and I don't have to deal with traffic everyday, but I do realize how much stress it creates when I need to get to a meeting or the airport and am sitting in a car waiting forever to move 100-feet.

It is like a bad dream!

The Instructor...

The Instructor provides support and teaches us how to. It is in each of us to work hard and practice what we have learned. Though each person has to want to learn and has to work hard to do so, great instructors provide an environment to ensure we can succeed!

The Neighborhood Pool...

This is an interesting photo of an Afghan village seen from above, amidst fields of opium poppy and wheat in Farah Province, It looks like a nice town with the fun neighborhood pool in the middle of the sub-division. It reminds me of any other neighborhood in the world, where I see kids playing and riding their bikes around town. I see the farmers market and the baseball games. I see the small businesses and all the dads heading to the hardware store every weekend.

Who would ever imagine that this place is rooted in evil and repression. How would you know that people are being killed daily and women and children are being tortured and raped? How could you ever understand that this is the largest location for heroin production and drug trafficking in the world? It is a nasty and scary place in this world, and I am sad for the children that have to grow-up thinking this is what the world is comprised of and not knowing anything different.

Looking at these many neighborhoods you would never know one of them is filled with anger and hate.


You would never know that one of these towns allows legal rape and beating your wife is considered a basic building block of marriage.


You would never know that one has innocent people being killed every day.


It makes me sad and sick at the same time, and though I am not delusional enough to think that we can fix everything in Afghanistan with the additional 17,000 US forces, but I can only hope we can make things a little bit better or save one child from growing up in hell, and not knowing it.

Amazing Images and Thoughts...

Since my main man entered office in late January this year I have felt differently about the war. I know we are headed in the right direction finally and know we are focused where it matters... in Afghanistan getting the real bad guys!

President Obama has ordered an additional 21,000 U.S. troops to be deployed to Afghanistan, which will bring the full U.S. deployment there to a total of 60,000 troops, joining 39,000 coalition troops from 43 countries.


President Obama, and his team, have actually been open and transparent around their goals and what they are planning. They are putting in place measurements and metrics around how well we are doing against our goals and objectives in the war.

Here are some of the most amazing photos I have found across the web, and some additional sources for photos of the war in Afghanistan.





I support our troops and the families of our soldiers 100%. I wish them all the best and safety as they head into a very difficult and dangerous world. I finally know we are doing the right thing that is what is best for the world, our nation, and most importantly our children...

An Interesting Perspective...

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security

- Benjamin Franklin

Think Before You Endorse…

There is a special election coming up for School Board in Alexandria, Virginia. There are four candidates running already, and the election is literally a few weeks away from voters showing up to select the next School Board member. This seat was opened up by former School Board Chairwoman Claire Eberwein, who stepped down last month at the end of her term as chairwoman to move out of the country.

The election is for the seat that would only be valid for about 9-months, aka one school season; though it is probably an ‘in’ for someone that wants to run in May of 2009. The election will be only focused on the central part of town (District B). I live in B, with another 50,000 people or so, though only around 3,300 actually showed up to vote in the special election last summer. The election is on Tuesday, August 12th from 6am to 7pm and will be at the precincts where you would normally vote in any general election.

Because this is an election for school board, which is a non-partisan seat; and because it is a short window election (literally 45 days from kick-off to election day); I believe it is absolutely critical for our elected officials to not do any formal, or even informal, public endorsements.

The school board really should be seen as an independent body that works with the city council and is drawn away from the politics that are inherent in a city leadership role. The school board candidates should stand on their own; not based on who they know or what history they have with other elected officials, or even what money they donated to a given candidate. These are the primary reasons I believe city council, and other elected officials within Alexandria should not do any endorsements for this specific election.

Finally, the election cycle is too short. With less than 30 days left until the election, there is no time for a candidate to present themselves to all of the elected leaders in the community and ensure these leaders can make an informed decision that they would make publicly. If any current elected leader steps up for a given Alexandria School Board candidate, it would just leave the question of what really was the driving force for the support.

I know elected officials are like any other citizen and have rights to support whomever they want, but they need to do it privately for this election. There just isn’t enough time.

