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How to Make Better Reference Calls

Both Sides of the Table

Reference calls. Ask for at least 5 references. As your candidate for at least 5 references. Ask for at least 5 references. As your candidate for at least 5 references. I like to get a mix of people who have reported to the candidate, whom the candidate has reported to (2x) and peers.

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How to Acquire Customers by Marketing “Heroes”

Both Sides of the Table

We like to use new product and gain benefits before our peers. If you didn’t read that yet it might be worth having a quick skim as a primer. Social proof is defined as “looking for others to guide our decisions&# and is also one of the most important techniques in acquiring customers in your company. We are evangelists.

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Why Your Startup is More Likely to Succeed if You’re Authentic and Passionate

Both Sides of the Table

We live in interesting times where working at a startup is glamorized to the point that many founders even refer to their team members as “rock stars,” which to my ears is cringe worthy. Passion is also the featured heavily in nearly every presentation I give to entrepreneurs or on college campuses or in talks with MBA students.

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Avoid Decision by Indecision

Both Sides of the Table

The premise was that some leaders are too enamored with the approbation of their peers than making the tough decisions in the business that are bound to upset some people. You make too many reference calls or want to see three more candidates before you decide. So you make four more reference calls. Decision by indecision.

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How EO has impacted my life and grown my business

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Natasha Miller is an EO member in Los Angeles, and founder and Chief Experience Designer of Entire Productions , which designs, plans and produces incredible event experiences both virtually and in person. The company has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing, privately held companies three years in a row.

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I Want My CIC! … The Benefits for Startups to Be Co-Located

Both Sides of the Table

[if you're not old enough to get the reference between this image and the title you can click on the image for a prompter]. This past December I spent a week in Boston to try to get to know some of the local VC’s and entrepreneurs a bit better. We know prices of deals, compensation, who’s doing well / poorly, etc.

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Steven Blank Kills It at Greycroft CEO Summit

Both Sides of the Table

My favorite two quotes of the weekend were: “Never trade your cat for somebody else’s dog” (referring to selling your company for stock to another privately held company – quote was from Alan. I’m going to save that for a future blog post. It is the key to “customer development” that Steve Blank talks about.