Tag Archives: Differentiation
Unique Businesses Are A Force For Good
The best businesses are not just about making money. It is necessary to make money to stay in business, but it is not sufficient for the business to be worth your time. That is why the strongest businesses, in my opinion, are the ones that… Continue reading
Investment Returns of Venture Capital vs Greybull Stewardship
Investment returns in venture capital as an asset class have not been good for a long time. To me, that result is somewhat predictable. Great investment returns are not going to come from anything where you have to swing for the fences with every investment… Continue reading
Should CEO’s, Business Owners, Founders Focus Inside or Outside?
Founders, CEO’s, and business owners need to be skilled at knowing how to balance many competing ideas, priorities, initiatives, and more. We explored this idea in the post the Art of Balance that listed 20 continuums that founders, CEO’s, and business owners must balance constantly. How much to focus… Continue reading
Five Forces by Michael Porter — Fundamentals Through Graphics
Five Forces of Competition The five forces of competition concept is one of the most influential in modern business. It was developed by Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School. Like all good frameworks, it takes something complicated and provides a simple, shorthand method to… Continue reading
Art of Balance — the Key to Business & Management Success
Balance is key to success, particularly for business owners and leaders who think about an entire organization. This means: a) the ability to decide where and when to focus on multiple continuums, b) the ability to execute those decisions, and c) the ability to know when to reassess (a… Continue reading
Founder & VC Misalignment More Often Than Thought
The misalignment between vc’s and founders is painfully obvious from the quotes below from the IPO S-1 filing of Applied Medical Corp. (Dan Primack of Fortune did the reporting and should get the credit). First is the company stating why they are going public (bold emphasis mine). … Continue reading
You Are What You Eat (or Where You Get Your Investment)
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,” said French lawyer and epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. Similarly, tell me where you got the investment for your business and I will tell you what is in store for your business. Each… Continue reading
Optimal Owner for a School — Not Private Equity or Wall Street
The School Business Finding a perfect match between a business and an owner is not easy. This hit home to me last week at a gathering for private post-secondary schools in California where I heard an owner of a private, post-secondary school describe an epiphany… Continue reading
Honey, I Shrunk the Definition of “Long-Term Investing”
Defining Long Term Investing Three years is “long-term investing” according to a discussion I attended last week. The discussion was among a handful of family office investors who help manage money for Haim Saban (participated in sale of Fox Family to Walt Disney), Eric Schmidt… Continue reading
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