Build With a Buyer in Mind
Groom your company right from the start to become a part of a public company's portfolio. Read story
A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR'S MAGIC 
Things Are Looking Up
It is a great time to be starting your company. The early stages of any company do not really depend on the economy. In fact, there are many things ... Read story
The Value of Mentors
What I learned from Bob Freed, Robert Noyce, Jerry Sanders, and Don Valentine. Read story
Go Shopping for a State
There is an old saying: "If they are passing the hors d'oeuvres, you should take one." Right now, many states are passing out more than small nibble... Read story
Google's Car Will Change the World
Imagine a world without traffic jams, with online bidding for parking spaces, and the end of drunk driving. Read story
The Product Nobody Wanted
Innovation tends to create sales and distribution problems. New products often cannot find retailers or they violate accepted distribution cycles. I... Read story
How to Encourage Spinoffs
As a serial entrepreneur, you are always ready to create a spinoff, approve a new line of business, or simply let employees experiment. There is a right w... Read story
Getting Perspective
A recent news item on Inc.com asked the question, "Are your employees afraid t... Read story
New Year's Resolutions for Your Company
This is the time of year to look back on a year gone and a fresh one just starting. Every company has the ability to take hard steps to improve performanc... Read story
How to Avoid Horrible Presentations
In making a pitch for funding, communicating with co-workers, making a sales presentation, or just giving a speech, a good PowerPoint deck or a set of key... Read story
Is Your Idea a Product or a Company?
I see hundreds of business plans each year, and more than half of them fail what I call the "Company Test." That is, many of them describe clever product... Read story
How to Create a Million Jobs
If members of Congress wanted to create a million jobs, all they would have to do is repeal in its entirety the legislation that is known as Sarbanes Oxle... Read story
An Easy Way to Learn Entrepreneurship
Today there is no reason for any kid to be out of work. That's because online markets such as eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon.com provide some of the best ha... Read story
Why I Love Trade Shows
Trade shows are somewhat out of favor these days, and I think that's a shame. The more you know about business, the better you will be at solving new prob... Read story
The Fully-Outsourced Start-up
An entrepreneur is fundamentally an organizer of labor and capital for an enterprise. But that doesn't need one must build an organization in the traditio... Read story
Funded Companies are Fragile Companies
There are basically two theories about funding a start-up. One is to bootstrap the company; the other is to pour on the cash. Bootstrapping is always at... Read story
The Case Against Government Spending
Every morning, a CEO or a product manager in the private sector will ask his or her staff if there are ways for the company to save money. Managers know t... Read story
The Power of a One-Page Marketing Plan
When launching a new product or a new line of business, many companies make the mistake of starting with either engineering or design. This is wron... Read story
Raising Money is Like Kissing Frogs
Even in this market, there are new companies getting funded, but the process of raising money can seem at first to be quite unpleasant. You have to kiss a... Read story
4 Trends in the Gaming Industry
I am shown new things in the video game business all the time, and love the portal into the future of fun that these demonstrations provide. While some in... Read story
What to Do When You Can't Pay a Bill
During tough times in any business, it becomes difficult if not impossible to pay all your bills on time, and this can become a source of sleepless nights... Read story
Look to the Rich for Market Research
If you want to know what will be popular a few decades from now, you don't have to engage in expensive or time-consuming market research. Just look at wha... Read story
Parties, Games, and Company Culture
In a time of economic hardship, it has become fashionable for companies of all sizes to cut way back on work parties, retreats, and corporate outings. The... Read story
The Problem With "No" Employees
Over the years, I have found that some people are just naturally negative and often employees that are political use criticism as a power structure. This ... Read story
Science Fiction I Love
After my post on science fiction , people have ask for some of my ... Read story
E3 Highlights: Scaling the Uncanny Valley
In early June, E3 The Electronic Entertainment Expo--an annual video game convention and the world's argest such gathering--was held at the Los Angeles Co... Read story
How to Fill Your Junk Time
I am a voracious listener of audio books. I listen to them in the car, exercising, on airplanes, in cabs, doing task around the house, and even at the den... Read story
Why I Love Science Fiction
I love to read and listen to science fiction. The worlds drawn and the ideas presented are often very prescient, describing products and services that ar... Read story
Why Every Innovator is in the Toy Business
A common myth in business is that the market rewards innovation. Strictly, speaking this is true. But here's the rub: the market almost always looks at ne... Read story
The Not-So-Golden State of California
It has been saddening that California, my home for most of my business life, has become so economically dysfunctional. Having created companies here and ... Read story
Fixing the World's Most Dysfunctional Industry
I am currently very passionate about education. Our current system is massively dysfunctional by any objective standard and desperately needs fixing. It... Read story
A Cool New Tool (For Business Use Only)
For the last few months, I have been using a very handy gadget: a pico pocket projector from Aptech that has both a battery and stored memory. The device... Read story
On Creativity
For many years, I have been asked to run creativity sessions for some major corporations. It turns out that many companies think of themselves as not bei... Read story
How to Acquire a Company for Free
Right now, only a few miles from where you live, there is a free company that's yours for the taking. Here's what I mean: There are many businesses (both... Read story
The Secret to Patents
When starting a company, many entrepreneurs believe that their ideas are of massive value and they become paranoid that someone is going to steal them. S... Read story
Job Security is a Bad Thing
I have come to believe that job security is one of the worst things a person can have, especially early in their career. Getting fired gives you a chance ... Read story
Now is the Time to Start a Company
A recession is a very good time to start a company. I founded Atari during a significant downturn, and that allowed for us to share risk with business par... Read story
