Recently, I joined a discussion on stress with fellow entrepreneurs. And I remembered: I am an expert in stress. For years, everyone told me how much pressure I was under. Demanding investors, a family with young kids. But I felt happy. I told everyone that my business was my biggest hobby. I could create. I…
Paul Grahams recent piece on Airbnb’s Brian Chesky went viral. In short, Chesky hired poor managers and now follows more the Steve Jobs model of having a more direct impact. Founder mode vs Manager mode. This is so obvious that I wonder why it is new to people. We’ve all been there. If you hire people…
I was on a skiing holiday last week. While in the mountains, I helped a friend analyze an organization he wanted to buy. Two of my clients called me about hiring decisions. A new entrepreneur explained his needs for his organization. Let’s distill some points for building a perfect team. Building a team nearly always…
Nothing beats getting out in nature to get a new perspective. Two-day hikes are the key component of my coaching program for entrepreneurs – two days of intense one-on-one work, reframing your perspective, and accelerating growth. As of now, you can join us on just the hikes. No ongoing commitment and two days are easy…
“Why am I trying to do something more than this?” This line on WhatsApp this morning sums up a struggle that most of us know too well. Things aren’t good enough as they are. Just one more business to be built. Just one more exit. A home with one more room. Satisfied people don’t change…
All successful entrepreneurs are driven.We have our own compass. We operate at our own speed. We aim for Mars instead of the Moon. Many of us know exactly the inner driver, which keeps us pushing on. It comes in many guises:A lack of a sense of security.A need for recognition. A sense of obligation. Our inner driver is always…
For nearly a decade, I have been coaching a few other successful entrepreneurs consistently one on one. But in Summer 2022, the feedback I got for my coaching sessions changed. While earlier it was “super helpful”, now several people used the word “life-changing”. As the founder of Qype, I worked at the highest speed and…
As a serial entrepreneur, I went through seven “What’s Next” phases. I guided countless founders through phases of searching for their next thing. Here are some points that I learned. 1) We tend to overemphasize avoiding a painful experience. People who leave their jobs tell me how they want to prevent the harmful elements in…
When I coach entrepreneurs, a part of the conversations centers around the organizations they build. Most of them have never learned that founders don’t need to do everything themselves. As a founder and CEO, you really have only three jobs: Maintaining the product vision, Building a great team that can execute, Manage your stakeholders. As…
In my own coaching sessions, my coach kept repeating: „I want you to connect to your feelings.“ I had no idea what she was talking about…I’ve always been emotional, even impulsive sometimes. Yet, after a while, I truly started to change. Not always overthinking. Trusting my instincts. I started to make decisions not based on what makes the most sense…
