By Chris Marks Founding a start-up and running a large high growth company are two roles that come with completely different job descriptions. They require different skill sets, different temperaments, and tend to attract different types of people. As a result, it is no surprise that so few early stage entrepreneurs transition to successful large company CEOs. But there are founders who have made the transition. And what they will tell you is that it...
by Chris Marks When I partner with entrepreneurs who are raising venture capital for the first time, I know that I am going to have to help them adjust to a new, and often difficult, environment. Every entrepreneur is optimistic — it comes with the territory — but the fundraising process can be long and disheartening for even the most confident CEOs. I have found that there are two keys for any entrepreneur raising capital: balance and...
Over the course of the past winter, I found myself dealing with an issue in my prior fund’s portfolio that tested me as an investor, and as a person. As with most things in the start up world, once the problem arose, there was no easy fix. The one thing that was apparent, was that it was going to get worse before it got better. I buckled in, knowing full well what was ahead. Turmoil within a...
By Chris Marks Everyone struggles with being authentic. It comes with the territory — not only when you are part of a start-up, but when you are part of the human race. The world of venture capital is no exception. Recently, I had the honor of discussing this topic with my good friend Jerry Colonna of Reboot.io and Bryce Roberts of OATV and Indie.vc. It was a fun and engaging conversation. If you are an entrepreneur...
By Chris Marks Since launching Blue Note Ventures, the most common question has been, “how will you know an authentic leader when you see one?” While I’m happy to provide some thoughts on the topic, a couple of clarifications are in order: First, I am not in the business of identifying who is an authentic leader and who is not. Far from it. My goal, and the purpose behind Blue Note Ventures, is to work...
No one cares what you say until they know who you are. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, he describes a process called the ‘thin slice’. This is a reference to something we all do, sometimes without even knowing we do it. We take a ‘thin slice’, a quick check, of something presented to us and the person presenting it, and, paraphrasing Gladwell in my own words, we ask the following question – does it feel...
I’ve been watching the recently completed Washington Capitals – NY Rangers NHL playoff series (I’m from Washington and a Caps fan). The Rangers won (cheers Mark Solon) in seven games, winning the final game in overtime. Analysts pointed out that it was the only playoff series in NHL history that went to overtime in game 7, and had all 7 games decided by only one goal. It was, they argued, the closest playoff series in NHL...
By Stew Friedman Bruce Springsteen — great leader? You might be skeptical, but bear with me as I describe a few practical ideas we can pull from Springsteen’s repertoire of the critical “soft skills” that set the memorably high-impact leaders apart from the rest of the pack. Bruce’s epic music is a source of inspiration for millions around the world. Like many others, his impact on me has been deeply personal. On a recent night...
My business card and my email signature list my title at Kapost as “Co-founder and CEO.” It’s the title I’ve held since we started the company five years ago. Our company has changed a lot in those five years; we’re over seventy people now. During that time, I’ve come to realize that the title really didn’t apply at the start of our business, and I’m hoping that it does not apply now. Specifically, I’ve come...
On July 14th I found myself in my Jeep set to make the 10 hour trip to Boulder, CO. My company, Bawte, had been accepted into the 2014 Techstars program. Other than leaving my home and my family, I really had few concerns. I had been a CEO for over 10 years…been starting tech companies since the early 2000’s. I had already been through a lot. Now, no one has every experience under their belt,...