Some Cub Scout Days...

Dryver and I have had a blast this year being a part of Cub Scouts. He really likes the friends and the activities and I love spending time with him as Dryver and Dad. We spent the last few weekends doing fun things, including walking in a parade, watching a basketball game, Scout Sunday at church and of course checking out the construction site at National Harbor.

I think Dryver has a real blast and loves the fact that he is a part of something. He really loves wearing his uniform, hat and scarf. He really loves playing with his buddies at the meetings, but best of all he does seem to like having me around. I am not sure how long that feeling with last for him, but I will really cherish it every minute as I love the little guy so much and I am so proud to be his dad!

My Ballot...

Okay I voted for Obama. He is the best and I really really hope he wins. I don't think I can take it if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination. I will have to vote for an Republican for the first time ever in my lifetime.

Please Obama!!! I don't want to vote Republican, but if I don't have any other option I will. I refuse to ever vote for Hillary Clinton!

Dryver Graduation to Green Belt...

Dryver graduated from Yellow Belt in Tai Kuon Do to Green Belt this weekend. I was very proud of him as he showed how much he has learned and has become very confident in front of the crowd of people that come to watch these graduations.

I think the effects of being involved in Tai Kuon Do are much different than I thought. They have made Dryver really excited to learn and be physical. He really seems to enjoy doing the classes and is really proud that he has progressed so far. He also has shown some confidence that I would never have thought I would have seen from him if you asked me a year ago.

I am really happy that he loves this sport, and I am happy that he does it without being told to do it. He really does love learning and he loves his instructors as they teach him a lot and treat him with respect.

Dryver's morals are built based on respect. I think this is why he likes Tai Kuon Do so much and why he feels safe in this envrionment. I really hope this confidence can carry over into the real world. He has so much to give the world, and I don't want him to lose the confidence and energy to give it.

I am a very proud dad!

Why I Support Obama...

I could go into 100 reasons why I think Obama is the right choice for President of the United States, a handful being that he is not Hillary, but the real reasons are:

1. He empowers the country!!!
2. He is a true leader of people
3. He dosn't play the political game that Bush and Clinton do
4. He listens to people and wants to leverage the best in people
5. He understands and is willing to take the time to understand.

I was happy to see one of my favorite blogs endorsed him today. No, this is not a politcal blog, it is an internet tech business blog. These guys have a great sense of the world I live in and they have taken the time to review all the candidates.

Obama is the right candidate for the internet space for many reasons. The article on Obama and why he is the right choice for tech is at Tech Crunch. One exerpt from the article around technology:

Senator Obama has put more time and effort into defining his technology policies than any other candidate. In November he released a detailed position paper on technology issues, and we had a one-on-one interview with him two weeks later.

He is staunchly in favor of net neutrality, and has promised to make it a priority to reinstate it in his first year in office. He has proposed intelligent programs for increasing technology education and access to children. He doesn’t believe the FCC went far enough in their proposed rules for opening up the 700MHz spectrum auctions. He wants to see increases in the number of H1-B visas given out each year. He strongly supports research into renewable energy sources and he has a realistic, market based approach to capping carbon emissions.

More importantly, though, Senator Obama talks about the future with a sense of optimism that the other candidates seem to lack. America has done great things in the past, and we can do great things in the future, so long as our leaders support our home-grown and immigrant entrepreneurs, or at least get out of the way. Jobs will be lost in some sectors, but growth in technology can drive our economy ever forward.

Senator Obama seems to understand that, and has spent a great deal of time addressing technology issues and talking to Silicon Valley leaders. Some of the other Democratic candidates have staked out similar positions as Senator Obama on tech issues - but I get the sense that they are playing “me too” rather than showing real leadership and thoughtfulness on the issues.

Senator Obama also continues to surge when it comes to using the Internet to amplify his voice. I talked about his online surge earlier this month.

Senator Obama is the candidate of optimism and leadership, and he will be getting my personal vote.

The Top 15 Reasons to Use Twitter...

