Are you a founder or entrepreneur- Welcome to the exclusive club - club fear

This is a summary of a great blogpost about how founders are wired -  by Steve Blank - author of the lean start up, whom I had the fortune to listen to at an entrepreneurship course at hAAS business school with Jerry Engel  at Berkeley University in 2002 .

Sane people have normal jobs - and live lives that are predestined - while founders and entrepreneurs  are closer to artists than any other profession. They see things that others don’t and spend their lives trying to bring those visions to fruition. 

Founders belong to  an ecosystem of  extraordinary visionaries and remarkable engineers, all the while surrounded by an ecosystem of creative, relentless and tenacious individuals who had no respect for the status quo. 

They all belong to this exclusive club……

Club fear - not knowing what lies ahead 

Not choosing a predestined  life - 

These are the misfits , geniuses ,rebels and troublemakers that hav been popping up in stories for thousands of years. 

“Some humans see things as they are and say, why; entrepreneurs and founders dream things that never were and say, why not?” - Robert Kennedy/George Bernard Shaw

These are the humans that built 

Cities, countries and communities , microprocessors, personal computers, 

Internet applications, mobile , consumer electronics  Ai  , Qantum 

These humans don’t wake up saying “I could have or I should have.”

These are the  humans who don’t act like their lives are predestined. 

These are the humans that are Pushing the Human Race Forward

They are a small percentage of people who  the “want to change” and  act on it. 

 They act, they do, they move, they change things.

These humans broke down barriers of race, gender or location and threw up roadblocks that seemed  insurmountable.

Those born into poverty actively strive to change their own lives and that of their children. Those who want to start a company or join one quit their job and do it, while others try to change their political system or fight for social or environmental justice.

They are all trying to tell a much bigger story. 

Every culture has myths about larger than life heroes who rose from nothing. 

This archetype is a recessive gene common to all cultures. 

These are the ones that make things happen, they‘re the ones that push the human race forward.

This is what makes and drives entrepreneurs. 

Their heads are just wired differently.

You Are Master of Your Own Fate

The world is much smaller now. 

The obstacles aren’t gone but are greatly diminished. 

Everyone is within reach of a smartphone, tablet or computer and knows more about entrepreneurship and opportunity and where to get it then all of Silicon Valley did 40 years ago. 

There’s no longer an excuse not to grab it with both hands.

You have a choice to effect the journey and change the rules, that you can decide to give it your best shot to do something, something extraordinary.

You are master of your own fate. Act like it.

“And somewhere between the time you arrive
And the time you go there May lie a reason you were alive
That you’ll never know
In the end there is one dance you’ll do alone”

Jackson Browne – For A Dancer

The power of Immigration to Venture Capital

The meteoric rise of Indians in America - showcasing the power of what immigration of smart people can do to develop innovation , wealth and health of a country !!!

This article showcases a few powerful people, including my friend Kanwal Rekhi - one of the founders of venture capital and innovation in Silicon Valley.

💥A similar story can be told about the rise of South Africans in America - that can include the likes of Elon Musk ,Steve Collis and countless others that have made a positive influence to their communities . 

💥You can change the narrative of this article by cutting and pasting America  with Australia .

I am proud of what Kala Philip (MAICD, GAICD) and  BSI Learning is doing in collaborating with innovation and education with Indian Universities - and look forward to the day when Australian Politicians will open up immigration again  to people looking to study and learn and add value to our magnificent nation which I am proud  to call home 🏠.

Both Australia and America and indeed most countries on this fragile rock on which we live , can show how the power of immigration can benefit from the positive power of what and how immigration of people with similar ethics and values of people  can do for a country ! 

DFAT #immigration #innovation #lifelonglearning TiE #austrade #emdg 

It the process of the team turning ideas into products that is the magic.

Great ideas are just great ideas until someone has the ability to commercialise them into a saleable product or service 

Steve Jobs gives a great metaphor of his neighbour showing him a great invention in his garage when he was young - that turned rocks  into smooth  polished - by continuously rubbing  and bumping against each other . 

He likens this to an idea and the need for a team 

of incredible talented people bumping up against each other , arguing ,collaborating and working together and polishing each other  that enables one to turn a raw idea into beautiful sellable products !

The 4 gems from Paul Greenberg’s Atomos Journey

Paul Greenberg - the Australian magician in the digital retail space - shares the 4 gems gained while chairing ATOMOS  ( ASX : AMS)

• It’s hard to rightsize a business, to ensure it matches market momentum, but not doing so, is harder. 

• Be nice - but don’t avoid the tough conversations. Human to human conversations lead to better outcomes. 

• Meet your customers, wherever they are. Having great channel partners is key to progress. 

• Resilience - Patience, persistence and perseverence pays off. Staying in the game is key. 

Michael Terpin’s Bitcoin projection for 2025

Michael Terpin’s projection for Bitcoin is to reach three times the halving price (which would equal $194,000.  While there will be pullbacks along the way – perhaps as much as 30 percent – it will not stop the all-time high reaching or surpassing this number (in his opinion).

In his book about crypto - the. “Bitcoin’s Godfather” talks about the Bitcoin Cycle - and where we are at the start of 2025.

The Four Seasons of Bitcoin:

• Bitcoin Spring begins the day of the halving.
• Bitcoin Summer takes place when the all-time high of the prior cycle has been passed, kicking off a parabolic rally that creates an outsized new all-time high.
• Bitcoin Fall is when the bubble pops and price fall for about a year, ending in capitulation and “blood in the streets” (during the last cycle, this occurred right after the collapse of FTX).
• Bitcoin Winter is the longest season (around 18 months), as the market reels and seeks to regain momentum after steep losses from the prior all-time high, ending with the next Bitcoin Spring (or, as happened in March, a new all-time high for the current cycle).

