A killer tool for revealing company culture : Stop, Start, Keep
My most memorable course at HBS was taught by a young instructor (now professor) named Tom DeLong. It was called Career Management. I liked it for…
Anything for attention
I’m starting to think I should never leave the office, given my record for mishaps. I’ve documented a couple here and here. I’ve also been clear…
Five big things a startup CEO must “own” when closing a financing
A major financing can take on a very vibrant life of its own. Between lawyers on both sides, partnership dynamics and/or board approvals, bankers and accountants,…
Three crazy-great stories that make me proud
We had great success with launching three wildly different Grommets last week. I share them below. Squatty Potty. This is a brave story for us. I…
Day-tripping for mushrooms with a toddler
The single best thing about building Grommet has been watching the ongoing success of our Grommet partners, like Back to the Roots Ventures. The founders are…
True tales from our 2012 tour of duty
On the Friday that our Rakuten investment closed, It was formally concluded with a simple “the Eagle has landed” email from Wai-Yan Sun, the Rakuten USA…
Rakuten invests in Daily Grommet!
Pinch me please. Being able to announce that Rakuten made an investment in Daily Grommet is a dream come true. If we travelled the world (and…
Only the Mafia is more secretive than this industry
There’s been a bit of press buzz about a new candy line, created by a 15-year-old. It’s called Unreal Brands. The news stories focus on the…
Sneaking around in the basement, and where it landed me
Teenagers. Basements. It’s the perfect recipe for trouble. I once did my own teenage basement maneuver. And well, my children, it got me sent to boarding…
Can People Learn to be More Innovative?
One of the coolest things about mentoring another person is that they often force you to new realizations and insights. This happened to me recently when…
Jules Pieri 