I have been using Twitter for about a year and over the 12 months I have learned a few ways to get the most out of the service. There is obviously a huge social aspect to the Twitter community, and this is probably one of the driving forces for the highly engaged user base. But I have found many other reasons and value propositions within this tool and service and I thought I would share a few…

1. Breaking News – if you follow the right people or services you can receive breaking news almost instantaneously on your phone or blackberry.

2. Breaking News within a specific vertical – by using the right keywords you can find out information about specific industries as the new breaks. For example if you put in the tracking on keywords such as ‘Dow Jones’ for financial or ‘CDC’ for health you can be alerted to news in these categories.

3. Keep in Touch – you can follow your friends, neighbors, or co-workers and always have a sense of what they are thinking or doing.. This is helpful when you are busy and traveling and want to just keep in touch with people.

4. Keep track of travel – by tracking the right people you can always get a sense of where someone is if they are on the road a lot. This is very helpful with clients or people you might work with. You can always have a sense of where they are.

5. Rapid Response to Questions – you can send out questions on anything under the sun and many times can get a very quick response on your question.

6. Efficient Communication – you can provide your Twitter name to people that need to reach you or need to know where you are to ensure they can always keep on top of things.

7. What People are Saying About You – you can track your name or company and get a sense of what people are saying or thinking. You can also respond quickly to any misinformation that might start to leak out.

8. Competitive Intelligence – by tracking the names of your competitors you can get a good sense of what they are up to or planning.

9. Buzz or Rapid Trends – you can get a sense of what trends are moving at almost an instantaneous pace. When you see a lot of posts about a specific topic you can get a sense of how important that news is going to be.

10. Track you Investments/Stocks – keep on top of any news, information, leaks, rumors around stocks you own or are watching.

11. Keep up to Date with your Clients – Always have information or news on your clients so you can react quickly to anything that comes up.

12. Betting/Fantasy Sports – keeping on top of the vegas lines and any news out of the different teams you are betting is important.

13. Job Hunting – you can get a good amount of information about a company or their needs by tracking the news or employees of the company.

14. Emergency Preparation/Watch – watching for certain keywords can help you in making sure you are aware of any potential emergencies.

15. Tracking Local – by watching the local cities around where you live you can keep on top of things that are going on in your area. This also applies to Amber alerts or other local issues that might come up.

Top 5 things I would like to see Twitter provide:

1. Closed Communities – the ability to create a group that people can join or be dropped into where they receive instant alerts/twitters

2. White label solution – for corporate brands the ability to white label the Twitter solution could be interesting. One example that would be fun is American Idol group or NFL group.

3. Corporate Accounts – the ability to list the different companies or services that can be tracked in a much better directory or user experience.

4. RSS Integration – the ability to tie together blog postings with twitters so you can be alerted when a new article is posted and the headline within the same interface.

5. More advanced tracking logic – the ability to provide more advanced logical statements in tracking keywords, such as track ‘google’ if twitter is employee of Google and posting includes any of the keywords ‘layoff’,’investment’,’merger’

And a few stretch ideas…

1. Tracking Local – somehow the ability to post the location of people based on their last twitter (if they enable it). i.e. I post from my SMS and am in NY now it could carry this information with on the posting.

2. Breaking In – somehow the ability to break into twitter users based on certain types of messages. This would be opt-in, but if I needed to get a message to a group of people I could pay to have the message broadcast to them.

3. Embedded Content – the ability to send a twitter message and embed content that is enclosed within the message. This could make it easier for content to be presented to the users based on the different devices they are using.

4. Voting on Twitters – some form of social voting on twitter postings that could allow people to use the voting to weigh information.

5. Security Twitter – okay this is a real stretch, but the government uses twitter to communicate any important information to different groups. Also, users can use twitter to alert authorities to suspect situations or problems.

Okay, that is enough for now, but these are just a few things that seem to be of value in using Twitter. They have a long way to reach critical mass, but I do think there will be some really unique and exciting services that will come out of this team.

Heading to NYC

Next week, Monday, I am heading to NYC for Ad:Tech. I will be taking the train up on Monday at 4am and then coming back down to DC on Monday night on the 9pm train. I will then go back up the next morning at 7am, after I vote on Tuesday morning. I won't get to NYC until 11am, but that is fine.

