What it's Really Like Working for a Startup
After almost ten years working for startups, I’ve seen some pretty wild things. One startup...
Writing on Startups
Why Startup Consulting is a Bad Idea
One of my friends recently brought up the idea of consulting for startups. He’s been...
Maximizing for Energy
When left my full-time job last year, I started thinking about the lifestyle I wanted...
The Founder's Guide to Stealth Startups
I remember the first time I sat down for a job interview with a startup...
High Tech vs. Tech-Enabled Startups
I was talking with an entrepreneur and investor here in Chicago recently, and he pointed...
Building a Great Startup Culture
I once shared office space with a quickly-growing startup in downtown Chicago. This company seemed...
Startup Working Hours: Burnout, Pacing, and Hustle Culture
When I joined my first startup almost ten years ago, most of the prevailing wisdom...
How to Find a CTO: Tips for Non Technical Founders
I’ve worked in startups my whole career, first as a software engineer, then as a...
24 Startup CTO Interview Questions
Hiring a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a difficult feat at the best of times....
The World Needs a Non Profit Search Engine
Google is the most widely-used search engine in the world, and the company now offers...
The Best Startup Books for Founders
As a startup founder, you get pulled in a million different directions from the moment...
Defining Trends of the 2020s
A lot has happened in 2020. As this strange and unsettling year comes to a...
14 Alternatives to Google Forms
I’ve been using Google Forms for over a decade, and it has continued to impress...
Essential Reading for Startup CTOs
Being a great CTO requires insight and vision in both technology and business. You have...
The Danger in Listening to Experts
“Most of all, there is this truth: No matter how great your teachers may be,...
Why I Left a Career as a Startup CTO to Become a Writer
When I graduated from college, my dream was to lead a team at a startup....
The Evolution of Our Product Management Process
In 2016 when I joined The Graide Network, I was the first developer. With the...
10 Web Application Builders for Non-Technical Startup Founders
In the days of Web 1.0, entrepreneurs had to learn code or hire web developers...
Using Bubble to Build a Web Application
Move over Wordpress and Wix; there’s another no-code programming platform in the mix. Bubble —...
The Myths You’ll Hear About Working as an Engineer at a Startup
When I first graduated from college and went looking for a job with a startup...
The Many Roles of a Startup CTO
“Chief Technology Officer” (or “CTO”) sounds like a glamorous title. It’s right up there with...
Using Medium for Your Startup's Blog
How large is your online footprint? Marketing your startup is a matter of getting your...
Say No
People will continue to request more of your time until you say no. I was...
Stop Working and Let Someone Else Build It
My backlog of project ideas is long. Like, ridiculously long. Even though I clean it...
Web Applications: The Guide for Building Webs Apps Without Code
Web applications are getting more and more popular, but in 2018, what’s the best way...
Writing Less Software to Accomplish More
Creating custom software should be the last resort for early stage startups. Writing good software...
Startup Employees Still Need a Financial Plan
I know this is a little off base from my usual posts about software, technology,...
How to Put Your Startup's Marketing on Autopilot
I’ve been spending a little time every week promoting the Side Project Marketing Checklist I...
The Side Project Marketing Checklist: Making it Go Viral
Like many developers, I’ve been building side projects in my spare time for years. One...
Knowing Your Startup's Technical Maturity Level
As a startup developer I’m always trying to strike a balance between pragmatism and optimization....
Knowing When Your Business is Ready to Launch
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with entrepreneurs who fit into the...
Security Tips for Engineers at Early Stage Startups
Since publishing this post in August, 2015 I’ve become somewhat fanatical about getting my company’s...
Creating a Tech Startup without a Developer: the Lean Way
Since writing this in 2015, I’ve only become more convinced that more startups need to...
Why the Textbook Industry is Ripe for a Technological Revolution
When I first wrote this in September, 2014 I was just a few months in...
The Risk in Sending Your Startup's Technology Offshore
When I wrote this in September, 2014 I was managing an offshore dev team for...
Health as a Long Term Investment in Your Success
I first published this post in February, 2015 when I was just getting back into...
Everybody's Got an Idea. Ideas Suck. Action Doesn't.
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go...
Marketing isn't about Content Creation, it's about Platform Creation
Back when I was first starting out, I was actually more interested in technical marketing...
How Startups Know When They've Got the Technology Right
I wrote this post back in September of 2012. I had just started my first...
Stress a Little, It's Okay
I’ve always been pretty good at dealing with stress, but as I get older and...
Placing Blame: Internally or Externally
There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who take responsibility when they...
Determining the Value of Online Data
Since I wrote this post back in May, 2012, many more online companies have been...
My Beef With Twitter: Taking the Engagement Out of Social Media
In 2012 when I wrote this post I was getting jaded with Twitter. For about...
Where Have All the Business Models Gone?
When I wrote this article in April of 2012, Instagram had just been bought by...
Training for Focus: 4 Ways to Keep Your Eyes on the Big Picture
I used to struggle with staying focused. Since I first wrote this article in March,...
Community Is About Engagement, Not Size
Back in March, 2012 when I wrote and first published this post and was doing...
Business Blogging Without the Lies
This post was originally published in March of 2012, and since then the world of...
Messaging as a Platform
Messaging platforms like Slack, Snapchat, WeChat, Allo, and What’s App are all the rage -...
Planning for Retirement While Working at a Startup
As I’ve entered my late 20’s and begun to solidify my career path in startups,...
Joining The Graide Network as Chief Technology Officer
After over 2 and a half years at Packback, I’ve decided to move on and...
An Update on Engineering at Packback
As I enter my second full year of working with Packback, I can say that...
On Leaving Uloop for Packback Books
This month marked the end of my first startup experience and the beginning of my...