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Short Video Rant #1

by | Jul 26, 2025 | Founder Focus, Startups, Tech Rant

Focus Fanatics

Of the many roles that startup founders must tackle in the early stages of their new venture, Chief Focus Officer is probably the most important.

It is far too easy to get distracted by all the bright, shiny objects and side quests that seem intriguing but do not move the needle as you try to transform your new idea into an actual product.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that Focus is the number one hurdle that most startup founders are struggling to overcome. Some recognize this fact and are aware enough to seek help, but most do not and continue to be frustrated by their lack of progress.

They stay busy hopping from task to task, working on all the wrong things, without the ability to prioritize what is most likely to help them win or fail.

#startups #startupfounders #focus #startupmonkey

Startup Rant: Myths, Metrics & Models

by | Jan 31, 2020 | Founder Focus, Go-to-Market, Startups, Technology-based Economic Development

I found this video of a talk a gave at Kauffman’s 1M Cups in Tampa a while back. It is a short riff on my BarCamp talk “Stupid Shit Startups Say,” which I toned down a bit for a more generic crowd. The theme was the same; emerging tech ecosystems are full of misinformation and well-meaning but poorly qualified advice on what startup founders need to know and do when building a new tech venture.

Fighting the urge to “fake it until you make it” and focusing on solving real problems with scalable products produces real companies with honest, mature founders. As a tech community fighting for credibility on the global stage, we should expect and support nothing less.

Sorry, the audio isn’t very good, I tried to clean it up but the camera was in the back of the room with no external mic. If you turn on captions, you will get 90% of the presentation. I look forward to giving this talk again in person someday, probably at another BarCamp. In the meantime, good luck with your startups, and please don’t say stupid $#!+.

BarCamp Tampa Bay – Nov. 10th

by | Nov 7, 2018 | Founder Focus, Startups, Tech Rant, Technology-based Economic Development

Details

The 11th annual BarCamp Tampa Bay will be Saturday, Nov. 10th at the University Mall (west end) – 2200 E. Fowler Ave. Tampa, FL 33612

Store #2127 – Where Spirit Halloween Store was located in University Mall

If you’ve attended or spoken and past BarCamps, you get it. So check the box, save the date, and RSVP at the Ticketing link. Don’t forget to comment below and tell people what you love about BarCamp, the sessions, the people you meet, the ideas that have turned into products and companies, or something else.

If you’ve never attended a BarCamp, you are in for a treat. Join us for a day-long unconference of collaboration and peer-to-peer tech education. It is free to attend, we feed you, give you a cool t-shirt, and immerse your brain in all things tech.

RSVP now at: http://bit.ly/BarCampRSVP

Visit www.barcamptampabay.org for more info and follow us on Twitter @BarCampTampa

So Get your Geek on, bring a friend and we will see you on Saturday, Nov. 10th!

Channel Sales – Not a Silver Bullet

by | May 22, 2018 | Founder Focus, Go-to-Market, Market Strategy, Startup Sales, Startups

The lure of distribution partners is a very costly, bright shiny object for a startup tech company. I see channels treated as a silver bullet sales option far too frequently and saddened that this advice often comes from mentors and investors who don’t understand the fundamentals of early-stage tech adoption. I’ve been preaching the demand-first then distribution approach for longer than I care to remember and this Andreessen Horowitz podcast on B2B2C nails it. Startup founders that think they can jump the queue and proceed directly to a partner sales model should rethink their go-to-market.

a16z Podcast: B2B2C