Author Archives: Neil Thanedar
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I am an American.
I am an American. I was born on May 18, 1988, in St. Louis, Missouri. I became a father for the first time this week. My son Kai is one of our newest Americans. My father is an American. He became a US citizen the year I was born. He was born in a villageContinue reading “I am an American.”
Take Down This Flag
When I was two years old, my parents bought their first home in America. For two immigrants from India, this action epitomized the ‘American Dream’ that was promised to them a decade earlier when my father left his homeland with just $20 + a scholarship to a US PhD program to his name. To celebrateContinue reading “Take Down This Flag”
The Founder Tree
Championships matter, of course. But when ESPN assembled an all-star panel to pick the 20 best NFL coaches in history, these experts focused on another key attribute when ranking these leaders — their coaching trees. It’s not enough to win now. You also have the responsibility to recruit and develop leaders who go on to win theirContinue reading “The Founder Tree”
Entrepreneurship = Get Rich Slow
Ever seen this quote? “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life living like most people can’t.” Starstruck wantrepeneurs: Understand the real-world challenges that you’re going to face as a startup founder. It’s not just 100+ hour work weeks coding inContinue reading “Entrepreneurship = Get Rich Slow”
Valuing Seed-Stage Startups
Do you have 6+ months of runway? If Yes: Continue to Step 2. If No: Calculate the minimum investment needed to get to your next milestone. Make a list of the five investors who are most likely to give you money. Pitch all five and ask each one for the full amount needed. Offer themContinue reading “Valuing Seed-Stage Startups”
On Being ‘First’
As entrepreneurs, we’ve all experienced the rush of excitement that accompanies the arrival of a bright new startup idea. There’s something magical about the belief that you are the very first person in history to figure out this secret. It’s hard not to start counting the billions of dollars in your future bank account. TheContinue reading “On Being ‘First’”
Don’t Just Lead By Example
“Lead by example.” This cliché, constantly provided to new entrepreneurs and first-time CEOs, is often terrible advice for the heads of large organizations (or founders of startups that aspire to be large). What entrepreneurs usually gather from this recommendation is that they simply need to work their asses off, and their team will follow them.Continue reading “Don’t Just Lead By Example”
7 Ways To Improve Your Demo Day Pitch
So, you’ve picked the best startup accelerator for you and survived the first months of the program. Now you feel your eyes wandering towards the finish line, and that big Demo Day presentation looming large. If you’re like me, public speaking is an unnatural experience. Add the fact that you need to summarize your entireContinue reading “7 Ways To Improve Your Demo Day Pitch”