These seasons have repeated systematically for the past fifteen years, and on this past Election Day, Bitcoin Summer came to this fifth cycle with a new all-time high of $74,000.  Within a month, the price of bitcoin passed $100,000, climbing as high this month as $108,000 before retracing to $92.9k in the days after the Fed meeting’s guidance of slower rate cuts ahead, once again shaking out the timid and providing a great opportunity to buy under $100k, which will become much harder to find in the new year. 

https://youtu.be/zW1qVJBfhDc?si=3gCUDLwuLTDCFjIW

Peter Thiel share the 11 things he looks for in a startup

What is the magic formula that has enabled Peter Thiel “crack the code” , thrive and win in the chaos that is early tech and startup investing? 

Investing in startups and early stage tech companies  is frought with failures, chaos and disappointments. 

They say that Peter Thiel is one of the most successful investors in Silicon Valley. 

Part of the paypal mafia with Elon Musk, David Segal, Roelof Botha , Reid Hoffman and Jayde Vance - his investments include Facebook (the first outside investor)  , SpaceX , Tesla , Airbnb , Palantir, Bitcoin and Ethereum . 

Which brings me to point number 1 - 

1. Your network is your networth - have people around you that you know like and trust and that have the ability to support you! 

2. Resilience - is a biggy - continuing when most people quit.

3. be super niche -  own 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗴

Stop trying to “boil the ocean.” Instead, corner a small, hyper-specific market. Become the king of that niche, then expand your empire. You just need to be everything to the right few people 

4. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳

Build something so good that people can’t shut up about it. Great products create demand; mediocre ones need PR stunts. Finding product-market fit is always job #1.

5.𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁

A culture that’s tight-knit and laser-focused on a shared vision separates legends from has-beens. 

Build a team obsessed with your company’s mission or prepare for HR chaos (and failure).

6.𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲

If you’re copying what everyone else is doing, congrats, you’re irrelevant. Thiel’s advice: think contrarian. The next big idea won’t come from playing it safe. Learn to think for yourself and connect points others ignore. Let curiosity reign.

7.𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲

Short-term wins are cute, but they won’t build a legacy. Play the long game. Focus on moves that still make sense 10 years down the road. Instant gratification is for amateurs. It’s easier to attract top talent to big visions.

8. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 = 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿

The secret to scale is a product that gets better the more people use it. Think PayPal, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Build something that feeds off its own growth. Non-tech products can do this too with a compelling brand and obsessed customer base.

9.𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻

Massive teams sound cool until you realize they’re just expensive bureaucracy. A small, scrappy, no-BS team can pivot faster, adapt quicker, and punch above their weight class.

10. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀

Train yourself to see what others ignore and go where no one else dares. Achieve this by creating space to think, observe, and be curious.

11. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗱

The struggle is certain, but suffering is a choice. Take care of yourself, build community, and learn to laugh at challenges. Building a startup is hard, but it mustn’t be horrible. 

𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵!

—

Source 

FounderIV - written by founders for founders to help you build a great life and a great business.

If you’re a startup here’s what not to do

Great insites from Pascal Weinberger on why startups fail 

I've worked with and invested in over 50 startups over the last ten years (a lot of which YC backed). Most, if not all, have suffered from the same 5 problems.

Young founders, don't do this:

1. Launching late

There's this idea of "perfecting" your product before launch.

So then you build and build and build.

And when you FINALLY launch, you realize:

➜ There's no product-market fit

➜ It had bugs you didn't test for

➜ We were so busy building and spend 0 time marketing and testing with users

2. Chasing vanity metrics

No one cares about your TechCrunch feature or that “Top Innovator” award, or conference talks or any of that stuff.

Instead of focusing on customers, team and product, a lot of founders waste time chasing clout:

➜ “We raised X dollars!”

➜ “We got into Y accelerator!”

➜ “We spoke at Z conference!”

None of that will get you to a 7-figure ARR.

- Stop chasing trophies 

- Start chasing traction

3. Hiring for experience instead of character

“10+ years of experience” is meaningless in startups.

I’ve seen too many founders hire corporate veterans who come in saying, “This is how we did it at [BigCo].” And guess what? They do it the same way—and fail.

Startups need hustlers... not corporate MBAs. Look for:

➜ Grit > pedigree

➜ Curiosity > complacency

➜ Adaptability > arrogance

The best hire isn’t the one who’s “done it before.” 

↳ It’s the one who’s hungry AF. 

You're trying to build something NEW - you can't do that by doing it the "old" way. 

4. Destroying your team from the inside

Co-founder drama will kill your startup.

Founders fight over (1) ego, (2) compromising, and (3) money.

*Then they blow up their teams in the process. 

Here’s what that looks like:

➜ “I’m right, and I’ll prove it” syndrome

➜ Refusing to let people fail and learn

➜ Prioritizing control > collaboration

You’re not building alone. 

Treat your team like a team.

5. Following the hype

**AI/Crypto/Web3. 

New founders often chase what’s “hot.”

But the more hype in a market, the worse your odds of winning.

Real founders zig when others zag. 
Find a space you understand better than anyone else and dominate it. 

TLDR

- Launch ASAP

- Ignore vanity metrics

- Stop hiring for education

- Trust your team

- Be original and daring

Oh, and by the way...

This isn't me making fun of inexperienced startup founders.

I STILL make some of these mistakes.

Dropping my 2 cents.

Feel free to drop a question/DM if you need help or wanna talk.