I will head back that night and then come back up on Wednesday. It is actually cheaper than getting a hotel room, as the train is only $90 or so, which is about 25% of a hotel in downtown NYC these days.

I like the train because I can get a lot of work done while I am traveling and don't have to worry about the nightmare of flying.

True Perspective...

Rinnng! Rinnng! Bells ringing hopefully remind us all of what is truly important in our schools. No, these are not the bells of the fifth round of a ten round boxing match at the last School Board meeting. These are the bells that really matter and make a difference to us all.

As a teacher, parent, student, or administrator, you hear these marvelous bells at least once every school day. These are the bells that hint to the middle schooler that woke up late, to run just a bit faster to get to class on time. These are the bells that tell the science teacher that it is time to start the cool new project that might make a big mess, but will be a lot of fun. These are the bells that ring as children run out into the playground and form into kickball teams for some well deserved socializing. These are the bells that signal time for that pop quiz on calculus or Shakespeare. Most importantly, these are the bells that remind the teachers and staff of ACPS that they have accomplished another incredible day that will make a real difference in our children’s lives forever.

The bells didn’t seem to ring as loudly on Monday, September 24, 2007 around ACPS. They didn’t have that same punch that can wake any high school student from even the best of daydreams. There was something missing, and that absent feeling wasn’t going to subside anytime soon.

It takes someone very extraordinary to remind us all what is important in our lives. ACPS lost a very special person this past Sunday night. Nancy Sparks, the most recent principal of George Mason Elementary School, was taken from her family and friends way too soon. It is a sad day and she will be missed dearly by the entire Alexandria community.

Ms. Sparks stood for what was really important in our schools. There was never a day when Nancy wasn’t available for our children and always looking out for each of them as individuals. When she walked the halls of George Mason, the children would connect with her and know they were safe and they always had someone looking out for them. Nancy reminds all of us that, no matter what side of the disagreement you are on, the real reason we are all in this is because we want what is best for our children.

Of course the school bells will continue to ring. Anyone that knew Nancy will miss her dearly. But as long as the bells continue to ring and we all focus on what is best for our children, we will be carrying on an amazing legacy of a remarkable person.

It is important as we fight for what we think is right, that we keep perspective. When the school bells ring in Alexandria, hopefully they mean even more as we remember someone so dedicated and special. Nancy Sparks made a huge impact on many children’s lives, and the bells will continue to remind us of that everyday.

A Good Start?

Bush announced he was going to pull out 5,700 troops from Iraq by the end of the year. Though I am happy to hear there are some of our best men and women coming home, it is almost an insult. There are 140K troops active in Iraq today, and thousands of US citizens working security and other high risk jobs to help our military.

I guess I can't complain because this is better than sending 5,700 more troops into Iraq, but for some reason it just doesn't seem like enough...



Here is a graph of the real impact.

Why Africa?

When people ask me where I would love to travel to if I had all the money in the world and could take months off of work? I always say Africa. The usual response is 'Why the hell would you want to go there?'

Well, these pictures tell it all... My question is why the hell would you not want to go there?

Subliminal Login?

Sitting and waiting for my flight to Los Angeles this morning in the Red Carpet Club at Dulles. I decide to get some work done as my flight is running late, again. I start-up my laptop and fire up Firefox.

I can see the wireless has hooked-up to T-Mobile, as they have a wi-fi deal with United Airlines. The login screen loads up and I am about to login, but I get this strange feeling that I am doing something wrong. Almost something naughty. I check to make sure my pants are zipped up, yup, everything okay.


Why do I have this feeling all of a sudden? Then it comes to me, the photo up at the right hand corner of the login screen. What are those two up to? ‘Stick Together’ – what does that mean?

Humm, all I know is I feel dirty, and it is still only 7am.

Walking The Field

 

The grass is damp and the game is about to begin. The white chalk lines have been drawn and the players are ready to walk out onto the field.

The innocence of children make the game that much more important to everyone there. There is a true sense of purpose for all. The children see the purity of the day and can love the sport for what it was intended to be.