One final, unorthodox tip: if possible, build your expertise before you build your network, and build your network before you build your company. Each one leads elegantly into the next.

Step 1: Ben, Karl, and Stephen asked us for contact information of

What traits and behaviors should be rewarded and recognized in our employees? Which ones should be discouraged?

Clarity and shared understanding of goals (i.e., everyone gives the same answer to the question “Why are we building this and what do we hope to achieve with it?”). Unity around the specific work required and how each person will contribute to it (i.e., everyone can give an answer to the question “What am I supposed to be doing and how does that fi

YEAR CASH SAVED/BURNED DEBT RAISED/PAID BACK VC RAISED END OF YEAR CASH IN BANK TOTAL REVENUE 2007 $0 $0 $1,100,000 $1,100,000 $800,000 2008 −$800,000 $0 $0 $300,000 $1,400,000 2009 +$200,000 $0 $0 $500,000 $3,100,000 2010 +$500,000 $0 $0 $1,000,000 $5,700,000 2011 +$1,000,000 $0 $0 $2,000,000 $11,400,000 2012 −$5,000,000 $0 $18,000,000 $15,100,000

Silicon Valley startup culture embeds founders with the false belief that because growth is what matters most, we should pursue any and all strategies that could lead us there. Far wiser, and much more difficult because of the discipline and patience required, is ignoring those potential off-course avenues in favor of applying the experimentation,

What traits and behaviors should be rewarded and recognized in our employees? Which ones should be discouraged?

billionaire masterminds.

The best entrepreneurs . . . know how to tell an amazing story that will convince talent and investors to join in on the journey. —Alejandro Cremades, 2016